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Jamestown
Jamestown was the first permanent British settlement in North America. It was sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, a group of investors who hoped to profit. The colony supported English goals of countering the expansion of other European nations. Tobacco was the cash crop of the colony, and its cultivation caused the expansion of Jamestown. The headright system attracted settlers to the region and addressed labor shortage. Settlers who paid their way to Virginia received 50 acres. -
Pilgrims/Puritans
Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by Puritans seeking religious freedom, and it was deemed by governor John Winthrop to be a "City Upon a Hill." There was little religious tolerance, and dissenters like Roger Williams were banished. The work ethic of the Puritans was strong. The Mayflower Compact was the first written framework of government established in the US. The Halfway Covenant was created by those who felt the English colonies were drifting away from their original religious purpose. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Bacon's Rebellion was an armed rebellion in 1676 by Virginia settlers led by Nathaniel Bacon against the rule of Governor William Berkeley. Bacon's Rebellion effectively ended indentured servitude, a labor system where individuals would agree to work for a certain number of years in exchange for transportation to Virginia and, once they arrived, food, clothing, and shelter. The end of this labor system directly led to the rise of slavery in the English colonies. -
Mercantilism and Salutary Neglect
Mercantilism is a political and economic belief that there are limited resources and wealth in the world, and as such, a state should accumulate as many colonies as possible in order to develop a favorable trade balance. Salutary neglect is the British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws meant to keep American colonies obedient to England. The reasons for the policy of Salutary Neglect were it was too difficult, too expensive and politically too risky to enforce the laws. -
Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was the revitalization of religious piety that swept through the American colonies between the 1730s and the 1770s. It reshaped established churches and gained popularity for religion. Preachers like George Whitefield went across New England and gave sermons saying that God can save one from damnation if one repents. It heavily impacted American Protestantism -
French and Indian War Effects
Although the French and Indian War was a British win, it left the British with big debt. To pay off the war, the British lifted their policy of salutary neglect, and they instated taxes and acts such as the Navigation Acts, the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, and the Townshend Acts on the colonies. In order to reduce conflict with Native Americans, parliament passed the Proclamation of 1763, which banned settlement west of the Appalachians. Colonists ignored the proclamation and conflict ensured. -
Declaration of Independence
The main purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to explain to foreign nations why the colonies had chosen to separate themselves from Great Britain. It was a list of grievances that the colonies had against the British king. An example is that the king made it difficult for the colonists to participate in government. The Declaration followed the Olive Branch Petition, which was a failed final-attempt for peace, but at that point, war had already broken out. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress as the 1st constitution of the US. However, the Articles had no authority, and left the central government weak. It couldn't levy taxes or raise an army, two critical functions of a federal government. Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in MA during 1786 and 1787 against perceived economic injustices. It revealed a problem of the Articles because the government couldn't respond, leading to the Constitutional Convention. -
Revolutionary War
The United States won its independence from Great Britain after victory in the Revolutionary War. The Americans were underdogs at first, but overcame British dominance in the end. The French came to the aid of America because they wanted to weaken Britain and to seek revenge for the defeat in the Seven Years' War. They gave the Americans money, weapons, a combat army, a general in Lafayette, and a navy that prevented the second British army from escaping Yorktown in 1781. -
Land Ordinance of 1785; Land Ordinance of 1787
The Northwest Ordinance of 1785 established an orderly system of surveying land based on a grid. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established a plan of governance for the territories. Each district had a governor and judges appointed by Congress until it had 5,000 adult free males, and then it became a territory and forms its own representative legislature. A territory became a state in the union after having attained a population of 60,000. Under the ordinance, slavery was forever outlawed. -
Constitution
The Constitution, drafted by the Constitutional Convention, replaced the Articles of Confederation. It granted powers to the federal government, strengthening the federal system and weakening the rights of states. The Constitution also later included the Bill of Rights, which protected the people from government abuse. The Constitution was supported by the Federalists, and it was opposed by the Anti-federalists. A major amendment is the First Amendment, which protects individual expression. -
Founding Fathers Attitude Toward Political Parties
Some Founding Fathers were concerned about different factions of political beliefs. George Washington said that political party wrangling "agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another." They did not include a two-party system as part of the Constitution, rather just wanted a plurality of support to decide who would take office -
Hamilton Economic Policies
A major aspect of Hamilton's economic plan was for the federal government to assume state debts that had accumulated during the Revolutionary War. It implemented tariffs to protect American manufacturing. He proposed a national bank of the United States to stabilize the economy. Hamilton's plan was opposed by Thomas Jefferson who wanted to support an agricultural economy and protect the authority of states. Hamilton's faction became the Federalists, and Jefferson's was the Democrat-Republicans. -
Bill of Rights
The main purpose of the U.S. Bill of Rights is to define the civil liberties of American citizens. It refers to the first 10 amendments of the U.S. Constitution, and it was introduced in 1789 to guarantee the protection of the basic rights that citizens continue to enjoy. It came later than the Constitution to provide rights for the American people, which the Constitution did not do. -
Washington's Neutrality Proclamation
The Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 was authorized by George Washington and stated that the US would take no part in a war between two or more other powers, specifically France and Great Britain. It threatened legal backlash against any American citizen giving assistance to any country at war. He didn't want to risk engagement with another nation's military. -
British Violations of the Treaty of Paris
In the Great Lakes region, Great Britain violated the Treaty of Paris by not giving up control of all their forts and territory in the United States with "convenient speed." Britain retained control in this region arguing that Americans had failed to live up to their bargain to compensate Loyalists for confiscated property. They also violated the treaty by refusing to return confiscated slaves. The violations ended with the Jay Treaty in 1794 -
Deism
Deism is an enlightenment concept that combines the rejection of revelation and authority as a source of religious knowledge with the conclusion that reason and observation of the natural world are sufficient to determine the existence of a single creator of the universe. Thomas Paine published The Age of Reason, a treatise that helped to popularize deism throughout the United States and Europe. Deism was a way for people to be theistic and rationalistic, and the following of deism grew. -
Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution, and it shaped the economy of the South. With the cotton gin, there was an increased need to pick cotton. As such, slavery exploded to fill the need in cotton fields. Whitney also had the concept of interchangeable parts, which allowed unskilled workers to produce large numbers of weapons quickly and at lower cost, and made repair and replacement of parts easier. -
Washington's Farewell Address
Washington's farewell address urged Americans to avoid excessive political party spirit and geographical distinctions. In foreign affairs, he warned against long-term alliances with other nations. Both of his fears later came true. President Washington decided to retire after serving 2 terms, which set a precedent for other presidents. -
Alien and Sedition Act
The Alien and Sedition Acts were a series of laws passed by the Federalist Congress in 1798. These laws included new powers to deport foreigners, made it harder for immigrants to vote, suppressed rights of speech and press. Supporters said they were for national security, and opponents said they suppressed votes and violated the 1st Amendment. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions said the Acts were unconstitutional, and that states had the right to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional. -
Election of 1800 (Revolution of 1800)
Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams in the election of 1800. This election was significant because it was the first peaceful transfer of power between parties. The election ushered in a generation of Democratic-Republican Party rule and the eventual demise of the Federalist Party. This was also the election where the Democrat-Republican Party was divided, and Hamilton gave his support to Jefferson instead of Aaron Burr, leading to Jefferson being president, and Burr being vice president. -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison was a landmark Supreme Court case, and this case established the right of judicial review by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court could declare state or federal laws constitutional or unconstitutional. This decision came under chief justice John Marshall, who made a series of decisions that expanded the role of the federal government. The court said that Marbury was entitled to his commission, but the court could not mandate it from Madison. -
Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, a piece of land that doubled the size of the US, and it was very cheap. Louisiana stretched from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west and from the Gulf of Mexico in the south to the Canadian border in the north. Although Jefferson didn't want the federal government's authority to grow, he wanted Louisiana to ensure American trade rights on the Mississippi, and it would be more farm land. -
War of 1812
Causes of the War of 1812 included British attempts to restrict U.S. trade, the Royal Navy’s impressment of American seamen, and America’s desire to expand its territory. The United States suffered many costly defeats at the hands of British, including the capture and burning of the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., in August 1814. There was no clear winner of the war. -
Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was a secret meeting in Hartford, Connecticut, of Federalist delegates from New England who were upset with the War of 1812 and the balance of political power that gave the South effective control of the national government. Some wanted secession, and others wanted to amend the Constitution. The convention adopted a strong states’ rights position and expressed its grievances in a series of resolutions. The Hartford Convention led to the demise of the Federalists. -
American System and Whig Policies
The American System was an economic plan developed by Henry Clay. It included a tariff to protect and promote American industry; a national bank to foster commerce; and federal subsidies for roads, canals, and other "internal improvements" to develop profitable markets for agriculture and transportation. The Whigs supported a program of modernization, banking and economic protectionism to stimulate manufacturing, and this party advanced the American System. -
Cult of Domesticity
The cult of domesticity, also known as the cult of true womanhood, is an opinion about women in the 1800s. They believed that women should stay at home and should not do any work outside of the home. It said women should be more religious than men; pure in heart, mind, and body; submissive to husbands; and stay at home. This ideology would discouraged women from education. This ideology was thought to elevate the moral status of women. It made the roles of women more important in society. -
Missouri Compromise (Compromise of 1820)
Missouri wanted to enter the union as a slave state, but if this happened, it would throw off the balance of slave and free states. Henry Clay, the 'Great Compromiser,' came up with the Missouri Compromise. Missouri was admitted as a slave state, Maine was admitted as a free state, and slavery was banned in future territories north of 36°30' except within Missouri itself. -
Monroe Doctine
The Monroe Doctrine stated that efforts by Europe to colonize or interfere in the Americas would be viewed by the US as acts of aggression. The purpose was to stop European colonization in the Western Hemisphere. Monroe also said the United States would not involve itself in European affairs. The Roosevelt Corollary says the US will intervene in conflicts between European countries and Latin American countries to enforce legitimate claims of the European powers. -
Lowell System
The Lowell system was a labor and production model employed in the United States, particularly in New England, during the early years of the American textile industry in the early 19th century. Lowell, Massachusetts was a city where the system was used; Domestic labor, often referred to as mill girls, came to the new textile centers from rural towns to earn more money than they could at home. Over time, the system became unprofitable with cheaper sources of labor and collapsed. -
Tariff of Abominations and the Nullification Crisis
The Tariff of Abominations was a protective tariff designed to protect industry in the northern US. South Carolina said that attempts to use force to collect the taxes would lead to the state's secession. The Nullification Crisis during the presidency of Andrew Jackson involved a confrontation between South Carolina and the federal government. In 1833, Henry Clay made the Compromise Tariff of 1833 with Calhoun, which lowered the tariff over the next decade, ending the crisis -
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson, the 7th president, was the president of the common man, eliminating the provision that a man must own property in order to vote, expanding suffrage. He "supported" Native Americans, but through the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears, he was one of the worst presidents when it came to the treatment of Native Americans. Jackson removed all federal funds from the Second Bank of the U.S., redistributing them to various state banks, or “pet banks,” causing an economic panic. -
William Llyod Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison was a prominent American abolitionist and journalist. He founded abolitionist newspaper The Liberator. He was also one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society. He promoted "immediate emancipation" of slaves in the United States. He dedicated his life to the cause. -
Emerson, Cooper, and Early 19th Century Authors
Literature in the early 19th Century had a nationalist tone to it. Transcendentalist and renowned author Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote "The American Scholar," which says the scholar's education consists of three influences: nature, the past, and action. James Fenimore Cooper was the first important American novelist to succeed with subjects and settings that are largely American. Cooper's settings capture the American idea of nature and the self-reliant, pioneering spirit of America. -
Mexico and the Mexican-American War
The election of 1844 saw Democrat James Polk defeat Whig Henry Clay in a close contest of foreign policy, with Polk favoring the annexation of Texas and Clay opposed. The annexation of Texas resulted in a two-year war with Mexico. The Whig Party was divided on the war; although Whigs were against the war, some Whigs argued that they need to support the army regardless, while other Whigs opposed funding the war entirely. The resulting divisions within the Whig Party was fatal. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the ideal that America should spread all the way from the Atlantic Ocean, to the Pacific Ocean. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo made Manifest Destiny a reality. The Whig Party opposed Manifest Destiny and believed America's mission was one of democratic example rather than one of conquest. Whigs feared that expansion would expand the issue of slavery, while Democrats wanted agricultural expansion to new territories in order to counterbalance industrialization. -
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War, which took place from 1846 to 1848. With the defeat of its army and the fall of its capital, Mexico entered into negotiations to end the war. The treaty called for the U.S. to pay $15 million to Mexico and to pay off the claims of American citizens against Mexico up to $3.25 million. It gave the United States the Rio Grande as a boundary for Texas, and gave the U.S. ownership of California and a large area of the American southwest. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention. It advertised itself as "a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman". The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions was an important document that advocated for gender equality. Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized the convention along with Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony was a major figure in the women's suffrage movement. -
Irish Immigration
From 1820 to 1860, almost 2 million Irish immigrants came to the United States. Most of them came due to the Irish Potato Famine. Many of these immigrants lived in the North, but they faced much discrimination, and they were treated slightly better than black people at the time. The Know-Nothing Party was based on nativistic beliefs and its members were native-born male Protestants who were opposed to immigrants being able to vote or hold political office. -
Popular Sovereignty
Popular sovereignty or the sovereignty of the people's rule, is the principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, who are the source of all political power. The people directly decide what policies or government they want. -
Compromise of 1850
Clay introduced a series of resolutions in an attempt to seek a compromise and avert a crisis between North and South. As part of the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act was amended, mandating that any person, no matter if in a free state or a slave state, had to report if they suspected a black person was an escaped slave. It allowed for the capture and return of runaway slaves within the United States. The Compromise also admitted California to the union as a free state. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders, an act in support of popular sovereignty. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery advocates rushed to the territories to try to influence the vote, and violence broke out in the form of "Bleeding Kansas." The Act effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30´. -
Transcendentalism
The transcendentalist movement of the mid-1800s was led by writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. The essays of Emerson and the literary works of Thoreau such as Walden, questioned the foundation of established churches and the business practices of the merchant class. They challenged the notions of the way of life in the market revolution, and instead promoted a mystical and intuitive way of thinking by discovering one’s truth and connecting with nature. -
Dred Scott Case (Dred Scott v. Sanford)
Scott sued for his freedom, but the court said that as a slave, he was property, not a citizen, and therefore, he does not have the right to sue for freedom in the court of law. Civil liberties were denied. This ruled the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional because the court ruled the government cannot restrict slavery. In the North, the decision fueled antislavery factions and strengthened the Republican Party. The decision implied that slavery could move, unhindered, into the North. -
John Brown
John Brown was an abolitionist who turned to violence for the cause. In Virginia, Brown raided the arsenal at Harper's Ferry and tried to arm the slaves, but he was captured. This was a failed attempt. The South considered this form of abolitionism too extreme, but the North considered him a hero. It wasn't just a trial of John Brown, but it put the institution of slavery on trial. Brown was charged and sentenced to death. -
Lincoln and the Republican Party Policy on Slavery in 1860
Lincoln and the Republican Party were not moving to completely abolish slavery because Lincoln knew that would need to conflict, but rather, Lincoln simply wanted to end and forbid the expansion of slavery. Because of this, he allows current slave states to kept their slaves. However, South was still worried about losing political power and that Lincoln would eventually abolish slavery. The South also thought they would win a war and seceding would eliminate their debts. The Civil War followed. -
Civil War (Part 1)
The biggest cause of the Civil War was slavery. Trade, tariffs, and states' rights were also causes of the conflict. The North's biggest strengths were their manpower, economic might, and communication systems. The North's biggest weakness was that they were fighting in unknown territory. The South's biggest strengths were motivation for their cause, they fought on known land, and they had strong generals. The South's biggest weaknesses were its manpower size and lack of manufacturing. -
Civil War (Part 2)
Britain had a policy of neutrality concerning the Civil War, but the British continued to trade with the North, and the British never formally recognized the Confederacy as a legitimate state. The French also were neutral during the Civil War and never recognized the Confederacy. The United States had warned that recognition meant war. France was reluctant to act without British collaboration, and the British rejected intervention. -
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation as a symbolic gesture following Union success in the Battle at Antietam, declaring all slaves free in the Confederacy. Also, freedom would only come to the slaves if the Union won the war. As soon as a slave escaped the control of the Confederate government, by running away or through federal troops, the slave became legally free. It did not apply to border states, who were allowed to keep their slaves as long as they remained part of the Union.
