U.S. History Unit 1 Study Guide
John Tyler
elected Vice President and became the 10th President of the United States when Harrison died 1841-1845, President responsible for annexation of Mexico after receiving mandate from Polk, opposed many parts of the Whig program for economic recovery
Texas Revolution
the 1836 rebellion in which Texas gained its independence from Mexico
Manifest Destiny
the 19th-century doctrine or belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.
Election of 1868
the Republicans nominated Ulysses S. Grant; beat Horatio Seymour (Democratic nominee)
Sherman's March
From November 15 until December 21, 1864, Union General William T. Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. The purpose of Sherman's March to the Sea was to frighten Georgia's civilian population into abandoning the Confederate cause. Sherman's soldiers did not destroy any of the towns in their path, but they stole food and livestock and burned the houses and barns of people who tried to fight back. The Yankees were "not only fighting hostile armies, but a hostile people," Sherman explained; as a result, they needed to "make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war."
Surrender at Appomattox Court House
General Grant gave Lee favorable terms; Southern soldiers were allowed to keep their horses and go home
Dutch: New Netherland (MIDDLE)
In 1621, the Dutch government granted the newly formed Dutch West India Company permission to colonize New Netherland and expand the thriving fur trade. New Amsterdam (now New York City), founded in 1625, became the capital of the colony (see map on page 25). In 1655, the Dutch extended their claims by taking over New Sweden, a tiny colony of Swedish and Finnish settlers that had established a rival fur trade along the Delaware River. To encourage settlers to come and stay, the colony opened its doors to a variety of ethnic and religious groups. G In 1664, the English took over the colony without a fight. The duke of York, the new proprietor, or owner, of the colony, renamed it New York. The duke later gave a portion of this land to two of his friends, naming this territory New Jersey for the British island of Jersey.
The Age of Jackson How were the North, South, and West developing differently?
In the early decades of the 19th century, the economies of the various regions of the United States developed differently. The Northeast began to industrialize while the South and West continued to be more agricultural. EARLY INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES The Industrial Revolution—large- scale production resulting in massive change in social and economic organiza- tion—began in Great Britain in the 18th century and gradually reached the United States. Industry took off first in New England, whose economy depended on ship- ping and foreign trade. Agriculture there was not highly profitable, so New Englanders were more ready than other Americans to embrace new forms of man- ufacturing—and prime among these were mechanized textile, or fabric, mills. Soon, farmers in the North began to specialize in one or two crops or types of livestock (such as corn and cattle), sell what they produced to urban markets, and then purchase with cash whatever else they needed from stores. Increasingly, these were items made in Northern factories. As a result, a market economy began to develop in which agriculture and manufacturing each supported the growth of the other. A THE SOUTH REMAINS AGRICULTURAL Meanwhile, the South continued to grow as an agricultural power. Eli Whitney's invention of a cotton gin (short for "engine," or machine) in 1793 made it possible for Southern farmers to produce cotton more profitably. The emergence of a Cotton Kingdom in the South—and thus the need for more field labor—contributed to the expansion of slavery. Between 1790 and 1820, the enslaved population increased from less than 700,000 to over 1.5 million. In the North, things were different. By 1804, states north of Delaware had either abolished slavery or had enacted laws for gradual emancipa- tion. Slavery declined in the North, but some slaves remained there for decades.
Emancipation Proclamation
Issued by abraham lincoln on september 22, 1862 it declared that all slaves in the confederate states would be free - not right away
Valley Forge
Place where Washington's army spent the winter of 1777-1778, a 4th of troops died here from disease and malnutriton, Steuben comes and trains troops
Freedmen's Bureau
Robert G. Fitzgerald was born a free African American in Delaware in 1840. During the Civil War, he served in both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy. In 1866, he taught former slaves in a small Virginia town. A year after his arrival in Virginia, Fitzgerald looked back on what he had accomplished.Fitzgerald was working for the Freedmen's Bureau, which had been established by Congress to provide food, clothing, hospitals, legal protection, and education for former slaves and poor whites in the South in 1865.
Trail of Tears
The Cherokee Indians were forced to leave their lands. They traveled from North Carolina and Georgia through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas-more than 800 miles (1,287 km)-to the Indian Territory. More than 4, 00 Cherokees died of cold, disease, and lack of food during the 116-day journey.
Jonathan Edwards
Unlike Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Edwards did not believe that humans had the power to per fect themselves. Descended from a long line of Puritan ministers, he believed that "however you may have reformed your life in many things," all were sin- ners who were destined for hell unless they had a "great change of hear t." Edwards was a brilliant thinker who entered Yale College when he was only 13. His preaching was one of the driving forces of the Great Awakening. Ironically, when the religious revival died down, Edwards's own congregation rejected him for being too strict about doc- trine. Edwards moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in 1751, where he lived most of his remaining years as a missionar y to a Native American settlement.
Joint-stock companies
Unlike Spanish colonies, which were funded by Spanish rulers, the English colonies were originally funded by joint-stock companies. Stock companies allowed several investors to pool their wealth in support of a colony that would, they hoped, yield a profit. Investors in the Jamestown colony demanded a quick return on their investment, and the colonists hoped to find gold to satisfy them.
Jamestown: why was it a near disaster?
Unlike Spanish colonies, which were funded by Spanish rulers, the English colonies were originally funded by joint-stock companies. Stock companies allowed several investors to pool their wealth in support of a colony that would, they hoped, yield a profit. Investors in the Jamestown colony demanded a quick return on their investment, and the colonists hoped to find gold to satisfy them. Consequently, they neglected farming and soonsuffered the consequences. Disease from contaminated river water struck them first, followed soon by hunger. After several months, one settler described the ter- rifying predicament: "Thus we lived for the space of five months in this miserable distress, . . . our men night and day groaning in every corner of the fort, most piti- ful to hear." A Smith held the colony together by forcing the colonists to farm and by securing food and support from the native Powhatan peoples. Then Smith was injured and returned to England. Without Smith's leadership, the colony even- tually deteriorated to the point of famine. The settlement was saved, however, by the arrival of new colonists and by the development of a highly profitable crop, tobacco.
Virginia House of Burgesses
Virginia's House of Burgesses served as the first representative body in colonial America. The House first met in Jamestown in 1619 and included two citizens, or burgesses, from each of Virginia's eleven districts. The body claimed the authority to raise taxes and pass legislation—subject to veto by the English governor.
John Winthrop (NEW ENGLAND)
The Puritans believed they had a special covenant, or agreement, with God. To fulfill their part, they were to create a moral society that would serve as a bea- con for others to follow. Puritan leader John Winthrop expressed the sense of mission that bound the Puritans together, in a sermon delivered aboard the flag- ship Arbella: "We [in New England] shall be as a City upon a Hill; the eyes of all people are on us."
Thirteenth Amendment
The constitutional amendment ratified after the Civil War that forbade slavery and involuntary servitude.
James Madison
"Father of the Constitution," Federalist leader, and fourth President of the United States.
Compromise of 1850
(1) California admitted as free state, (2) territorial status and popular sovereignty of Utah and New Mexico, (3) resolution of Texas-New Mexico boundaries, (4) federal assumption of Texas debt, (5) slave trade abolished in DC, and (6) new fugitive slave law; advocated by Henry Clay and Stephen A. Douglas
Harriet Beecher Stowe
(1811-1896) American author and daughter of Lyman Beecher, she was an abolitionist and author of the famous antislavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Frederick Douglass
(1817-1895) American abolitionist and writer, he escaped slavery and became a leading African American spokesman and writer. He published his biography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and founded the abolitionist newspaper, the North Star.
Indian Removal Act
(1830) a congressional act that authorized the removal of Native Americans who lived east of the Mississippi River
William Henry Harrison
(1841), was an American military leader, politician, the ninth President of the United States, and the first President to die in office. His death created a brief Constitutional crisis, but ultimately resolved many questions about presidential succession left unanswered by the Constitution until passage of the 25th Amendment. Led US forces in the Battle of Tippecanoe.
Mexican-American War
(1846-1848) The war between the United States and Mexico in which the United States acquired one half of the Mexican territory.
Seneca Falls Convention
(1848) the first national women's rights convention at which the Declaration of Sentiments was written
The North Takes Charge
*small town; Gettysburg, PA- most decisive battle *3 day battle in July 1863 *Union Soldiers- 90,000 troops under George Meade, 75,000 troops under General Lee
Reforming American Society Second Great Awakening
-emphasis individual responsibility for seeking salvation and insisted people could improve themselves and society - Religious attitudes linked to ideas of Jacksonian democracy that stressed importance/power of individual A series of religious revivals starting in 1801, based on Methodism and Baptism. Stressed a religious philosophy of salvation through good deeds and tolerance for all Protestant sects. The revivals attracted women, Blacks, and Native Americans.
Yorktown
1781; last battle of the revolution; Benedict Arnold, Cornwallis and Washington; colonists won because British were surrounded and they surrended
Alexander Hamilton
1789-1795; First Secretary of the Treasury. He advocated creation of a national bank, assumption of state debts by the federal government, and a tariff system to pay off the national debt.
Andrew Johnson
17th President of the United States, A Southerner form Tennessee, as V.P. when Lincoln was killed, he became president. He opposed radical Republicans who passed Reconstruction Acts over his veto. The first U.S. president to be impeached, he survived the Senate removal by only one vote. He was a very weak president.
Louisiana Purchase
1803 purchase of the Louisiana territory from France. Made by Jefferson, this doubled the size of the US.
William Lloyd Garrison
1805-1879. Prominent American abolitionist, journalist and social reformer. Editor of radical abolitionist newspaper "The Liberator", and one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society.
Kansas-Nebraska Act
1854 - Created Nebraska and Kansas as states and gave the people in those territories the right to chose to be a free or slave state through popular sovereignty.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
1858 Senate Debate, Lincoln forced Douglas to debate issue of slavery, Douglas supported pop-sovereignty, Lincoln asserted that slavery should not spread to territories, Lincoln emerged as strong Republican candidate
Fifteenth Amendment
1870 constitutional amendment that guaranteed voting rights regardless of race or previous condition of servitude
John Jay
1st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, negotiated with British for Washington
Bull Run
1st real battle, Confederate victory, Washingtonian spectators gather to watch battle, Gen. Jackson stands as Stonewall and turns tide of battle in favor of Confederates, realization that war is not going to be quick and easy for either side
The Alamo
A Spanish mission converted into a fort, it was besieged by Mexican troops in 1836. The Texas garrison held out for thirteen days, but in the final battle, all of the Texans were killed by the larger Mexican force.
Dred Scott
A black slave, had lived with his master for 5 years in Illinois and Wisconsin Territory. Backed by interested abolitionists, he sued for freedom on the basis of his long residence on free soil. The ruling on the case was that He was a black slave and not a citizen, so he had no rights.
Federalist papers
A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail.
Total War
A conflict in which the participating countries devote all their resources to the war effort
Fourteenth Amendment
A constitutional amendment giving full rights of citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States, except for American Indians.
Impeachment
A formal document charging a public official with misconduct in office
Jacksonian democracy
A policy of spreading more political power to more people. It was a "Common Man" theme.
Confederate States of America
A republic formed in February of 1861 and composed of the eleven Southern states that seceded from the United States
Ku Klux Klan
A secret society created by white southerners in 1866 that used terror and violence to keep African Americans from obtaining their civil rights.
Bleeding Kansas
A sequence of violent events involving abolitionists and pro-Slavery elements that took place in Kansas-Nebraska Territory. The dispute further strained the relations of the North and South, making civil war imminent.
Anne Hutchinson (NEW ENGLAND)
Another dissenter, Anne Hutchinson, taught that worshippers did not need the church or its ministers to interpret the Bible for them. Banished from the colony, Hutchinson, with her family and a band of followers, fled first to Rhode Island and, after her husband died, to New Netherland—which later became part of New York—where she died in a war with Native Americans.
Federalists vs. Anti-federalists
Anti-Federalists wanted states' rights, bill of rights, unanimous consent, reference to religion, more power to less-rich and common people; Federalists wanted strong central government, more power to experienced, separation of church and state, stated that national government would protect individual rights
Mercantilism
Beginning in the 16th century, the nations of Europe competed for wealth and power through a new economic system called mercantilism (mûrPkEn-tC-lGzQEm), in which the colonies played a critical role. According to the theory of mercantilism, a nation could increase its wealth and power in two ways: by obtaining as much gold and silver as possible, and by establishing a favorable balance of trade, in which it sold more goods than it bought. A nation's ultimate goal was to become self-sufficient so that it did not have to depend on other countries for goods.
Hiram Revels
Black Mississippi senator elected to the seat that had been occupied by Jefferson Davis when the South seceded
Stonewall Jackson
Brave commander of the Confederate Army that led troops at Bull Run. He died in the confusion at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
Samuel Adams (Sons of Liberty)
But on the same day that it repealed the Stamp Act, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act, which asserted Parliament's full right "to bind the colonies and people of America in all cases whatsoever." Then, in 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, named after Charles Townshend, the leading government minis- ter. The Townshend Acts taxed goods that were imported into the colony from Britain, such as lead, glass, paint, and paper. The Acts also imposed a tax on tea, the most popular drink in the colonies. Led by men such as Samuel Adams, one of the founders of the Sons of Liberty, the colonists again boycotted British goods.
Townshend Acts
But on the same day that it repealed the Stamp Act, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act, which asserted Parliament's full right "to bind the colonies and people of America in all cases whatsoever." Then, in 1767, Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, named after Charles Townshend, the leading government minis- ter. The Townshend Acts taxed goods that were imported into the colony from Britain, such as lead, glass, paint, and paper. The Acts also imposed a tax on tea, the most popular drink in the colonies. Led by men such as Samuel Adams, one of the founders of the Sons of Liberty, the colonists again boycotted British goods.
Battle of Antietam
Civil War battle in which the North suceedeed in halting Lee's Confederate forces in Maryland. Was the bloodiest battle of the war resulting in 25,000 casualties
Paul Revere
Colonists in Boston were watching, and on the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode out to spread word that 700 British troops were headed for Concord. The darkened countryside rang with church bells and gunshots—prearranged sig- nals, sent from town to town, that the British were coming.
Conscription
compulsory enlistment for state service, typically into the armed forces.
The Divisive Politics of Slavery
Disagreements over slavery heightened regional tensions and led to the breakup of the Union. The main issue: Is slavery a property right or is it a violation of liberty and human dignity? The south wanted to expand slavery and the north wanted to abolish slavery.
Harriet Tubman
United States abolitionist born a slave on a plantation in Maryland and became a famous conductor on the Underground Railroad leading other slaves to freedom in the North (1820-1913)
Spoils system
A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.
Sharecropping
A system used on southern farms after the Civil War in which farmers worked land owned by someone else in return for a small portion of the crops.
Puritans (NEW ENGLAND)
After King Henry VIII (1491-1547) broke with Roman Catholicism in the 1530s, the Church of England was formed. Although the new church was free of Catholic control, one religious group, the Puritans, felt that the church had kept too much Catholic ritual. They wanted to "purify," or reform, the church by elim- inating all traces of Catholicism. Some Puritans, called Separatists, wanted to sep- arate from the English Church. They often met in secret to avoid the punishment inflicted upon those who did not follow the Anglican form of worship. C One congregation of Separatists, known today as the Pilgrims, eventually migrated to America. There, in 1620, this small group of families founded the Plymouth Colony, the second permanent English colony in North America. Their Mayflower Compact, named for the ship on which they sailed to North America, became an important landmark in the development of American democracy.
How did the French help?
Allies with America
Jefferson Davis
An American statesman and politician who served as President of the Confederate States of America for its entire history from 1861 to 1865
Intolerable Acts
An infuriated King George III pressed Parliament to act. In 1774, Parliament responded by passing a series of measures that colonists called the Intolerable Acts. One law shut down Boston harbor. Another, the Quartering Act, authorized British commanders to house soldiers in vacant pri- vate homes and other buildings. In addition to these measures, General Thomas Gage, commander-in-chief of British forces in North America, was appointed the new governor of Massachusetts. To keep the peace, he placed Boston under mar- tial law, or rule imposed by military forces. C In response to Britain's actions, the committees of correspondence assembled the First Continental Congress. In September 1774, 56 delegates met in Philadelphia and drew up a declaration of colonial rights. They defended the colonies' right to run their own affairs and stated that, if the British used force against the colonies, the colonies should fight back.
William Pitt
Angered by French victories, Britain's King George II selected new leaders to run his government in 1757. One of these was William Pitt the elder, an energetic, self-confident politician. Under Pitt, the British and colonial troops finally began winning battles. These successes earned Britain the support of the powerful Iroquois, giving Britain some Native American allies to counterbalance those of France.
French and Indian War (Characteristics/Contribution to revolution)
As the French empire in North America expanded, it collided with the growing British empire. During the late 17th and first half of the 18th centuries, France and Great Britain had fought three inconclusive wars. Each war had begun in Europe but spread to their overseas colonies. In 1754, after six relatively peaceful years, the French-British conflict reignited. This conflict is known as the French and Indian War. A year after his defeat, Washington again headed into battle, this time as an aide to the British general Edward Braddock. Braddock's first task was to relaunch an attack on Fort Duquesne. As Braddock and nearly 1,500 soldiers neared the fort, French soldiers and their Native American allies ambushed them. The startled British soldiers turned and fled. BRITISH VICTORY
James Monroe Monroe Doctrine
As with James Madison, foreign affairs dominated the first term of President James Monroe, who was elected in 1816. His secretary of state, John Quincy Adams, established a foreign policy based on nationalism—a belief that national interests should be placed ahead of regional concerns, such as slavery in the South or tariffs in the Northeast. TERRITORY AND BOUNDARIES High on Adams's list of national interests were the security of the nation and the expansion of its territory. To further these interests, Adams arranged the Convention of 1818, which fixed the U.S. border at the 49th parallel from Michigan west to the Rocky Mountains. Adams also reached a compromise with Britain to jointly occupy the Oregon Territory, the territory west of the Rockies, for ten years. He also convinced Don Luis de Onís, the Spanish minister to the United States, to transfer Florida to the United States. The Adams-Onís Treaty (1819) also established a western boundary for the United States that extended along the Sabine River from the Gulf of Mexico north to the Arkansas River to its source, and then north to the 42nd parallel, and west to the Pacific Ocean. D THE MONROE DOCTRINE When Napoleon invaded Portugal and Spain in 1807, the two countries did not have the money or military force to both defend themselves and keep control of their overseas territories at the same time. But when Napoleon was defeated in 1815, Portugal and Spain wanted to reclaim their former colonies in Latin America. Meanwhile, the Russians, who had been in Alaska since 1784, were establish- ing trading posts in what is now California. In 1821, Czar Alexander I of Russia claimed that Alaska's southern boundary was the 51st parallel, just north of Vancouver Island. He forbade foreign vessels from using the coast north of this line. With Spain and Portugal trying to move back into their old colonial areas, and with Russia pushing in from the northwest, the United States knew that it had to do something. Many Americans were interested in acquiring northern Mexico and the Spanish colony of Cuba. Moreover, the Russian action posed a threat to American trade with China, which brought huge profits. Accordingly, in his 1823 message to Congress, President Monroe warned all European powers not to interfere with affairs in the Western Hemisphere. They should not attempt to create new colonies, he said, or try to overthrow the newly independent republics in the hemi- sphere. The United States would consider such action "dangerous to our peace and safety." At the same time, the United States would not involve itself in European affairs or interfere with existing colonies in the Western Hemisphere. These principles became known as the Monroe Doctrine. The doctrine became a foundation for future American policy and represented an important step onto the world stage by the assertive young nation. At home however, sectional differences soon challenged national unity, requiring strong patriotic sentiments and strong leaders like Andrew Jackson to hold the nation together.
Declaration of Independence (Thomas Jefferson John Locke Limited government Magna Carta Civil rights)
By the early summer of 1776, the wavering Continental Congress finally decided to urge each colony to form its own gov- ernment. On June 7, Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee moved that "these United Colonies are, and of a right ought to be, free and independent States." While talks on this fateful motion were under way, the Congress appointed a committee to prepare a formal Declaration of Independence. Virginia lawyer Thomas Jefferson was chosen to prepare the final draft. Drawing on Locke's ideas of natural rights, Jefferson's document declared the rights of "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" to be "unalienable" rights— ones that can never be taken away. Jefferson then asserted that a government's legitimate power can only come from the consent of the governed, and that when a government denies their unalienable rights, the people have the right to "alter or abolish" that government. Jefferson provided a long list of violations commit- ted by the king and Parliament against the colonists' unalienable rights. On that basis, the American colonies declared their independence from Britain. G The Declaration states flatly that "all men are created equal." When this phrase was written, it expressed the common belief that free citizens were polit- ical equals. It did not claim that all people had the same ability or ought to have equal wealth. It was not meant to embrace women, Native Americans, or African-American slaves—a large number of Americans. However, Jefferson's words presented ideals that would later help these groups challenge traditional attitudes. In his first draft, Jefferson included an eloquent attack on the cruelty and injustice of the slave trade. However, South Carolina and Georgia, the two colonies most dependent on slavery, objected. In order to gain the votes of those two states, Jefferson dropped the offending passage. On July 2, 1776, the delegates voted unanimously that the American colonies were free, and on July 4, 1776, they adopted the Declaration of Independence. The colonists had declared their freedom from Britain. They would now have to fight for it.
Lexington and Concord
Colonists in Boston were watching, and on the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode out to spread word that 700 British troops were headed for Concord. The darkened countryside rang with church bells and gunshots—prearranged sig- nals, sent from town to town, that the British were coming. The king's troops, known as "redcoats" because of their uniforms, reached Lexington, Massachusetts, five miles short of Concord, on the cold, windy dawn of April 19. As they neared the town, they saw 70 minutemen drawn up in lines on the village green. The British commander ordered the minutemen to lay down their arms and leave, and the colonists began to move out without laying down their muskets. Then someone fired, and the British soldiers sent a volley of shots into the departing militia. Eight minutemen were killed and ten more were wounded, but only one British soldier was injured. The Battle of Lexington, the first battle of the Revolutionary War, lasted only 15 minutes. The British marched on to Concord, where they found an empty arsenal. After a brief skirmish with minutemen, the British soldiers lined up to march back to Boston, but the march quickly became a slaughter. Between 3,000 and 4,000 minutemen had assembled by now, and they fired on the marching troops from behind stone walls and trees. British soldiers fell by the dozen. Bloodied and humiliated, the remaining British soldiers made their way back to Boston that night. Colonists had become enemies of Britain and now held Boston and its encampment of British troops under siege. MAIN IDEA Evaluating D Doyou think the British underestimated the colonists in 1770-1775?
Charles Cornwallis
Commanding general of the British forces that were defeated at Yorktown in 1781, ending the American Revolution.
Robert E. Lee
Confederate general who had opposed secession but did not believe the Union should be held together by force
Triangular trade
During the 17th century, Africans had become part of a transatlantic trading network described as the triangular trade. This term refers to a trading process in which goods and enslaved people were exchanged across the Atlantic Ocean. For example, merchants carrying rum and other goods from the New England colonies exchanged their merchandise for enslaved Africans. Africans were then transported to the West Indies where they were sold for sugar and molasses. These goods were then sold to rum producers in New England and the cycle began again.
Enlightenment and Great Awakening (Characteristics/Contribution to Revolution)
During the Renaissance in Europe, scientists had begun looking beyond religious beliefs and traditional assumptions for answers about how the world worked. Careful observation and reason, or rational thought, led to the discovery of some of the natural laws and principles governing the world and human behavior. The work of Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, and Sir Isaac Newton established that the earth revolved around the sun and not vice versa. This observation, which challenged the traditional assumption that the earth was the center of the universe, was at first fiercely resisted. It was thought to contradict the Bible and other religious teachings. The early scientists also concluded that the world is governed by fixed mathematical laws rather than solely by the will of God. These ideas about nature led to a movement called the Enlightenment, in which philosophers valued reason and scientific methods. Enlightenment ideas spread from Europe to the colonies, where people such as Benjamin Franklin embraced the notion of obtaining truth through experi- mentation and reason. For example, Franklin's most famous experiment—flying a kite in a thunderstorm—demonstrated that lightning is a form of electrical power. Enlightenment ideas spread quickly through the colonies by means of books and pamphlets. Literacy was particularly high in New England because the Puritans had long supported public education, partly to make it possible for every- one to read the Bible. However, Enlightenment views were disturbing to some peo- ple. The Enlightenment suggested that people could use science and logic—rather than the pronouncements of church authorities—to arrive at truths. As the English poet John Donne had written, "[The] new philosophy calls all in doubt." The Enlightenment also had a profound effect on political thought in the colonies. Colonial leaders such as Thomas Jefferson reasoned that human beings are born with natural rights that governments must respect. Enlightenment prin- ciples eventually would lead many colonists to question the authority of the British monarchy. By the early 1700s, the Puritans had lost some of their influence. Under the new Massachusetts charter of 1691, Puritans were required to practice religious toler- ance and could no longer limit voting privileges to members of their own church. Furthermore, as Puritan merchants prospered, they developed a taste for fine houses, stylish clothes, and good food and wine. As a result, their interest in maintaining the strict Puritan code declined. A series of religious revivals aimed at restoring the intensity and dedication of the early Puritan church swept through the colonies. These came to be known collectively as the Great Awakening Although the Great Awakening emphasized emotionalism and the Enlightenment empha- sized reason, the two movements had similar consequences. Both caused people to question traditional authority. Moreover, both stressed the importance of the individual: the Enlightenment by emphasizing human reason, and the Great Awakening by de-emphasizing the role of church authority. Because these move- ments helped lead the colonists to question Britain's authority over their lives, they were important in creating the intellectual and social atmosphere that even- tually led to the American Revolution.
Compare and contrast economies and culture of colonies in New England, Middle, and the South
Economic Activities New England colonies Massachusetts.........shipbuilding, shipping, fishing, lumber, rum, meat products New Hampshire ........ship masts, lumber, fishing, trade, shipping, livestock, foodstuffs Connecticut ..............rum, iron foundries, shipbuilding Rhode Island ............snuff, livestock Middle colonies New York..................furs, wheat, glass, shoes, livestock, shipping, shipbuilding, rum, beer, snuff Delaware..................trade, foodstuffs New Jersey...............trade, foodstuffs, copper Pennsylvania ............flax, shipbuilding Southern colonies Virginia.....................tobacco, wheat, cattle, iron Maryland..................tobacco, wheat, snuff North Carolina..........naval supplies, tobacco, furs South Carolina..........rice, indigo, silk Georgia ....................indigo, rice, naval supplies, lumber
End of Reconstruction
Election of 1876 brought the Radical Republicans a loss of power and Northerners were tired of Reconstruction and wanted to forget the Civil War.
Benjamin Franklin
Enlightenment ideas spread from Europe to the colonies, where people such as Benjamin Franklin embraced the notion of obtaining truth through experi- mentation and reason. For example, Franklin's most famous experiment—flying a kite in a thunderstorm—demonstrated that lightning is a form of electrical power. A true student of the Enlightenment, Benjamin Franklin devised an orderly method to develop moral per- fection in himself. In his auto- biography, he records how he decided on a list of virtues he thought he should have. Then, every night, he reviewed whether his behavior lived up to those standards and recorded his faults in a notebook. Originally, he concentrated on only 12 virtues until a Quaker friend told him he was too proud. Franklin promptly added a 13th virtue to the list—the virtue of humility, which he felt he never quite achieved. Franklin took great pleasure in seeing his character improve. He wrote: "I was sur- pris'd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imag- ined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish."
Fort Sumter
Federal fort in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina; the confederate attack on the fort marked the start of the Civil War
Hamilton vs. Jefferson
Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton vs. Antifederalists, led by Thomas Jefferson. The debate between the two concerned the power of the central government versus that of the states, with the Federalists favoring the govt and the Antifederalists advocating states' rights. Their differences helped to give rise to political parties.
Vicksburg
Grant besieged the city from May 18 to July 4, 1863, until it surrendered, yielding command of the Mississippi River to the Union.
King George III
Great Britain had borrowed so much money during the war that it nearly doubled its national debt. King George III, who had succeeded his grandfather in 1760, hoped to lower that debt. To do so, in 1763 the king chose a financial expert, George Grenville, to serve as prime minister.
The Sugar Act
Great Britain had borrowed so much money during the war that it nearly doubled its national debt. King George III, who had succeeded his grandfather in 1760, hoped to lower that debt. To do so, in 1763 the king chose a financial expert, George Grenville, to serve as prime minister. The Sugar Act did three things. It halved the duty on foreign-made molasses in the hopes that colonists would pay a lower tax rather than risk arrest by smuggling. It placed duties on certain imports that had not been taxed before. Most important, it provided that colonists accused of violat- ing the act would be tried in a vice-admiralty court rather than a colonial court. There, each case would be decided by a single judge rather than by a jury of sympathetic colonists. Colonial merchants complained that the Sugar Act would reduce their profits. Merchants and traders further claimed that Parliament had no right to tax the colonists because the colonists had not elected representatives to the body. The new regulations, however, had little effect on colonists besides merchants and traders.
King Philip's War (NEW ENGLAND)
Great tension continued between Native Americans and settlers for nearly 40 years. Eventually, the Wampanoag chief Metacom, whom the English called King Philip, organized his tribe and several others into an alliance to wipe out the invaders. The eruption of King Philip's War in the spring of 1675 startled the Puritans with its intensity. Native Americans attacked and burned outlying settlements throughout New England. Within months they were striking the outskirts of Boston. The alarmed and angered colonists respond- ed by killing as many Native Americans as they could, even some from friendly tribes. For over a year, the two sides waged a war of mutual brutality and destruc- tion. Finally, food shortages, disease, and heavy casualties wore down the Native Americans' resistance, and they gradually surrendered or fled.
Navigation Acts
In 1651, England's Parliament, the country's legislative body, moved to tight- en control of colonial trade by passing a series of measures known as the Navigation Acts. These acts enforced the following rules: • No country could trade with the colonies unless the goods were shipped in either colonial or English ships. • All vessels had to be operated by crews that were at least three- quarters English or colonial. • The colonies could export certain products, including tobacco and sugar—and later rice, molasses, and furs—only to England. • Almost all goods traded between the colonies and Europe first had to pass through an English port. The system created by the Navigation Acts obviously benefited England. It proved to be good for most colonists as well. By restricting trade to English or colonialships, the acts spurred a boom in the colonial shipbuilding industry and helped support the development of numerous other colonial industries.
Boston Tea Party
In 1773, Lord North devised the Tea Act in order to save the nearly bankrupt British East India Company. The act granted the company the right to sell tea to the colonies free of the taxes that colonial tea sellers had to pay. This action would have cut colonial merchants out of the tea trade by enabling the East India Company to sell its tea directly to con- sumers for less. North hoped the American colonists would simply buy the cheap- er tea; instead, they protested dramatically. On the moonlit evening of December 16, 1773, a large group of Boston rebels disguised themselves as Native Americans and proceeded to take action against three British tea ships anchored in the harbor. In this incident, later known as the Boston Tea Party, the "Indians" dumped 18,000 pounds of the East India Company's tea into the waters of Boston harbor.
First Continental Congress
In response to Britain's actions, the committees of correspondence assembled the First Continental Congress. In September 1774, 56 delegates met in Philadelphia and drew up a declaration of colonial rights. They defended the colonies' right to run their own affairs and stated that, if the British used force against the colonies, the colonies should fight back.
Second Continental Congress
In May of 1775, colonial leaders called the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia to debate their next move. The loyalties that divided colonists sparked endless debates at the Second Continental Congress. Some delegates called for independence, while others argued for reconciliation with Great Britain. Despite such differences, the Congress agreed to recognize the colonial militia as the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander.
War of 1812 James Madison British impressment Main events and outcome of war
Jefferson easily won reelection in 1804 but a crisis clouded his second adminis- tration. Renewed fighting between Britain and France threatened American ship- ping. The crisis continued into the administration of James Madison, who was elected president in 1808. Some four years later, Madison led the nation into the War of 1812 against Great Britain. THE CAUSES OF THE WAR Although France and Britain both threatened U.S. ships between 1805 and 1814, Americans focused their anger on the British. One reason was the British policy of impressment, the practice of seizing Americans at sea and "impressing," or drafting, them into the British navy. Americans grew even angrier after learning that officials in British Canada were supplying arms to Native Americans in support of their ongoing battle against American settlers. A group of young congressmen from the South and the West, known as the war hawks, demanded war. THE COURSE OF THE WAR By the spring of 1812, President Madison had decided to commit America to war against Britain, and Congress approved the war declaration in mid-June. Republican funding cuts and a lack of popular support had left the American military with few volunteers and ill-prepared for war. Britain, however, was too preoccupied with Napoleon in Europe to pay much attention to the Americans. Nonetheless, the British scored a stunning victory in August of 1814, when they brushed aside American troops and sacked Washington, D.C. Madison and other federal officials fled the city as the British burned the Capitol, the Presidential Mansion, and other public buildings. The most impressive American victory occurred at the Battle of New Orleans. There, on January 8, 1815, U.S. troops led by General Andrew Jackson of Tennessee routed a British force. Ironically, British and American diplomats had already signed a peace agreement before the Battle of New Orleans, but news of the pact had not reached Jackson in time. The Treaty of Ghent, signed on Christmas Eve, 1814, declared an armistice, or end to the fighting. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR The war had three important conse- quences. First, it led to the end of the Federalist Party, whose members generally opposed the war. Second, it encouraged the growth of American industries to man- ufacture products no longer available from Britain because of the war. Third, it con- firmed the status of the United States as a free and independent nation.
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
John Brown's scheme to invade the South with armed slaves, backed by sponsoring, northern abolitionists; seized the federal arsenal; Brown and remnants were caught by Robert E. Lee and the US Marines; Brown was hanged
Election of 1824 Corrupt Bargain
John Quincy Adams elected President on February 9, 1825, after the election was decided by the House of Representatives in what was termed the Corrupt Bargain.Jackson, Clay, Adams, and Crawford all ran. The House of Reps chose Adams because Henry Clay had supported him. After Adams became President, he appointed Henry Clay as his Secretary of State. This was seen as a corrupt bargain by Andrew Jackson
John Smith
John Smith craved adventure. Smith's father had urged him to be a merchant, but the restless Englishman wanted to see the world. In 1606, he offered his ser- vices as a colonist to the Virginia Company, a group of merchants charged with starting an English colony in North America. He later recalled his vision of the opportunities that awaited those who settled the Americas. Smith would need all of his abilities to steer the new colony, Jamestown, through what turned out to be a disastrous beginning. In time, however, the colony sur- vived to become England's first permanent settlement in North America.
Thomas Paine: Common Sense
Just as important were the ideas of Thomas Paine. In a widely read 50-page pamphlet titled Common Sense, Paine attacked King George and the monarchy. Paine, a recent immigrant, argued that responsibility for British tyranny lay with "the royal brute of Britain." Paine explained that his own revolt against the king had begun with Lexington and Concord. Paine declared that independence would allow America to trade more freely. He also stated that independence would give American colonists the chance to create a better society—one free from tyranny, with equal social and economic opportu- nities for all. Common Sense sold nearly 500,000 copies in 1776 and was widely applauded. In April 1776, George Washington wrote, "I find Common Sense is work- ing a powerful change in the minds of many men."
Marbury v. Madison John Marshall Judicial review
Just before leaving office, President Adams had tried to influ- ence future judicial decisions by filling federal judge- ships with Federalists. But the signed documents authorizing some of the appointments had not been delivered by the time Adams left office. Jefferson argued that these appointments were invalid and ordered Madison, his secretary of state, not to deliver them. This argument led to one of the most important Supreme Court decisions of all time in Marbury v. Madison (1803). (See page 118.) The Federalist chief justice John Marshall declared that part of Congress's Judiciary Act of 1789, which would have forced Madison to hand over the papers, was unconstitution- al. The decision strengthened the Supreme Court by establishing the principle of judicial review—the ability of the Supreme Court to declare a law, in this case an act of Congress, unconstitutional.
Nat Turner
Leader of a slave rebellion in 1831 in Virginia. Revolt led to the deaths of 20 whites and 40 blacks and led to the "gag rule' outlawing any discussion of slavery in the House of Representatives
Lincoln's Reconstruction plan vs. Radical Republicans
Lincoln made it clear that he favored a lenient Reconstruction policy. In Decem- ber 1863, Lincoln announced his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, also known as the Ten-Percent Plan. Under this plan, the government would pardon all Confederates—except high-ranking officials and those accused of crimes against prisoners of war—who would swear allegiance to the Union. As soon as ten per- cent of those who had voted in 1860 took this oath of allegiance, a Confederate state could form a new state government and send representatives and senators to Congress. Under Lincoln's terms, four states—Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Virginia—moved toward readmission to the Union. However, Lincoln's Reconstruction plan angered a minority of Republicans in Congress, known as Radical Republicans. The Radicals, led by Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts and Representative Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania, wanted to destroy the political power of former slaveholders. Most of all, they wanted African Americans to be given full citizenship and the right to vote. Lincoln was assassinated before he could fully implement his Reconstruction plan. In May 1865, his successor, Andrew Johnson, announced his own plan. Johnson's plan differed little from Lincoln's. The major difference was that Johnson tried to break the planters' power by excluding high-ranking Confederates and wealthy Southern landown- ers from taking the oath needed for voting privileges. However, Johnson also par- doned more than 13,000 former Confederates because he believed that "white men alone must manage the South." A The seven remaining ex-Confederate states quickly agreed to Johnson's terms. In the following months, these states—except for Texas—set up new state govern- ments and elected representatives to Congress. In December 1865, the newly elect- ed Southern legislators arrived in Washington to take their seats. Congress, howev- er, refused to admit the new Southern legislators. At the same time, moderate Republicans pushed for new laws to remedy weaknesses they saw in Johnson's plan. In 1866, Congress voted to enlarge the Freedmen's Bureau and passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866. That law gave African Americans citizenship and forbade states from passing discriminatory laws—black codes—that severely restricted African Americans' lives. Johnson shocked everyone when he vetoed both the Freedmen's Bureau Act and the Civil Rights Act. Congress, Johnson contended, had gone far beyond anything "contemplated by the authors of the Constitution."
Election of 1860
Lincoln, the Republican candidate, won because the Democratic party was split over slavery. As a result, the South no longer felt like it has a voice in politics and a number of states seceded from the Union.
(Loyalists vs. Patriots
Loyalists were people living in the English colonies of North America that supported England and the taxes they were putting on the colonies. Patriots were people living in the English colonies of North America that did not support England and the taxes. They wanted to rebel against England and the king. This group of people will lead the American Revolution.
Stamp Act
March 1765 Parliament passed the Stamp Act. This act imposed a tax on documents and printed items such as wills, newspapers, and play- ing cards. A stamp would be placed on the items to prove that the tax had been paid. It was the first tax that affected colonists directly because it was levied on goods and services. Previous taxes had been indirect, involving duties on imports. In May of 1765, the colonists united to defy the law. Boston shopkeepers, arti- sans, and laborers organized a secret resistance group called the Sons of Liberty to protest the law. Meanwhile, the colonial assemblies declared that Parliament lacked the power to impose taxes on the colonies because the colonists were not repre- sented in Parliament. In October 1765, merchants in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia agreed to a boycott of British goods until the Stamp Act was repealed. The widespread boycott worked, and in March 1766 Parliament repealed the law.
California Gold Rush
Mass migration to California following the discovery of gold in 1848
Tea Act
North persuaded Parliament to repeal the Townshend Acts, except for the tax on tea.
Clara Barton
Nurse during the Civil War; founder of the American Red Cross
Boston Massacre
On March 5, 1770, a mob gathered in front of the Boston Customs House and taunted the British soldiers standing guard there. Shots were fired and five colonists, including Crispus Attucks, were killed or mortally wounded. Colonial leaders quickly labeled the confrontation the Boston Massacre. Despite strong feelings on both sides, the political atmosphere relaxed some- what during the next three years. Lord Frederick North, who later followed Grenville as the prime minister, realized that the Townshend Acts were costing more to enforce than they would ever bring in: in their first year, for example, the taxes raised only 295 pounds, while the cost of sending British troops to Boston was over 170,000 pounds. North persuaded Parliament to repeal the Townshend Acts, except for the tax on tea. Tensions rose again in 1772 when a group of Rhode Island colonists attacked a British customs schooner that patrolled the coast for smugglers. The colonists boarded the vessel, which had accidentally run aground near Providence, and burned it to the waterline. In response, King George named a special commission to seek out the suspects and bring them to England for trial. The plan to haul Americans to England for trial ignited widespread alarm. The assemblies of Massachusetts and Virginia set up committees of correspondence to communicate with other colonies about this and other threats to American liberties. By 1774, such committees formed a buzzing communication network linking leaders in nearly all the colonies.
Mayflower Compact (NEW ENGLAND)
One congregation of Separatists, known today as the Pilgrims, eventually migrated to America. There, in 1620, this small group of families founded the Plymouth Colony, the second permanent English colony in North America. Their Mayflower Compact, named for the ship on which they sailed to North America, became an important landmark in the development of American democracy. The Mayflower Compact, which the Pilgrims crafted as they sailed to North America in 1620, created a civil government and pledged loyalty to the king. It stated that the purpose of their government in America would be to frame "just and equal laws . . . for the general good of the colony."
Constitutional Convention (Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan Great Compromise Three-Fifths Compromise)
One major issue that the delegates faced was giving fair representation to both large and small states. James Madison pro- posed the Virginia Plan, which called for a bicameral, or two-house, legislature, with membership based on each state's population. Delegates from the small states vigorously objected to the Virginia Plan because it gave more power to states with large populations. Small states supported William Paterson's New Jersey Plan, which proposed a single-house congress in which each state had an equal vote. The debate became deadlocked and dragged on through the hot and humid summer days. Eventually, Roger Sherman suggested the Great Compromise, which offered a two-house Congress to satisfy both small and big states. Each state would have equal representation in the Senate, or upper house. The size of the population of each state would determine its represen- tation in the House of Representatives, or lower house. Voters of each state would choose members of the House. The state legislatures would choose members of the Senate. The Great Compromise settled one major issue but led to conflict over another. Southern delegates, whose states had large numbers of slaves, wanted slaves included in the population count that determined the number of repre- sentatives in the House. Northern delegates, whose states had few slaves, disagreed. Not counting the slaves would give the Northern states more representatives than the Southern states in the House of Representatives. The dele- gates eventually agreed to the Three-Fifths Compromise, which called for three-fifths of a state's slaves to be count- ed as part of the population.
Separatists (NEW ENGLAND)
Other Puritans who were not Separatists turned their thoughts toward New England in the 1620s. They felt the burden of increasing religious persecution, political repression, and dismal economic condi- tions. In 1630, a group of Puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony along the upper coast of North America. The port town of Boston soon became the colony's thriving capital. Settlers established other towns nearby and eventu- ally incorporated the Plymouth Colony into the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Puritans believed they had a special covenant, or agreement, with God. To fulfill their part, they were to create a moral society that would serve as a bea- con for others to follow. Puritan leader John Winthrop expressed the sense of mission that bound the Puritans together, in a sermon delivered aboard the flag- ship Arbella: "We [in New England] shall be as a City upon a Hill; the eyes of all people are on us." Although Puritans made no effort to create a democracy, the Massachusetts Bay Company extended the right to vote to all adult male members of the Puritan church—40 percent of the colony's men. As their system of self-government evolved, so did the close relationship between the government and the Puritan church. The Puritan view dominated Massachusetts society: taxes supported the Puritan church, and laws required church attendance. D DISSENT IN THE PURITAN COMMUNITY The Puritans came to America to fol- low their own form of worship, and they were intolerant of people who had dis- senting religious beliefs. One such dissenter was Roger Williams, an extreme Separatist, who expressed two controversial views. First, he declared that the English settlers had no rightful claim to the land unless they purchased it from Native Americans. Second, he argued that every person should be free to worship according to his or her conscience. When officials tried to deport Williams back to England, he fled Massachusetts and traveled south. He negotiated with a local Native American group for a plot of land and set up a new colony, which he called Providence. In Providence, later the capital of Rhode Island, Williams guaranteed religious free- dom and separation of church and state. E Another dissenter, Anne Hutchinson, taught that worshippers did not need the church or its ministers to interpret the Bible for them. Banished from the colony, Hutchinson, with her family and a band of followers, fled first to Rhode Island and, after her husband died, to New Netherland—which later became part of New York—where she died in a war with Native Americans.
Bank of the United States
Proposed by Alexander Hamilton as the basis of his economic plan. He proposed a powerful private institution, in which the government was the major stockholder. This would be a way to collect and amass the various taxes collected. It would also provide a strong and stable national currency. Jefferson vehemently opposed the bank; he thought it was un-constitutional. nevertheless, it was created. This issue brought about the issue of implied powers. It also helped start political parties, this being one of the major issues of the day.
Election of 1876
Race for the presidency between Republican Rutherford B Hayes and Democrat Samuel J Tilden. The decision of the winner came down to congress but no one knew which house should vote because the Senate was Republican and the House of Reps was Democratic. Congress created a Special Electoral Commission consisting of 5 senators, 5 House Reps, and 5 justices from the Supreme court. Votes went 8-7 in favor of Hayes.
South Carolina Mississippi Florida Alabama Georgia Louisiana Texas Virginia Arkansas North Carolina Tennessee
Secession due to desire to keep slavery apparent
Roger Williams (NEW ENGLAND)
The Puritans came to America to fol- low their own form of worship, and they were intolerant of people who had dis- senting religious beliefs. One such dissenter was Roger Williams, an extreme Separatist, who expressed two controversial views. First, he declared that the English settlers had no rightful claim to the land unless they purchased it from Native Americans. Second, he argued that every person should be free to worship according to his or her conscience.When officials tried to deport Williams back to England, he fled Massachusetts and traveled south. He negotiated with a local Native American group for a plot of land and set up a new colony, which he called Providence. In Providence, later the capital of Rhode Island, Williams guaranteed religious free- dom and separation of church and state. E Another dissenter, Anne Hutchinson, taught that worshippers did not need the church or its ministers to interpret the Bible for them. Banished from the colony, Hutchinson, with her family and a band of followers, fled first to Rhode Island and, after her husband died, to New Netherland—which later became part of New York—where she died in a war with Native Americans.
Articles of Confederation (Strengths and weaknesses Northwest Ordinance of 1787 Shays's Rebellion)
The Second Continental Congress set up a new plan of government in a set of laws called the Articles of Confederation. The plan established a form of government called a confederation, or alliance, among the thirteen states. The Articles set up a Congress in which each state would have one vote regardless of population. Powers were divided between the states and the national government. The national government had the power to declare war, make peace, and sign treaties. It could borrow money, set standards for coins and for weights and measures, and establish a postal service. After approval by all thirteen states, the Articles of Confederation went into effect in March 1781. One of the first issues the Confederation faced had to do with the the Northwest Territory, lands west of the Appalachians, where many people settled after the Revolutionary War. To help govern these lands, Congress • passed the Land Ordinance of 1785, which established a plan for surveying the land. (See Geography Spotlight on • page 72.) In the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Congress provided a procedure for dividing the land into no fewer than three and no more than five states. The ordi- nance also set requirements for the admission of new states, which, however, overlooked Native American land claims. The Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 became the Confederation's most significant achievements. Overshadowing such success- es, however, were the Confederation's many problems. The most serious problem was that each state functioned independently by pursuing its own interests rather than considering those of the nation as a whole. The government had no means of raising money or enforcing its laws. Moreover, there was no national court sys- tem to settle legal disputes. The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government and little unity among the states.
Quakers (MIDDLE)
The acquisi- tion of New Netherland was one step in England's quest to extend its American empire after 1660, when the English monarchy was restored after a period of civil war and Puritan rule. The new king, Charles II, owed a debt to the father of a young man named William Penn. As pay- ment, Charles gave the younger Penn a large property that the king insisted be called Pennsylvania, or "Penn's Woods," after the father. Following this, in 1682, Penn acquired more land from the duke of York, the three coun- ties that became Delaware. William Penn belonged to the Society of Friends, or Quakers, a Protestant sect that held services without for- mal ministers, allowing any person to speak as the spirit moved him or her. They dressed plainly, refused to defer to persons of rank, opposed war, and refused to serve in the military. For their radical views, they were scorned and harassed by Anglicans and Puritans alike. Penn wanted to establish a good and fair society in keeping with Quaker ideals of equality, cooperation, and religious toleration. Penn guaranteed every adult male set- tler 50 acres of land and the right to vote. His plan for gov- ernment called for a representative assembly and freedom of religion. Like Roger Williams before him, Penn believed that the land belonged to the Native Americans, and he saw to it that they were paid for it. Penn himself spent only about four years in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, his ide- alistic vision had faded but did not disappear. The Quakers became a minority in a colony thickly populated by people from all over western Europe. Slavery was introduced, and, in fact, many prominent Quakers in Pennsylvania owned slaves. However, the principles of equality, cooperation, and religious tolerance on which he had founded his vision would eventually become fundamental values of the new American nation.
William Penn (MIDDLE)
The acquisi- tion of New Netherland was one step in England's quest to extend its American empire after 1660, when the English monarchy was restored after a period of civil war and Puritan rule. The new king, Charles II, owed a debt to the father of a young man named William Penn. As pay- ment, Charles gave the younger Penn a large property that the king insisted be called Pennsylvania, or "Penn's Woods," after the father. Following this, in 1682, Penn acquired more land from the duke of York, the three coun- ties that became Delaware. William Penn belonged to the Society of Friends, or Quakers, a Protestant sect that held services without for- mal ministers, allowing any person to speak as the spirit moved him or her. They dressed plainly, refused to defer to persons of rank, opposed war, and refused to serve in the military. For their radical views, they were scorned and harassed by Anglicans and Puritans alike. Penn wanted to establish a good and fair society in keeping with Quaker ideals of equality, cooperation, and religious toleration. Penn guaranteed every adult male set- tler 50 acres of land and the right to vote. His plan for gov- ernment called for a representative assembly and freedom of religion. Like Roger Williams before him, Penn believed that the land belonged to the Native Americans, and he saw to it that they were paid for it. Penn himself spent only about four years in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, his ide- alistic vision had faded but did not disappear. The Quakers became a minority in a colony thickly populated by people from all over western Europe. Slavery was introduced, and, in fact, many prominent Quakers in Pennsylvania owned slaves. However, the principles of equality, cooperation, and religious tolerance on which he had founded his vision would eventually become fundamental values of the new American nation.
Democratic-Republicans vs. Federalist Party
The election of 1800 pitted Thomas Jefferson, a leader of the Democratic- Republicans (sometimes shortened to "Republicans"), against President John Adams and his Federalist Party. It was a hard-fought struggle. Each party hurled wild charges at the other. Democratic-Republicans called Adams a tool of the rich who wanted to turn the executive branch into a British-style monarchy. Federalists protested that Jefferson was a dangerous supporter of revolutionary France and an atheist.
Middle passage
The voyage that brought Africans to the West Indies and later to North America was known as the middle passage, after the middle leg of the transatlantic trade triangle. Extreme cruel- ty characterized this journey. In the ports of West Africa, European traders branded Africans for identification and packed them into the dark holds of large ships. On board a slave ship, Africans were beat- en into submission and often fell victim to dis- eases that spread rapid- ly. Some committed sui- cide by jumping over- board. Nearly 13 per- cent of the Africans aboard each slave ship perished during the brutal trip to the New World. One enslaved African, Olaudah Equiano, recalled the inhumane conditions on his trip from West Africa to the West Indies in 1762 when he was 12 years old
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the Constitution
Treaty of Paris 1783
This treaty ended the Revolutionary War, recognized the independence of the American colonies, and granted the colonies the territory from the southern border of Canada to the northern border of Florida, and from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River
Federalism (Three branches of government Checks and balances)
The new system of government that the delegates were building was a form of federalism, in which power is divided between a national government and several state governments. The powers granted to the national govern- ment by the Constitution are known as delegated powers, or enumerated powers. These include such powers as the control of foreign affairs and regulation of trade between the states. Powers not specifically granted to the national government but kept by the states are called reserved powers. These include powers such as providing for and supervising education. Some powers, such as the right to tax and establish courts, were shared by both the national and the state governments. The delegates also limited the authority of the national government. First, they created three branches of government: • a legislative branch to make laws • an executive branch to carry out laws • a judicial branch to interpret the laws and settle disputes Then the delegates established a system of checks and balances to pre- vent any one branch from dominating the other two. The procedure the dele- gates established for electing the president reflected their fear of placing too much power in the hands of the people. Instead of choosing the president directly, each state would choose a number of electors equal to the number of senators and representatives that the state had in Congress. This group of elec- tors chosen by the states, known as the electoral college, would then cast bal- lots for the presidential candidates.
Saratoga
The turning point of the American Revolution. France decided to help the Americans.
Henry Clay American System Missouri Compromise Tariff of 1816
These economic differences often created political tensions between the different sections of the nation. Throughout the first half of the 19th century, however, American leaders managed to keep the nation together. CLAY'S AMERICAN SYSTEM As the North, South, and West developed different economies, President Madison developed a plan to move the United States toward economic independence from Britain and other European powers. In 1815 he presented his plan to Congress. It included three major points: • establishing a protective tariff • rechartering the national bank • sponsoring the development of transportation systems and other internal improvements in order to make travel throughout the nation easier House Speaker Henry Clay promoted the plan as the "American System." B Madison and Clay supported tariffs on imports to pro- tect U.S. industry from British competition. Most Northeasterners also welcomed protective tariffs. However, people in the South and West, whose livelihoods did not depend on manufacturing, were not as eager to tax European imports. Nevertheless, Clay, who was from the West (Kentucky), and John C. Calhoun, a Southerner (South Carolina), convinced congressmen from their regions to approve the Tariff of 1816. Also in 1816, Congress voted to charter the Second Bank of the United States for a 20-year period and to create a unified currency. THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE In spite of these efforts to unify the national economy, sectional conflicts remained part of American politics. In 1818 settlers in Missouri requested admission to the Union. Northerners and Southerners disagreed, however, on whether Missouri should be admitted as a free state or a slave state. Behind the leadership of Henry Clay, Congress passed a series of agreements in 1820-1821 known as the Missouri Compromise. Under these agreements, Maine was admitted as a free state and Missouri as a slave state. The rest of the Louisiana Territory was split into two parts. The dividing line was set at 36°30 ́ north latitude. South of the line, slavery was legal. North of the line—except in Missouri—slavery was banned
Proclamation of 1763
To avoid further costly conflicts with Native Americans, the British govern- ment prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Proclamation of 1763 established a Proclamation Line along the Appalachians, which the colonists were not allowed to cross. However, the colonists, eager to expand westward from the increasingly crowded Atlantic seaboard, ignored the proclamation and continued to stream onto Native American lands.
Oregon Trail
Trail from independence Missouri to Oregon used by many pioneers during the 1840s
Battle of Gettysburg
Turning point of the War that made it clear the North would win. 50,000 people died, and the South lost its chance to invade the North.
Panic of 1837
When Jackson was president, many state banks received government money that had been withdrawn from the Bank of the U.S. These banks issued paper money and financed wild speculation, especially in federal lands. Jackson issued the Specie Circular to force the payment for federal lands with gold or silver. Many state banks collapsed as a result. A panic ensued (1837). Bank of the U.S. failed, cotton prices fell, businesses went bankrupt, and there was widespread unemployment and distress.
Middle Colonies (MIDDLE)
While English Puritans were establishing colonies in New England, the Dutch were founding one to the south. As early as 1609, Henry Hudson—an Englishman employed by the Dutch—had sailed up the river that now bears his name. The Dutch soon established a fur trade with the Iroquois and built trading posts on the Hudson River.
Assassination of Lincoln
While sitting in his box at Ford's Theatre watching "Our American Cousin", President Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865.
Women's Reform Movement
Women had few political or legal rights. Women wanted equality at work, school, home, and church. The most basic of those rights was the right to vote. Key leaders: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Frederick Douglass
Underground Railroad
a system of secret routes used by escaping slaves to reach freedom in the North or in Canada
Ulysses S. Grant
an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States (1869-1877). He achieved international fame as the leading Union general in the American Civil War.
Reconstruction and its Effects
he need to help former slaves was just one of many issues the nation confront- ed after the war. In addition, the government, led by Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's vice-president and eventual successor, had to determine how to bring the Confederate states back into the Union. Reconstruction, the period during which the United States began to rebuild after the Civil War, lasted from 1865 to 1877. The term also refers to the process the federal government used to readmit the defeated Confederate states to the Union. Complicating the process was the fact that Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and the members of Congress all had differ- ent ideas about how Reconstruction should be handled. Eventually, support for Reconstruction weakened. The breakdown of Republican unity made it even harder for the Radicals to continue to impose their Reconstruction plan on the South. In addition, a series of bank failures known as the panic of 1873 triggered a five-year depression, which diverted attention in the North away from the South's problems. The Supreme Court also began to undo some of the social and political changes that the Radicals had made. Although political violence contin- ued in the South and African Americans were denied civil and political rights, Republicans slowly retreated from the policies of Reconstruction. DEMOCRATS "REDEEM" THE SOUTH As the Republicans' hold on the South loosened, Southern Democrats began to regain control of the region. As a result of "redemption"—as the Democrats called their return to power—and a political deal made during the national election of 1876, congressional Reconstruction came to an end. In the election of 1876, Democratic candidate Samuel J. Tilden won the pop- ular vote, but was one vote short of the electoral victory. Southern Democrats in Congress agreed to accept Hayes if federal troops were withdrawn from the South. After Republican leaders agreed to the demands, Hayes was elected, and Reconstruction ended in the South. Reconstruction ended without much real progress in the battle against dis- crimination. However, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments remained part of the Constitution. In the 20th century, these amendments pro- vided the necessary constitutional foundation for important civil rights legislation
George Washington
n May of 1775, colonial leaders called the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia to debate their next move. The loyalties that divided colonists sparked endless debates at the Second Continental Congress. Some delegates called for independence, while others argued for reconciliation with Great Britain. Despite such differences, the Congress agreed to recognize the colonial militia as the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander.
Civil War (1861-1865)
total war; Union is perpetual v. liberty before Union; began w/ bombardment of Fort Sumter; Lee surrendered at Appotomax; 600k casualties; legacy expanded federal power and destroyed agrarian south
John Wilkes Booth
was an American stage actor who, as part of a conspiracy plot, assassinated Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865.
