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Building A Powerful Nation

Building A Powerful Nation. American History to the Civil War (Beginnings-1861). I. Exploration and the Colonial Era. First Americans May have arrived as many as 40,000 years ago by crossing a land bridge that once connected Asia and present-day Alaska Migrated southward over the centuries

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Building A Powerful Nation

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  1. Building A Powerful Nation American History to the Civil War (Beginnings-1861)

  2. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • First Americans • May have arrived as many as 40,000 years ago by crossing a land bridge that once connected Asia and present-day Alaska • Migrated southward over the centuries • The descendents of these people are called Native Americans

  3. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • Spanish Exploration • 1492- Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic looking for a sea route to India (resources) • He thought he had landed on the islands off the coast of Asia called the Indies • He actually landed on the islands of the Caribbean Sea • 1499- Amerigo Vespucci confirmed Columbus’ discovery of the “New World”

  4. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • Columbian Exchange – exchange of goods, people, animals, disease, etc. among the people of the Americas, Africa, and Europe • 1500s- Spanish explorers, searching for wealth (esp. gold), conquered civilizations in Central and South America, including the Aztecs and Incas • 1513- Juan Ponce de Leon claimed Florida for Spain

  5. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • 1565-St. Augustine, Florida became the first permanent European settlement in North America – oldest city in the U.S. today • Spain also claimed the land west of the Mississippi River • Some settlements grew into colonies, or areas settled by immigrants who continue to be ruled by their parent country

  6. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • French / Dutch Exploration • 1524- Giovanni de Verrazano, an Italian explorer for France, explored the eastern coast of N.A. – claimed northern U.S. and Canada for France • 1608- French founded its first successful colony in N.A. at Quebec • 1626- Dutch (the Netherlands) established New Amsterdam (now NYC) • Neither wanted to conquer the Indians, they only wanted to trade with them

  7. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • English Colonization • Roanoke, NC – first major attempt at settlement -failed twice: -1585 – starving settlers returned back to England -1587 – ended in a great mystery – supply ship found only empty buildings

  8. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • Jamestown, VA (1607) – first successful English settlement – established by a group of investors in the Virginia Company with the approval of King James I -tried to make money off tobacco, but failed -King James then appointed a governor over the colony

  9. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • The governor shared his power with the House of Burgesses (1619) – lawmaking body of elected representatives – first example of self government in the English colonies • The King didn’t have absolute power either – Magna Carta (1215) made the King obey the laws and granted many powers to the aristocracy (land owners)

  10. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • Tobacco was the only thing that saved Jamestown • John Rolfe was the first colonist to send tobacco to Europe (1614) • Not raised in Europe- learned from Indians • Settlers then began to move out of Jamestown and built huge farms, or plantations

  11. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • Growth of English Colonies • By 1643 16,000 colonists were living in the Massachusetts Bay Colony – most of these settlers were Puritans (religious group who wanted to “purify” the Church of England) • Came to N.A. for religious freedom – tried to convert the Indians

  12. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • Mercantilism – economic theory that said a country should try to obtain and hold on to as much gold and silver as possible – more money = more power

  13. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • To control colonial trade, King Charles II approved the Navigation Act (1660) – required the colonies to sell certain goods (sugar, tobacco, etc.) only to England • Salutary Neglect – policy of England towards the 13 colonies during the early 1700s – colonists were left alone as long as they: 1) Sent raw materials back to England 2) bought English goods 3) remained loyal to England

  14. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • Colonial Economies – by the 1700s, the colonies could be grouped into 3 regions, each with it’s own economy: 1) Southern Colonies – plantation farming – rice and cotton – VA, MD, NC, SC, GA 2) Middle Colonies – mixed economy of farming and commerce (business) – tobacco – NY, NJ, DE, PA 3) New England Colonies – small farms and long distance trade – MA, NH, CT, RI

  15. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • The new colonies relied on triangular trade (trade between Americas, Europe, Africa) • The part of the journey that carried African slaves to the Americas was called the Middle Passage

  16. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • For enslaved African, the voyage to America usually began with a forced march to the West Africa coast, where they were sold to Europeans, branded, and crammed into ships. • Packed together in the ships’ filthy holds for more than a month the Africans could hrdly sit or stand. • Given minimal food and drink, and those that died or became sick were thrown overboard.

  17. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • African Americans in the Colonies • By the mid-1700s, 20% of all colonists were from African descent • Using slave labor provided several advantages for the colonists: 1) master had complete control over his slaves 2) cheap labor 3) slaves worked until they died or were sold 4) children of slaves became slaves

  18. I. Exploration and the Colonial Era • The tasks of slaves were not the same because of the diversity, or variety, of the colonial economies: 1) deep South – slaves worked on cotton and rice plantations 2) middle colonies – slaves worked on tobacco plantations 3) New England – slaves worked as housekeepers, cooks, etc.

  19. Some Africans in the colonies were free – but they were brought to the colonies against their will and faced discrimination

  20. II. The American Revolution • French and Indian War (1754-1763): • 1753: the Virginia governor felt the need to protect his colony’s claim to the Ohio River – sent troops, led by George Washington, to take a French fort on the Ohio – failed • British and their colonists vs. French and their Indian allies • The final struggle for control of eastern N.A.

  21. II. The American Revolution • Most Native Americans allied with the French because they thought they were less likely to disrupt their way of life • The British drove the French out of New York and Quebec – won the war with the capture of Quebec • Treaty of Paris (1763) ended the war – forced France to turn over Canada to the British

  22. II. The American Revolution • Events Leading to the Am. Revolution: • Colonists had helped the British win the war – Americans thought they should have the same rights as English citizens • G.B.’s attitude changed after the war – because of huge debts following the war, Parliament passed laws designed to collect more money from the colonists

  23. II. The American Revolution • G.B. also set aside their practice of salutary neglect and began to interfere in local matters • Proclamation of 1763 – prohibited colonists from settling the lands west of the Appalachians – they wouldn’t have to spend money to protect those lands • New policies angered the colonists – decisions made without an American vote in Parliament – should be “no taxation, without representation”

  24. II. The American Revolution • Colonists began to boycott British goods • When G.B. refused to back down, the colonists decided to meet and plan a united response – this gathering became known as the First Continental Congress • All the colonies except GA were represented by the 56 delegates in Philadelphia in 1774 – called for the people to arm themselves and form militias

  25. II. The American Revolution • King George did not back down – called the colonists “rebels” • April 18, 1775: 700 British troops marched toward Concord, MA (20 miles from Boston) – intended to seize a stockpile of weapons • In Lexington (5 miles from Concord) they met 130 protesting colonists and ordered them to give up their guns – many refused

  26. II. The American Revolution • No one knows who fired the first shot – 8 Americans died and 9 others were injured – the British moved on to Concord and burned the supplies • As the British troops were returning to Boston, 4,000 Patriots gathered along the road • When the Battles of Lexington and Concord were over, more than ¼ of the British soldiers had been killed or wounded

  27. II. The American Revolution • The Revolutionary War (1775-1783): • The Second Continental Congress met less than a month after the battles – some wanted independence others wanted a compromise with the British – 2 things were decided: 1. Creation of a Continental Army – led by George Washington 2. Olive Branch Petition – expressed the colonists’ continued loyalty to the King and begged him for a compromise

  28. II. The American Revolution • King George refused the Olive Branch Petition • July 4, 1776: the Declaration of Independence was signed – written mainly by Thomas Jefferson – listed all the wrongs done by King George against the colonists • G.B. didn’t expect a long war – troops were better trained and better equipped • Washington knew the colonists must outlast the British – would never give up, even after several defeats

  29. II. The American Revolution • After years of fighting the war came down to the Battle of Yorktown in 1781 -British troops, led by Gen. Lord Cornwallis, had moved to the peninsula between the York and James rivers – waiting for reinforcements -Washington moved a combined Am. and French force south – the French also set up a blockade off the VA coast

  30. II. The American Revolution -the French ships drove off the British navy -a few days later Washington’s troops arrived and began to pound Yorktown – Cornwallis had no escape and was forced to surrender • Nearly two years later the Treaty of Paris (1783) was signed – established the independence of the U.S. and outlined the borders of the country

  31. The United States (1789-1830) A. Louisiana Purchase (1803) • Americans began to migrate westward • Pres. Thomas Jefferson sent James Monroe to Paris to buy the city of New Orleans • He could pay up to $10 million for the land • Napoleon offered to sell all of the French land to the U.S. (known as Louisiana) • Monroe offered $15 million for the land • Doubled the size of the U.S.

  32. III. The United States (1789-1830) • Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) – Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the Louisiana Purchase – 3 goals: 1) find a river route to the Pacific 2) make contact with the Indians 3) gather information about the natural resources • Hired a Canadian fur trapper and his wife, Sacajawea (Shoshone Indian), to navigate and interpret

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