Chapter 1
Early Exploration and Settlement
(Beginnings -1700)
_____1. Migration of Early Peoples: Many scientists believe that people first arrived in North America during the last Ice Age. At the start of the Ice Age, Earth’s climate grew colder. Large amounts of water froze into huge, moving ice sheets called glaciers. As a result, ocean levels dropped more than 300 feet lower than they are today. When the water level fell, a land bridge appeared between northeastern Asia and present-day Alaska. Geographers call this the Bering Land Bridge. Although no one knows exactly when or how people crossed into North America, evidence suggests that people called Paleo-Indians crossed this bridge into Alaska between 38,000 and 10,000 BC.
_____2. Native American Culture Areas: Hundreds of other tribes settled throughout the Americas. Their lives depended on their geographic locations. If they lived in cold climates, the tribes followed their food to survive. If they lived in warmer climates, the people were able to grow their food instead.
_____3. Trade Routes, 1200’s to 1400’s: Trade routes occurred overland or by sea. The Silk Road connected Europe and the Middle East with goods from China. Ocean routes connected Africa, Europe, and Asia where a variety of goods were traded such as salt, gold, fabrics, and spices.
_____4. European Exploration – Northwest Passage: A ship route from the Atlantic to the Pacific that European explorers sought to find to shorten the distance of travel from Europe to China without going around the tip of South America. This passage was thought to have existed somewhere throughout present day Canada.
_____5. The Columbian Exchange: Transfer of plants, animals, and diseases to the “New World” of the Americas from Europe and Africa. For example, Europe brought over cattle, grapes, and horses. Then, explorers of the “New World” brought back tobacco, tomatoes, potatoes and turkeys to Europe. Of course, several more goods were exchanged. These are just a few examples.
_____ 6. Conquistadors “For Gold and Glory”: Soldiers who led military expeditions in the Americas. Hernan Cortes defeated the Aztecs in present day Mexico in his quest for land, gold, and glory while Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca empire in present day Peru in search for gold as well. The Spanish soldiers also brought missionaries with them to spread their Catholic religion.
_____7. Spain’s Effects on Native Americans: To reward settlers for their service to the Crown, Spain established the encomienda (en-koh-mee-EN-duh) system. It gave settlers the right to tax local Native Americans or to make them work. In exchange, these settlers were supposed to protect local American Indians and convert them to Christianity. In other words, the Spainards enslaved the local populations and forced them into Catholic beliefs. Spanish missions were setup throughout present day areas of Mexico, California, and Texas.
_____8. Printing Press: a machine that produces printed copies was developed by Johann Gutenburg in 1450, now written information could be quickly mass produced instead of recopying every word by hand
_____9. Spanish Armada: a huge fleet of about 130 ships that controlled power in the European waters for decades until a terrible defeat to the English in 1588
_____10. European Empires in North America in 1700’s: the British, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Swedish all battled for territory
Chapter 2The English Colonies(1605-1774)
_____1. The Southern Colonies “Southern Wealth”: Colonists overcame tough beginnings to create large and wealthy settlements. Churches were often the first major buildings in a growing town. Consisted of present day states Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Had a warm climate where crop growing was the focal point of the economy that demanded slaves for labor.
_____2. Slave codes “Slave population increases”: Slave populations drastically increased from 1700 to 1750 due to huge demand for labor to work in the tobacco fields. Slave codes were created as laws to control slaves. This was done to prevent revolts.
_____3. Mayflower Compact: (1620) a document written by the Pilgrims establishing themselves as a political society and setting guidelines for self-government
_____4. The New England Colonies, Plymouth Colony: 1. The Pilgrims and Puritans came to America to avoid religious persecution. 2. Religion and government were closely linked in the New England colonies. 3. The New England economy was based on trade and farming. 4. Education was important in the New England colonies.
_____5. The Middle Colonies (characteristics): 1. The English created New York and New Jersey from former Dutch territory. 2. William Penn established the colony of Pennsylvania. 3. The economy of the middle colonies was supported by trade and staple crops.
_____ 6. Staple crops (wheat, barley, oats): a crop that is continuously in demand
_____7. America’s Growth by 1760: The English colonies in 1760 were located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Appalachian Mountains. The total population of the colonies was around 1.8 million. Soon, however, the colonies began to grow both in size and in population.
_____8. English Bill of Rights: (1689) a shift of political power from the British monarchy to Parliament, it gave more rights to the people
_____9. The Thirteen Colonies: Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvannia, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia
_____10. Triangular Trade: trade between Britain, the Americas, and Africa took a triangular shape; manufactured goods, sugars, molasses, beef, flour, slaves, rum, and iron were all traded across the Atlantic
_____* Empires in 1754 and 1763: France losses most of its territory between these two time frames to Britain and Spain
_____* The Atlantic Slave Trade: The slave system that arose in the American colonies was strongly influenced by geographic forces. The climate of the southern colonies was suited to growing certain crops, like cotton, tobacco, and sugarcane. These crops required a great deal of labor to grow and to process. To meet this great demand for labor, the colonists looked to one main source—enslaved Africans.
_____* Taxation without Representation: colonists did not think it was fair to be taxed by the British without their consent or approval
_____* Five Significant Events Leading to Revolution: 1764 The Sugar Act, 1765 The Stamp Act, 1770 The Boston Massacre, 1773 The Boston Tea Party, and 1774 The Intolerable Acts
Chapter 3
The American Revolution
(1774-1783)
_____1. First and Second Continental Congress: The First Continental Congress demanded certain rights from Great Britain. The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army to fight the British.
_____2. “Shot Heard’ round the World”: The Battle of Lexington was the first battle of the Revolutionary War. No one knows still if the British or the colonists fired the first shot.
_____3. Battle of Bunker Hill: This battle proved that the colonists could take on the British
_____4. Declaration of Independence: The committee members were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Jefferson was the document’s main author.
The Declaration of Independence formally announced the colonies’ break from Great Britain. In doing so, it expressed three main ideas. The first idea Jefferson argued was that all men possess unalienable rights. He stated that these basic rights include “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Jefferson’s next argument was that King George III had violated the colonists’ rights by passing unfair laws and interfering with colonial governments. Jefferson accused the king of taxing colonists without their consent and he felt that the large British army in the colonies violated colonists’ rights.
Third, Jefferson argued that the colonies had the right to break from Britain. He was influenced by the Enlightenment idea of the social contract, which states that governments and rulers must protect the rights of citizens. In exchange, the people agree to be governed. Jefferson said that because King George III had broken the social contract, the colonists should no longer obey him.
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. This act broke all ties to the British Crown. The United States of America was born.
_____5. Patriots vs. Loyalists: Patriots fought for independence while Loyalists (also called Tories) remained loyal to the British crown
_____ 6. Colonial Forces vs. British Forces: The strengths of the Colonial forces were they fought for the cause they believed in and had most citizens on their side while weaknesses were they had a small navy and were untrained and poorly equipped soldiers. The strengths of the British forces were they had a large and powerful navy and were well-trained and well-equipped soldiers while weaknesses were many soldiers were mercenairies and they had to cross the Atlantic Ocean (took 3 months at that time)
_____7. The Patriots Gain Ground: Despite early defeats by Britain, the Patriots claimed some victories. Saratoga was a turning point in the war.
_____8. Winter at Valley Forge: During that terrible winter, some 2,000 soldiers died of disease and malnutrition.
_____9. War Tactics in the South “Swamp Fox”: guerilla warfare
_____10. Battle of Yorktown: last major battle of the war won by the colonists with assistance from the French
_____* Treaty of Paris of 1783: a peace agreement that officially ended the Revolutionary War and established British recognition of the independence of the United States
Chapter 4
Forming a Government
(1777-1791)
_____1. Land Ordinance of 1785 and 1787: Congress had to decide what to do with the western lands now under its control and how to raise money to pay debts. It tried to solve both problems by selling the western lands. In 1785 the Northwest Territory was organized into lots that could be sold, and in 1787 a government was organized. Each township contained 36 sections. Each section was one square mile.
_____2. Origins of Constitution: taken from Magna Carta (1215), The Mayflower Compact (1620), English Bill of Rights (1689), The Elightenment (1700’s), Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786), and colonial assemblies
_____3. The U.S. Faces Trade Barriers with Britain: Britain closed its ports to American ships and since Britain was United States main and about only trader at the time this created economic hardships; also, for the goods that were traded, the British demanded high tariffs (taxes on imports or exports) which only raised the costs in the end for the consumers
_____4. Shay’s Rebellion: the uprising of farmers to protest high taxes and heavy debt
_____5. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation: Most power held by states, One branch of government, Legislative branch has few powers, No executive branch, No judicial system, No system of checks and balances
_____ 6. Great Compromise: (1787) an agreement worked out at the Constitutional Convention establishing that a state's population would determine representation in the lower house of the legislature, while each state would have equal representation in the upper house of the legislature
_____7. Three-Fifths Compromise: (1787) an agreement worked out at the Constitutional Convention stating that only three-fifths of the slaves in a state would count when determining its population for representation in the lower house of Congress
_____8. Three Branches of Government: Legislative Branch or Congress (responsible for proposing and passing laws, it is made up of two houses – The Senate and The House of Representatives), the Executive Branch (includes the president and the departments that help run the government, they make sure that the law is carried out), the Judicial Branch (made up of all national courts, responsible for interpreting laws, punishing criminals, and settling disputes between states)
_____9. Strengths of the Constitution: most power held by national government, three branches of government, legislative branch has many powers, executive branch led by president, judicial branch to review the laws, firm system of checks and balances
_____10. Federalists vs. Antifederalists: Federalists, supporters of the Constitution, included James Madison, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. Most Federalists believed that the Constitution offered a good balance of power. Antifederalists, people who opposed the Constitution. They thought the Constitution gave too much power to the central government.
Chapter 5
Citizenship and the Constitution
(1781-Present)
_____1. Separation of Powers: The Legislative Branch, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch all have their separate responsibilities and a part of those responsibilities is to make sure that no one group has too much power
_____2. Checks and Balances: the process of the three branches checking and balancing each other out
_____3. The Bill of Rights: The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to define clearly the rights and freedoms of citizens.
_____4. Amendments I-X: * First Amendment – Establishment clause, freedom of religion (Free Exercise Clause), speech, and press, and peaceable assembly as well as the right to petition the government.
* Second Amendment – Right to keep and bear arms.
* Third Amendment – Protection from quartering of troops.
* Fourth Amendment – Protection from unreasonable search and seizure.
* Fifth Amendment – Due process, double jeopardy, self-incrimination, eminent domain.
* Sixth Amendment – Trial by jury and other rights of the accused.
* Seventh Amendment – Civil trial by jury.
* Eighth Amendment – Prohibition of excessive bail, as well as cruel and unusual punishment.
* Ninth Amendment – Protection of rights not specifically enumerated in the Bill of Rights.
* Tenth Amendment – Powers of states and people.
_____5. Becoming a Citizen: For many people around the world, becoming a citizen of the United States is a lifelong dream. The highlight of the naturalization process is the ceremony where candidates promise to “support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America.”
_____ 6. Responsibilities of Citizens: vote, pay taxes, obey the laws, jury duty, military service (draft), and community service
_____7. Draft: Citizens have the duty to defend the nation. Men 18 years or older must register with selective service. In the event of a draft, or required military service, those able to fight are already registered. Although women do not register, many serve in the armed forces.
_____8. Right to Trial: under the sixth amendment, everyone has a right to trial by a jury “innocent until proven guilty”
_____9. Interest Groups: people that share a common interest that motivates them to take political action done by organizing speeches and rallies to support their cause
_____10. Political Action Committees (PACs): groups that collect money for candidates who support certain issues
Chapter 6 Launching the Nation(1789-1800)
_____1. The First President, The First Cabinet: George Washington was the first president; Washington’s cabinet members kept him informed on political matters and debated important issues with one another. Each of the men chosen had experience that made him a wise choice to advise the nation’s first president. By 1792 cabinet meetings were a common practice.
1. Henry Knox, secretary of war
2. Thomas Jefferson, secretary of state
3. Edmund Randolph, attorney general
4. Alexander Hamilton, secretary of the treasury
5. George Washington, president
_____2. Electoral College: a group of people selected from each of the states to cast votes in presidential elections
_____3. A Rural Nation: in 1790, 95% of the population was rural (farmers) while 5% were urban (city people)
_____4. Judiciary Act of 1789: legislation passed by Congress that created the federal court system
_____5. Hamilton’s Economic Plan in 1790’s: 1. the federal government would take over all state debt, 2. revenue would be gained by passing tariffs, and 3. A national bank and national mint system would be created to stabilize the banking system. Hamilton believed in a strong central government.
_____ 6. Loose construction vs. strict construction: Loose construction -
a way of interpreting the Constitution that allows the federal government to take actions that the Constitution does not specifically forbid it from taking
strict construction - a way of interpreting the Constitution that allows the federal government to take only those actions the Constitution specifically says it can take
_____7. The Struggle for Neutrality: (1793) a statement made by President George Washington that the United States would not side with any of the nations at war in Europe following the French Revolution
_____8. Fighting in the Northwest Territory: As the United States dealt with international conflicts, trouble was also brewing at home. Americans continued to settle the Northwest Territory despite Native Americans’ protests. Supplied by British traders with guns, Native Americans went to war. Began in 1790 and ended in 1795 with the Treaty of Greenville.
_____9. Washington’s Farewell Address: Washington did not run for a third presidential term, he wrote that the greatest dangers to the young republic were the danger of foreign ties and political conflicts at home
_____10. XYZ Affair: (1797) an incident in which French agents attempted to get a bribe and loans from U.S. diplomats in exchange for an agreement that French privateers would no longer attack American ships; it led to an undeclared naval war between the two countries
_____ * Federalists (North) vs. Republicans (South): Federalist Party - a political party created in the 1790s and influenced by Alexander Hamilton that wanted to strengthen the federal government and promote industry and trade
Democratic-Republican Party - a political party founded in the 1790s by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other leaders who wanted to preserve the power of the state governments and promote agriculture
Chapter 7
Jefferson Becomes President