Amerigo Vespucci
discovered America to be a new continent
charter
document that gives holder the right to organize settlements in an area
joint stock company
individuals investing money to buy a stock, controlled early colonization
John Smith
founded + governed Jamestown
Jamestown
1st English settlement, many got sick, did not get along with Indians
treatment of native Americans by English + Spanish
-overworked, abused, forced conversion to Christianity, disease -ex. Spanish conquered Aztecs, raided Indians
treatment of native Americans by French
respected their territories, treated them as human beings, wanted to trade
Massachusetts Bay Colony
Puritans founded it, wanted to build a "model Christian community", Rodger Williams forced to leave
Puritans
wanted to "purify" the church of England
Georgia colony
James Oglethorpe established it, refuge for London's indebted prisoners
economy in New England
had very few slaves, small farms, slaves were treated well
causes of French + Indian War
-England + France both had control of Ohio River Valley -religious differences
effects of French + Indian War
-British citizens had to pay taxes to pay off war debt - -France left North America -England gained land east of the Mississippi
Treaty of Paris 1763
ended French + Indian War
reasons Parliament taxed the colonies
-debt from French + Indian War -defending new territory in America
virtual representation
members of Parliament controlled the colonies
sons of liberty
violent political organization that opposed British taxation
nonimportation
prohibition of imported goods from other countries, closed port of Boston
circular letter
forged ties between colonies after Townshed Acts
Thomas Paine
wrote "Common Sense" (defense for American independence from England), supporter of revolutionary causes
Common Sense
argued for independence from England
Thomas Jefferson
democrat, secretary of state
Declaration of Independence
America declared independence from Britain
Battle of Saratoga
defensive victory for Americans, Benedict Arnold came in to help the British (traitor)
Battle of Yorktown
French troops helped, trapped British soldiers, Britain surrendered
advantages British had at the start of the war
best Navy, more soldiers, more funds
Treaty of Paris 1783
ended Revolutionary War + declared America independent
Articles of Confederation (strengths + weaknesses)
Strengths: -created a sense of unity -Congress could declare war, start a navy or army -organize a post office
Weaknesses: -each state had one vote -no power to draft soldiers -no power to enforce treaties -could not raise taxes -no president -no national currency
-needed 2/3 vote to pass laws
Land Ordinance of 1785
-sale of lands known as the Northwest Territory -divided lands into townships - area of land six miles square -each township divided into 36 sections, each 640 acres
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
-gov. for new territories -bill of rights for the territories -outlined a process for admitting a new state to the Union
Shay's Rebellion
mob of farmers in Massachusetts marched on county courts to stop the sales of farms for nonpayment of taxes and debt
Virginia Plan
-proposed by James Madison -national gov. with three branches -bicameral legislature - 2 houses for House of Reps. -representation based on population
New Jersey Plan
-proposed by William Patterson -no state should have more power than another -changes to AOC -representation based on population + statehood
Great Compromise
-bicameral legislature -Senate with equal number of reps. from each state -House of Reps. based on a state's population
Three-Fifths Compromise
Slaves were counted as 3/5 of a person for BOTH representation and tax purposes
Supremacy Clause
Constitution was the most important law of the land
Federalists
supported Constitution
anti-federalists
thought Constitution was missing a list of rights
Ratification of the Constitution
-waited on New York + Virginia's votes
The Bill of Rights
-first 10 amendments -only applied to federal gov.
Federalist Papers
-Hamilton, Madison, Jay -arguments to NY in favor of ratification
Washington's cabinet
-Hamilton: secretary of the treasury -Jefferson: new secretary of state -Knox: secretary of war -Adams: vice president
First 4 presidents
Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison
Embargo Act
outlawed trade between America and any foreign nation
Washington's farewell address
warned Americans against danger of political parties, to remain neutral in foreign conflicts, and celebrate their achievements
Kentucky + Virginia Solutions
-laid basis for the doctrine of state rights -argued that each state should have the right to declare acts null or void if they contradict the Constitution
Thomas Jefferson
democratic-republican, Burr was the runner-up
Election of 1800
Jefferson vs. Burr, Hamilton makes the final vote for Jefferson
War of 1812 (cause + effect)
cause: -British attempts to restrict U.S. trade -British took U.S. citizens + put them into the navy -U.S. wanted to expand
effects: -U.S gained international respect -end of Federalist party
Gag Rule
no anti-slavery petitions in Congress
Tariff of Abominations
-protected Northern Industry -hurt Southern farmers
Henry Clay
speaker of the House, "great compromiser", bets House of Reps. to vote for Adams
Missouri Compromise
-Missouri=slave state -Maine=free state -drew territorial line to determine which states had slavery
Protective Tariffs
imported goods costed more than domestic, supported Northern industry
Andrew Jackson
-heavily opposed the U.S. Bank -claimed bank was corrupt -vetoed bill to renew the bank's charter -resulted in the Specie Circular (people had to pay in gold or silver coins)
Seneca Falls Convention
-first women's rights convention
Lucretia Mott
early feminist + female abolitionist
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
chief philosopher of women's rights, women’s suffrage
election of 1824
-Jackson vs. Adams vs. Crawford vs. Clay (who persuaded House of Reps. to vote for Adams) -Adams won all the the House of Reps. votes -Adams named Clay secretary of state
election of 1828
-Jackson vs. Adams -vicious election with supporters rallying against opponents
Era of Good Feelings
-election of 1824 ended this era -no more unity -Adams vs. Jackson
Nullification crisis in SC
resulted in the doctrine of nullification (states had power to nullify acts they deem unconstitutional)
corrupt bargain
-Adams named Clay secretary of state -Jackson thought they made a corrupt bargain
Robert Fulton
engineered the first steamboat
Indian Removal Act
-U.S. policy was to remove Indians from their land west of the MS river -slower process in the South vs. North
Stephen Austin
-brought U.S. families to Texas -families agreed to become Catholic, citizens of Mexico and free child slaves at the age of 14
settlement of Texas
most citizens hoped to have Texas annexed into the U.S.
Occupation of Oregon
emigrants + missionaries traveled to Oregon -split up Oregon between U.S. and British by the 49th parallel
Joseph Smith
founder of Mormonism
James K. Polk
-elected president in 1844 -expansionist -Oregon: "54-40 or fight"
manifest destiny
the U.S. is "destined by God" to expand
expansionists
focused attention on the annexation of Texas + Oregon
Mexican American War
causes: -undisputed boundary between U.S. + Texas
results: -one-sided affair -Mexican gov. paid 15 million -U.S. received disputed Texas territory, New Mexico and California
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
factory system
brought machines + workers under one roof
Samuel Slater
British mechanist, helped build cotton yarn spinning mill
assembly line
first industry was the meatpacking industry
Eli Whitney
invented cotton gin
King Cotton
indicated the political + economic importance of cotton production
Harriet Tubman
underground railroad leader
underground railroad
helped slaves escape plantations
% of slave owners in the South
12% of plantations had slaves
impact of industrial revolution
-terrible conditions -stressful lifestyle -no safety precautions -child labor -women had a higher societal status
Nativists
policy favoring inhabitants rather than immigrants (anti-immigrant)
Wilmot Proviso
no slavery in any territory from Mexico
expansion of slavery into Mexican Cession
made new territory gained open to slavery
election of 1860
-Douglas, Breckenridge, Bell, Lincoln
-Lincoln wins
Compromise of 1850
-proposed to determine which states would have slavery
-California became a free state
-buying + selling slaves banned
-boundary dispute between TX + NM=solved
-no slavery restrictions on remaining territory from Mexico
-federal gov. assumes Texas’ 10 million dollar state debt
Fugitive Slave Act
slave owners sent agents north to retrieve runaway slaves, many slaves ran off to Canada
Harriet Beecher Stowe
wrote Uncle Tom’s cabin - antislavery novel
Stephan Douglas
ran for election, democrat, promoted Kansas-Nebraska act
popular sovereignty
authority of the state and gov. are based upon the consent of the people
Kansas-Nebraska Act
-repealed Missouri Compromise
-split into two territories, each territory could decide whether or not to have slavery
rise of Republican Party
-decline of Whig Party
-carried all but 5 northern states in the election of 1856
Bleeding Kansas
John Brown led an attack against proslavery immigrants who lived along Potawatomi Creek
John Brown
crazy anti-slavery advocate
Dred Scott case
Scott was still considered a slave, Blacks had no citizenship (free or not)
John Brown’s Raid
led attack against a federal arsenal in Virginia
first state to secede from the Union
South Carolina
reasons for succession
-slavery
-tariffs
-state rights