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COLONIAL AMERICA (1492 - 1763)
European explorers
come to North America
Spanish explorers claimed lands from Florida to California as they
looked for gold. Spain set up missions to bring the Catholic religion to
Native Americans, and forts to protect their claims.
English explorers mapped and claimed parts of the Atlantic coast from
Georgia to Canada.
French explorers claimed areas near the Great Lakes and along the
Mississippi River. They were followed by fur traders and missionaries.
JAMESTOWN - 1607
In 1607, King James I granted the Virginia Company of London
permission to establish the Jamestown colony on Chesapeake Bay (on the
coast of Virginia). John Smith led the colony.
first permanent English settlement in the Americas
Hardships: low, swampy land → mosquitoes, dirty water → disease
Pocahontas helped through early hard times. Survived because they
learned how to grow tobacco. Brought in African slaves.
House of Burgesses — first colonial legislature in the Americas
PLYMOUTH - 1620
Plymouth colony, founded by the Pilgrims, was the second English colony
in America, founded in Massachusetts in 1620.
Hardships: freezing winters, many died.
Squanto taught Pilgrims how to grow food to survive.
Mayflower Compact — an agreement for self-government
Thirteen
colonies
English kings gave permission for colonists to create 13 English colonies
along the Atlantic Coast. The Appalachian Mountains were the western
border.
Colonial cities grew up on the coast where good harbors allowed
transportation. The port cities of Boston, New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, and Charlestown were centers of trade, population, and
government.
Each colony had a royal governor appointed by the king and a legislature
with elected representatives from the colony.
Colonists in each region, or area, adapted to the climate, soil, and
geography they found. They sold their products to England.
New England colonies
Rocky soil and cold winters. Resources: sea, forest
Industries: shipbuilding, forestry, fishing, trade
English Puritans came to New England seeking freedom
from religious persecution
MASSACHUSETTS, NEW HAMPSHIRE, CONNECTICUT,
RHODE ISLAND
Middle colonies
rich soil, long growing seasons, cold winters, deep rivers
called the Breadbasket — grew grain and raised livestock. fur
trapping, shipping
Known for diversity (many groups living together peacefully) and
tolerance (acceptance of others)
PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK, DELAWARE, NEW JERSEY
Southern colonies
rich soil, warm weather, flat land good for growing cash crops
sold tobacco, indigo, rice, sugar, and cotton to England
labor shortage → indentured servants and slaves
plantation — a large farm that forced slaves to grow cash crops
VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, THE CAROLINAS, GEORGIA
GOVERNING THE
COLONIES
History of representation in England:
1215 Magna Carta — This document limited the power of the King and
gave rights to some citizens.
1689 English Bill of Rights — guaranteed English citizens certain
rights and set up a process for electing representatives in Parliament
(the British Congress).
How representation grew in the English colonies:
1619 Virginia House of Burgesses — the first representative
government assembly in the colonies.
1620 Mayflower Compact — Pilgrims signed a contract agreeing to
the rules for self-government for the colony. They agreed to follow
the laws made by their representatives.
COLONIAL TRADE
Mercantilism — American colonies sent raw materials to
English factories, then the colonies bought manufactured
goods from England. (Colonists began to resent mercantilism
controlled by England.)
Triangle trade — The slave trade route between Africa and
North America completed the triangle that ships traveled.
AMERICAN REVOLUTION (1763 - 1783)
French and Indian War
Cause: The French built forts in the Ohio River Valley, west of the
Appalachian Mountains. English colonists wanted the land.
THE WAR: England and France fought in the American colonies
(1754-1763). American colonists sided with England, while many
native American tribes fought beside the French.
RESULTS:
Ben Franklin published
this political cartoon
calling American
colonists to join together
to fight the French.
England won, forcing the French out of the land between the
Appalachians and the Mississippi River. American settlers poured
over the Appalachian Mountains, taking Indian land.
Proclamation of 1763 — King George III ordered colonists not to
cross Appalachians to keep peace with Native Americans.
Quartering Act — Colonists had to feed and house the British
soldiers who were sent to keep the peace.
The British Parliament passed new tax laws to pay for the war debt.
Colonial protests
against British laws
boycott — refusing to buy certain
products as a form of protest
1765 Stamp Act (tax on paper goods)
→ boycott of paper goods → Stamp
Act Congress → repeal of Stamp Act
“No taxation without
representation!”
1767 Townshend Acts (tax on imports, new courts to try colonists who
ignored taxes) → boycott → British soldiers stationed in Boston to
enforce tax laws → 1770 Boston Massacre (5 colonists died) →
American colonists outraged → repeal of Townshend Acts
1773 Tea Act → boycott → 1775 Boston Tea Party → Intolerable Acts
(took over the Massachusetts government, closed the port of Boston) →
boycotts, First Continental Congress meets
Patriots v. Loyalists:
Americans chose sides
Patriots — supported independence from Great Britain
DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE —
1776
The Declaration of Independence was signed July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia
by delegates to the 2nd Continental Congress. The Declaration stated:
Loyalists — were loyal to the King George III as the ruler of the English
colonies in America.
All men are created equal
they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights:
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
When a government violates those rights, the citizens have the right
to abolish (get rid of) that government and create a new one.
King George III has violated the rights of the American colonists.
Then the Declaration listed grievances, or complaints, against King George
III and Parliament (like shutting down legislatures).
Key Events of the
Revolution
1775 Lexington/Concord — the first battles of
the Revolution. “The shot heard round the world.”
Paul Revere rode to warn the colonial militia
(Minutemen) about the arrival of British troops to
capture their arsenal. British retreated to Boston.
1776 Trenton, NJ — Gen. Washington led troops
across the Delaware River to capture Trenton in a surprise attack,
after Thomas Paine’s Crisis inspired troops.
1777 Saratoga — American troops won in the Hudson River Valley
and forced part of the British army to surrender. A turning point in
the war. France began to help with troops and money.
1777/78 Valley Forge — General Washington and the American army
lost Philadelphia and spent a horrible winter training in their winter
camp. Troops suffered from starvation, disease, and freezing cold.
1781 Yorktown — Gen. Washington forced the surrender of British
Gen. Cornwallis in this port town on Chesapeake Bay, with the help of
French navy and army. This battle ended the Revolution.
American advantages in the war: Patriot troops knew the territory.
The U.S. got help from Spain and France.
1783 Treaty of Paris — The treaty between the U.S. and Great
Britain gave the Americans the land from the Appalachian Mountains
west to the Mississippi River and recognized American independence.
Key People
Samuel Adams — leader of the Sons of Liberty in Boston, a secret
protest group that began many protests including Boston Tea Party.
Thomas Paine — Englishman who wrote Common Sense, a pamphlet
that encouraged American colonists to declare independence from
England. Later, Paine wrote Crisis, which encouraged Washington’s
soldiers before the Battle at Trenton. “These are the times that
try men’s souls ...”
Patrick Henry — Virginia Patriot who called for independence once
Boston was under siege. “Give me liberty or give me death!”
Benjamin Franklin — colonial leader in Philadelphia, representative in
France during the war, inventor, publisher.
Thomas Jefferson — Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress
who wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
George Washington — leader of the Continental Army during the
Revolution, President of the Constitutional Convention.
King George III — King of England during the American Revolution;
Patriots accused him of being a tyrant.
John Adams — Massachusetts Patriot who helped write the
Declaration of Independence.
Abigail Adams — wife of John Adams wrote a letter encouraging him to
“remember the ladies” when forming the new government.
CREATING THE CONSTITUTION (1783 - 1791)
Articles of
Confederation
The 2nd Continental Congress wrote the first plan of government for the
colonies after it declared independence from Britain at the beginning of
the Revolution. They called it the Articles of Confederation.
The Articles set up a loose alliance of the states to defend themselves
against Britain. The states governed themselves, printed their own
money, had their own navies, but they agreed to help protect each other.
Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation —
Congress was too weak: could not tax, enforce laws, regulate trade,
or control money. Congress ould not pay soldiers, and it was hard to
pass bills because 9 of 13 states had to agree.
No president (chief executive) or Supreme Court.
Results of the weak
new government
1783 Congress was chased out of Philadelphia by Continental Army
soldiers who were never paid.
1786 Shays’ Rebellion — former Continental Army soldier Daniel Shays
led Massachusetts farmers in armed protest after they lost their farms
because of high state taxes. The weak U.S. government could not help
end the conflict.
CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION
— 1787
Delegates went to Philadelphia to revise (change) the Articles of
Confederation. Instead, they decided to write a new plan for a stronger
national government.
James Madison introduced the Virginia Plan — he proposed three
branches of government and two houses of Congress. After five months,
delegates completed the Constitution. The Constitution was ratified, or
approved, in 1789, after the Bill of Rights was added.
COMPROMISES at the
Constitution Convention
1) The Great Compromise ended an argument between large states
(Virginia) and small states (New Jersey) by creating a House of
Representatives with representation based on population and a Senate
with equal representation (2 senators from each state).
2) The Three-Fifths Compromise settled the argument between
Northern free states and Southern slave states about how to count slaves
when figuring out how many representatives each state got.
Preamble Introduction
“We the People of the
United States ...”
The purposes of our national government: to keep the nation together
(form a more perfect Union); make things fair (establish Justice), keep
peace at home (insure domestic Tranquility), defend the country (provide
for the common defense), take care of citizens (promote the general
Welfare), and keep the country free (secure the Blessings of Liberty)
PRINCIPLES OF THE CONSTITUTION
Limited
Government
The Framers of the Constitution wanted our government to be strong
enough to hold the states together, but they wanted our Constitution to
limit the power of the government.
“a government of laws and not of men” - John Adams
Federalism
Government power is divided between the federal (national) and state
governments. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. The
federal government only handles jobs that affect the whole nation (like
income tax, treaties, and national laws).
Separation of Powers
The powers of government are separated into three branches of
government:
Legislative Branch — lawmakers. Congress makes the
laws for the nation.
Executive Branch — enforcers of the law. The President heads
the Executive Branch.
Judicial Branch — judges (who interpret the laws). The highest
court is the Supreme Court.
Checks and
Balances
Each branch can check, or limit, the power of the other two branches, so
that no one branch becomes too powerful (for example, the President can
veto laws, the Supreme Court can rule a law unconstitutional).
Republicanism
“reps of the public” — Government is controlled by the people, who give
their elected representatives the power to make and enforce the laws.
Popular
Sovereignty
“the people rule”
Individual Rights
The unalienable rights mentioned in the Declaration and guaranteed by
the Bill of Rights and other amendments to the Constitution
The power of government rests with the people, who express their ideas
through voting (consent of the governed)
Federalists v.
Federalists (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison) argued in the
Federalist Papers that we needed a strong central government.
Antifederalists
Antifederalists (Patrick Henry) argued that a strong national
government would take away people’s and states’ rights. They
insisted that a Bill of Rights be added to the Constitution to protect
individual rights.
Bill of Rights — 1791
Bill of Rights — the first ten amendments to the Constitution —
1
freedom of speech, press, religion, peaceable assembly, petition
2
right to bear arms (militia)
3
no quartering of soldiers in peace time
4
no unreasonable search or seizure, warrant
5-8 due process for people accused of a crime (jury trial, attorney, no
cruel and unusual punishment)
9-10 rights not listed in the Constitution belong to states or citizens.
Amending the
Constitution
amend — change
The Constitution can be amended (changed) to keep up with changes in
society. Amendments can be proposed by Congress or state legislatures.
Amendments must be approved by ¾ of state conventions. The
Constitution has only been amended 27 times.
EARLY YEARS OF THE NEW NATION (1791 – 1817)
Northwest Ordinance
of 1787
This law established a procedure for adding new territories and states to
the United States. New states were equal to the original states. The law
also provided free education and banned slavery in the new territories.
George Washington’s
Presidency
“I walk on untrodden ground” — Washington knew he would be setting a
precedent (example) for presidents to follow.
Washington asked for advice from his “Cabinet,” including Alexander
Hamilton, his Secretary of the Treasury, and Thomas Jefferson, his
Secretary of State.
Farewell Address: Washington encouraged the U.S. to stay neutral and to
form “no entangling alliance” with other countries. He also warned against
political parties, which could divide the nation.
Political
Parties
Washington’s cabinet members disagreed about how much power the
national government should have. They led different political parties.
Alexander Hamilton and other Federalists believed in a strong national
government (supported a national bank, import tariffs to protect new
American factories). Represented Northerners, urban manufacturers.
Thomas Jefferson and other Democratic-Republicans supported small
government, the rights of the states, and low taxes. Represented the
agricultural, rural South.
Washington, D.C. —
1800
George Washington asked Benjamin Banneker, an African-American
mathematician and surveyor, to help design the new capital.
Marbury v. Madison —
This court case established the idea of judicial review. The Supreme
Court can overturn a law as unconstitutional if the court decides that the
law is against the U.S. Constitution.
1803
War of 1812
(1812-14)
President Madison
Causes: the U.S. wanted to annex Canada from the British and Florida
from the Spanish. British warships were seizing American ships and
impressing American sailors. U.S. was angry with Britain for encouraging
Native American attacks against American settlers on the frontier.
British ships blockaded American ports, blocking American imports. This
encouraged American manufacturing. British troops fought in America
from 1812 -1814. The British burned much of Washington, D.C.
Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star Spangled Banner” after witnessing
the American victory that defended Fort McHenry from British attack in
Baltimore Harbor.
Andrew Jackson won at the Battle of New Orleans after the peace treaty
was signed.
Result: the Era of Good Feelings, a time when Americans felt greater
nationalism and patriotism and political parties stopped fighting.
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS
Improvements in
Manufacturing
In England, improvements in technology created the Industrial Revolution,
a change in the way goods were made. Now work was done more
efficiently in factories, rather than in homes by hand.
textile industry — the mass production of woven cloth by machines
1790 Samuel Slater built the first spinning mill in America.
1798 interchangeable parts — Eli Whitney invented machines to
manufacture each part of a gun exactly alike. This sped up production and
made repairs easier. assembly line → mass production of goods
1813 Lowell mills hired farm girls to weave cloth on power looms in
factories (12 ½ hour days, low wages).
Results —
urbanization (people leaving their farms and moving to cities)
5 million immigrants from Europe (Irish, German, Italian)
overcrowding, poverty, poor working conditions in Northern cities
Improvements in
Agriculture
1793 Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. Textile mills demanded more
cotton, but the short-fibered cotton that could be grown away from the
coast was hard for slaves to clean by hand. With the cotton gin, a worker
could clean 50 pounds of cotton a day.
Results —
Cotton profits made slaves more valuable → increased slave trade.
Many farmers moved west to grow cotton and brought slaves.
Settlers moving west grew food and cotton to supply the North and
created a market for Northern manufactured goods.
1834 McCormick reaper allowed farmers to cut grain crops with a horsedrawn machine rather than by hand.
1837 John Deere’s steel plow made it possible to farm the tough, muddy
midwestern soil.
Improvements in
Transportation
1807 Fulton invented the steamboat (the Clermont), increased
river transportation, made transporting goods more efficient.
New Orleans became an important port on the Mississippi.
1825 The new Erie Canal let steamboats travel from
the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. Made shipping
between East coast and Midwest much faster and cheaper.
The expanding network of railroads connected the regions, as
people and goods were transported faster than ever before.
Improvements in
Communication
1837 Samuel Morse patented the telegraph, an innovation
that sped up communication between east and west.
WESTWARD EXPANSION (1803 - 1853)
Wilderness Road
The first trans-Appalachian road sped up transportation west.
Result: thousands of settlers moved into Kentucky and Tennessee.
1803 Louisiana
Purchase
Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803.
The purchase of this huge territory doubled the size of the U.S. and
began America’s westward expansion beyond the Mississippi River.
1804-1806 Lewis and
Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark explored the Louisiana Purchase for Jefferson, mapped
territory, gathered information, and established contact with Native
American tribes. Sacajawea guided the expedition.
1819 Spain cedes
Florida
After Andrew Jackson captured Pensacola, Florida, Spain gave up Florida
to the United States in the Adams-Onís Treaty.
1823 Monroe Doctrine
Latin American countries won independence from Spain in the 1820’s.
President Monroe said that the U.S. would not allow European countries to
make any new colonies in North or South America.
Andrew Jackson’s
Presidency
The first Western president, founder of the Democratic party.
Jacksonian democracy — involving “common people” in government.
Nullification Crisis — Congress passed high tariffs (import taxes) to
protect new Northern factories by making foreign goods more expensive.
The South protested the 1828 “Tariff of Abominations,” because it made
their imported goods more expensive. Vice President John C. Calhoun
argued that his state of South Carolina had the right to nullify (declare
illegal) the tariff law. Jackson sent federal troops to enforce the federal
law.
Destroyed the national bank, removed funds → Panic of 1837
Indian Removal Act of 1830 — Jackson asked Congress to authorize the
use of force to remove southeastern tribes from prized farmland.
1838 Trail of Tears — Jackson ignored the Supreme Court and ordered
troops to remove Cherokee and other Native Americans from “settled”
areas east of the Mississippi River to “Indian Territory” west of the
Mississippi River. Many died during the forced march west.
Manifest Destiny
The belief that the United States had the God-given right to own and
control all land between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This belief
drove westward expansion, the annexation of Texas and Oregon, and the
Mexican War.
Many Americans moved west:
Oregon Trail — farmers traveled in Conestoga wagons for farm land.
Mormon Trail — Mormons headed to Salt Lake City for religious reasons.
Santa Fe Trail — major transportation and trade route to the Southwest
Rocky Mountains were a major barrier to settlers traveling west.
Mexican War (18461848), Mexican Cession
The Republic of Texas was annexed into the United States as a slave
state in 1845. The U.S. and Mexico argued about which river formed
Texas’ southern border.
Result: War between Mexico and the U.S.
Henry David Thoreau wrote “Civil Disobedience” to protest the use of
taxes to support the war.
Results: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo — U.S. victory and the addition of
the Mexican Cession (land from Texas to California) in 1848.
1846 Oregon Territory
Great Britain and the U.S. both claimed “Oregon Country.” For years, the
northern border of the U.S. was not set, west of the Rockies. Many
American farmers moved to Oregon Territory. Some in Congress wanted
to fight for the territory. The two countries signed a treaty in 1846.
1849 California Gold
Rush
In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill, California → population
boom in California. CA gained statehood in 1850 as a free state.
1853 Gadsden Purchase
U.S. bought the last piece of southern border to provide land for railroad.
REFORM MOVEMENTS
Temperance — a movement to ban the sale of alcohol and encourage
people not to drink → 18th Amendment (prohibition)
Education Reform — Horace Mann fought for high-quality public schools
for all children. “Education ... is the great equalizer of the conditions
of men ...”
Women’s Rights Movement — Women who were banned from speaking at
abolition meetings started the movement for women’s rights — suffrage
(the right to vote), the right to control property.
1848 Seneca Falls Convention — Elizabeth Cady Stanton presented the
Declaration of Sentiments. Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott
Abolition
Frederick Douglass wrote the North Star.
William Lloyd Garrison published The Liberator.
Sojourner Truth spoke against slavery and for the rights of black women.
Harriet Tubman secreted fugitive slaves to the North and Canada on the
Underground Railroad.
CIVIL WAR (1861 - 1865)
CIVIL WAR
1861 - 1865 — The North (Union, Yankees) and the South (Confederacy,
Rebels) fought the Civil War over the issues of slavery, states’ rights, and
economic and sectional difference between the North and the South.
The North and South had been different since colonial times ...
SECTIONALISM
Voices of each region
North
South
textile mills, factories
plantations, few factories
manufactured cloth, other goods
exported cash crops
urban
rural
European immigrants
1/3 slaves
tariffs helped factory owners by
making their goods competitive
tariffs hurt southern farmers by
raising prices for imported goods
the Union, abolition
states’ rights, slavery
Sectional leaders were loyal to the interests of their region:
John C. Calhoun — South Carolina senator who promoted states’
rights, “nullification,” and secession.
Henry Clay (Kentucky) was called the Great Compromiser. He tried
to “keep peace” between Northern and Southern interests.
Daniel Webster (Massachusetts) represented the views of many
Northerners in support of strong central government.
EVENTS LEADING TO
CIVIL WAR
1820 Missouri Compromise — As new western states applied for
statehood, the split between North and South widened. Henry Clay
of Kentucky negotiated a compromise in Congress. When the
Missouri Territory wanted to join the Union as a slave state, Maine
was admitted as a free state. This kept the number of free and slave
states equal.
The Compromise of 1850 included the Fugitive Slave Law, which
enraged Northerners who didn’t want to help slave owners.
1852 Uncle Tom’s Cabin — Harriett Beecher Stowe published this
book about the horrors of slavery. Northerners were moved by the
touching story of slaves suffering. Southerners were outraged.
1854 Bloody Kansas — Senator Douglass proposed opening Kansas
and Nebraska territories to slavery. Thousands of northern and
southern settlers poured into the territories to fight for their side.
1858 Dred Scott v. Sandford — A slave named Dred Scott sued his
owner for his freedom in the Supreme Court. Justice Taney wrote
the opinion that slaves were not citizens and did not have the right
to sue in court. He stated that slaves were property, not citizens.
Northerners feared this could extend slavery into territories.
1858 Harper’s Ferry — Abolitionist John Brown led an armed slave
revolt at Harper’s Ferry, VA. Brown was hanged. He became a hero
among Northern abolitionists.
Formation of the Republican Party — The Northern Abolitionists
formed a political party to end slavery: the Republican Party.
Abraham Lincoln of Illinois was their candidate.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this
government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.”
1860 Presidential Election — Lincoln won the presidency, because
the Southern Democrats split their votes among three candidates.
The South panicked, believing Lincoln would abolish slavery. South
Carolina seceded from (left) the Union. More Southern states
followed. They formed the Confederate States of America. Soon,
the Union and the Confederacy were at war.
States’ Rights
THE CIVIL WAR
The idea that states had the right to control all the issues in their state
except for those listed in the Constitution. Southern states used the
argument to nullify (ignore) laws they didn’t agree with.
April 12, 1861 — Fort Sumter, SC. The Civil War began when
Southern troops fired on Union troops who were trying to re-supply a
U.S. fort.
Vicksburg, MS — a Northern victory that took control of the
Mississippi River from the Confederacy. A turning point in the war.
Gettysburg, PA — a Northern victory in which over 35,000
Confederate and Union soldiers were killed or wounded in three days
of fighting. A turning point in the war. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
1863 Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared
all slaves in the rebellious Confederate states free.
Appomattox Courthouse, VA — Gen. Lee surrendered to Gen. Grant
to end the Civil War. Grant showed mercy to Lee and his troops.
1865 Lincoln was assassinated while he attended a play in
Washington, D.C.
Civil War Leaders
Abraham Lincoln — president of the U.S. during the Civil War.
Believed in preserving the Union above all else.
Ulysses S. Grant — commander of the Union Army
Robert E. Lee — commander of the Confederate Army. Surrendered
to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse.
Jefferson Davis — President of the Confederate States of America
Reconstruction
a time of rebuilding after the Civil War. Federal troops went to the
South to ensure that Southerners followed the new laws against slavery.
13th Amendment made slavery illegal in the U.S.
14th Amendment gave citizenship rights to all people born or
naturalized in the U.S., including former slaves. Stated that citizens
cannot be “deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process
of the law.” All citizens will have equal protection under the law.
15th Amendment gave African-American men the right to vote.