8 th Grade US History Heres what weve

8 th Grade US History Here’s what we’ve learned so far…

Before 1492, the people of Europe, Africa and Asia had no idea that the continents of North and South America existed. The people in the Americas had no idea that the continents of Europe, Africa and Asia existed either.

But all this changed in 1492. Christopher Columbus, sailing for the King and Queen of Spain, set off heading west across the Atlantic Ocean. He was looking for an all water route to get from Europe to India. Although he didn’t find that, he did discover two continents that Europeans knew nothing about.

For the first time, the people of the eastern and western hemispheres encountered each other. From that moment on, the people of both hemispheres began to exchange ideas, customs, food, diseases, people, etc. This “Columbian Exchange” continues today.

Even though Europeans thought they had reached Asia for the first few years after Columbus’s voyage, they soon figured out that there were two continents they had known nothing about. People were excited about Columbus’s discovery. Because they knew nothing about the western hemisphere, they began calling it the “new world. ” Can you remember the reasons that they started exploring this unknown land? 1. Curiosity about the world around them. 2. A desire to find valuable resources and then get rich. 3. The hope that they might be famous for discovering something new. 4. Pride in their countries and their desire to become more powerful by gaining territory. 5. The need they felt to convert everyone to the Christian faith. 6. Love of foreign goods they could import for use at home. 7. The importance of finding a fast, safe trade route to Asia.

Soon Europeans had explored and claimed most of the land in the western hemisphere, much to the sorrow of the Indians already living there and the Africans they captured and brought over as slaves.

At first, the Spanish used the Indians they conquered as slaves. When mistreatment and European diseases for which they had no immunity killed many of them, Europeans began importing kidnapped Africans to work in the mines and on farms.

Even though it was incredibly dangerous to leave Europe to colonize the “new world”, many people took the risk. Do you remember what was going on in Europe that made people want to start a new life in the wilderness? • European leaders wanted colonies. The colonies would sell them raw materials cheaply and then buy all their finished products, but they could only trade with the mother country. (mercantilism) • Small farmers pushed off their land in England by the enclosure movement knew there was plenty available in America. • Your social class wasn’t important in the Americas. Small farmers could still be important. • The English needed a place to put extra people and prisoners. • People were searching for political and religious freedom. (Stuart Kings-”Divine Right” to rule and the religious wars and persecution that happened during the Reformation)

The European country that ended up controlling most of what is today the United States was England (later called Great Britain).

The first English attempt at a colony in America was a flop. Twice Sir Walter Raleigh, an English nobleman, tried to found a colony on an island off the coast of North Carolina called Roanoke. The first time the colonists gave up and went home. The second time, around 1587, the colonists disappeared! To this day, no one knows what happened to them.

The first successful English colony in the Americas was founded in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia. A group of investors called the London Company sent 144 settlers (all men) to Virginia. Can you remember any important facts about Jamestown? • The colonists almost all starved to death many times. Early in its history, John Smith saved the colony when he made a rule that people who wouldn’t work, wouldn’t eat. The colonists were so busy hunting for gold, they wouldn’t farm. • Pocahontas, the daughter of a local Indian chief, helped the colonists survive. • John Rolfe taught the colonists to grow tobacco, a crop that sold very well in England. • In order to attract more settlers, the London Company gave colonists in Jamestown two important freedoms: they could elect people to make laws for them (Virginia House of Burgesses) and they could own private property by bringing settlers to the colony (headright system).

In 1620, a group of Pilgrim (separatists) who wanted to break away from the Anglican church and few other adventurers set sail for Virginia. They got blown off course and landed in what is today Massachusetts. Their colony was called Plymouth. What can you remember about them? • Before they got off the ship, they signed an agreement saying they would all make and obey laws for the common good. The Mayflower Compact was the first example of selfgovernment in America. • They learned to grow beans and squash and hunt from the Indians. (Samoset and Squanto) • When their first harvest turned out well, they held a day of feasting and prayer to thank God for their good fortune. They invited the local Indians too. This was the first Thanksgiving. • The pilgrims elected representatives to make laws for them just like in Virginia. Each church also elected its own pastor and other officers. These are other early examples of selfgovernment in America.

The three colonial regions that developed in America each had a different climate and geography. In addition, people settled these regions for different reasons. As a result, each region developed its own opportunities and ways of life.

The Northern Colonies (New England Region) This region had rocky soil, plentiful forests, and easy access to the sea. Consequently, New England colonists built an economy that was based on small farms, lumbering, fishing, shipbuilding and trade. Most New England colonists were Puritans, people who wanted to the English or Anglican church simpler or more pure. Religions was very important in their daily lives.

The Middle Colonies (Mid-Atlantic Region) This region had a rich coastal plain, valleys and wooded mountains. The rich land allowed farmers to raise a wide variety of crops and cattle. Farmers sold pork, beef, wheat and rye to people in other colonies. It was such an excellent farming region that it received the nickname “the bread basket” or “bread” colonies. Lumbering and shipbuilding added to the variety of opportunities in this region. The strong economy of the Middle Colonies attracted people from many European countries. Settlements of French, Dutch, Germans, Swedes, Danes, Finns, Scots, Irish and English spread throughout this region. These people also came from different religious groups. As a result, the Middle Colonies had a diverse population. One important group, the Quakers, started the colony of Pennsylvania. Like the early settlers of New England, the Quakers were looking for religious freedom. Others seeking religious freedom soon followed.

The Southern Colonies This region’s climate and geography favored “cash crops. ” These are grown in large quantities for sale to other people. In the Southern Colonies, crops like tobacco, rice and indigo which require many months of sunlight to mature were grown on large farms called plantations. Plantations required many workers and long hours of labor. In order to make a profit, wealthy plantation owners who lived on Virginia’s rich coastal plan (the “Tidewater”) bought slaves (mainly kidnapped Africans) to work their farms. They would not have stayed in business if they had to pay their workers. Not all southern farmers owned plantations though. There were many small farmers who lived in the backcountry who worked their own land.

Self-Government One tradition that developed all across the 13 colonies was that of self-government. The colonists used events and documents from England as models for their own town and colonial governments. Here are the roots of the Tree of Liberty growing in America. Examples of Self. Government in the Colonies: • Virginia House of Burgesses • Mayflower Compact • Fundamental Orders of Connecticut • Town Meetings • Other Colonial Assemblies

Economic Development--England’s economic plan for its colonies and what really developed there were two DIFFERENT things. England’s Plan: Found colonies to make the country rich. The colonists would find or grow valuable natural resources which they would sell back to England at low cost. The English would make finished products with those raw materials and sell them back to the colonies. All the money from those sales would flow back to England. The colonists would be forbidden to make anything themselves that they could buy from England. In addition, they could sell their raw materials ONLY to England. • What type of economic system is this called? Mercantilism • What set of laws were passed to set up this system of regulated commerce? The Navigation Acts What really happened: Salutary Neglect. England was far away from the colonies, so it didn’t really try to enforce the Navigation Acts. Colonists traded their raw materials with whomever would pay them the best prices. In fact, many New England merchants got wealthy from (Triangular) trade. Colonists started their own businesses. They got used to something that Americans today believe strongly in…Free Trade.

Throughout the early 1700 s, tension developed between Britain and France in North America. Look at the map below and see if you can remember what area both colonial powers wanted to control. If you said the Ohio River valley, you’re correct.

The French had set up forts and trade posts throughout the region. They were interested mainly in the Fur trade , not in settling colonists there to live and farm. British subjects in the 13 colonies had heard how good the land was there. They wanted to move across the Appalachian Mountains to settle this area. Indians Although the French had better relations with the than the British did, nobody really asked them what they thought about Europeans claiming and settling their hunting grounds.

Eventually this conflict broke out into open war. The name of the conflict was the French and Indian War. The colonists joined the British army and a few Indian allies who fought against the French and their Indian allies. Eventually the won British France and was forced to cede all of New France to the British. What land did Britain gain at the end of the French and Indian War?

They drew the Proclamation of 1763 line down the Appalachian Mountains and told the British colonists they were forbidden to settle to the west of that line. Although Britain (with the help of the colonists) won the war, things were not all rosy. Britain had a serious problem, it’s national debt. Trouble was brewing in the Ohio River Valley. As British settlers began moving in to establish farms and other settlements, the Indians living there were unhappy. Conflict developed and the British had to send troops to help defend the colonists. But you have to pay for supplies and soldiers and Britain was broke. Do you remember how Britain decided to handle the problem?

The colonists were none too happy about this. They were about to get even more unhappy though. The British needed a way to raise money to pay off its war debt, so it decided to tax the colonies. After all, the war Britain had fought was to protect them right? See if you can remember how the colonists reacted to these new taxes. 1. Stamp Act-1765: required revenue stamps for all publications and official documents. 2. Quartering Act-1765: forced the colonists to quarter (house and feed) British troops in America. Colonial Reaction: They formed the Sons of Liberty, a group of Patriots who would lead protests against what they considered unfair taxation. Some colonial legislatures , like the Virginia House of Burgesses, denied the right of Parliament to tax the colonies. The colonists slogan, “No taxation without representation!” In 1766, the British repealed the Stamp Act, but passed the Declaratory Act saying they had the right to make laws for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever. ”

Things went downhill from there. Can you remember some of the other events that lead up to the American Revolution? q Parliament passes the Townshend Acts in 1767 taxing lead, paper, paints and other goods. It also guarantees strict enforcement of the law by allowing the use of Writs of Assistance so customs officers could search any boat or business to stop smuggling. q More British troops are sent to America in 1768. Soon there is a violent clash between the redcoats and some colonial protesters in Boston-the Boston Massacre. 5 colonists die. q In order to keep track of what’s happening all around them, in 1772 colonists organize the committees of correspondence. That way they can spread the news of any British aggression. q Britain passes the Tea Act in 1173 to try to bail out the British East Indian Company. This act requires colonists to buy only British tea. Their reaction—the Boston Tea Party! q To punish Boston for this bit of “civil disobedience”, Parliament passes the Coercive or Intolerable Acts in 1774.

Delegates from every colony except Georgia met in Philadelphia in the fall of 1774 to discuss how to defend Boston. The group of delegates is called the First Continental Congress. Do you remember what they agreed to do? q Pledged to boycott British goods q Declared the Coercive Acts unconstitutional q Wrote up a list of grievances claiming that they were being denied their rights as Englishmen. (Remember where those came from…Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights) But…the King refused to budge.

Soon some colonists began calling for independence from Britain. Not everyone, not even very many people at first, but support for breaking away from the mother country began to grow. Who said these stirring words? “Gentlemen, we may cry peace, peace—But there is no peace…. Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? . . . I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death! Patrick Henry, speech before the Virginia House of Burgesses

Fighting breaks out first in Massachusetts at the Battles of…. . Lexington and Concord And then again at… Bunker (Breed’s) Hill near Boston.

The Second Continental Congress meets in 1775 in Philadelphia. They do a couple of things: q Nominate George Washington as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army q Draft the “Olive Branch Petition” to appeal to the King to make peace between the colonies and Parliament. He rejects it. What do you think is coming next?

By the time the Olive Branch Petition reached England, King George III had declared the colonies to be in open rebellion. He called the leaders of the colonial protest traitors. There were still many colonists who were horrified at the idea of breaking away from England. Things changed in early 1776 with the publication of a fiery pamphlet called Common Sense. Who wrote this pamphlet? Can you remember what some of his arguments were? q He argued that Americans shouldn’t feel guilty about declaring independence, that they owed no loyalty to a king or a country that would treat them so poorly. q He said that instead of benefitting America, the ties between the colonies and Britain had hurt American trade. He also pointed out how the colonists had been dragged into European wars. q The influence of this pamphlet was incredible. Thousands of colonists began to see independence as a sensible solution to their problems with England. Thomas Paine-Author of Common Sense

In the summer of 1776, the Second Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft a declaration of independence. The committee members delegated the task to their best writer: Thomas Jefferson. Can you remember some of the Enlightenment influences that shaped the document written by Jefferson? How is the document structured? How was the issue of slavery addressed in the document? Benjamin Franklin and John Adams (seated) look over a draft of the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson (standing). q The enlightenment concept of “natural rights” was expressed in the DOI as was the idea that governments exist to protect people’s rights and that if it stops doing that, people have the right to overthrow it. q The document starts with a preamble or an introduction, is followed by a statement of natural rights, a list of grievances against the king and then the last part is the actual statement of independence. q Any mention of slavery was left out of the final draft of the DOI. The Continental Congress felt it might offend southern slave owners who dreaded any criticism of slavery and northern merchants who profited from the slave trade.

At the beginning of the Revolutionary War it didn’t seem possible for the colonists to beat the British army. However both sides had special advantages. Both sides also had difficulties to over come. Can you remember some of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides? q q Short enlistments Untrained volunteers Severe shortages of everything Little money to pay for anything q Patriotism of the people willing to sacrifice for freedom q Hugely motivated-fighting for their homes q Help from foreign allies (French and Spanish) q Excellent leadership; i. e. George Washington q Strongest, best-trained army in the world q More soldiers q Plenty of money to pay soldiers and buy supplies q Distance between Britain and America q People of England not as motivated as the colonists q Poor leadership: unaggressive officers, poor war planners

The war had begun in 1775 in Massachusetts at the battles of Lexington and Concord and then later at Bunker Hill. The fighting would last until 1781. What are some of the most important events of this period? q Throughout most of 1776, the Americans lost badly. The British army chased the Americans out of New York, through New Jersey and finally across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. q To pep up his troops, Washington read his men Thomas Paine’s new pamphlet The Crisis. Then on December 25 th, he led his men across the Delaware River on a sneak attack. He and his men caught the Hessians (German mercenaries fighting for Britain) completely by surprise in their camp at Trenton. This victory gave them confidence. q In October of 1777, the Americans beat the British at the battle of Saratoga. This was a turning point in the war. It proved to the world that the American army could stand up to and beat British troops. After this victory, France and Spain began assisting the Continental Army. q Despite their victory at Saratoga, the Americans spent a miserable winter in camp at Valley Forge Pennsylvania. Cold, hungry and miserable, they made the best of their time there training. This dedication would pay off later. q The war moved south. It lasted several more years. q Finally in the fall of 1781, Washington, with help from the French navy, managed to trap the British on the Yorktown, Peninsula. The British finally had to surrender. America had the war.

Americans of all kinds took part in the war. Can you give some ways that women and African Americans participated? q Women kept farms and businesses going while their men were off to war. Some nursed the sick, made clothes and blankets for soldiers or even marched with the troops to cook and care for the men. q Many African Americans chose to fight for freedom from Britain despite the fact that the British offered many slaves who fought for them their freedom. What role did these people play in the war? Abigail Adams, Wentworth Cheswell, Mercy Otis Warren, James Armistead, Bernardo de Galvez, Haym Salomon, John Paul Jones, and the Marquis de Lafayette? q Abigail Adams-early advocate for women’s rights, asked her husband to include women and their rights in the Declaration of Independence; ran her family’s business during the war q Wentworth Cheswell-messenger during the war; carried a warning of the advance of the British, just like Paul Revere q Mercy Otis Warren-wrote plays and pamphlets which encouraged support of the Patriot cause; wrote the very first history of the American Revolution q James Armistead-African American Patriot spy; during the war he posed as a slave in order to gather information q Bernardo de Galvez-governor of Spanish Louisiana, supplied Americans with medicine, cloth, muskets and gunpowder; kept the British from using the Mississippi River q Haym Salomon-helped the Americans finance the war q John Paul Jones-won a major naval battle against the British; when he was called on to surrender his ship, he was supposed to have said, “I have not yet begun to fight!” q Marquis de Lafayette-served in the Continental Army as a general; led troops in battle

The Treaty of Paris, 1783 was the agreement, signed by the Americans and the British that ended the war. Can you name some of the things both sides agreed to? q The British recognized the United States as an independent country. q The British gave up all their North American territory from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River east to west and from the Great Lakes all the way to the Florida border north to south. q Florida was returned to Spain. q The Americans agreed to compensate the loyalists for property seizures and damages during the war (which really never happened. ) How did the Americans win the war? q Financial and military help from other countries like France and Spain q The dedication and patriotism of the American soldiers who learned to fight during the war q Washington’s ability as a general; excellent leadership qualities q Fighting on their home territory which they knew well; close to their supply bases

During the Revolution, the Second Continental Congress put together a form of government for the new country. It was called the Articles of Confederation. What was that government like? • One branch-Congress • States had much more power than the national Congress. What was the major accomplishments of the US government under the AOC? • It passed the Northwest Ordinance which set up a government for any new territories AND a way for those territories to join the union when their populations grew large enough. What were some of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? • The AOC Congress couldn’t tax the states and it didn’t have the right to make regulations for trade or commerce. What event helped many Americans recognize that the national government was too weak under the AOC? • A conflict between creditors and debtors called Shays’ Rebellion. Massachusetts farmers who couldn’t pay their mortgages occupied the courts to stop their lenders from foreclosing on their loans. The situation was potentially very serious and the US government didn’t have a military to put down the insurrection. (No power to tax and therefore pay the military. )

Leaders called for a convention to amend the Articles of Confederation. 1. Where did this meeting take place? • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the State House 2. When did they meet? • Between May and September of 1787 3. Who was there? • All the states except Rhode Islands sent delegates. 4. What did they decide to do? • They decided to scrap the AOC and start over. They wrote a new plan of government called the Constitution. • They voted to keep their deliberations secret so that no one from the outside could put pressure on them while they worked. 5. Who were some important people who worked on the document? • George Washington was chosen to be the President of the convention. He ran the meeting. • James Madison did enormous amounts of research and came to the convention with many new ideas. We know what happened there because he took detailed notes of the debates and votes. Because of his incredible influence he is called the Father of the Constitution. • Benjamin Franklin who was the oldest delegate there knew how to tell jokes and calm the tempers of men who were passionate about the new government.

The US Constitution was a revolutionary document. No other country had a government like ours. The men who wrote it drew from many different sources. Do you remember some of the important thinkers and events that influenced the founding fathers? Some Answers: • Ancient Greece and Rome-Athens, a Greek city state, was the first to try letting citizens rather than a king or emperor run the government. There every citizen was allowed to debate and vote on all decisions. Rome adapted the Greek system and created the first republic. The founding fathers greatly admired Rome’s republic. • Britain’s traditions of Freedom-British ideas of self-government made that country unique in Europe where every one else was ruled by absolute monarchs. These ideas were carried by Englishmen to the colonies. Magna Carta limited the power of the king. The king also agreed not to tax landholders without consulting a group of nobles. This council eventually became Parliament. The English Bill of Rights laid out the rights of Englishmen. Parliament was to be allowed to elect its members on a regular basis. The EBOR also guaranteed a trial by jury and allowed citizens to bear arms. Finally it upheld habeas corpus saying that no citizen could be held in prison without being charged with a specific charge.

Some more answers…. • The Teaching of the Enlightenment: 1. John Locke and the ideas of natural rights and social contract-Government was an agreement between the leaders and the people. People had rights that the government shouldn’t take away. It was the purpose of a government to protect those rights. If a ruler violated those rights, the people had the right to rebel. 2. Montesquieu and the ideas of separation of powers and rule of law-He stressed that laying out the law in a clear, concise way was important. People should be ruled by laws, not based on the whims of one person or group. He suggested dividing up the power of government into three branches: the legislative, the executive and the judicial. That way no one person or one group would have total power.

During the writing of the Constitution there were a lot of debates over how best to organize the new government. It was difficult to design a government that would be strong enough to hold the country together, but would not be tyrannical like the government was under England. Tyranny-Too Strong States Supreme-National Government too Weak Just Right

In order to create a government that would be acceptable to the majority of the states, the delegates had to compromise. 1. Which compromise settled the debate over how large states and small states would be represented in Congress? What was decided? • The Great Compromise: Every state regardless of size would be allowed two senators. Small states would have equal influence in the Senate as the large states. The number of representatives that each state sent to Congress would be decided based on its population. The larger states would have more representation here. 2. Which compromise settled the debate over how slaves would be counted in the population when representation to the House of Representatives was decided? • The 3/5 s Compromise: Southerners were allowed to count each slave as 3/5 s of a person for the purposes of determining the size of the population. The Constitution said that the importation of slaves would be outlawed in 1807.

According to the Preamble (introduction) to the Constitution, what were the goals of the framers in designing the new government the way they did? • • • Unify all thirteen individual states and make one country Set up a legal system that is fair to everyone Make sure life is peaceful and that society functions in an orderly fashion Protect the United States from attack by other countries To give the government a way to look after the well-being of its citizens To make sure that every generation of Americans lives in a land of freedom

What did the new government look like? How did the framers make sure that no one person or group of people would seize power and threaten the liberty of the people and the states? Which Enlightenment thinker recommended this form of government? Answer: Separation of Powers, Montesquieu

How else did the founding fathers assure that this new, strong central government wouldn’t be able to threaten the liberties of the people of the states? Answer: Checks and Balances

We remember that the state governments had a lot of power under the Articles of Confederation. They weren’t left completely helpless under the new Constitution either. What type of government did the framers create to allow the states to share power with the national government? How does it work? Answer: Federalism

What other American principles are expressed in the Constitution besides separation of power, checks and balances and federalism? What do they say about our government? Answers: • Limited government-The government is not all powerful; parts of the Constitution restrict the government’s power; also the people who are elected to serve in the government must follow the same rules that all citizens follow. • Republicanism-Americans get to participate in running the country by electing their leaders. • Popular sovereignty-Ultimate power belongs to the people of this country. They may loan their power out to elected officials, but the people are the ultimate authority. • Individual rights-People have natural rights that the government is not allowed to take away. In fact, it is the job of the government to protect those natural rights.

The founding fathers knew that our Constitution would have to be changed, or amended, from time to time. They built that right into the document itself. Do you remember the two ways the Constitution can be changed?

Not everyone thought the Constitution was the way to go. The supporters of the Constitution were called Federalists. Those who opposed the Constitution were called Anti-federalists. Who were these men? What were their beliefs? Anti-Federalists were men like Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry. They feared the Constitution made the national government too strong and left the state governments too weak. They also felt that it gave the President too much power. Finally, they were upset that there was no Bill of Rights attached. Federalists were men like James Madison, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington. Madison, Hamilton and Jay wrote a series of essays called the Federalist Papers to explain and defend the Constitution. In these essays, they argued that giving the states too much power had almost led to disaster under the AOC. They pointed out that the Constitution very carefully protected the rights of the people and the states. Compromise: Federalists did agree that if the Constitution was ratified (approved by the states, the first order of business would be to add a Bill of Rights. It took nine months, but by June of 1788 the Constitution was the supreme law of the land.

Citizens of the United States are protected by the Constitution. In exchange, each citizen has responsibilities to help our system function. What are some of the responsibilities of citizens? • • Obeying the law Staying informed on current issues to be able to vote intelligently Voting Serving on juries Some citizens weren’t born in the U. S. They became citizens through a process called naturalization. How does that work? • You have to meet certain qualifications: be a legal permanent resident of the US for at least 5 years or be married to a legal permanent resident for at least 3 years, be 18 years old, know about US history and the Constitution, be a person of good character, not be in the process of being deported and be able to read, write and speak English. • Then you go through the following process: submit a correct application, take a test over US history and the Constitution, go through an interview and then take an oath in a special ceremony.

Important Amendments to the Constitution What do you Remember? Amendment Guarantee First Amendment Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly and Petition Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms Third Amendment No Quartering of Soldiers Fourth Amendment Freedom from Unreasonable Search and Seizure Fifth Amendment Rights of the Accused: No Self-Incrimination, No Double Jeopardy, Protection of Due Process Sixth Amendment Right to a Speedy Trial Seventh Amendment Right to a Trial by Jury in a Civil Case Eighth Amendment Protection from Cruel and Unusual Punishment and Excessive Fines and Bail Ninth Amendment Citizens Have More Rights than Just Those Listed in the Constitution Tenth Amendment Any Powers Not Specifically Given to the Federal Government Belong to the States Thirteenth Amendment Abolished Slavery Fourteenth Amendment Regardless of Race, Anyone Born in the US is a Citizen and Has Equal Protection Under the Law Fifteenth Amendment Gave All Men the Right to Vote Nineteenth Amendment Gave Women the Right to Vote Twenty-Sixth Amendment Lowered the Legal Voting Age to Eighteen

The first US government under the Constitution was created. What do you remember? Question: Possible Answer: 1. What important decisions about the government had to be decided when Washington took office? What the President would be called, what the executive department would look like, what the judicial branch would look like 2. Who did Washington choose to serve on his cabinet? Secretary of the Treasury-Alexander Hamilton; Secretary of State-Thomas Jefferson; Secretary of War-Henry Knox; 3. Name one domestic issue that Washington dealt with during his time as President. The Whiskey Rebellion-Western farmers refused to pay an excise tax on whiskey. 4. Name three foreign issues that Washington confronted as President. How to make Britain leave the Ohio River valley, how to respond to the French Revolution and how to remain neutral during the war between France and England 5. What advice did Washington give the nation during his Farewell Address? He warned them not to get involved in foreign conflicts and to avoid political parties. 6. What is one presidential precedent set by Washington? To serve no more than two terms of office Bonus Question: True or False-George Washington lived in the White House. Answer: False. John Adams was the first president to live in the White House. It hadn’t been built when Washington was president.

What was Hamilton’s plan to get the United States into sound financial shape after the Revolution? • Instead of having the US economy dependent on _________, Hamilton wanted to increase the nation’s wealth by using the power of the federal government to promote ___________, manufacturing and trade. • He asked Congress to pay off the debts of the states in order to preserve the good reputation of the new country. Many people in the _________ were not in favor of this idea because those states had already paid their debts. • Hamilton convinced that region of the US to support his plan by promising to locate the nation’s new __________ in their part of the country. • Next he asked Congress to create a national __________ in which the government could deposit the tax money it collected. He also wanted this institution to make __________ to help entrepreneurs build new factories and ships. Answers: agriculture, business, south, capital, bank, loans

A. Hamilton Although Washington warned against them, political parties developed in the United States around the leadership of these two men. What do you remember about this? The Federalists were led by Hamilton. They supported… • Leadership by the wealthy and educated • Loose interpretation of the Constitution; A strong central government • An economy based on manufacturing and industry • Urban over rural lifestyles • Capitalism in which the government aided businesses • Distrust of the French Revolution T. Jefferson The Democratic Republicans were led by Jefferson. They favored… • Leadership by any man of talent or virtue • Strict interpretation of the Constitution; strong state governments • An economy based on farming • Laissez-faire capitalism where the government neither aids nor regulates businesses • The French Revolution

The Next Four Presidencies What issues faced each of these men during their administrations? John Adams • • • Alien and Sedition Acts The capital moving to D. C. Passage of the 12 th amendment The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions The XYZ Affair Thomas Jefferson • • • Impressment of American sailors Barbary pirates Embargo Act Marbury v. Madison Louisiana Purchase James Madison James Monroe • War between France and Britain • War of 1812 • Revolutions in Latin America • Establishing the Monroe Doctrine

Tell me about the Alien and Sedition Acts and the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions Alien and Sedition Acts-Series of laws passed by a federalist-controlled Congress during John Adams’ administration. The laws were created to make life difficult for the Democratic Republicans who were the political enemies of the federalists. They… • Lengthened the time it took an immigrant to become a citizen from 5 to 14 years since many immigrants tended to favor the Democratic Republican political party. • Allowed the President to jail or deport aliens who were suspected of stirring up trouble. • Made telling lies about the government illegal. The law was actually used to arrest Democratic Republican newspaper editors who criticized President Adams. Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions-Statements drawn up by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison which opposed the Alien and Sedition Acts. They were given to state legislatures for approval. These resolutions said… • The states created the Constitution so they had the right to decide if the national (federal) government is using its powers properly. • A state should be allowed to nullify (refuse to follow or declare improper) laws passed by the national (federal) government if the state thinks these laws are wrong. (doctrine of “States’ Rights”) Question: What type of conflict do the A & S Acts and the V & K Resolutions illustrate? Answer: The struggle over which type of government should be more powerful-the national or the state governments. The Federalist Party

What’s so important about the following years… • • • 1492 1607 1776 1787 1803 also Columbus accidentally found the Americas which led to permanent contact between the Eastern and Western hemispheres and the founding of European colonies in North America Year that the first successful ENGLISH colony was founded in North America (Jamestown) Year that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence to explain why the 13 colonies separated from Great Britain to form their own country Year that the Constitution (the blueprint of the American government) was written in Philadelphia by the framers (founding fathers) Year that the US purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, greatly increasing its size; the year that the Supreme Court ruled that it had the right to review laws passed by Congress and declare them unconstitutional if they conflicted with that document ( Marbury v. Madison and judicial review).

The War of 1812 Causes: • Britain continued to impress American sailors to help in its war with France • British had not left the Ohio River Valley which the United States had won during the French and Indian War • Westerners and Southerners (War Hawks) were also angry with Britain for arming the Indians and supplying them from their settlements in Canada. The people from these regions wanted to make the land west of the Appalachians safer for American settlers • Some Americans wouldn’t have minded taking Canada away from the British Both Sides: • Britain’s best troops were off fighting in Europe in its war with France, so the highly experienced, crack troops never made it over to North America until the very end of the conflict. • America was not ready for the war. Jefferson had shrunk spending on defense and the US didn’t have a strong navy or army.

The War of 1812 Continued Events: • British navy blockaded American ports to cut off its trade, so there was fighting at sea. • The War Hawks wanted to take Canada from Britain, so the US invaded Canada, but was defeated. • Americans fought to gain control of Lake Erie; won this battle due to the leadership of Captain Oliver Hazard Perry. • In August 1814, the British invaded and burned Washington, D. C. • During the Battle of Fort Mc. Henry, Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the Star Spangled Banner as he waited to see who won. • Andrew Jackson successfully defended New Orleans from a British invasion; gained fame across the nation Outcome: • Treaty of Ghent ended the war. • The two countries agreed to restore prewar conditions. • The treaty said nothing about impressment or neutrality. • Americans felt pride in their nation though and felt they had earned more respect from European countries. “Second War of American Independence”

What was the Monroe Doctrine and why was it important? What was it? • • Policy described by President Monroe during a speech to Congress in 1823 which said that the United States would not allow any European country to colonize any part of North and South America. The President let Europeans know that if they did try to reconquer or colonize any countries in the Western Hemisphere, the US would act to stop it. Why was it issued? • • • Many of Spain’s colonies declared their independence during the 1820 s. Some European countries began talking about helping Spain reconquer those colonies. The US and Britain were thrilled that those nations would be independent because Spain had never allowed trade between the US and its colonies. Why was it significant? • • The US asserted its power against European nations. The “hands-off the western hemisphere policy” that made up the Monroe Doctrine became a basic principle of American foreign policy. The US announced it was no longer a weak collection of quarreling states, but a strong and confident nation. The irony? If anyone had challenged the Monroe Doctrine at the time, the US probably wouldn’t have had a strong enough military to back up its statement.

Jacksonian Democracy-More Americans can Participate in our Democracy • As the United States matured as a country, the number of citizens who could participate in our government expanded. • Andrew Jackson was a beneficiary of this trend. • Only property owners could vote in the past, but as our country’s borders moved west, many men were eager to participate in our government. • During the 1820 s, western states began to drop property requirements for voting. The only qualifications were that a man be older than 21 and white. • By the 1830 s, most eastern states had dropped property requirements for voting, making shopkeepers and artisans eligible for suffrage. • Despite this change, women, Native Americans and the vast majority of free African Americans lacked the right to vote. Slaves had no rights whatsoever. Andrew Jackson Question: How did the process used by political parties to select their candidates change? In what way was this change more democratic? Answer: Instead of holding caucuses where a small group of party leaders chose the candidates, the parties held nominating conventions where delegates from all the states could vote to choose the candidate.

Quick Quiz: Who were the first seven presidents of the United States? 1. George Washington 2. John Adams 3. Thomas Jefferson 4. James Madison 5. James Monroe 6. John Quincy Adams 7. Andrew Jackson

What made Andrew Jackson unique? q He was the first _______president. q He was a _______ man. He didn’t inherit money and he came from a poor background. q He began the ____________. He fired many federal employees who had been in their jobs for years and gave their positions to campaign supporters. He believed this was a healthy change so that more people would have a chance to participate in their government. q Instead of relying on his official cabinet for advice, he relied on a group of unofficial advisors, Democratic leaders and newspapermen. Because they met in the White House kitchen, they got the nickname ______ cabinet. Answers: western, self-made, spoils system, kitchen

Issues During the Era of Jackson: Show What you Know! q. Corrupt Bargain and the election of 1824 q. Tariff of abominations and the nullification crisis q. Controversy over renewing the charter of the Bank of the United States q. Jackson’s Indian policy and Worcester v. Georgia

North v. South: Sectionalism N or B: You are going to see a list of descriptions and opinions. From what you studied in the last unit, you need to decide if the description or opinion fits better with the North (N) or the South (S). At the end, you will see the answer key. Issue or Opinion KEY Favored protective tariffs passed by the Congress because it made American products less expensive than European products. N Some fertile land, but large areas with poor rocky soil. Many trees and natural harbors. N Felt it was not the place of the national government to pay for internal improvements in the states. Didn’t feel it needed these improvements anyway. S Rural, agrarian society S Believed that the creation of a national market, with western farms connected to the east was a positive thing. N Few rail lines, depended more on river travel S Destination of many European immigrants who found work in factories N Society made up of plantation owners, small farmers, tenant farmers, a few free blacks and many slaves S

During the late 1700's and early 1800's, great changes took place in the lives and work of people in several parts of Europe and the United States. These changes resulted from the development of industrialization. The term _____refers both to the changes that occurred and to the period itself. The Industrial Revolution began in _____during the late 1700's. It started spreading to other parts of Europe and to North America in the early 1800's. The introduction of power-driven machinery and the development of factory organization during the Industrial Revolution created an enormous increase in the production of_____. The Industrial Revolution eventually took manufacturing out of the home and workshop. Power-driven _____ replaced handwork, and _____ developed as the most economical way of bringing together the machines and the workers to operate them. As the Industrial Revolution grew, private _____and financial institutions provided money (capital) for the further expansion of industrialization. For the first time in history, wealthy business leaders called ______took over the control and organization of manufacturing. The industrial revolution greatly increased the production of goods which in turn _____people's standard of living, especially after 1850. There were also negative effects. There was overcrowded and unsanitary housing and poor working _____ created by rapid industrialization in the cities. Most historians agree that the Industrial Revolution was a great turning point in the history of the world. It changed the Western world from a basically ____ and agricultural society to a basically _____ and industrial society. Industrial Revolution, Britain, goods, machines, factories, investors, capitalists, raised, conditions, rural, urban

Name some inventors and inventions. Improvements in manufacturing: • Samuel Slater brought the plans for British textile mills to US; set up successful textile mill • During War of 1812, Francis Cabot Lowell improved on British mill system by combining the whole textile creation process in one factory; Lowell Girls • Eli Whitney created machine made interchangeable parts which speeded up production and lowered costs • Elias Howe created the sewing machine and Isaac Singer improved upon his design Improvements in farm equipment: • Eli Whitney created the cotton gin which decreased the time it took to separate cotton fibers from the seed; he meant to makes slaves easier, but he made cotton production profitable and increased the need for slaves to pick and process the cotton • John Deere produced a light-weight steel plow • Cyrus Mc. Cormick sped up wheat harvests with his mechanical reaper Improvements in communication: • Samuel Morse invented the telegraph which allowed people to send messages quickly over long distances Improvements in transportation: • Building better roads (Wilderness Road) • Canals • Railroads • Clipper ships • Steam ships (Robert Fulton and the Clermont)

Attitudes Toward Immigration Questions: • Between 1845 -1860, 4 million immigrants came to the Northern US. What two European countries did most of them come from? • What are some reasons those immigrants moved to the US? • Why did many of them settle in cities rather than buying farmland? • How did Americans feel about these immigrants? What is a nativist? • What political party grew up around the issue of immigration? Answers: • Germany and Ireland • Many Irish immigrants were fleeing the Irish Potato famine and they came to the US so they wouldn’t starve to death. Many Germans came to the US looking for political freedom. There had been a failed democratic revolution back home. • Most of the Irish settled in the cities because they were too poor to move further inland buy farmland. They got jobs in factories. Many German immigrants had savings and they bought farm land in regions that had similar climates to where they came from. • Some Americans welcomed the immigrants, especially the Germans who were considered intelligent and hardworking. Many people disliked the Irish. They were Catholic while most Americans were Protestant, so there was religious persecution. They were also disliked because they were poor and Americans were afraid they would take jobs from them. A nativist was someone who was antiimmigrant. • The Know-Nothing Party developed to oppose immigration. They were also anti-Catholic.

Manifest Destiny: the notion held by some Americans in the 19 th century that the US was destined to spread from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the shores of the Pacific; this idea was used to justify the War with Mexico and the addition of several territories • Which portion of the US was acquired when Andrew Jackson invaded this Spanish colony to stop Seminole Indian raids on Georgia, but ended Florida up taking it over? Spain was told to either “govern or get out. ” • The annexation of this territory led to a war with Mexico. Texas • The US purchased this territory from France in order to guarantee free access to the Mississippi River. Louisiana Territory • This US agreed to split this territory in half with Britain. The US Senate signed the treaty to add this territory to the US in 1846 and this new piece of land was added without fighting or bloodshed. Oregon Country • This huge territory was added to the US after the Mexican War. The US paid Mexico $15 million for this land. Mexican Cession • The US paid Mexico $10 million for this strip of land to serve as a railroad Gadsden Purchase route.

US-Mexican War B ___1. US Annexation of Texas, dispute over the border between Texas and Mexico, idea of Manifest Destiny C ___2. Size of the US increased, fights that broke out over whether the new territories would be open to slavery or not increased sectional tensions E ___3. As a protest against what he saw as an unjust war , this man refused to pay taxes which would be used to support the US-Mexican War (civil disobedience) D ___4. Treaty that ended the US-Mexican War A ___5. The name California took after it broke away from Mexican control. A. Bear Flag Republic B. Causes of the US-Mexican War C. Effects of the US-Mexican War D. Guadalupe Hidalgo E. Henry David Thoreau

Settling the West: Who Explored or Settled Where and Why? Sketch the map above on your paper. Use the symbols below to show who explored or settled where. Be ready to explain why they went where they did. Explorers: X-Louis and Clark 0 -Mountain Men Settlers: M-Mormons P-Pioneers F-Forty-Niners C-Chinese t-Missionaries

Important American Writers and Artists Who am I? Before I became the First Lady, I sent a letter to my husband who was helping write the Declaration of Independence. I urged him to “remember the ladies” because I believed that women deserved independence just like men did. I drew and catalogued over 400 species of birds in North America. I published my drawings in a book called Birds of America. I was an escaped slave who lectured and who also published an abolitionist newspaper called The North Star. I was a leader of the transcendentalist movement. I believed that we can know truth by relying on our intuition and the spark of God within all of us, rather than always depending on reason. I also believed that man is essentially good. I influenced other transcendentalists like Henry David Thoreau. I was a white abolitionist who demanded the immediate end to slavery. I published an abolitionist newspaper called The Liberator. I was a poet who wrote the lyrics to “the Battle Hymn of the Republic. ” We were a group of painters who developed a distinctly American style of art. We painted landscapes of the river valley near which we lived and worked. I wrote most of the Declaration of Independence although there was a committee that the Continental Congress assigned to work with me. I was called “the father of the Constitution” because I came to the convention with a plan of government already prepared. Much of the document is based on my work. My notes are the reason that you know what happened during the convention. I was probably the most famous American poet of my generation. I used events from American history in my work. I wrote a famous poem called “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. ” I convinced Americans to support the American Revolution by writing popular pamphlets like “The Crisis” and “Common Sense. ” I was an abolitionist who used my book Uncle Tom’s Cabin to expose the evils of slavery. I was a transcendentalist writer who spent two years living in the woods near Walden Pond. I wrote an important essay called “Civil Disobedience. ” I refused to pay my taxes during the US-Mexican War as a protest against what I saw as an unjust war. I was also an abolitionist. Key: Abigail Adams, John James Audubon, Frederick Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Lloyd Garrison, Julia Ward Howe, Hudson River School, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Thomas Paine, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Henry David Thoreau

Reforming American Society What inspired Americans to remake their society during the 19 th century? • A desire to extend democracy to all members of society • ? ? The Second Great Awakening 1. I advocated for public schools for all American children. I realized that the schools we had were not enough and that many teachers were poorly trained. Horace Mann 2. I worked for better treatment for the mentally ill and I pushed hard for prison reform. Dorothea Dix 3. We all fought the evils of slavery. People called us abolitionists. Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, the Grimke Sisters 4. We called for equal rights for women. We wanted to be able to own property, control our own money, be safe from abuse from our husbands and other male relatives and be able to vote and run for office. Many of us fought against slavery too. Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Leticia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucy Stowe, Elizabeth Blackwell 5. This movement was supported by women and business owners who saw the negative effects of drinking alcohol. Temperance Movement 6. This movement started so that workers would have shorter hours, better pay and safer working conditions. Labor Union/Labor Reform 7. This document which was modeled after the Declaration of Independence called Declaration of Sentiments for equal treatment for women.

What region does this describe? The North, the South or the West Instructions: In the decades before the Civil War, three distinct regions or “sections” had developed in the US. Decide which one each description below refers to. 1. Center of manufacturing, shipping and small farms. Urbanized. The North 2. Dependent on canals and roads to ship their farm products to market cheaply. The West 3. Agrarian economy based on a few cash crops. Some plantations, The South some small farms. 4. Women and children often worked outside the home in dangerous factories to make ends meet. The North 5. Dependent on immigrant labor. The North 6. Little industry, few railroads and canals. The South 7. The new “bread basket” of the United States. The West

Money, money: There were cultural, social, political and other differences between the three “sections” of the United States, but the one that caused the biggest problem was economic differences. Decide which region is being described below. The West and the North • These two regions opposed the use of slave labor so they didn’t have to compete economically with a region that didn’t pay its workers. The South • This region opposed high tariffs because it imported a lot of goods from Europe. The West and the North • These two regions wanted the government to create internal improvements so they could trade with each other. The North • This region favored a protective tariff.

Study the quotes below. • Decide where they are from and what they have in common. • Decide which group used these quotes to justify its actions. • What action was this group trying to justify? “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ” “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. ” “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. ” Answer Key: • DOI, 10 th Amendment; they are all about power and can be used to support states’ rights • Southern States • Secession

Instructions: Below you will find descriptions of events, court cases, ideas or compromises that all increased the tension among the different regions of the US before the Civil War. See if you can name the event, court case, idea or compromise based on its description. 1. This doctrine, proposed by Senator Stephen Douglas, allowed the people of Kansas and Nebraska to Popular sovereignty decide for themselves whether or not to permit slavery. _________ 2. This 1820 agreement prohibited slavery in most of the Louisiana Territory north of a particular line Missouri Compromise of latitude. _______________ 3. This court case declared that slaves were not citizens of the US; therefore they could not sue in Dred Scott v. Sanford federal court. It also invalidated the Missouri Compromise. _________ 4. This political party formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. They opposed any further extension of slavery into new territory, but agreed to let it continue in the South. Republican Party ________________. 5. This attack on a federal arsenal in Virginia was designed to spark and to arm a slave revolt in the South. It was planned and executed by abolitionist John Brown and his followers. _____________________ Raid on Harper’s Ferry 6. The publication of this novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe increased opposition to slavery in the North; it Uncle Tom’s Cabin made Southerners angry. __________________ 7. This portion of the Compromise of 1850 was added to the agreement to appease Southerners; Fugitive Slave Law Northerners resented it. __________________

Presidential Election of 1. Look at the election results above. How is it possible that Lincoln won the election without winning a single Southern state? The Northern states had a larger population, so more electoral votes. Also, the Democratic Party ran two candidates, splitting the vote which helped Lincoln. 2. Why were the Southern states so upset at these election results? Any economic growth they could make by expanding slavery into the territories and cultivating new fertile soil there would be blocked by Lincoln who was a Republican. Their economic wellbeing was threatened.

Early Civil War Questions: 1. Which state seceded first? What sparked its secession? South Carolina; Lincoln’s election as President 2. How did the states of the Confederacy build up weapons with which to defend themselves from the North? The took over US army bases and arsenals that had been built across the South, like Fort Sumter. 3. What actually sparked the first battle of the Civil War? Lincoln refused to surrender Fort Sumter and he announced that he was sending an expedition there with supplies for the troops. Then Confederates fired on the fort to force it to surrender. 4. Who was the political leader of the Confederacy? The military leader? Jefferson Davis; Robert E. Lee 5. Who was the political leader of the United States? The most important military leader? Abraham Lincoln; Ulysses S. Grant