Chapter 1:  The First Americans

Archaeology: the study of ancient peoples

Artifacts: objects made by people that they left behind

Ice Age

A period of extremely cold temperature, in which the Earth’s water formed huge sheets of ice, also known as glaciers. 

General Concepts of Early civilizations in North America (not specific tribes)

• Civilizations were highly developed societies

• Built grand cities in dense forests and on high mountains

• Created spectacular works of art developed advanced tools

• Came up with complex methods for tracking time, counting, and writing

Chapter 2:  Exploring the Americas

The Growth of Trade:

Why did Europeans explore? Wealth, spread religion, trade routes (ex. India)

Where did they explore? The coast of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, The Indian Ocean, The Coast of North and South America, The Pacific Ocean

What did the Europeans want to buy from Asia? Valuable spices and silks

Which European countries were in the exploration race? 

• Portugal

• Spain

• UK

• France

• Netherlands

Who was initially successful? Portuguese (after, it was the Spanish)

Christopher Columbus

Where and why did he explore? Explored in Caribbean islands of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and Dominican Republic), Cuba, Jamaica, and the coast of South + North America.

Who did he explore for? Explored for SPAIN 

Where did he land? Landed in North America, specifically in the Bahamas

What did he encounter? Native Americans

What is the Northwest Passage? A water route directly through the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean

Who wanted it? England, France, Netherlands

Where was the route to and from? Pacific to Atlantic

A Global Exchange:

Successes and consequences of international exploration:

Successes:

•  Growth of trade and ideas across the world

  • Improved economies

Consequences:

• Diseases spread

Chapter 3:  Colonial America (1587-1770)

The Mystery of Roanoke

What happened? John White found his colony deserted when he came back from England after a long (3 year) delay because of war.

Who was involved? Sir Walter Raleigh, John White, England 

Why was this important? No one knows exactly what happened, but there are many theories. It also discouraged the English settlers.

The Virginia Company

Joint stock company: investors who gave money owned part of the company

Jamestown: settlement in Virginia; colony which faced many hardships + had help with the Powhatan people to survive.

Burgesses: elected representatives to make laws

Seeking Religious Freedom:

Protestants/reformists /Puritans: a group of people that wanted to reform the Anglican Church, or wanted to break away from it all together.

Separatists: people who sought to set up their own churches since they were PERSECUTED in England

The Pilgrims Settle Plymouth

Who are the pilgrims? People who undertake a religious journey

Where did they come from? Why? Came from England to seek religious freedom.

Were they separatists or Puritans? Separatists

The Middle Colonies

New Netherlands/New Amsterdam/Manhattan Island

Main settlement of New Netherlands: New Amsterdam/Manhattan Island

• Good seaport + access to the Hudson River

  • Transportation link to rich land of farms, forests, and furs

    • Resulting into New Amsterdam became a center of shipping to and from the Americas

Dutch West India Company: 

• Main points

  • Controlled New Netherland

  • PURPOSE/GOAL: Wanted to increase the colony’s population

    • Offered large grants of land to anyone who could bring at least 50 settlers to work the land.

Pennsylvania

Quakers: a protestant group that had been persecuted in England

• Founded the colony of Pennsylvania

William Penn: a wealthy English Quaker

Chapter 4:  Life in the American Colonies

Making a living in the Colonies:

How did each colonial region make money? Subsistence farming (or farming in general), trade, fishing, shipbuilding

What was their specialty? 

• Southern colonies: cash crops + plantations

• New England colonies: shipbuilding, lumber, whaling

Cash crop: crops that can be easily sold in markets locally and overseas

Subsistence Farming: making enough food to meet your needs with little leftovers to sell or trade

Artisan: a person who is skilled at making a product by hand.

Merchant: a person whose job is the purchase and sale of goods for profit.

The Growth of Slavery

Why and where? North America; huge demand for labor

How did slaves get to America? The Middle Passage, which was a terrible experience for them

English Principles of Government

Magna Carta: first stated that the government should protect people's rights

Representative government: people elect delegates to make laws and conduct government

Glorious Revolution: the peaceful transfer of power

Mercantilism: A country builds wealth and power by building supplies out of gold and silver

Export/Import

• Export: sell to other countries

• Import: buy from other countries

[IMPORT MORE THAN EXPORT TO BUILD WEALTH!]

Enlightenment: movement in Europe that spread the idea that knowledge is the reason and that science can improve society

Great Awakening: religious revival

• Ministers called for a “New Birth”, a return to a stronger faith of earlier days

French and Indian War

Iroquois Confederacy: British alliance with the Iroquois (Most powerful group of Native Americans in eastern North America)

Albany Plan of Union: UNITE THE COLONIES

• Form a colonial government

• Each colony gives up power

• No colony was willing to do this.

• Franklin was disappointed

• Failed to unite the colonies.

Treaty of Paris: marks end of France's North American power, brought peace between the French and British.

Proclamation of 1763: reduced conflict between the British and Native Americans; kept colonists on the coast (under British rule) and the Natives towards the west.

Chapter 5:  The Spirit of Independence

Writs of assistance: documents that allowed British soldiers to search anywhere (for smuggled goods)

Sons of Liberty: radical group of Patriots that disliked British control and protested British policies

Taxes on colonies:

Stamp, Tea, Townshend

Stamp:

•  Required special stamps to be attached to newspapers, pamphlets, playing cards, and documents; increased cost of the items

Tea:

•  Gave company near total control of the marketplace for tea; removed some, but not all taxes on tea (not cheap enough for the colonists)

Townshend:

• Put out duties on tea, paper, glass, and paint

Boston Massacre

Violence erupted, nervous Redcoats fired weapons and killed 5 colonists.

Boston Tea Party

Colonists (Sons of Liberty) dressed as Native Americans and dumped British tea out into the harbor as a way to boycott.

Continental Congress

Delegates gather in Philly to:

• Challenge Britain

• Set up new government

Loyalists and Patriots

Loyalists: sided with the British

Patriots: sided with colonists

Second Continental Congress

• 2nd Continental Congress accomplishments:

  • Authorized printing of money

  • Established a post office

    • Ben Franklin in charge

  • Formed Committees:

    • Handle relationships with Native Americans & foreign countries

• Created Continental Army

• Strategize

• George Washington = commander

• Well respected

Declaration of Independence

• Stated principles about democracy, human rights, and equality

  • Unalienable rights

  • Govt exists to PROTECT the rights of the people

  • Govt by the CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED

  • The right to REVOLT

  • Listed COMPLAINTS against British

  • Concluded by stating the colonists had the right to be free + independent states

Preamble: INTRODUCTION

• People who want to form a new government need to explain the reasons