chapter 7

Early U.S. Presidents and Political Parties

• George Washington

  • First President of the United States

• John Adams

  • Elected as the second President after Washington

• Thomas Jefferson

  • Third President; first from a different political party (Democratic-Republican)

  • Important figure in early U.S. history

Exploration and Native American Relations

• Lewis and Clark Expedition

  • Objective: Find a water route to the Pacific

  • Outcome: Did not find a water route to the Pacific Ocean

  • Importance of relationships with Native Americans for trade

  • Documentation of tribes and languages encountered

Definitions

• History

  • Study of past recorded narratives affecting the present and future

• Prehistory

  • Period before written records

  • Requires scientific methods for understanding (e.g., anthropology, archaeology)

Nationalism and Sectionalism

• Nationalism

  • Pride and loyalty towards one’s country

  • Extreme examples can lead to dangerous nationalism, such as Nazi Germany

• Sectionalism

  • Loyalty to one's region over the nation as a whole

  • Example: Different priorities between Alabama and Rhode Island

  • North vs. South: Different economic systems

    • South: Rural, self-sufficient

    • North: Urban, more industry and trade

Historical Documentation

• Historians often write during significant events (e.g., wars)

  • Add entertainments and narratives to chronicled events

Political Parties and the Era of Good Feelings

• Democratic-Republicans

  • Dominated post-Federalist era after 1816

  • A period characterized by national agreement and unity

Industrial Revolution and Technological Advancements

• Eli Whitney

  • Invented interchangeable parts for machinery

  • Created the cotton gin, significantly increasing cotton production

• Cotton Gin's Impact

  • Replaced manual labor previously done by many workers

  • Initial expectation: Reducing slavery; instead, it led to increased cotton production and demand for labor

• Cash Crop Economy

  • Cotton became a major cash crop; increased profit and production

Long-term Historical Impacts

• Technological Changes

  • Historical cycles of technology replacing labor and altering economies observed throughout history

  • Modern implications: Concerns about AI and its potential to replace jobs, similar to past technological advancements in industry.