Praxis II Social Studies

Immigration act passed

(1819) Set standards for ships bringing immigrants to the U.S. to have to provide customs officals with a list of immigrants describing where they came from, where they are going, their age, sex and occupation. 120,000 immigrants arrive from Europe.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

(1848) ends the Mexican-American War and extends citizenship to the 80,000 Mexicans in Texas, California, and the Southwest. The California gold rush (1849) attracts immigrants from Europe, Australia, Latin America and China.

Dred Scott v Sandford

(1857), ruled that Congress lacked the power to prohibit slavery in its territories. In so doing, Scott v Sandford invited slave owners to pour into the territories and pass pro-slavery constitutions. The decision made the Civil War inevitable. Chief Justice Roger Taney, writing for the majority in Scott, also concluded that people of African ancestry (whether free or a slave, including Scott) could never become "citizens" within the meaning of the Constitution, and hence lacked the ability to bring suit in federal court. Before the Civil War ended, Congress passed, and sent to the states for ratification, the Thirteenth Amendment which abolished "slavery" and "involuntary servitude" and authorized Congress to enact "appropriate legislation" implementing the abolition. The Amendment was understood to also make blacks citizens of the United States (overruling Dred Scott on that point). The House vote to propose the Thirteenth Amendment followed the Senate vote, and barely made the 2/3 majority requirement. When the vote was announced the galleries cheered, congressmen embraced and wept, and Capitol cannons boomed a 100-gun salute. Congressmena George Julian of Indiana wrote in his diary, "I have felt, ever since the vote, as if I were in a new country." Ratification by the states quickly followed, and Secretary of State Seward proclaimed the Amendment adopted on December 18, 1865. Less than a year after ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, Congress used its newly conferred power to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1866, giving black citizens "the same right in every state...to make and enforce contracts, to sue, be parties, ...to inherit, purchase, sell, and convey real and personal property; and to the full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of person and property as is enjoyed by white citizens." Supporters if the 1866 law argued that its guarantees constituted "appropriate" means of "enforcing" the right of blacks not to be held in bondage. The Thirteenth Amendment, unlike most provisions in the Constitution, is self-executing, in that it directly reaches-even without action by Congress- conduct by private individuals (slave holders). Because of this fact, Congress's power under the Thirteenth Amendment allows it to punish forms of private conduct when it might not be able to do so under an amendment such as the Fourteenth, which restricts the conduct of states (prohibiting states from denying equal protection of the laws or due process). The Thirteenth Amendment has not produced nearly the volume of Supreme Court decisions as has the Fourteenth Amendment (citizenship), or even the Fifteenth Amendment (guaranteeing the vote to black citizens). In 1916, in Butler v Perry, the Court rejected a challenge brought by a Florida man to a state law that required all able-bodied men between 21 and 45, when called to do so, to work for up to 60 hours on maintaining public roads. The plaintiff, convicted of failing to put in his time on the roads and sentenced to jail, argued that the law mandated "involuntary servitude" in violation of the Thirteenth Amendment. Justice McReynolds, writing for the Court, concluded "the term 'involuntary servitude' was intended to cover those forms of compulsory labor akin to African slavery which, in practical operation, would tend to produce like undesirable results."

Restrictions on Imposed Immigration

(1880s) The U.S. population is 50 million at the start of the decade. More than 5.2 million immigrants enter the country through 1890. A large influx from China prompts the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which denies Chinese laborers entry into the U.S. and citizenship. The Immigration Act of 1882 levies a 50 cent tax on immigrants landing at U.S. ports and makes several categories of immigrants, including "lunatics," ineligible for citizenship. Over time, the banned list includes, among others, convicts, prostitutes and polygamists. In 1886, France gives the Statue of Liberty to the U.S.

Ellis Island Immigration

(1892) The New York center will process 12 million immigrants by the time it closes in 1954. On the West Coast, in 1910, the Angel Island Immigration Station opens in San Francisco Bay to control the flow of Asians into the country. These centers are run by the Bureau of Immigration, created in 1891 under the Treasury Department.

1619 three important events

1. 60 women were sent to Virginia to get married and start families, 2. 20 Africans, the first of thousands, arrived, 3. Virginia colonists were granted the right to self-government (most important event)

Causes of the War of Independence

1.The end of the French and Indian War, England took control over the colonies and imposed a new tax to pay for the war costs, 2. The Stamp Act, 3. The Townshend Act, 4. The Boston Tea Party. The British passed laws that were in the best interest of England not the colonies. Navigation act restricted colonists from competing with British business. Colonies couldn't govern themselves because they were still under British rule. The French Indian war was expensive so they increased taxes to maintain soldiers in these areas. They also increased taxes on sugar.

Indian Removal Act and Treaty, 1827

1836 - The attempt to appease the white settlers could not hold back the whites' lust for gold. Gold mining would prove to the Cherokee that the whites still did not see them as equal. With new gold being discovered in the Cherokee's land, whites were pouring into the area for mining. The Cherokee wanted to retain their lands and exist as a sovereign, or independent, nation. They mounted a non-violent campaign to resist displacement, but the state of Georgia did not see them as sovereign and refused their request in 1827. State laws in Georgia led to confiscated lands, the prohibition of Cherokee meetings, and many other restrictions on the native people. In 1830, the U.S. passed the Indian Removal Act. This act allowed the U.S. government to negotiate the relocation of Indian Territory to west of the Mississippi River in exchange for land east of the Mississippi River. Any Indians that did not move west were to be considered citizens of the state they lived in and subject to the laws of the state and U.S. The act was controversial and caused bitter debates. It was strongly supported by President Andrew Jackson and people who wanted access to lands occupied by the Cherokee, Seminole, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Creek tribes, but opposed by many missionaries, politicians, and other people. In 1831, the Cherokee went to the Supreme Court for help, and the Supreme Court determined that the Cherokee has a right to self-government and declared Georgia's extension of state law over them to be unconstitutional. President Andrew Jackson did not agree with the Supreme Court's decision and would not enforce it. In 1834, fearing a large war, Cherokee leader Major Ridge went to Washington D.C. to work on a treaty for the purchase of land. Major Ridge and a few Cherokee signed the Treaty of New Echota, in which the U.S. government agreed to purchase all Cherokee land for $5 million. However, Cherokee Principal Chief John Ross and his supporters declined to sign the treaty. President Jackson saw Major Ridge's signature and moved forward to remove all remaining Indians out West. Chief Ross petitioned, but the Supreme Court ignored his petition, and the Treaty of New Echota was ratified by the U.S. government in 1836. The remaining 18,000 Cherokee had two years to move west.

Trail of Tears, 1838

1839 - The Trail of Tears is not a single trail, but a series of trails walked or boated by thousands of American Indians from the summer of 1838 through the spring of 1839. Most started in Northwest Georgia and moved west to Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. Travel conditions were terrible because of the drought, lack of forage, road conditions, and disease, but the military still pushed the Cherokee to reach their destination as quickly as possible. Some paths were fairly straight, while others veered far north and then turned south after crossing the Mississippi River. The first few detachments to begin the journey were able to travel by steamboat, though the rest would be forced to travel on foot because of the terrible conditions and expenses that accompanied the boats.

Mid

1940 - In the interest of unity among the allies in World War II, the Chinese Exclusion Laws are repealed. In 1946, new procedures ease the immigration of foreign-born wives, husbands and children of U.S. military personnel. The Displaced Persons Act of 1948 allows 205,000 European refugees over two years, giving priority to those from the Baltic states. The law is intended to help victims of Nazi persecution or those fleeing persecution based on race, religion or politics. Later, 200,000 more refugees will be allowed in the country.

1956

79 - Refugees flee to the United States after upheaval in their countries: the failed 1956 Hungarian revolution against the Soviet Union; the 1959 Cuban revolution; the fall of Saigon in 1975, ending the Vietnam War; and in 1978, the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the fall of the Communist Khmer Rouge government in Cambodia.

Constitution

A 1787 document that established the structure of the U.S. government, drafted at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia by prominent statesmen from twelve states (minus Rhode Island). Unlike its predecessor, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution established a strong central government divided into three separate but equal branches (legislative, executive, and judiciary). This separation of powers, combined with a system of checks and balances, was designed to prevent the new government from becoming too strong and tyrannical.

Constitutional Convention

A 1787 meeting in Philadelphia in which delegates from twelve states convened to revise the Articles of Confederation. The Convention quickly decided that the Articles should be scrapped and replaced with an entirely new document to create a stronger central government binding the states. The result was the Constitution.

Benjamin Franklin

A Philadelphia printer, inventor, and patriot. Franklin drew the famous "Join or Die" political cartoon for the Albany Congress. He was also a delegate for the Second Continental Congress and a member of the committee responsible for helping to draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Thomas Jefferson

A Virginia planter and lawyer who in 1776 drafted the Declaration of Independence, which justified American independence from Britain. Jefferson went on to serve as the first secretary of state under George Washington and as vice president under John Adams. He then was elected president himself in 1800 and 1804.

George Washington

A Virginia planter and militia officer who led the attack that initiated the French and Indian War in 1754. Washington later became commander in chief of the American forces during the American Revolution and first president of the United States in 1789. Although he lost many of the military battles he fought, his leadership skills were unparalleled and were integral to the creation of the United States. In his noteworthy Farewell Address, Washington warned against factionalism and the formation of political parties, believing they would split the nation irreparably.

Jefferson Davis

A former Senator from Mississippi who was selected as the first president of the Confederacy in 1861. Overworked and underappreciated by his fellow Confederates, Davis struggled throughout the Civil War to unify the Southern states under the central government they had established. Jefferson F. Davis was an American soldier and politician, and was the President of the Confederate States of America (Sothern states) during the American Civil War, 1861 to 1865. He took personal charge of the Confederate war plans but was unable to find a strategy to defeat the more populous and industrialized Union. His diplomatic efforts failed to gain recognition from any foreign country. At home he paid little attention to the collapsing Confederate economy; the government printed more and more paper money to cover the war's expenses, leading to runaway inflation and devaluation of the Confederate Dollar. As a Democratic U.S. senator from Mississippi. An operator of a large cotton plantation in Mississippi with over 100 slaves, he was well known for his support of slavery in the Senate.

Fugitive Slave Act

A law passed as part of the Compromise of 1850, which provided southern slaveholders with legal weapons to capture slaves who had escaped to the free states. The law was highly unpopular in the North and helped to convert many previously indifferent northerners to antislavery.

John Adams

A prominent Boston lawyer who first became famous for defending the British soldiers accused of murdering five civilians in the Boston Massacre. At the Continental Congresses, Adams acted as a delegate from Massachusetts and rejected proposals for self governance within the British Empire. He served as vice president to George Washington and then as president from 1797-1801.

Thomas Paine

A radical philosopher who strongly supported republicanism and civic virtue. Paine's 1776 pamphlet Common Sense was a bestselling phenomenon in the American colonies and convinced thousands to rebel against the "royal brute," King George III. When subsequent radical writings of Paine's, which supported republicanism and condemned monarchy, were published in Britain, Paine was tried in absentia, found guilty of seditious libel, and declared an outlaw in England.

1986

As pressure grows to curtail illegal immigration, Congress enacts the Immigration Control and Reform Act, supported by President Ronald Reagan. The sweeping reforms are supposed to tighten the border with Mexico, toughen criminal sanctions for employers who hire illegal immigrants, deny illegal immigrants federally funded welfare benefits, and offer amnesty to any immigrant who entered the country before 1982. The effort was viewed as a failure since the U.S. did not regain control of the border and the amnesty incentive drew more illegal immigrants

The Great Falls and the Rockies

As the expedition continued up the Missouri River into what is today the state of Montana, they ran into the Great Falls. It took the men nearly a month to carry their boats for miles around the Great Falls. Next, Lewis and Clark came to the Rocky Mountains. These mountains were much more difficult to traverse than they first expected. When they finally made it across the Rockies, they met the Nez Perce people, who helped them with food and shelter. The Pacific Ocean: It was in November in 1805, around a year and a half after leaving St. Louis, that they finally reached the Pacific Ocean. They stayed that winter near the ocean and started home again in March of 1806. It only took them around six months for the return journey. After the expedition, Lewis was appointed the governor of the Louisiana Territory, however, Lewis died a few years later. Clark became governor of the Missouri Territory as well as Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

Wild West

As the first settlers and pioneers moved into the west, there was little government. The law was the local sheriff and people had to look to protect themselves against bandits and outlaws. During this time, gunslingers of the west such as Wild Bill Hickok and Jesse James became famous.

Thomas Jefferson

Believed that state governments should be strong than federal governments. Opposed the first bank because he thought it gave to much power to wealthy investors. Argued that the Constitution didn't give the federal government the power to create a national bank. Believed common people, were the backbones of the nation. Manufacturing and big cities would corrupt America

Battles

Britain had 3 times more people fighting then America and they were much wealthier. The British had strong military's and a powerful Navy. The American soldiers were poorly trained and had little experience. Not all Americans were in favor of rebellion. America's advantage was that they were fighting on their own land and were experienced wilderness fighters from battles with Native Americans. George Washington was a great leader. There were many battles in both the north and south colonies.

New England Colonies

Consisted of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Settlers were from the same origin, mostly coming from England and Scotland. Life was centered on towns where each family farmed their own land. The towns were carefully planned and laid out in the same structure. Short summers brought on manufacturing, fishing, shipbuilding, and trade. Government was a town meeting where all adult males made the laws and the legislative body, the General Court, consisted of an upper and lower house

The Gaspee Incident

Customs ships continued to patrol the sea off the coast of America. They would regularly stop merchant ships to examine their cargo looking for illegal goods, and enforcing British customs and taxation laws. The Gaspee was a British Royal Navy ship assigned to customs duty. On June 9, 1772, the Gaspee was chasing a merchant ship believed to be smuggling goods. The Gaspee ran aground in Narragansett Bay, near Providence. The next night, a group of men boarded the Gaspee. They were led by John Brown, a wealthy merchant from Providence. They wounded the lieutenant who was commanding the ship, and set the ship on fire. The British ordered a full investigation. They offered a reward to anyone identifying the people responsible. No one came forward, and no one was ever charged for the offence. The British once again tried to gain more control over the colonies. The British began to directly pay the governors' salary, rather than being paid by the colonies. The British hoped that by paying the governor's salary, they would eliminate the colonies ability to control the governor by withholding salary. The colonies saw this as another step to put them under British control, and to eliminate their freedoms.

The French Alliance

Despite their success at the Battle of Saratoga, General Washington was still having difficulty getting the states to provide the necessary men and supplies for his army. He needed help. After the Battle of Saratoga, Congress decided to seek French support in the war. They sent Benjamin Franklin, who could speak French, to meet with King Louis XVI and the French foreign minister. France wanted to get revenge on Britain for the defeat in the French and Indian War. They also wanted to ensure that Britain and America don't resolve their differences. In February 1778, France and America signed a treaty, which put France at war with Britain. This treaty was the first document to officially recognize America as an independent state. Spain, an ally of France, joined the alliance a year later. Britain was now forced to defend its own territory of England against possible French and Spanish attacks.

First Political Party

Federalists vs. Republicans, 1790s-1810s. Federalists, led by Hamilton and Adams, wanted a powerful national government to push for aggressive economic development. Republicans, led by Jefferson and Madison, wanted a small national government to leave the citizens mostly free of taxation or government interference. Federalists controlled government through 1790s, Republicans dominated after 1800; Federalists disintegrated as a national party after War of 1812. The first era, or first party system, lasted from 1796 to 1816. For the first eight years of the nation's existence, George Washington provided a unifying presence. But when he retired, the nation quickly split into opposing camps along ideological lines; those two camps soon became known as Federalists and Republicans, the nation's two original political parties. The Federalists, led by John Adams and Alexander Hamilton, believed in a strong national government. Reading broadly into the Constitution (loose constructionism), they argued that government power should be used to promote economic development through the creation of a national bank and the construction of federally-financed roads, harbors, and bridges. Federalists believed that America's economic future depended on the cultivation of strong commercial ties with Great Britain. And they argued that America's emerging manufacturing sector should be encouraged through protectionist measures such as tariffs. Tariffs - a tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports. The Republicans, also called Democratic-Republicans, were led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. They supported a weaker national government restricted in its powers by a narrow reading of the Constitution (strict constructionism). They feared that federal intervention in the economy would benefit only a few wealthy northeasterners, and they believed that agriculture, not manufacturing, should remain the country's economic base. Republicans opposed closer ties to Britain and tended to sympathize with the French in their revolution and subsequent war with the British. While the Federalists dominated the government through the 1790s, they rapidly declined after 1800. Thomas Jefferson's election to the presidency was bolstered by Republican victories in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Federalists remained powerful enough to obstruct certain Republican measures for about a decade, but they were not strong enough to prevent the United States from going to war against Britain in 1812 a war the Federalists vehemently opposed. Their continuing opposition to the war, even after it began, severely damaged their viability as a national party. When the United States survived its war with Britain and won tremendous victories at Baltimore and New Orleans, the Federalists' reputation was shot and their national political clout was over. For the next decade—a period sometimes called "The Era of Good Feelings"—the United States was essentially a one-party nation; the Republicans governed with little opposition. But factions within the party soon emerged, and these factions labeled National Republicans and Democratic Republicans eventually morphed into the dominant parties that would define the second party era, lasting from 1828 to the mid-1850s.

Continental Congress

First Continental Congress in 1774 issued the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, which vowed allegiance to the king but protested the Parliament to tax the colonies. The colonies and the British troops fought at Lexington and Concord. Representatives from each colony met in Philadelphia. They meet to discuss the repines to the British acts. They wanted to assert their rights with the British government. They had 3 objects: to compose a statement of colonial rights, to identify British parliaments violation of those rights and to provide a plan that would convince Britain to restore these rights. Second Continental Congress met a month later. They recommended a declaration of independence and formed an army with George Washington as its commander. British forces attacked at Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill. On July 3, 1776 Britain came with 10,000 troops to attack on New York, the next day the Second Continental Congress accepted the final draft of the Declaration of Independence. The Second Continental Congress meeting started with the battle of Lexington and Concord fresh in their memories. The New England militias were still encamped outside of Boston trying to drive the British out of Boston. The Second Continental Congress established the militia as the Continental Army to represent the thirteen states. They also elected George Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.

Andrew Jackson

First Democratic president

The Tribes of the Northeast

First, the tribes of the Northeast - these are the tribes that encountered the Pilgrims. The tribes of the Northeast lived in the territory from the Atlantic shores to the Mississippi Valley and from the Great Lakes to as far south as the Cumberland River in Tennessee. The people in this group include the Iroquois and the Algonquian. These tribes relied on each other for a very long time for trade but also spent a great deal of time as warring enemies. The Northeast tribes cleared forests to plant crops and used the lumber to build homes and make tools. The women of many of these tribes did all of the work with crops, while the men primarily hunted and fished. The Iroquois League is quite famous because it is believed that the coming together of the 13 colonies was based on this coming together of this group consisting of the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and the Mohawk tribes. The League of the Iroquois was feared by all other tribes of the region.

American Political System

George Washington warned against the creation of "factions" or parties. Thomas Jefferson echoed this thought, but he ends up leading a party himself. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton (Washington's chief advisors) spurred the first political parties because of disagreements

Federalists

Hamilton's supporters-merchants, shipowners in the Northeast, and some planters in the South

Immigration

Immigrates came to the U.S. to escape hardships in their own countries such as famine, and disease. Many people can look for better opportunities and jobs. Religious prosecutions, other government flaws and natural disasters drove people to move. They fear that newcomers with different languages, religions, and cultures are reluctant to assimilate to American society and to learn English. Although many of the perceptions and fears of old stock Americans about new immigrants are rooted in ignorance and prejudice, the fears of many Americans about the future are not entirely irrational. With globalization and massive industrial restructuring dominating many traditional sources of employment (both blue collar and white collar), many native born citizens are fearful about their (and their children's) future. The news media often cite examples of industries that seek out low cost immigrant workers to replace native born workers. Some sectors, such as harvesting vegetables and fruits in agriculture, have very few native born Americans seeking jobs in them, but immigrants are also disproportionately employed in many other sectors, including meatpacking, construction, hospitals, and even in many areas of advanced study in research universities. These examples are fodder for unscrupulous political leaders who seek to exploit popular fears for their own ends. The hostility of old line Americans to "foreigners" accelerated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as racial ideology and antiSemitism also became part of American consciousness. The rising tide of nativism—the fear of foreigners—had deep roots in anti-Catholicism and a fear of foreign radicals. The new dominant element of this ideology in the late 19th century was the belief in the inherent superiority of the Anglo-Saxon "race" alarming number of illiterates, paupers, criminals, and madmen who endangered American character and citizenship. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first step toward a closed society.

Early Expansion

In 1700 there were around 250,000 colonists living in the American colonies. By 1775, this number had grown to 2.5 million. Many people wanted new land to farm and hunt. They began to move west of the Appalachians. One of the first areas settled was the Northwest Territory. This area today makes up the states of Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Daniel Boone led settlers across the Cumberland Gap and into Kentucky.

Louisiana Purchase

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from the French for $15 million. This was a huge area of land west of the Mississippi River. It nearly doubled the land size of the United States. President Jefferson sent explorers Lewis and Clark to learn more about this vast frontier.

End of the Frontier

In 1890, the US government announced that the west had been explored. The country now had 44 states. Only Utah, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Arizona had not been admitted as states from today's contiguous 48 states.

Dred Scott Case

In March 1857, in one of the most controversial events preceding the American Civil War (1861-65), the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in the case of Dred Scott v. Sanford. The case had been brought before the court by Dred Scott, a slave who had lived with his owner in a free state before returning to the slave state of Missouri. Scott argued that his time spent in these locations entitled him to emancipation. In his decision, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, a staunch supporter of slavery, disagreed: The court found that no black, free or slave, could claim U.S. citizenship, and therefore blacks were unable to petition the court for their freedom. The Dred Scott decision incensed abolitionists and heightened North-South tensions, which would erupt in war just three years later. This convoluted case (1857), both a cause and an effect of sectional conflict, contributed to antebellum political and constitutional controversy. It also made Chief Justice Roger B. Taney seem a satanic figure to contemporary antislavery activists and many later historians.

South

In contrast to the factory, the plantation was a central feature of Southern life. (Library of Congress) The fertile soil and warm climate of the South made it ideal for large-scale farms and crops like tobacco and cotton. Because agriculture was so profitable few Southerners saw a need for industrial development. Eighty percent of the labor force worked on the farm. Although two-thirds of Southerners owned no slaves at all, by 1860 the South's "peculiar institution" was inextricably tied to the region's economy and culture. In fact, there were almost as many blacks - but slaves and free - in the South as there were whites (4 million blacks and 5.5 million whites). There were no large cities aside from New Orleans, and most of the ones that did exist were located on rivers and coasts as shipping ports to send agricultural produce to European or Northern destinations. Only one-tenth of Southerners lived in urban areas and transportation between cities was difficult, except by water. Only 35% of the nation's train tracks were located in the South. Also, in 1860, the South's agricultural economy was beginning to stall while the Northern manufacturers were experiencing a boom. A slightly smaller percentage of white Southerners were literate than their Northern counterparts, and Southern children tended to spend less time in school. As adults, Southern men tended to belong to the Democratic political party and gravitated toward military careers as well as agriculture.

Foundations of Slavery in America

In the early 17th century, European settlers in North America turned to African slaves as a cheaper, more plentiful labor source than indentured servants (who were mostly poorer Europeans). After 1619, when a Dutch ship brought 20 Africans ashore at the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia, slavery spread throughout the American colonies. Though it is impossible to give accurate figures, some historians have estimated that 6 to 7 million slaves were imported to the New World during the 18th century alone, depriving the African continent of some of its healthiest and ablest men and women. In the 17th and 18th centuries, black slaves worked mainly on the tobacco, rice and indigo plantations of the southern coast. After the American Revolution (1775-83), many colonists (particularly in the North, where slavery was relatively unimportant to the economy) began to link the oppression of black slaves to their own oppression by the British, and to call for slavery's abolition. After the war's end, however, the new U.S. Constitution tacitly acknowledged the institution, counting each slave as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of taxation and representation in Congress and guaranteeing the right to repossess any "person held to service or labor" (an obvious euphemism for slavery).

Democratic Republicans

Jefferson's supporters-small farmers, craftspeople, and some wealthier landowners

Lewis and Clark

Lewis and Clark were asked by President Thomas Jefferson to explore and map the wild west of North America. They traveled across the country to the Pacific Ocean and back again. Captain Meriwether Lewis (1774 - 1809) was President Thomas Jefferson's private secretary. He was in charge of the expedition to explore the newly purchased Louisiana Territory. He asked his friend William Clark to help. Lieutenant William Clark (1770 - 1838) served in the United States Army. In preparing for the expedition Clark was responsible for hiring and training the men, while Lewis gathered the equipment and supplies they would need. Lewis and Clark, together with their team of over 40 men, began their expedition at the city of St. Louis on May 14, 1804. They packed lots of equipment for their trip including rifles, food, and warm clothing. They even brought lots of glass beads and trinkets so they could trade with Indians along the way. They started out traveling up the Missouri River. They had one large boat called a barge and two smaller boats called pirogues. They were traveling against the current, so they had to use long poles to push the boats or even ropes to pull the boats from the banks. Sacagawea and the Native Americans: Lewis and Clark met many Native American tribes along the way. Although there were some tense moments, they made friends and traded with many different tribes. They even spent the first winter with the Mandan nation. There they met a fur trapper named Toussaint Charbonneau and his Shoshone wife, Sacagawea. Sacagawea joined the expedition as an interpreter. She helped the expedition in many ways as they traveled, including showing them edible plants and helping to keep peace and trade with different tribes. Without help from the Native American tribes as well as Sacagawea, the expedition would have surely failed.

Manifest Destiny

Many people in the United States believed it was the country's destiny to expand westward all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This belief became known as the Manifest Destiny. Territorial expansion to the west. Jefferson appointed Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore it.

Steamboat

Many pioneers preferred to use the rivers as a means of transportation. Moving goods and people along river routes was cheaper and much quicker. Some pioneers traveled on rafts or flatboats. These flatboats were also used to move crops down the Mississippi River. But, these boats could only go one way. They could not travel upstream. Then there came the steamboat. John Fitch, a man who started out as a painter but later became an inventor, was the inventor of this amazing new boat. The steamboat solved the upstream travel difficulty. The boat got its power from a steam engine Fulton made to make it move. He named his first steamboat the Clermont. By the 1820s steamboats were carrying passengers and goods up and down eastern and western rivers. For the farmers in the South, these boats could pick up the goods they made and take them to new markets in the North. When the steamboat transported people and goods upstream, it made a new economy, new towns, and brought unimagined luxury to the settlers. Before the steamboat, settlers on the other side of the Appalachian Mountains slowly floated their goods on flatboats and keelboats down the Mississippi River and only at great cost poled them up. Therefore, the spread of products and information was almost completely a one-way route, governed by the currents of the vast river. Now everything was changed. Approximately two hundred years ago, people traveled by boat a lot. The boats they had only traveled downstream. They wanted something different. John Fulton gave them that different boat. In 1769 a Scots man named James watt got a patented for a improved steam boat. The steamboat began in America in 1787. John Fitch made the first successful trial of a 45 foot steam boat on the Delaware river on August 22. John Fitch made four steamboats in between 1785 and 1796. John Fitch was granted his first U.S. patent for a steamboat on August 26 1791. The steamboats used water for steam. He was granted his patent only after a battle with James Rumsey.

Middle Atlantic Colonies

New York (seaports), New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. Considered the "melting pots" because settlers were from different origins and nations. Settlers lived on large farms and the Native Americans weren't a threat to them, so they didn't have to live in small villages. Relied on farming because of fertile soil and longer growing season. Became the "breadbasket" because they had a large surplus of food. Economic activities were also shipbuilding, iron mining, production of paper, glass, and textiles. Legislative body in Pennsylvania was unicameral( one house). Other colonies had two houses. Local governments were in counties and towns

The Tribes of the Southeast

Next, the tribes of the Southeast - the Southeast cultural group stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Trinity River in what is today Texas and from the Gulf of Mexico north as far as points in modern-day Missouri, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The tribes in this group included the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole. These are the people who would be referred to by whites as 'the Five Civilized Tribes.' They were given this title because many of them decided to adopt customs of the colonists. They are also the people who later were victims of the forced relocation known as the Trail of Tears. The Southeastern tribes settled in river valleys. They were first and foremost farmers with hunting and fishing coming in second as their source of sustenance. They lived in various styles of houses. They included thatched roofs and various styles for the sides.

The basic ideas of the Articles of Confederation

No chief executive. No national court system. Laws need approval of 9 of the 13 states to pass. All other powers are reserved to the states. Under this government, Congress COULD: declare war and make peace, raise an army and navy, make foreign treaties and alliances, coin and borrow money, regulate weights and measures, establish a post office and regulate Native American affairs. Congress COULD NOT: levy taxes, draft men, regulate foreign or domestic trade, collect state's debts owed to the central government, settle disputes among states, and enforce any of its powers. So basically, it was a government with hardly any power at all. They made it that way as a direct result of how the British ruled their colonies. Since the British government was so controlling, America wanted their government to act differently and not be able to do what the British did to them.

Steam Locomotive

Peter Cooper, a mechanic that taught himself, built a steam locomotive to pull the train cars or carriages. His steam engine could travel 18 miles per hour. This was three times faster than the horse-drawn trains that Americans were using. Making a railroad was cheaper than digging canals and rails did not freeze in the winter. The railroad era in America began and people and goods were now moving across the country faster than ever. The first steam locomotive in the Northwest, a balloon-stack American built by Smith & Jackson at Paterson, NJ, arrived in St. Paul in 1861 -- on a Mississippi River steamboat. It wasn't until the following June 28 that the little William Crooks chuffed out of St. Paul on its initial passenger run to the village of St. Anthony, now Minneapolis, signalizing the completion of the first 10 miles of railroad in Minnesota. The railroad was the St. Paul & Pacific, Great Northern original predecessor line, and locomotive No. 1 carried the name of its chief engineer, Colonel William Crooks. A century later, on June 28, 1962, Great Northern fittingly commemorated its Centennial of service by presenting the William Crooks to the Minnesota Historical Society. The famous pioneer locomotive can be seen on permanent display in the St. Paul Union Depot. This classic 4-4-0, with tender, weighs 40 tons. Overall length is 51 feet. Diameter of driving wheels: 63 inches

A wave of immigrants (1840s)

Poor crop harvenst in Germany, political unrest in Europe, Irish potato famine (1849) all forces people to leave there homes.

Colonial Life

Religion: Puritans (catholic church) close to Quakers (Christian)Woman's Roles: subordinate to her husbands and dedicated herself to rearing god-fearing children. In New England wives almost never worked in the fields with their husbands. German communities in Pennsylvania worked in the fields and stables. German and Dutch wives owned their own property, clothes and could make mills unlike the English. New England: Puritans created self-governed communities of religious farmers and their families. High level politicians gave out land to male settlers. Larger portions were given to higher social standing men. Every male citizen had a voice in there town meeting. They had taxes built roads and founded the congregational church. Farm Life: Settlers had small farms and men had complete power over the property and their wives. Women also spun yarn made candles, soap, butter and clothing. Sons inherited land. Lived in wooden houses. Town life: There were artisans, shopkeepers, and merchants that provided survives to the growing farm population. Blacksmiths, wheelwrights and furniture makers set up shops. There were traders and stores selling English merchandise. There were also many fishermen. Culture and Education: Families taught their children to learn. Schools would read the bible and were very religious based. The sciences were important but art and writing weren't as successful at first.

Swedish colonists

Settled in the northeast and along the Atlantic coast of North America. Got along with the Native Americans with different degrees of success. Mostly interested in surviving in their new homes. Didn't last long against England

English colonists

Settled in the northeast and along the Atlantic coast of North America. Worst relations with the Native Americans because they took land, signed and broke treaties, massacred their people. England - sought the use of new land to establish an economic system. They wanted power and defense. English citied become to crowded with people and the new land would be a place where many of England's homeless could go for a fresh start. Europeans brought diseases, slavery, death, religion and guns to the Native Americans. Contributed to trading furs and other supplies.

Spanish colonists

Settled in the south of North America. Had the worst relations with the Native Americans. Spanish explores wanted to bring the catholic religion to the natives in America. They also wanted to find gold and other riches. They wanted fame/power that would come to them when they added new land to the Spanish empire.

FLORIDA

Spain gave Florida to the U.S. through a treaty in 1819. The U.S. made Florida an official territory in 1821

The Boston Massacre

Taxation and other issues continued to build tension between Britain and the colonies. This tension showed between the colonists and the British soldiers posted in Boston. The townspeople resented the soldiers and treated them poorly, often harassing them verbally and physically. On the evening of March 5, 1770, Private Hugh White was on guard in front of the Customs House on King Street in Boston. A crowd of people had gathered and began harassing the soldier. His calls for help brought nine soldiers led by Captain Thomas Preston. The crowd continued to harass the soldiers with insults, and were throwing snowballs at them. In the commotion, someone yelled, "Fire!" and soldiers began shooting. Three townspeople were killed and eight more were wounded, two of which died later. No one knew who gave the order to fire. After the shooting, the people of Boston were demanding the soldiers be tried and executed for the shootings. The governor ordered Captain Preston and eight soldiers be put in prison pending a trial. In order to ensure a fair trial the lawyer John Adams defended the soldiers. John Adams convinced the jury that the soldiers fired in self defense. As a result of the trial, Captain Preston and six soldiers were set free. Two of the soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter. They were branded as convicts and then released. Interestingly, John Adams would later become Vice President of the United States under President George Washington, and then the second President of the United States of America.

Mexican American War

Texas gained its independence from Mexico in 1836. Initially, the United States declined to incorporate it into the union, largely because northern political interests were against the addition of a new slave state. The Mexican government was also encouraging border raids and warning that any attempt at annexation would lead to war. Gold was discovered in California just days before Mexico ceded the land to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Nonetheless, annexation procedures were quickly initiated after the 1844 election of Polk, who campaigned that Texas should be "re-annexed" and that the Oregon Territory should be "re-occupied." Polk also had his eyes on California, New Mexico and the rest of what is today the U.S. Southwest. When his offer to purchase those lands was rejected, he instigated a fight by moving troops into a disputed zone between the Rio Grande and Nueces River that both countries had previously recognized as part of the Mexican state of Coahuila. On April 25, 1846, Mexican cavalry attacked a group of U.S. soldiers in the disputed zone under the command of General Zachary Taylor, killing about a dozen. They then laid siege to an American fort along the Rio Grande. Taylor called in reinforcements, and-with the help of superior rifles and artillery-was able to defeat the Mexicans at the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. Following those battles, Polk told the U.S. Congress that the "cup of forbearance has been exhausted, even before Mexico passed the boundary of the United States, invaded our territory, and shed American blood upon American soil." Two days later, on May 13, Congress declared war, despite opposition from some northern lawmakers. No official declaration of war ever came from Mexico. At that time, only about 75,000 Mexican citizens lived north of the Rio Grande. As a result, U.S. forces led by Col. Stephen W. Kearny and Commodore Robert F. Stockton were able to conquer those lands with minimal resistance. Taylor likewise had little trouble advancing, and he captured Monterrey in September. With the losses adding up, Mexico turned to old standby General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the charismatic strongman who had been living in exile in Cuba. Santa Anna convinced Polk that, if allowed to return to Mexico, he would end the war on terms favorable to the United States. But when he arrived, he immediately double-crossed Polk by taking control of the Mexican army and leading it into battle. At the Battle of Buena Vista in February 1847, Santa Anna suffered heavy casualties and was forced to withdraw. Despite the loss, he assumed the Mexican presidency the following month. Meanwhile, U.S. troops led by Gen. Winfield Scott landed in Veracruz and took over the city. They then began marching toward Mexico City, essentially following the same route that Hernán Cortés followed when he invaded the Aztec empire. The Mexicans resisted at Cerro Gordo and elsewhere, but were bested each time. In September 1847, Scott successfully laid siege to Mexico City's Chapultepec Castle. During that clash, a group of military school cadets-the so-called niños héroes-purportedly committed suicide rather than surrender. Guerilla attacks against U.S. supply lines continued, but for all intents and purposes the war had ended. Santa Anna resigned, and the United States waited for a new government capable of negotiations to form. Finally, on Feb. 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, establishing the Rio Grande and not the Nueces River as the U.S.-Mexican border. Under the treaty, Mexico also recognized the U.S. annexation of Texas, and agreed to sell California and the rest of its territory north of the Rio Grande for $15 million plus the assumption of certain damages claims (Cession).

TEXAS

Texas was added after it became an independent republic. The Texas Declaration of Independence, Texans declared themselves and independent nation. Texas breaks from Mexico and declares it's independence in 1836. The U.S. annexed Texas in 1845. Led to the Mexican/American War.

Women's Rights movement

That reform effort evolved during the 19th century, initially emphasizing a broad spectrum of goals before focusing solely on securing the franchise for women. Women's suffrage leaders, moreover, often disagreed about the tactics for and the emphasis (federal versus state) of their reform efforts. Ultimately, the suffrage movement provided political training for some of the early women pioneers in Congress, but its internal divisions foreshadowed the persistent disagreements among women in Congress and among women's rights activists after the passage of the 19th Amendment. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Alice Paul, chairwoman of the militant National Woman's Party, and officers of the group in front of their Washington headquarters, circa 1920s. They are holding a banner emblazoned with a quote from suffragist Susan B. Anthony: "No self-respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her sex." The first gathering devoted to women's rights in the United States was held July 19-20, 1848, in Seneca Falls, New York. The principal organizers of the Seneca Falls Convention were Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a mother of four from upstate New York, and the Quaker abolitionist Lucretia Mott.1 About 100 people attended the convention; two-thirds were women. Stanton drafted a "Declaration of Sentiments, Grievances, and Resolutions," that echoed the preamble of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal." Among the 13 resolutions set forth in Stanton's "Declaration" was the goal of achieving the "sacred right of franchise."2 The sometimes-fractious suffrage movement that grew out of the Seneca Falls meeting proceeded in successive waves. Initially, women reformers addressed social and institutional barriers that limited women's rights; including family responsibilities, a lack of educational and economic opportunities, and the absence of a voice in political debates. Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, a Massachusetts teacher, met in 1850 and forged a lifetime alliance as women's rights activists. For much of the 1850s they agitated against the denial of basic economic freedoms to women. Later, they unsuccessfully lobbied Congress to include women in the provisions of the 14th and 15th Amendments (extending citizenship rights and granting voting rights to freedmen, respectively). In the wake of the Civil War, however, reformers sought to avoid marginalization as "social issues" zealots by focusing their message exclusively on the right to vote.3 In 1869 two distinct factions of the suffrage movement emerged. Stanton and Anthony created the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA), which directed its efforts toward changing federal law and opposed the 15th Amendment because it excluded women. Lucy Stone, a one time Massachusetts antislavery advocate and a prominent lobbyist for women's rights, formed the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA).4 Leaders of the AWSA rejected the NWSA's agenda as being racially divisive and organized with the aim to continue a national reform effort at the state level. Although California Senator Aaron Sargent introduced in Congress a women's suffrage amendment in 1878, the overall campaign stalled. Eventually, the NWSA also shifted its efforts to the individual states where reformers hoped to start a ripple effect to win voting rights at the federal level. During the 1880s, the two wings of the women's rights movement struggled to maintain momentum. The AWSA was better funded and the larger of the two groups, but it had only a regional reach. The NWSA, which was based in New York, relied on its statewide network but also drew recruits from around the nation, largely on the basis of the extensive speaking circuit of Stanton and Anthony. Neither group attracted broad support from women, or persuaded male politicians or voters to adopt its cause. Susan B. Anthony and Ida H. Harper cowrote, "In the indifference, the inertia, the apathy of women, lies the greatest obstacle to their enfranchisement." Historian Nancy Woloch described early suffragists' efforts as "a crusade in political education by women and for women, and for most of its existence, a crusade in search of a constituency."5 The turning point came in the late 1880s and early 1890s, when the nation experienced a surge of volunteerism among middle-class women—activists in progressive causes, members of women's clubs and professional societies, temperance advocates, and participants in local civic and charity organizations. The determination of these women to expand their sphere of activities further outside the home helped legitimate the suffrage movement and provided new momentum for the NWSA and the AWSA. By 1890, seeking to capitalize on their newfound "constituency," the two groups united to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA).6 Led initially by Stanton and then by Anthony, the NAWSA began to draw on the support of women activists in organizations as diverse as the Women's Trade Union League, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), and the National Consumer's League. For the next two decades, the NAWSA worked as a nonpartisan organization focused on gaining the vote in states, though managerial problems and a lack of coordination initially limited its success. The first state to grant women complete voting rights was Wyoming in 1869. Three other western states—Colorado (1893), Utah (1896), and Idaho (1896)—followed shortly after NAWSA was founded. But prior to 1910, only these four states allowed women to vote. Between 1910 and 1914, the NAWSA intensified its lobbying efforts and additional states extended the franchise to women: Washington, California, Arizona, Kansas, and Oregon. In Illinois, future Congresswoman Ruth Hanna McCormick helped lead the fight for suffrage as a lobbyist in Springfield, when the state legislature granted women the right to vote in 1913; this marked the first such victory for women in a state east of the Mississippi River. A year later, Montana granted women the right to vote, thanks in part to the efforts of another future Congresswoman, Jeannette Rankin. Despite the new momentum, however, some reformers were impatient with the pace of change. In 1913, Alice Paul, a young Quaker activist who had experience in the English suffrage movement, formed the rival Congressional Union (later named the National Woman's Party).7 Paul's group freely adopted the more militant tactics of its English counterparts, picketing and conducting mass rallies and marches to raise public awareness and support. Embracing a more confrontational style, Paul drew a younger generation of women to her movement, helped resuscitate the push for a federal equal rights amendment, and relentlessly attacked the Democratic administration of President Woodrow Wilson for obstructing the extension of the vote to women. In 1915, Carrie Chapman Catt, a veteran suffragist since the mid-1880s and a former president of the NAWSA, again secured the organization's top leadership post. Catt proved an adept administrator and organizer, whose "Winning Plan" strategy called for disciplined and relentless efforts to achieve state referenda on the vote, especially in non-Western states.8 Key victories—the first in the South and East—followed in 1917 when Arkansas and New York granted partial and full voting rights, respectively. Beginning in 1917, President Wilson (a convert to the suffrage cause) urged Congress to pass a voting rights amendment. Another crowning achievement also occurred that year when Montana's Jeannette Rankin (elected two years after her state enfranchised women) was sworn into the 65th Congress on April 2, as the first woman to serve in the national legislature. Catt's steady strategy of securing voting rights state by state and Paul's vocal and partisan protest campaign coincided with the Wilson administration's decision to intervene in the First World War—a development that provided powerful rhetoric for and a measure of expediency for granting the vote.9 The NAWSA publicly embraced the war cause, despite the fact that many women suffragists, including Rankin, were pacifists. Suffrage leaders suggested that the effort to "make the world safe for democracy" ought to begin at home, by extending the franchise. Moreover, they insisted, the failure to extend the vote to women might impede their participation in the war effort just when they were most needed to play a greater role as workers and volunteers outside the home. Responding to these overtures, the House of Representatives initially passed a voting rights amendment on January 10, 1918, but the Senate did not follow suit before the end of the 65th Congress. It was not until after the war, however, that the measure finally cleared Congress with the House again voting its approval by a wide margin on May 21, 1919, and the Senate concurring on June 14, 1919. A year later, on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment, providing full voting rights for women nationally, was ratified when Tennessee became the 36th state to approve it.

U.S. Born Citizens (1868)

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, making clear that all people born in the U.S., including former slaves, are citizens. The amendment voids the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision in which the Supreme Court said slaves were not citizens.

The Abolishment Movement

The Antislavery Movement Some Americans felt slavery was necessary. In the South, as cotton growing spread, many people also wanted slavery to spread. Other Americans felt slavery was wrong. Some thought that enslaving people went against their religious beliefs. The Abolitionist movement to end slavery grew in the 1830s and 1840s. There were Abolitionists in the North and the South. Abolitionists were free blacks and whites, women and men. They wrote and spoke against slavery. William Lloyd Garrison started an Abolitionist newspaper called The Liberator. Free blacks gave most of the money to support the newspaper. Frederick Douglass escaped slavery. He spoke to white people about what it was like to be enslaved. Sojourner Truth also escaped slavery. She spoke for abolition and women's rights. Sarah and Angelina Grimké grew up in a Southern slaveowning family. They traveled North and spoke out against slavery. By 1860, about 500,000 free blacks lived in the United States. They faced discrimination in both the North and South. Free blacks joined whites in creating the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1833. The Underground Railroad Some Abolitionists worked in secret. Free blacks gave most of the money and did most of the work to support the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a series of escape routes and hiding places called "stations." Runaways could leave the United States and go north to Canada or south to Mexico, Florida, or the Caribbean. If they were caught, they were returned to slavery and punished. People who guided runaways were called "conductors." The most famous conductor was Harriet Tubman. She escaped slavery and then returned 19 times to the South to lead others to freedom. The Abolition movement of the 1800s had an objective to end slavery invoking the principles of liberty and equality set forth in the Declaration of Independence. The objectives distinguished abolitionists from the political opposition to slavery's westward expansion that took place in the north; this raised issues leading to the Civil War. During the 1750s, abolition was not a main priority, for not even the church discouraged slavery. The movement initially began in the colonial days in the United States. Organizations and individual people, which are the abolitionists, rose to fight slavery and were quite influential. The movement slowly went throughout the Northern states. However, the overall slave population climbed from 1.5 million in 1820 to over 2 million a decade later. By the beginning of the 19th century, protests against slavery had become universal. One of the main causes of the Abolition Movement was that the principles of The Declaration of Independence were not taken into account in the country. It was stated that "all men are created equal" and it was certainly not being portrayed in that manner. It was more like "all men are created equal, except the negroes". Even though the North did not have the slavery issue like the South, they did not believe the blacks to be equal to the whites in any way. More and more discrimination occurred in society. Slaves were treated cruelly being even beat to death. Slavery got to the point that 1 in 7 people were property of another person. Another motivation for abolition was the very strong religious objections to slavery. The Quakers, or the Society of Friends, was the main group who fought slavery religiously. The most general goal of the movement was the emancipation for all slaves in the U.S. and to end the segregation and discrimination of African Americans. However, the movement did also want to achieve alternate objectives. As far as the American Anti Slavery Society, their goals were to bring all slaves immediate freedom without compensation for their owners. Of course, they also wanted the blacks to have the same rights as the Whites. The Society would join the church to show how slavery depicts the immorality of society and goes against Christ.

Slavery in the Consitution

The Constitution that the delegates proposed included several provisions that explicity recognized and protected slavery. Without these provisions, southern delegates would not support the new Constitution--and without the southern states on board, the Constitution had no chance of being ratified. Provisions allowed southern states to count slaves as 3/5 persons for purposes of apportionment in Congress (even though the slaves could not, of course, vote), expressly denied to Congress the power to prohibit importation of new slaves until 1808, and prevented free states from enacting laws protecting fugitive slaves.

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was approved at the Second Constitutional Congress. The Declaration of Independence introduced a fundamental change in the view of government. Thomas Jefferson declared that governments were created to serve the people, and could only act with consent of the people. It created the democratic government. On January 10, 1776, Thomas Paine published a booklet called Common Sense. In the booklet, he described his vision of a government in which the people, through their elected representatives, would have supreme power. He was the first to openly suggest independence from Britain. The booklet was broadly circulated, and even George Washington read it. Thomas Paine's booklet would have a major influence on Thomas Jefferson in his writing of the Declaration of Independence. The Continental Congress held the Virginia Convention in May, 1776. Richard Henry Lee introduced a resolution for the colonies to become free and independent states. The Congress appointed a committee to draft the formal declaration of independence. The committee included Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman. This committee then chose Thomas Jefferson to write the first draft. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, with the assistance of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The document defined the rights of the people of the independent states. On July 2, 1776, the members of the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of independence. The delegates then held a second vote and approved the Declaration of Independence. John Hancock, President of the Congress and Charles Thomson, the secretary, signed the document. July 4, 1776 is officially recognized as the birth of America. The Declaration of Independence introduced a fundamental change in the view of government. Thomas Jefferson declared that governments were created to serve the people, and could only act with consent of the people. It created the democratic government. The declaration consisted of two parts. The preamble describes the people's rights and it states that " all Men are created equal" and have the God-given right to "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." The second part declares independence from Britain, and lists the colonies' issues against the British government.

1911

The Dillingham Commission publishes a 42-volume report warning that the "new" immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe threatens to subvert American society. Its recommendations pave the way for the Quota Acts of the 1920s. The first act, the National

Missions of California (1769 - 1834)

The Franciscans came to California to convert native tribes to Christianity and prepare them for life in a Spanish society. The natives were taught religion and the Spanish language. They were also taught skills such as brick making and construction, how to raise cattle and horses, and weaving. The natives would live in the missions until their education was complete. They would then establish homes outside of the missions. Once the native in one region were educated and converted to Christianity, the missionaries would move on to new locations. By 1804, the occupation of the sea-coast line from San Francisco to San Diego was complete. There were nineteen missions within a day's journey of each other. Construction started on a second row of missions more inland. The missions created a considerable wealth and economy with agriculture and large numbers of livestock. While many people benefited from the missions, many more wanted that prosperity for themselves. Traders, settlers and explorers saw the wealth and began to exploit the missions. There was constant pressure for the mission economy to be taken over by the Californians. In 1813, regulations from Mexico and California were issued to disbanded the missions. They were to be turned over to civilian authorities. This process of "secularization" became the end of the missions.

Great Plains American Indian Facts

The Great Plains region extends from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west, and from Canada in the north to Texas in the south. This grasslands region has very few trees and has many rolling hills and valleys. The summers are very hot and the winters are very cold. List of Great Plains American Indian Tribes: Cheyenne, Plains Apache, Sioux, Tonkawa. Many of the tribes of the Great Plains were nomadic and followed the buffalo migrations which provided their food. These tribes spent a good part of the year living in camps that could easily be dismantled and moved to follow the buffalo migrations. Other tribes of the plains were more sedentary. These tribes lived in permanent villages year round. They hunted but also relied on farming for their food supply. The Indians of the Great Plains were known for living in tepees while on their hunting trips. The early European explorers and settlers reintroduced the horse to the Native American Indians of the Great Plains.

1952

The Immigration and Nationalist Act, known as the McCarran-Walker Act, eliminates all race-based quotas and replaces them with purely nationality-based quotas. To enforce the quotas, the law creates the Immigration and Naturalization Service. However, the Immigration Act of 1965, known as the Hart-Celler Act, abolishes national origins quotas, establishing separate ceilings for the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Categories of preference are based on family ties, critical skills, artistic excellence, and refugee status.

Northwest Tribes

The Northwest Coast American Indians lived in clans and had a native population of about 250,000. These American Indians lived along the Pacific Coast. The region spanned from southern Alaska to northern California up into coastal British Columbia and Washington State. The area is thickly wooded, has a temperate climate, and is known for its heavy rainfall. The forests are dark and damp. Springs and streams from mountain glaciers flow into the rivers that run to the coast. Northwest Coast American Indian Tribes List: Alsea, Chehalis, Chinook, Clatskanie, Comox, Cowlitz, Haida, Kwakiutl, Makah, Nooksack, Nootka, Quinault, Siuslaw, Straits Salish, Tlingit, Tsimshian. The sheer abundance of food made these tribes wealthy. The two most important were cedar and salmon. Cedar provided the raw material from which houses, boats, baskets, boxes, clothing, and carvings of every imaginable kind were made. Religion centered around the guardian spirit. They were very talented artists and most well-known for their handcrafted totem poles. They wore necklaces to symbolize wealth. Bear claw necklaces, as well as beaver teeth and clamshells were very popular.

OREGON

The Oregon Territory was divided by the U.S. and Great Britain (1846). Divided with Great Britain - Britain got British Columbia. Contained states of Washington, Oregon, and part of Idaho. Oregon Trail helped people settle there.

The Tribes of the Southwest

The Southwest cultural group territory goes from the south of present-day Utah and Colorado down through Arizona and New Mexico. This includes parts of Texas, California, and Oklahoma and continues into Mexico. These tribes all have the dry climate binding them together as a group. Two basic lifestyles developed in the region: farming and nomadic. They relied on the little natural moisture the area does provide by using specific planting techniques and getting the crops in as early in the season as possible. They traditionally grew corn, beans, and squash. For meat, they also farmed turkeys and did some hunting. Nomadic groups like the Apache were hunters and gatherers. The men hunted deer, rabbits, and other game. The women gathered berries, nuts, corn, and other fruits and vegetables. Being nomads, they moved from place to place in search of resources. The Navajo were actually a farming people, and they lived in permanent dwellings, but they had two homesLater their lifestyle included herding sheep. After the arrival of horses, both the Apache and the Navajo lifestyle became closely tied to riding horses.

The Boston Tea Party

The Tea Act of 1773 gave the British East India Company a monopoly on sales of tea, colonists responded with the Boston Tea Party. On the night of December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded three ships in the Boston harbor and threw 342 chests of tea overboard. England responded with the Coercive Acts in 1774. This closed the port of Boston, changed the charter of the Mass. colony, and suppressed town meetings. The Boston Port Act, which closed the port of Boston until damages from the Boston Tea Party were paid. The Massachusetts Government Act, which restricted Massachusetts; democratic town meetings and turned the governor's council into an appointed body. The Administration of Justice Act, which made British officials immune to criminal prosecution in Massachusetts. The Quartering Act, which required colonists to house and quarter British troops on demand, including in their private homes as a last resort.

1924

The U.S. Border Patrol is created, in large part to control Chinese immigration to the U.S. across the U.S.-Mexico border. Also, the Immigration and Naturalization Act imposes the first permanent numeric limits on immigration.

Continued Expansion

The United States continued to expand westward and gain land. After a war with Mexico over the rights to Texas, the country gained much of the southwest including the land of California. They also gained the Oregon Territory in a treaty from Great Britain.

1940

The federal law requires all immigrants over the age of 14 to be fingerprinted and registered. A decade later, all immigrants are required to report their addresses annually.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, sponsored in Congress by James Madison, to guarantee basic freedoms and liberties. The Bill of Rights protects freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition, and the rights to have trial by jury, bear arms, and own property, among others. Moreover, the Ninth Amendment states that the people have additional rights beyond those written explicitly in the Constitution; the Tenth Amendment awards state governments all the powers not granted to the federal government. The promise of a Bill of Rights helped convince many Anti-Federalists to ratify the new Constitution. Today, these rights are considered fundamental American liberties.

War of 1812

The immediate causes of the War of 1812 were a series of economic sanctions taken by the British and French against the US as part of the Napoleonic Wars and American outrage at the British practice of impressment, especially after the Chesapeake incident of 1807. In response to the 1806 British Orders in Council, which crippled American trade, the US (under Jefferson) first tried various retaliatory embargoes. These embargoes hurt the US far more than they did Britain, angering American citizens and providing support to War Hawks in Congress like Henry Clay. In 1812, with President Madison in office, Congress declared war against the British. The war began with an attack on Canada, both as an effort to gain land and to cut off British supply lines to Tecumseh's Indian confederation, which had long troubled the US. The initial battles in Canada were not as easy as the War Hawks hoped, and the inexperienced American soldiers were pushed back rapidly. In fact, only by virtue of clutch naval victories by Oliver Hazard Perry on Lake Erie and Thomas Macdonough on Lake Champlain was a serious northern- front invasion of the United States, including New York, prevented. General William Henry Harrison's forces did manage to kill Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames in 1813, in the midst of a decisive victory against the British General Isaac Brock's smaller force. On the Mid-Atlantic Coast, British troops landed in the Chesapeake Bay area in 1814, and marched towards Washington. US General William Winder made an attempt to stop the British forces, commanded by General Robert Ross, at Bladensburg. The US troops were badly routed. The city of Washington was evacuated, and the British burned the Capitol and the White House, along with most of nonresidential Washington. The British pressed onward, and Admiral Cochrane sought to invade Baltimore. General Ross was killed as his forces advanced towards the city, and their movement stalled. Cochrane's forces bombarded Fort McHenry, which guarded Baltimore's harbor, but were unable to take it. This event inspired Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer detained on one of Cochrane's ships, to write the Star-Spangled Banner. Unsuccessful at Baltimore, Cochrane's damaged fleet limped to Jamaica for repairs, and made preparations for an invasion of New Orleans, hoping to cut off American use of the Mississippi River. By mid 1814, the War of 1812 was turning out to be tougher fighting than either side expected. Britain, caught up in the costly Napoleonic Wars, began to look for a way to extricate itself from its American commitment. In the Belgian city of Ghent, American negotiators (including John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay) met with British diplomats. After considerable bickering, the negotiators signed the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814, officially ending the war. The treaty returned US-Britain relations to the same status as they had been before the war. The US neither gained nor lost any territory. Impressment went unaddressed. The war was officially over, but news traveled slowly across the Atlantic Ocean. In New Orleans, Cochrane landed the British troops, who were still waiting for their replacement commander for Ross, General Packenham, to arrive from Britain. On January 8, 1815, Andrew Jackson's ragtag army soundly defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans. Even though this battle had been fought unnecessarily (the treaty was already signed) the US celebrated wildly, manifesting an upsurge in American nationalism. Although the war had sheltered New England manufacturing from British competition, New England merchant shipping had been seriously hurt, and a group of Federalists met at the Hartford Convention in late 1814 to discuss their grievances. A few talked of secession from the Union, but most just wanted to make it hard for the US to declare war or impose embargoes in the future. When the news of the treaty from Ghent arrived, it made the Federalists look silly, or even treasonous. The Hartford Convention spelled the end of the Federalist Party.

North

The northern soil and climate favored smaller farmsteads rather than large plantations. Industry flourished, fueled by more abundant natural resources than in the South, and many large cities were established (New York was the largest city with more than 800,000 inhabitants). By 1860, one quarter of all Northerners lived in urban areas. Between 1800 and 1860, the percentage of laborers working in agricultural pursuits dropped drastically from 70% to only 40%. Slavery had died out, replaced in the cities and factories by immigrant labor from Europe. In fact an overwhelming majority of immigrants, seven out of every eight, settled in the North rather than the South. Transportation was easier in the North, which boasted more than two-thirds of the railroad tracks in the country and the economy was on an upswing. Far more Northerners than Southerners belonged to the Whig/Republican political party and they were far more likely to have careers in business, medicine, or education. In fact, an engineer was six times as likely to be from the North as from the South. Northern children were slightly more prone to attend school than Southern children.

Interesting Facts about Westward Expansion and the Old West

The population of the United States grew from 5.2 million people in 1800 to 76.2 million in 1900. President James K. Polk played a major role in expanding west. During his presidency much of the land west of the Louisiana Purchase was added to the county including Texas, the Mexican Cession, and the Oregon Territory. The Transcontinental Railroad and Transcontinental Telegraph were both important in keeping the large country together in the early days. Westward Expansion had a large impact on the Civil War. The South wanted western states to be slave states while the North wanted slavery to be illegal in the new states.

Southern Colonies

Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Savannah and Charleston were important seaports and trading centers. Virginia was the first permanent successful English colony and Georgia was last. Economics was focused on farming- fertile soil, mild climate, long growing season. Grew rice, tobacco, indigo, cotton, some corn, and wheat. Some lumber and naval stores occurred. Wealthy settlers lived on large plantations on the coast which required large numbers of slaves, most settlers lived inland with small farms and few, if any, owned slaves

CALIFORNIA

War with Mexico resulted in California and the southwest territory becoming part of the U.S. Mexico surrendered California territory in 1848 and a treaty ended the war. Gold was discovered in California.

Removal, 1838

When 1838 arrived, only 2,000 of the remaining Cherokee had moved west. Jackson's successor, President Martin Van Buren, gave the order to begin removal. Nearly 7,000 military and militia, with rifles and bayonets, charged through the Cherokee camps forcing them away from their homes. Most Cherokee were not allowed to gather their belongings and were forced to walk away. Homes were set on fire or quickly looted. The Cherokee were taken to special forts built specifically to house the leftover Indians in Tennessee and Alabama. After seeing how his people were being treated, Chief Ross asked President Van Buren to allow the Cherokee to oversee their own removal. President Van Buren agreed, though he kept the U.S. military there to help operations and ensure the Cherokee fulfilled their obligation. To begin the removal, Chief Ross divided the Cherokee into 16 detachments of almost 1,000 each.

Marbury v. Madison

case decided in 1803 by the U.S. Supreme Court. William Marbury had been commissioned justice of the peace in the District of Columbia by President John Adams in the "midnight appointments" at the very end of his administration. When the new administration did not deliver the commission, Marbury sued James Madison, Jefferson's Secretary of State. (At that time the Secretary of State was charged with certain domestic duties as well as with conducting foreign affairs.) Chief Justice John Marshall held that, although Marbury was entitled to the commission, the statute that was the basis of the particular remedy sought was unconstitutional because it gave the Supreme Court authority that was implicitly denied it by Article 3 of the U.S. Constitution. The decision was the first by the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional and void an act passed by Congress that the Court considered in violation of the Constitution. The decision established the doctrine of judicial review, which recognizes the authority of courts to declare statutes unconstitutional. Definition: First decision by the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional (1803). Here is a summary: At the very end of his term, President John Adams had made many federal appointments, including William Marbury as justice of the peace in the District of Columbia. Thomas Jefferson, the new president, refused to recognize the appointment of Marbury. The normal practice of making such appointments was to deliver a "commission," or notice, of appointment. This was normally done by the Secretary of State. Jefferson's Secretary of State at the time was James Madison. At the direction of Jefferson, Madison refused to deliver Marbury's commission. Marbury sued Madison, and the Supreme Court took the case. Chief Justice John Marshall wrote that the Judiciary Act of 1789, which spelled out the practice of delivering such commissions for judges and justices of the peace, was unconstitutional because it the gave the Supreme Court authority that was denied it by Article III of the Constitution. Thus, the Supreme Court said, the Judiciary Act of 1789 was illegal and not to be followed. This was the first time the Supreme Court struck down a law because it was unconstitutional. It was the beginning of the practice of "judicial review."

Self government in 1619

colonist elected own representatives to the House of Burgesses- their own legislative body

Two party System

developed in early 1790's by Jefferson as secretary of state and Hamilton as secretary of treasury.

Whitney's cotton gin

he built a machine that could effectively and efficiently remove the seeds from cotton plants. The invention, called the cotton gin ("gin" was derived from "engine"), worked something like a strainer or sieve: Cotton was run through a wooden drum embedded with a series of hooks that caught the fibers and dragged them through a mesh. The mesh was too fine to let the seeds through but the hooks pulled the cotton fibers through with ease. Smaller gins could be cranked by hand; larger ones could be powered by a horse and, later, by a steam engine. Whitney's hand-cranked machine could remove the seeds from 50 pounds of cotton in a single day. Whitney received a patent for his invention in 1794; he and Miller then formed a cotton gin manufacturing company. The two entrepreneurs planned to build cotton gins and install them on plantations throughout the South, taking as payment a portion of all the cotton produced by each plantation. While farmers were delighted with the idea of a machine that could boost cotton production so dramatically, they had no intention of sharing a significant percentage of their profits with Whitney and Miller. Instead, the design for the cotton gin was pirated and plantation owners constructed their own machines-many of them an improvement over Whitney's original model. The patent laws of the time had loopholes that made it difficult for Whitney to protect his rights as an inventor. Even though the laws were changed a few years later, Whitney's patent expired before he ever realized much profit. Still, the cotton gin had transformed the American economy. For the South, it meant that cotton could be produced plentifully and cheaply for domestic use and for export, and by the mid-19th century, cotton was America's leading export. For the North, especially New England, cotton's rise meant a steady supply of raw materials for its textile mills. One inadvertent result of the cotton gin's success, however, was that it helped strengthen slavery in the South. Although the cotton gin made cotton processing less labor-intensive, it helped planters earn greater profits, prompting them to grow larger crops, which in turn required more people. Because slavery was the cheapest form of labor, cotton farmers simply acquired more slaves.

Sugar Act

imposed a tax on foreign molasses, sugar, and other good imported into the colonies

Origins Act of 1921

limits immigrants to 3 percent of each nationality present in the U.S. in 1910. The second act in 1924 changes the quota to 2 percent of each nationality based on numbers in the U.S. in 1890. The Oriental Exclusion Act of 1924 prohibits most immigrants from Asia.

The Stamp Act

placed a tax on newspapers, legal documents, licenses, almanacs, and playing cards. The first "internal" tax on the colonies. The colonists responded with secret groups called the "Sons of Liberty" and staged riots against the agents who implemented the taxes and marked the items with a special stamp In October 1765, representatives from 9 colonies met in the Stamp Act Congress to state their reasons for opposing the act and drafted resolutions to send to England. Repealed in 3 months

The Townshend Act

placed taxes on lead, glass, paint, paper, and tea. Which colonists boycotted English goods. England responded by only taxing tea. Boycotts ended except for tea. Relationships were strained and tensions went on for the next few years

Proclamation Act

prohibited English settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains to appease the Native Americans

Currency Act

prohibited colonial governments from issuing paper money

King George

reigned over Great Britain and Ireland from 1760 to 1820. King George III was a descendent of the house of Hanover, a German royal family, but the first of his family to be born and educated as an Englishman. Unlike his predecessors, he aimed to rule strongly over British concerns abroad (such as the colonies) and did so by revoking the policy of salutary neglect that had dominated colonial policy until then. He also attempted to diminish the powers of parliament by frequently appointing new ministers to carry out his policy. This led to political chaos throughout Great Britain, and also contributed to the strict laws imposed on the colonies after 1763. King of Great Britain during the American Revolution. George III inherited the throne at the age of twelve. He ruled Britain throughout the Seven Years' War, the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812. After the conclusion of the French and Indian War, his popularity declined in the American colonies. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson vilifies George III and argues that his neglect and misuse of the American colonies justified their revolution.

French colonists

settled in the extreme north and in the middle of North America. Most willing to work with the Native Americans Pursed animals for the fur trade, but still was able to remain peaceful with the Native Americans. Worked with the Native Americans to fight England. France wanted to spread Christianity and find great wealth from colonies. They wanted international prestige/power that came with discovering a new territory.

french colonists

settled in the extreme north and in the middle of North America. Most willing to work with the Native Americans Pursed animals for the fur trade, but still was able to remain peaceful with the Native Americans. Worked with the Native Americans to fight England. France wanted to spread Christianity and find great wealth from colonies. They wanted international prestige/power that came with discovering a new territory.

French and Indian War

the Seven Years' War 1756-1763 The French and Indian War, a colonial extension of the Seven Years War was the bloodiest American war in the 18th century. The war was the product of an imperial struggle, a clash between the French and English over colonial territory and wealth. Within these global forces, the war can also be seen as a product of the localized rivalry between British and French colonists. What is now considered the French and Indian War (though at the time the war was undeclared), began in November 1753, when the young Virginian major George Washington and a number of men headed out into the Ohio region with the mission to deliver a message to a French captain demanding that French troops withdraw from the territory. The demand was rejected. In 1754, Washington received authorization to build a fort near the present site of Pittsburgh. He was unsuccessful because of the strong French presence in the area. In May, Washington's troops clashed with local French forces, a skirmish that ultimately resulted in Washington having to surrender the meager fort he had managed to build just one month later. The incident set off a string of small battles After a year and a half of undeclared war, the French and the English formally declared war in May 1756. For the first three years of the war, the outnumbered French dominated the battlefield, soundly defeating the English in battles at Fort Oswego and Ticonderoga. Perhaps the most notorious battle of the war was the French victory at Fort William Henry, which ended in a massacre of British soldiers by Indians allied with the French. The tide turned for the British in 1758, as they began to make peace with important Indian allies and, under the direction of Lord William Pitt began adapting their war strategies to fit the territory and landscape of the American frontier. The British had a further stroke of good fortune when the French were abandoned by many of their Indian allies. Exhausted by years of battle, outnumbered and outgunned by the British, the French collapsed during the years 1758-59, climaxing with a massive defeat at Quebec in September 1759. By September 1760, the British controlled all of the North American frontier; the war between the two countries was effectively over. The 1763 Treaty of Paris, which also ended the European Seven Years War, set the terms by which France would capitulate. Under the treaty, France was forced to surrender all of her American possessions to the British and the Spanish. England gained massive amounts of land and vastly strengthened its hold on the continent. It badly eroded the relationship between England and Native Americans; and, though the war seemed to strengthen England's hold on the colonies, the effects of the French and Indian War played a major role in the worsening relationship between England and its colonies that eventually led into the Revolutionary War.

Settling

the West Pioneers and settlers moved out west for different reasons. Some of them wanted to claim free land for ranching and farming from the government through the Homestead Act. Others came to California during the gold rush to strike it rich. Even others, such as the Mormons, moved west to avoid persecution.

Alexander Hamilton

wanted the federal government to have more power than state governments. Supported the first bank of the U.S. Pointed out that the Constitution gave Congress the power to make laws and collect taxes so they should have the right to create the bank. Wanted the government to encourage economic growth through trade, manufacturing, and the rise of cities if necessary. Favored business leaders and mistrusted the common people

Monroe Doctrine

was a US foreign policy regarding Latin American countries in 1823. It stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression, requiring U.S. intervention.

First election

was in 1796

The Articles of Confederation

were created to define a new central government for America. The new United States of America had no central government to replace the British control of national issues such as commerce, foreign policy and defense. The members of the Second Continental Congress continued to govern in place of a national government. They appointed a committee to draft the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation defined the federal government powers separate from those of the states. The Articles were adopted in March 1781. In the interim, the Congress continued to act on behalf of the federal government, and they directed the war effort.