Engels T&C: American history and American ways chapter 3

the multiple possible dates of the beginning of the USA

• around 12000 BCE

• 1492

• around 1600

• 1779

around 12000 BCE

date of the first people arriving in the Americas during the prehistory

1492

when Christopher Columbus arrived in the “new world”

around 1600

when the first permanent English colonies were established, such as Jamestown

1776

when the United States officially declared independence from Britain

American history

history of the entire continent and all its people

history of the USA

history of the United States as a nation

why American history is sometimes called “fast and furious”

because the country developed rapidly and experienced many wars and conflicts in a relatively short time

why native American societies were highly developed long before Europeans arrived

• formed many different tribal nations

• developed advanced farming techniques after the Ice Age

• created trade routes

• build large cities and impressive architecture

Christopher Columbus

he reached the Americas while sailing for the Spanish monarchy. Europeans believed he had discovered a new world, despite millions of indigenous people already living there

consequences of the Europeans invasions for native Americans

• European diseases (smallpox and measles) killed millions of indigenous people because they had no immunity

• native Americans were forced of their lands

• colonization was often violent and hostile

date colonial America

1508-1763

what country did Spain colonize in 1508

Puerto Rico

what country did France colonize in 1534

Canada

what parts of the Americas did Sweden colonize

parts of Pennsylvania

what part of the Americas did the Dutch colonize in 1624

New York

what parts of the Americas did England colonize

the east coast from Maine to Georgia

reasons why Europeans left Europe

• economic opportunities

• access to land and resources

• religious freedom

• trade and wealth

why settlers came to Jamestown

• land and forests

• food sources

• gold, silver and precious materials

the starving time

when the colony in Jamestown nearly collapsed, of the original 500 settlers, only about 60 survived

causes of the starving town

• settlers arrived unprepared

• they brought little livestock

• many refused manual labor

• they struggled to share land and resources with Native Americans

reason why the colony in Jamestown recovered

they began growing tobacco, which broke the Spanish monopoly on tobacco, made the colony extremely profitable and transformed Jamestown into a trading colony

Plymouth colony

was founded by English Puritans who arrived on the ship Mayflower in 1620

why the settlers left England

• Protestants who wanted a “purer” religion

• fleeing religious persecution and intolerance in England

difficulties they faced in Plymouth colony

• they landed farther north than planned

• winter had already started

• the soil was poor and sandy

• there were conflicts with Native Americans

Native Americans eventually helped the settlers

• they taught them how to grow crops

• peace agreements were made

• the settlers helped them fight rival tribes

origin of the American holiday Thanksgiving

the cooperation between Native Americans and the colonizers of Plymouth Colony

the Mayflower Compact

was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony

purpose of the Mayflower Compact

• to create order and stability

• to ensure cooperation and survival

• to establish a social contract in which settlers agreed to follow common rules

Wamsutta (Frank B) James

was invited to speak at a celebration marking 350 years since the Pilgrims’ arrival in 1970

focus of the speech from Wamsutta James

• the suffering of Native Americans

• injustice and loss of land

• the true historical relationship between settlers and Indigenous peoples

Native American vision of life according to Wamsutta

• Native Americans had a strong connection with nature and the land

• their culture was less materialistic

• Indigenous peoples suffered greatly because of colonization

modern relavance of Wamsutta

he helped organize the annual National Day of Mourning, which criticizes the traditional Thanksgiving story and highlights Native American suffering

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

some American states celebrate this instead of Columbus Day, which reflects a more critical and post-colonial view of American history

the road to independence

• the thirteen British colonies had around 250,000 inhabitants by 1700

• his number had grown to around 2 million by 1763

• the 13 stripes on the American flag still represent these original colonies

The Seven Years’ War (1756–1763)

was a global conflict involving major European powers

what happened in North America during the Seven Years’ War

• Britain and France fought over territory

• American colonists supported Britain

how the Seven Years’ War ended

with the Treaty of Paris in 1763: France lost many colonies to Britain and Spain lost Florida to Britain

consequences of the Seven Years’ War

the war was very expensive for Britain, to raise money they taxed the colonies

taxes of the colonies after the Seven Years’ War (which they opposed to)

• Sugar Act in 1764: taxes on sugar and molasses

• Stamp Act in 1765: taxes on newspapers and legal documents

• Townshend Acts in 1767: taxes on imported goods such as tea

the Boston Massacre in 1770

tensions between colonists and British soldiers increased in Boston

cause of the Boston Massacre

• economic problems caused unemployment

• colonists blamed the British

• riots broke out and British soldiers eventually fired into the crowd after being attacked

result of the Boston massacre

five colonists were killed

why the news of the Boston Massacre spread quickly

• Paul Revere created an engraving called The Bloody Massacre

• the image spread through newspapers, helped by Benjamin Franklin’s postal system and night riders

• this increased anti-British feelings throughout the colonies

the Boston Tea Party in 1773

• colonists protested British taxation because they had no representatives in the British Parliament

• their slogan became: “no taxation without representation”

• in Boston, colonists boarded British ships and threw tea into the harbor as a political protest

the British response to the Boston Tea Party

• Boston Harbor was closed

• “Punitive Acts” limited the self-government of Massachusetts

the continental congress in 1774

this organization by the colonies coordinated colonial resistance, defended colonial interests and originally tried to avoid war with Britain. However, tensions continued to grow

the Declaration of independence in 1776

because Britain ignored colonial complaints, the Continental Congress asked a committee of five men to write it

who the committee of the Declaration of Independence included

• Thomas Jefferson (main author)

• John Adams

• Benjamin Franklin

• Robert Sherman

• Robert Livingston

what the declaration of independence from Britain on 4 July 1776 emphasized

• freedom

• equality

• natural human rights

the War of independence (1776–1783)

• Britain rejected American independence

• the American army was led by George Washington

• the war ended in 1783 with an American victory

the Constitution

was adopted by the United States in 1789

who the important Founding Fathers of the Constitution included

• George Washington

• Thomas Jefferson

• Benjamin Franklin

• James Madison

the Bill of Rights

was added to the Constitution in 1791

the 2 most known of 10 amendments protecting individual freedoms in the Bill of Rights

• 1st: freedom of speech, press and religion

• 2nd: right to bear arms

the Election of 1860

Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories, but many Southern states depended heavily on slavery for their plantation economy (especially cotton production), which increased tensions between the Northern and Southern states

results of the Election of 1860

11 Southern states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America (the Confederacy)

the contradiction of American freedom

slavery existed in the American colonies long before the Declaration of Independence, but while it promoted liberty and equality, millions of African Americans remained enslaved

the White Lion (1619)

many historians see the arrival of the ship as the beginning of African slavery in English North America

results of the 20-30 Africans brought to Virginia by the White Lion

some were initially treated as indentured servants, but slavery gradually became a permanent and hereditary institution

Thomas Jefferson

helped write the Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed freedom and equality

contradictions around Thomas Jefferson

• slavery had already existed for about 150 years

• around one-fifth of the population was enslaved

• Jefferson himself owned slaves

Abraham Lincoln

is remembered for ending slavery, but his views were more complex than often assumed

Abraham Lincoln’s views

• opposed slavery

• supported its abolition

• did not initially support full social and political equality between Black and white Americans

during Abraham Lincoln’s political career

he even considered colonization plans that would encourage freed African Americans to settle outside the United States

how slavery was deeply connected to American economy

• enslaved people represented enormous economic value

• cotton became America's most important export

• much of the national economy depended on plantation labor

long-term economic effects of slavery

1. turned the United States into a major economic power

2. contributed to harsh labor practices associated with industrial capitalism, including low wages, poor working conditions, limited social protection and weak workplace safety regulations

what the early period of slavery entailed

• Native Americans were enslaved by European colonizers

• labor was needed for plantations producing tobacco, sugar and other crops

why colonists increasingly relied on enslaved Africans over time

• they were less likely to escape into unfamiliar territory

• many had experience growing crops such as rice

• some had greater resistance to diseases such as malaria

Chattel Slavery during the second half of the 17th century

it meant that enslaved people were legally considered property

important characteristics of Chattel Slavery

• enslaved status was inherited through the mother

• children of enslaved women automatically became slaves

• enslaved people had virtually no legal rights

• interracial marriage was prohibited

the abolition movement

caused by the growing opposition to slavery, one important weapon in this struggle was the slave narrative

the slave narrative

slave narratives were autobiographies written by formerly enslaved people, many authors escaped through the Underground Railroad (a secret network that helped enslaved people reach freedom)

famous authors of the slave narrative include

• Frederick Douglass

• Harriet Tubman

• Harriet Jacobs

Harriet Jacobs

• was born into slavery in North Carolina

• escaped after hiding for seven years in a tiny space beneath her grandmother's roof

• she published “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” in 1861

• her pseudonym was Linda Brent

how Harriet Jacobs’ autobiography presented slavery

• brutal and physically abusive

• psychologically damaging

• marked by sexual exploitation of enslaved women

• shows that enslaved people were treated as property and could not legally own property themselves

Harriet Jacobs’ goal

• expose the cruelty of slavery

• persuade people to support abolition

• prevent others from suffering similar experiences

living conditions of enslaved people

• many lived on large plantations

• constant supervision by overseers

• strict work quotas

• severe punishments for failing to meet expectations

• family separation through slave sales

causes of the American civil war after Lincoln's election in 1860

• Southern states seceded from the Union

• they formed the Confederacy

who the American civil war was fought between

Union (North) led by Abraham Lincoln and Confederacy (South) led by Jefferson Davis

main goals of the North during the American civil war

1. preserve the Union

2. end slavery

outcome of the American civil war

the Union defeated the Confederacy in 1865

consequences of the American civil war

• the United States remained united

• slavery was abolished through the 13th Amendment

limitation of the 13th Amendment

it abolished chattel slavery but allowed forced labor as punishment for convicted criminals, this exception later contributed to new forms of exploitation in the South

new forms of oppression after slavery

Southern states introduced systems that continued to discriminate against African Americans

examples of systems that discriminated against African Americans

• Black Codes: laws restricting the rights of African Americans

• Peonage: systems of debt labor that trapped people in economic dependence

Lincoln's second inaugural address

after being re-elected in 1864 he called for reconciliation, which emphasized national unity, forgiveness and rebuilding the country after the Civil War

origin of the term "Jim Crow"

• it originally referred to a racist stage character performed by Thomas Dartmouth Rice

• he performed in blackface and mocked African Americans

• these performances were called minstrel shows

Jim Crow laws

were segregation laws that enforced racial separation in public spaces

examples of separate spaces that the Jim Crow laws included

schools, restaurants, public transport, waiting rooms and drinking fountains

Ruby Bridges

became famous in 1960 as the first African American child to attend an all-white elementary school in New Orleans

results of violent opposition to Ruby Bridges

• federal marshals escorted her to school

• protesters threatened her safety

the Civil Rights Act in 1964

prohibited discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex and national origin

the law of the Civil Rights Act

• banned segregation in public places

• prohibited discrimination in employment

• strengthened school desegregation

• improved protection of voting rights

the Voting Rights Act of 1965

it strengthened voting rights for African Americans and outlawed discriminatory voting practices such as literacy tests, unfair registration requirements and other barriers used to prevent Black citizens from voting

why calling a black person "Jim Crow" is offensive

• refers to a racist caricature

• links African Americans to stereotypes from minstrel shows

• carries a long history of discrimination and mockery

“strange fruit” by Billie Holiday

it became one of the most powerful protest songs in American history

meaning of “strange fruit”

it symbolizes the bodies of African Americans who were lynched and left hanging from trees

importance of “strange fruit” during the Civil Rights movement

• it openly confronted racial violence

• its imagery is powerful and unforgettable

• it expressed the suffering of African Americans

• it inspired awareness and support for civil rights

religion in the United States

the majority of Americans are Christians, but all major world religions are represented