United States History 1607-1865

Colonial Period

• Standards 1-3

Virginia • Jamestown, Virginia was

founded in 1607

• First permanent English settlement in North America

• A corporate colony, founded by the Virginia Company

Powhatan Indians

• Hostile to new settlers

• Attacked Jamestown

• John Smith was able to negotiate with them for food

Success of the Virginia Colony

• Tobacco became most profitable cash crop

• Headright System allowed families to move in and own land

• House of Burgesses allowed self-government

Virginia’s House of Burgesses

• Virginia’s colonial legislature

• Nathaniel Bacon led a rebellion because the legislature failed to provide settlers protection from hostile Indians in the backcountry

First Africans in Virginia

• In 1619 a Dutch slave ship arrived in the colony

• The Africans on board (who were destined to be traded as slaves in the West Indies), were traded for supplies in Virginia

• The Virginia colony treated the Africans as indentured servants, not slaves

• All of them eventually gained their freedom before slavery was introduced in Virginia

New England

• Originally settled by English Separatists, who had broken with the Anglican Church

• They were persecuted

• These settlers were called “Pilgrims”

• They sailed on the Mayflower from England to America

• They settled Plymouth

Massachusetts Bay Colony

• Settled by English Puritans (who were Anglican, but wanted to reform the Church of its “catholic” practices)

• They were persecuted

• They established their “City Upon A Hill”, what they considered a model utopia, in Boston

Puritans vs. Native Americans

• King Philip’s War

– Chief of the Wampanoags (Metacom/”King Philip”) led an attack on the Puritans in response to their laws that restricted the Indians

– It was a very brutal and destructive war

– Food shortages, disease, and heavy casualties kept the Indians from fighting

– Metacom was killed and the Indian resistance in New England ended

Tension in New England

• Roger Williams challenged forced religion on the citizens of Massachusetts

• He was exiled and eventually founded the colony of Rhode Island

– Separation of church and state established here

Halfway Covenant

• Allowed second and third generation Puritans partial membership in the church until they experienced a true religious conversion

Salem, Massachusetts

• Location of Salem Witch Trials

Massachusetts Bay Loses Its Charter

• Puritans refused to obey English law

• In 1684, King Charles II revoked the colony’s corporate charter

• Massachusetts became a royal colony, under strict control of the king

New England Life

Small, subsistence farms

Town hall meetings

Merchant shipping

Fishing

Middle Colonies New Netherland to New York

• Originally claimed and settled by Netherland

– Diverse Population

• James, Duke of York and brother of King Charles II, sent a fleet of ships to take the colony away from the Dutch

– It was accomplished without firing a single shot

– It became the English colony of New York

Middle Colonies: Pennsylvania

• William Penn: founder

• Quakers were first settlers

• Penn’s “Holy Experiment”

– allowed freedom of religion

– paid Indians for their

land

Mercantilism

• Export raw materials from colonies to England

• Sell manufactured goods back to the colonies

• Become completely self sufficient as a country

• Acquire wealth

African Colonial Population

• As employment opportunities increased in England, fewer indentured servants came to America

• Transatlantic trade included stops along the African coast to trade rum (from New England) and guns and manufactured goods (from England) in exchange for slaves

• Slaves were taken to the West Indies and various parts of North America in the Middle Passage of the transatlantic trade

Map of Transatlantic Trade

• Triangular Trade

Results of French & Indian War

• In the Treaty of Paris of 1763,Britain won control of North America; France lost most of its North American possessions

• Parliament passed a series of laws to control the colonists – Proclamation of 1763 forbade settlement west of

Appalachian Mountains to protect them from hostile Indians

– Stamp Act placed direct taxes on printed materials

to pay for war debt

Colonial Reactions

• No taxation without representation – colonists believed only their colonial legislatures could tax them

• The Sons of Liberty terrorized stamp agents

• In response to the Boston Massacre, each colony formed a committee of correspondence to communicate with other colonies

• In response to the Tea Act, the colonists dumped British tea in the Boston Harbor

Intolerable Acts

• In response to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed a series of laws to punish the colony of Massachusetts

• The Daughters of Liberty led boycotts of English goods, especially tea

Common Sense

• Written by Thomas Paine

• He called for independence

• Sold 500,000 copies

Declaration of Independence • Author: Thomas Jefferson • Based on John Locke’s philosophy • “All men are created equal” • All have natural, unalienable rights

– Life – Liberty – Pursuit of happiness (Locke said

“property”)

• Government gets its powers from the consent of the people

• People have a right to alter or abolish their government after a long period of abuses

Grievances against King George III

• “He has obstructed the administration of justice”

• “He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies”

• “He has plundered our seas”

American Revolution

• The war of independence fought between Britain and 13 of its colonies in North America

• 1775-1783

George Washington • Leader of the

Continental Army during the Revolution

• Took an all volunteer, undisciplined, inexperienced army and turned it into a professional army

Battle of Trenton

• Christmas, 1776 • Washington’s army, who has volunteered for one year of

service, is about to go home • There have been no victories for the army and no reason to

reenlist • General Washington plans a surprise attack on Hessian

soldiers across the Delaware River from the Continental Army – Washington and his army cross the Delaware in the middle of the

night – In the early morning, they attack the Hessians and win – In a few days, they defeat a British force at Princeton, NJ – Many men in Washington’s army, reenlist and new recruits join

Battle of Saratoga (October, 1777)

• Colonist victory over British.

• Turning point in Revolutionary War

• Convinced the French to become ally of the United States

• Benjamin Franklin played a key role in convincing the French to form this alliance

• Marquis de LaFayette volunteers to fight

Valley Forge, PA

• Winter of 1777-78

• Washington and the Continental Army are camped at Valley Forge

• They have little food

• They have poor shelter

• Many have no shoes or blankets to keep them warm blankets

• Yet Washington rallies his troops, inspires them, and uses the time to prepare them for battle

Battle of Yorktown (1781)

• Yorktown is located on the peninsula formed by the James and York Rivers that flow into the Chesapeake Bay

• Washington and his army entrench themselves on the land side of Yorktown

• The French fleet blocks the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay

• Cornwallis and the British surrender

• The American Revolution is over!

Treaty of Paris (1783)

• Officially ended the Revolutionary War

• British recognized colonists’ independence

• British gave colonists all the lands east of the Mississippi River

• Florida was returned to Spain

Establishing a New Government

• Standard 5

Confederation • An alliance of states where

states have the majority of the power and retain their sovereignty.

Articles of Confederation

• First government of United States from 1781 – 1788. – State sovereignty

– Weak national government

– No standing army

– No power to tax

– No national court system

– No chief executive to enforce laws

Shays’ Rebellion

• Farmers, who were Revolutionary War veterans, were angry over the taxes they were forced to pay and over the possible foreclosure on their property

• Took up arms against the state of Massachusetts

• Fear of mob rule led to a call for a national convention to amend the weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation

Philadelphia Convention

• 1787 • James Madison introduced

a new plan of government • Constitutional convention

resulted in creation of a FEDERAL government (separate executive, judicial and legislative branches)

• Convention replaced the Articles of Confederation with the U.S. Constitution

Great Compromise

• Virginia Plan

– Bicameral Congress

– Representation in both houses based on population of the individual states

• New Jersey Plan

– Unicameral Congress

– Representation of states would be equal

COMPROMISE:

•Bicameral legislature

•Representation in the House of Representatives would be based on population of each state

•Representation of the Senate would be equal with 2 senators from each state

The Issue of Slavery

• Debates over slavery resulted in

– An agreement to outlaw the importation of slaves from Africa within 20 years (by 1808)

– Southern states being able to count 3 out of 5 slaves in its census for the purpose of representation in Congress

• However, this formula would also be considered for the appropriation of taxes per state

Limited Government

• The federal government’s powers are limited to those specified in the U.S. Constitution

Separation of Powers

• Each branch of government has a specific purpose and powers are different from the other branches – A legislative branch (Congress)

– An executive branch (the President)

– A judicial branch (Supreme Court)

Montesquieu, Enlightenment Thinker

• Championed

the idea of

separation of

powers

Checks and Balances

• Each branch of the government checks the powers of the other two branches

• Prevents any branch of government from becoming too powerful

Federalism • Distribution of the

powers of government between a central (federal) government and the regional (states) governments.

Federalists vs. Anti-federalists • Federalists

– Supported ratification of U.S. Constitution

– Supported strong central government

– Believed it kept factions from becoming too powerful

– Believed the President’s powers would be checked by the other branches

• Anti-Federalists – Opposed ratification of the U.S.

Constitution

– Felt power of government should remain with the individual states

– Believed factions could not be controlled from taking power

– Believed the President could become like a dictator with his power as commander-in-chief

– Especially concerned about the absence of a Bill of Rights to protect the rights of citizens

Federalist Papers

• Newspaper articles

published in New York

• Explained reasons why people should adopt the new US constitution

• The anonymous authors (Publius): Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay

Bill of Rights

• Freedom of speech, press, religion, petition and peaceful assembly

• Right to bear arms • Protection for unlawful searches and

seizures • Rights of the accused

– Attorney – To remain silent – To have charges explained – To question witnesses – Public trial by jury – No excessive fines or cruel or unusual

punishment

• Protection of property • Additional rights (9th) • States’ rights (10th)

Early Presidents

• George Washington – Proclaimed U.S. neutrality in

the war between England and France

– As commander in chief, sent troops to stop the rebellion over the whiskey tax

– First political parties formed during this presidency • Federalists (Hamilton) • Democratic-Republicans

(Jefferson)

• John Adams – Federalist – Sent representatives to

France to negotiate problems • French officials tried to bribe

them • Referred to as the XYZ Affair • Led to a Quasi War with

France

Thomas Jefferson’s Presidency

• Sent representative to France to purchase the port of New Orleans

• Napoleon offered to sell the entire Louisiana Territory to the U.S.

– Doubled the size of U.S. territory

Lewis and Clark Expedition

• President Jefferson chose them to explore the new Louisiana Territory

• They sailed up the Missouri River, crossed the Rocky Mountains, and traveled all the way to the Pacific • They met many tribes

– Sioux – Mandan – Shoshone

• They collected samples of animal and plant life • They recorded information about weather, climate,

terrain, and Indians

War of 1812

• President Madison declares war on Great Britain

• Reasons: Impressment of U.S. sailors in British navy

• War helped form a

strong national identity

• Gave the U.S. a new war hero: – Andrew Jackson

Monroe Doctrine

• Established U.S. dominance in the western hemisphere

• European countries could not claim any more colonies here

• The U.S. would stay out of European affairs

Industrial Revolution

• Eli Whitney, Inventor

– Interchangeable parts: aided growth of industry in the North

– Cotton gin: aided growth of cotton as the main cash crop of the South

Manifest Destiny

• A God-given right to expand U.S. territory – 1845: Texas annexation

– 1846: Oregon Country (divided with Britain)

– 1848: Mexican Cession (resulted from Mexican War)

Reform Movements

• Temperance: campaign to reduce, or “temper” the use of alcohol

• Abolition: campaign to abolish slavery

• Education: effort to support the funding of public education

Seneca Falls, NY

• First women’s rights convention, 1848

• Elizabeth Cady Stanton, leading advocate

• Main issue: Women’s Suffrage

Jacksonian Democracy

• Expanding voting rights

– Non-property owners could vote by 1828

– Most supported Andrew Jackson, the symbol of the “common man”

– Popular votes counted for the first time in 1828

– Increased suffrage led to increased nationalism

• Key abolitionists

– William Lloyd Garrison

– Frederick Douglass

– Grimke sisters

– Successful slave rebellion led by Nat Turner

Abolitionist Movement

Missouri Compromise

• 1819 Missouri requested admission into the Union as a

slave state There were an even number of slave and free states Much congressional debate – 1820

• Compromise – Maine would be admitted as a free state – Missouri would be admitted as a slave state – North of 36, 30 North latitude: slavery prohibited

– South of 36,30 North latitude: slavery allowed

Nullification Crisis • Attempt by South Carolina to nullify a

federal tariff in 1832. – South Carolina protested/refused to pay

– Vice-President John C. Calhoun led the protest

– Threatened to secede if force was used

– President Jackson ->Force Act

– Henry Clay offered a compromise tariff • Tariff would gradually be lowered over a ten

year period

• Increased the issue of sectionalism: putting the interests of a region over those of the entire nation

Mexican American War

• 1846 – U.S. declares war on Mexico over boundary dispute U.S. wins victories in El Paso, TX; Monterrey, CA; and, Monterrey,

Mexico – Congressman David Wilmot proposes that slavery be prohibited in

any territory acquired in the war • Much congressional debate over the Wilmot Proviso; it is defeated

1847 – U.S. wins victories in Buena Vista and Mexico City

• 1848 – Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo establishes boundary at Rio Grande;

gives entire southwestern territory to U.S. (Mexican Cession)

Compromise of 1850

1848 Gold discovered in California 1849 Thousands of people travel to California in the Gold Rush California’s population escalates enough to apply for statehood (free state) 1850

– Much congressional debate (even number of free states and slave states) – Compromise:

• California will be a free state • Utah and New Mexico will decide slavery by popular sovereignty • Slave trade is abolished in Washington, D.C. • A stronger Fugitive Slave Law is passed to satisfy a pro-slavery South

FREE

Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Repealed the Missouri Compromise by reopening territory that had been closed to slavery

• Left the slavery issue to be decided by the people who settled in those territories (popular sovereignty)

“Bleeding Kansas”

• A race to Kansas between those who supported slavery and those who didn’t began

• Anti-slavery and pro-slavery forces fought against each other

• Two territorial legislatures will be chosen

• Popular sovereignty will fail in Kansas

Dred Scott Case • Dred Scott was a slave that had been

taken into free territory

• After his owner died, Scott wanted his freedom

• The Supreme Court decision: – ruled that African Americans were not

citizens of the U.S. – African Americans were not free just

because they were taken into free territories by their owners

– Laws like the Missouri Compromise were unconstitutional

– Congress could not deny slave owners from taking slaves into the western territories because they were property under the 5th Amendment

John Brown

• A staunch abolitionist

• Had committed five murders of pro-slavery people in Pottawatomie, Kansas in 1856

• In 1859, he raided a federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry, VA, in an attempt to arm a slave insurrection

• He was captured, charged with treason, and executed by hanging for his crimes

• Northern abolitionists martyred him

Civil War Leaders

• North/Union – President: Abraham Lincoln

– Generals: • Ulysses S. Grant – defeated

Lee and ended the war

• William T. Sherman – capture the railroad city of Atlanta, GA and led a destructive march through Georgia

• South/Confederacy – President: Jefferson Davis

– Generals: • Robert E. Lee – commander

the Army of Northern Virginia; successfully won defensive battles against the Union, but lost both attempts at offensive battles

• “Stonewall” Jackson – Lee’s right-hand man; helped him win many victories against the Union

Civil War Leaders

Lincoln

Grant

Sherman

Davis

Lee

Jackson

Civil War Battles

• Fort Sumter (April, 1861) – where the Civil War began • Antietam (August, 1862) – Lee’s first attempt to fight an offensive battle and first

one outside the Confederacy; he lost • Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) – Lee’s second attempt to fight an offensive battle; the

turning point of the war; Lee would never recover from this loss • Vicksburg – “the nail that held the two halves of the Confederacy together”

(Davis); located on the Mississippi River, it fail to Union control on July 4, 1863; the Union had won control of the Mississippi

• Atlanta (September, 1864) – the main rail center of the southeast captured by General Sherman and where he began his March to the Sea

Emancipation Proclamation • After the Battle of Antietam,

President Lincoln announced he would issue his proclamation on January 1, 1863 if the Confederacy did not surrender

• January 1, 1863, Lincoln announced the he was freeing the slaves who were still in the states that continued to fight the Union

• The Union army had a new purpose for fighting the war: they would free all slaves as they moved through the states at war with them

• Slaves in states still in the Union were not freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, but were freed by the 13th Amendment

Economic Disparity between the North and the South