NCFE Study Guide: American History I

NCFE Study Guide: American History I

North America Before Settlement

·  Native American tribes dominated North and South America. They migrated many years prior by walking across the Beringia Land Bridge into North America. They settled in regions where the environment could provide for them.

·  Hierarchy of power, tribes depended on the environment, nature dominated, traded, mobile societies, each tribe’s economy depended on the location (for example, tribes on the coast depended on whaling and fishing while inland tribes hunted and, often, farmed)

·  When Europeans began to explore, conquer, and settle, interactions were devastating for Native American tribes. They were often plundered and robbed and treated unequally by the Europeans.

·  Excerpt from The American Holocaust by David Stannard revealed by De las Casas the horrific treatment of the natives and the genocide that occurred.

·  Diseases like malaria, smallpox, chicken pox and influenza wiped out whole tribes.

·  Columbian Exchange: global exchange of goods and commodities from Europe to Africa, and, then, into the Americas. It consisted of plants, animals, trade commodities, ideas, scientific knowledge, and human slave trade. Middle Passage was the journey of slaves from Africa to America in deplorable conditions. It made possible the development of the plantation system in

·  the South.

·  Reasons for exploration: 3 G’s (gold, God, glory). Treatment of the natives was terrible and began a mass genocide of many tribes.

The Early Colonies

·  The early colonies were divided into three regions: New England, Middle and Southern. Each region developed differently and depended on different economic means.

·  New England Colonies: Pilgrims, VERY religious, Puritanism, Mayflower Compact (1620: 1st attempt at self-government and consent of the governed in Plymouth, Massachusetts-Wm. Bradford), Salem Witch Trials, persecution of those who were not conformists, had longer life expectancy, cooler climate, not good for large plantations and slave labor, depended on shipbuilding, logging, fishing) (slavery did not develop as it did in the South because the geography and climate were not favorable for large plantations)

·  Middle Colonies: “Breadbasket colonies”, had both farming and industry, less religious than the New England colonies, more secular or focused on making money, observed religious toleration due to the mixture of many different groups of people

·  Southern Colonies: agriculturally-based, good soil and climate favorable to farming, less religious, more secular and focused on making money, climate and geography were favorable to the development of slave labor, large plantations developed and the institution of slavery expanded, life expectancy was low due to disease and insects

·  Jamestown: 1st English colony in America (1607), all the early colonies faced severe shortages, diseases, problems surviving, often turned to the natives for help. Fighting broke out after the Europeans made land encroachments.

American Revolution

·  Causes: Glorious Revolution (overthrow of James by Wm. and Mary- inspired us), French and Indian War (colonies fought the French/Indians over land encroachments-led the English to resent the money spent and to impose taxes on the colonists to replenish what was spent), Navigation Acts, British oppression and lack of political rights of the colonists, taxation without representation, Enlightenment ideas, Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre---there were many short term and long term causes of the Revolutionary War

·  Sides: Patriots favored independence from England, and the Loyalists favored England (they were loyal to the king). There were more “rebels” than loyalists in the colonies.

·  Battles and Turning Points:

o  George Washington would emerge as a major leader and would later become first president. Battles: Saratoga, turning point battle, after which the French entered. Valley Forge symbolized the determination and perseverance of the patriots and the strength of Washington’s leadership, Yorktown was surrender of Cornwallis and marked the end of the War

o  Peace Treaty: Treaty of Paris of 183

§  Aftermath: Colonists won their independence from England, but were unprepared for the challenges that lay ahead. They would first have the Articles of Confederation which would prove weak with many problems. It would be replaced with the US Constitution by 1789. Colonists turned to a representative government in which the people would elect their leaders, not a direct democracy. Great Compromise by Roger Sherman would establish a House of Representative determined by the population of the state and a Senate. This was a compromise, as arguments dominated the discussions over large vs. small states. The ⅗ Compromise would count 3 of 5 slaves toward membership in the House for southern states. It reflected the lack of representation of slaves at the time. George Washington was elected the first president of the United States.

New Nation

Washington’s Presidency

Whiskey Rebellion:

·  Washington used federal troops to end farmers rebellion

·  Proof that a stronger federal gov’t had been established (National troops stopped the rebellion rather than a local militia).

Jay’s Treaty + Pickney’s Treaty(trade in New Orleans…expand use of Miss. R.)

·  Jay’s Treaty: avoided war from Britain, eliminated the British threats to the security of the US with the British agreeing to abandon their military forts in the west

Farewell Address: No foreign entanglements and No political parties

·  Washington warned against the formation of alliances with foreign nations and the formation of political parties

·  US should avoid permanent, entangling alliances.

Hamilton & Federalist vs Jefferson & Democratic-Republicans

·  Hamilton & Federalist believed in “loose interpretation” of the Constitution

·  Hamilton favored Federal power: Federal Banks and Federal Debt

·  Democrat Republicans believed in a “Strict Interpretation” of Constitution

·  Jefferson argued for more State power: state debt & banks

·  Jefferson thought that the National Bank was an unconstitutional act that unnecessarily strengthened federal power

Hamilton’s Economic Plan:

·  excise tax on whiskey, creation of a National Bank, and Federal Debt from the assumption of the states’ debt from the Revolutionary War

·  Hamilton’s financial plan created the most tension b/w the North and the South: the federal gov’t would assume state debt from foreign nations

·  Hamilton gained support for his plan to have the federal gov’t pay off foreign and domestic debts after the Revolutionary War by promising the South to move the Capital to the South (Washington D.C.)

Adams Presidency

·  XYZ Affair: French diplomats required payment to talk with US diplomats

·  Alien and Sedition Act – limit freedom of speech

·  Federalist passed to limit speech against gov’t and limit immigration, hurt Democratic-Republican party since they were not the majority party (Specifically designed to limit the political participation of recent immigrants in the late 1790s)

·  Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (written by Jefferson and James Madison) had a lasting impact on the US in that they introduced the “Doctrine of Nullification” in which states refuse to follow federal laws they feel are in violation of the Constitution

·  Both the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions and the SC Exposition and Protest dealt with states having the right to nullify laws considered to be considered to be unconstitional

·  Midnight Judges- Adams appoints Federalist the last night of his presidency

·  Jefferson becomes next president and Madison never sends several of the appoints…Supreme Court decides in Marbury v Madison

Jefferson’s Presidency

·  Election of 1800: Hamilton votes for Jefferson, Aaron Burr looses (This election was considered a “political revolution” because political power transferred from one party to the next for the first time)

·  Hamilton vs. Aaron Burr… famous duel that Hamilton is killed

·  Property ownership was a requirement for voting prior to 1800

Louisiana Purchase 1803

·  Jefferson unsure he had the power to buy the land from France since he had a “strict interpretation” of Constitution…it did not mention the power

·  Objective of the Lewis and Clark expedition: map out and explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase…Sacagawea –Indian guide

·  Napoleon in Europe: War b/w France and GB continues

·  Embargo Act of 1807- stopped foreign trade, meant to avoid war by preventing impressments of sailors, keep US out of war from GB & France (Jefferson wanted to stop Europe’s impressment of US sailors)

·  Federalist strongly opposed Jefferson’s Embargo Act because it hurt America more than Britain, it was a economic disaster for Americans dependent on foreign trade,

·  Federalist opposed b/c it hurt New England seamen & merchants

President Madison and War of 1812

·  Causes: War Hawks and Impressment

·  Foreign policy prior to the War of 1812: British violations of the neutrality of American ships (Impressment)

·  War Hawks pushed for war between U.S. and G.B.

·  John Calhoun, Henry Clay, and Daniel Webster

·  British Impressment: captured and forced US sailors to work on their ships

·  Westward Expansion: conflicts b/w US and GB in western territories

War of 1812 Battles:

·  Low Point: Burning of Washington, GB destroys US capital city

·  Victories: Lake Erie (Admiral Perry victorious) & Horseshoe Bend(Jackson)

·  Battle of New Orleans: after treaty signed, Andrew Jackson new Hero

·  Treaty of Ghent—peace b/w GB and US same as before the war, nothing won/loss

Native Americans

·  Prior to 1820, the primary conflict between whites and Indians was the use of land

·  Battle of Fallen Timbers: General “Mad” Anthony Wayne defeats Tecumseh and Little Turtle…Treaty of Greenville signed Natives pushed in NW Ohio only

·  Tecumseh gone but his Prophet defeated at Battle of Tippecanoe, last major conflict in the East

Sectionalism, Nationalism, & Reform

President Monroe and Nationalism

·  Voting before 1820: only white land property owners

·  By 1820, landless farmers obtained suffrage (right to vote)

·  Removing property requirements for voting was a political issue for apprentices and tenant farmers

·  Sectionalism: division b/w North and South, growing cause of Civil War

·  Points of Tension: slavery, agrarian economy vs. industrial economy, state rights vs. power of the federal gov’t

·  Industrial Revolution: creates differences b/w north and south

·  Two Major Issues by mid-1800s: slavery and state rights

Henry Clay’s American System

·  Program for transportation projects, a protective tariff, and a national bank

·  Henry Clay: “Great Compromiser”…helps easy sectionalism in US

·  National Road, Erie Canal, Tariff of 1816

·  Erie Canal and Robert Fulton’s steam engine: helps NY city replaces Baltimore as major port in US

Nationalism: Supreme Court Cases

·  Chief Justice Marshall: empowered national government through decisions

·  Marbury v. Madison = (power of Judicial Review), Gibbons v. Ogden, & McCulloch v. Maryland: all 3 secured the power to Federal gov’t

Nationalism and Foreign/Domestic Policy

·  Adams-Onis Treaty: gained Spanish Florida and claims to Oregon

·  Monroe Doctrine: warned European Powers that the US considered the Western Hemisphere within its sphere of influence

Nationalism in Literature and Art:

·  Hudson River School for the Arts- focused on American scenic beauty as being superior than that of Europe

·  Washington Irving, Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and James Fennimore Cooper: writers created distinct American literature

·  US painters offered affordable portraits of US landscapes to the public

·  Webster’s Dictionary (1806) English to American language

Missouri Compromise 1820

·  attempts to solve slavery issue in W. Territories

·  Slavery prohibited north of the 36, 30 parallel in the Louisiana Purchase Territory

·  Maine admitted as a free state and Missouri a slave state

·  Henry Clay: “Great Compromiser”

Jackson’s Presidency

·  Adams vs. Jackson 1824, Jackson looses,House votes for Adams/Jackson wins next

·  Log Cabin President and Spoils System

·  1st Log Cabin President... “common man” appeal

·  Spoils System example: loyal supporter given gov’t job as a reward

Indian Removal Act 1830

·  Allowed white settlement of Indian lands: Cherokee people/5 civilized tribes

·  Worchester v. Georgia: sided with Cherokee but Jackson said, “Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.”

Bank of the United States (BUS)

·  Jackson wanted to do away with the National Bank in favor of state level “pet banks” that ended up printing excessive amounts of money, creating a Recession and after the Panic of 1837

South Carolina Nullification Crisis

·  South Carolina challenged the US authority on the issue of the tariff act of 1828 and 1832… South called it the “Tariff of Abominations” b/c it helped the North more than the South

·  President Jackson sent federal troops to S.C. to end the Nullification Crisis

Reforms in societies and the arts

·  2nd Great Awakening – 19th century religious movement in which individual responsibility for seeking salvation was emphasized, along with the need for personal and social improvement

·  Reforms: Education: Horace Mann …Prison and Mentally Ill: Dorthea Dix

Women’s Rights: early 1800s

·  Seneca Falls Convention: first women’s rights convention… “All men and Women are created Equal”… Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony

·  Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I a Woman” speech

·  Abigail Adams had asked her husband (John Adams) to remember the ladies when they were writing the Constitution

Abolitionist: movement against slavery,

·  William Lloyd Garrison: editor of the “Liberator” newspaper against slavery; it increased sectionalism

·  Garrison angered Southerners by condemning slavery on moral grounds and demanding immediate emancipation and racial equality without compensation to slave owners

Transcendentalism: Literary movement focus on: Nature, Truth, Individualism

·  Civil Disobedience: Thoreau—impacted Gandhi and MLK

·  Famous Authors: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau

·  Religions impact on debate of slavery: Southern women got involved in the abolition movement

Expansion

New Nation and Texas

Texas’s Independence

·  Austin: empressario – sells land, put in prison Mexican leader Santa Anna

·  “Remember the Alamo” Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie die defending a fort, all are killed, no prisoners, becomes the war cry for Texas freedom fighters

·  Sam Houston defeats Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto

·  Texas gains independence and becomes the “Lone Star Republic”

·  The annexation of Texas caused sectional feelings because it might become a slave state.