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Unit 2 The Atlantic World
1607-1754 -
Indentured Servitude
The idea of indentured servitude was born of a need for cheap labor. The earliest settlers soon realized that they had lots of land to care for, but no one to care for it. With passage to the Colonies expensive for all but the wealthy, the Virginia Company developed the system of indentured servitude to attract workers. Indentured servants became vital to the colonial economy. -
The Middle Passage
the forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. It was one leg of the triangular trade route that took goods (such as knives, guns, ammunition, cotton cloth, tools, and brass dishes) from Europe to Africa, Africans to work as slaves in the Americas and West Indies, and items, mostly raw materials, produced on the plantations (sugar, rice, tobacco, indigo, rum, and cotton) back to Europe. -
House of Burgesses
was the first legislative assembly of elected representatives in North America. The House was established by the Virginia Company, which created the body as part of an effort to encourage English craftsmen to settle in North America, and to make conditions in the colony more agreeable for its current inhabitants. -
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The factorij became a settlement outside Fort Amsterdam -
Bacon's Rebellion
During the 1670s, the administration of veteran Virginia governor Sir William Berkeley became unpopular with small farmers and frontiersmen, because of the following reasons:
Restrictions on the right to vote — the institution of a new land ownership requirement
Higher taxes
Low tobacco prices
A pervasive sense of subordination to an aristocratic minority
Lack of protection from Native American attacks. -
Trans-Atlantic Trade
transatlantic slave trade initiated a forced migration of approximately 12 million people from many diverse societies and cultures in west and west central Africa to European colonies in the Caribbean Islands, in Central and South America, and in North America. At it height during the 18th century (1701-1800), there were approximately 6,090,000 slaves transported from Africa to worldwide destinations. -
Benjamin Franklin
One of the leading figures of early American history, Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) was a statesman, author, publisher, scientist, inventor and diplomat. Born into a Boston family of modest means, Franklin had little formal education. He went on to start a successful printing business in Philadelphia and grew wealthy. -
The Great Awakening
religious revival in the British American colonies mainly between about 1720 and the ’40s. It was a part of the religious ferment that swept western Europe in the latter part of the 17th century and early 18th century -
Unit 3 The New Nation
1754-1800 -
French and Indian War
Also known as the Seven Years’ War, this New World conflict marked another chapter in the long imperial struggle between Britain and France. When France’s expansion into the Ohio River valley brought repeated conflict with the claims of the British colonies, a series of battles led to the official British declaration of war in 1756. -
Boston Massacre
- A squad of British soldiers, come to support a sentry who was being pressed by a heckling, snowballing crowd, let loose a volley of shots. Three persons were killed immediately and two died later of their wounds; among the victims was Crispus Attucks, a man of black or Indian parentage.The Boston Massacre is remembered as a key event in helping to galvanize the colonial public to the Patriot cause.
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Thomas Paine "Common Sense"
To rally more colonists over to the Patriot side, Thomas Paine anonymously publishes the pamphlet “Common Sense” in early 1776.
– In “Common Sense” Paine presents the reader with powerful arguments supporting independence.
– At that time, “Common Sense” had the largest circulation of any book in American history. -
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first written constitution of the United States. Stemming from wartime urgency, its progress was slowed by fears of central authority and extensive land claims by states before was it was ratified on March 1, 1781. -
Siege At Yorktown
acombined American force of Colonial and French troops laid seige to the British Army at Yorktown, Virginia. Led by GeorgeWashington and French General Comte de Rochambeau, they began their final attack on October 14th, capturing two British defenses and leading to the surrender, just days later, of British General Lord Corwallis and nearly 9,000 troops. Yorktown proved to be the final battle of the American Revolution, and the British began peace negotiations shortly after the American victory. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shays’ Rebellion is the name given to a series of protests in 1786 and 1787 by American farmers against state and local enforcement of tax collections and judgments for debt. -
The Great Compromise
The Great Compromise was an agreement made between large states and small states regarding how much power states would have under the United States Constitution. -
Unit 4 The Market Revolution
1800-1848 -
The Louisiana Purchase
In 1802, the Spanish tried to restrict US use of the port.Jefferson sent ministers to negotiate for a strip of land to purchase the port.Napoleon had given up on an American Empire and wanted funds to conquer Europe, so he offered all of the Louisiana Territory for Purchase.The president reluctantly agreed to the deal, despite his views on the Constitutionality of his decision.The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of US for 3 cents/ acre. -
War of 1812
Impressment and ship seizures continued moving the U.S. closer to the brink of war
The Battle of Tippecanoe in present-day Indiana pushed Congress to feel that war with Britain was justified
General William Henry Harrison attempted to break up a confederacy of Native Americans organized by Shawnee brothers, Tecumseh and The Prophet, to fight back against the American advance westward. impressment pushed Madison to ask Congress for a declaration of War in June 1812. -
Missouri Compromise
In an effort to preserve the balance of power in Congress between slave and free states, the Missouri Compromise was passed in 1820 admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. ... In 1854, the Missouri Compromise was repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act. -
Second Great Aweakining
The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1790, gained momentum by 1800 and, after 1820, membership rose rapidly among Baptist and Methodist congregations whose preachers led the movement. -
Monroe Doctrine
The Monroe Doctrine was a United States policy of opposing European colonialism in The Americas beginning in1823.It stated that further efforts by European nations to take control of any independent state in North or South America would be viewed as "the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States.At the same time, the doctrine noted that theU.S.would recognize and not interfere with existing European colonies nor meddle in the internal concerns of European countries. -
Election of 1824
1824 Presidential Election. In the United States presidential election of 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9, 1825, after the election was decided by the House of Representatives. ... In this election, the Democratic-Republican Party splintered as four separate candidates sought the presidency. -
Jacksonian Democracy
An ambiguous, controversial concept, Jacksonian Democracy in the strictest sense refers simply to the ascendancy of Andrew Jackson and the Democratic party after 1828. More loosely, it alludes to the entire range of democratic reforms that proceeded alongside the Jacksonians’ triumph—from expanding the suffrage to restructuring federal institutions. From another angle, however, Jacksonianism appears as a political impulse tied to slavery, the subjugation of Native Americans. -
Unit 5 Civil War
1844-1877 -
Manifest destiny
It is the belief that the US was supposed to cover the
entire North American continent.
“From sea to shining sea”
James K. Polk was the president most associated with
this concept. -
Kansas Nebraska act
Proposed in 1854 by Stephen A. Douglas
Said that Nebraska and Kansas would enter the Union
with the principles of popular sovereignty
Act nullified the Missouri Compromise by allowing
slavery in the “forever free” territories of the LA
Purchase -
Westward Expansion and Native Americans
In the 1860s, the US government began forcing Native
Americans onto reservations.
Settlers pushed the buffalo (a sacred animal in Native
traditions) to the brink of extinction.
Faced with no other options, Native Americans had no
choice but to fight back. -
Civil War Begins
The Civil War Begins
Abraham Lincoln – winner
of the election of 1860
Upon hearing the news of
Lincoln’s election, South
Carolina secedes from the
Union
Confederate States of
America is formed in
February 1861 -
Battle of Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter, South Carolina
April 1861
Battle ensued between Union and Confederates over control of coastal fort.
Where the first shots of the Civil War occurred. -
Battle of Antietam
Antietam – September 1862; Sharpsburg, Maryland
First major battle on Northern soil
Single bloodiest day in US history; over 23,000 killed, wounded or
missing -
Lincoln's Gettysburg address
In remembrance of fallen Union
soldiers, Lincoln issued his famous
“Gettysburg Address” in November
1863.
His speech was given at a dedication of
a cemetery on the battlefields of
Gettysburg.
Considered on of the most important
speeches in US history as Lincoln still
urged a preservation of the Union. -
Unit 6 gilded age
1865-1898 -
Social Darwinism
“Social Darwinism”
1859 – Charles Darwin coined the phrase “natural
selection” – the belief that only the strongest of a species
would survive.
Social Darwinism – refers to the idea that the value of a
person is determined by how much money one had.
The rich are the “most fit” to continue on; the poor are
“unfit” and will die out. -
Urbanization changes America
Cheap, efficient steel leads to the construction of
skyscrapers, elevators and bridges throughout the country.
Railroads and canals allow quick, easy transport of steel.
America experiences rapid urbanization – the process of
people moving from rural areas to cities -
Lincoln's second innagural address
Sherman’s “March to the Sea” secured a victory for
Lincoln in the 1864 election.
His 2nd Inaugural Address, given in March 1865, was
Lincoln’s attempt at reconciling with an almost defeated
South.
Lincoln wanted to bring all rebelling states back into the
Union and begin the process of forgiveness and
healing. -
Transcontinental Railroad
Cornelius Vanderbilt •Helped modernize older tracks in the east
•Made a fortune before moving into rail
•Consolidated many smaller lines under one company, New York Central
Railroad --By doing this, he helped link major cities on the East Coast
and in the Midwest -
The Rise Of Big Business
Expanding markets now linked by railroads led to the
creation of corporations.
Corporation – a big business in which ownership is shared
by a number of people
Technology connected the nation, allowing big business to
expand across the country. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
Wounded Knee Massacre
As Natives fled after Sitting Bull’s murder, troops were sent
out to capture them.
At Wounded Knee Creek, troops slaughtered over 100
Native men, women and children.
The Wounded Knee Massacre effectively ended the Native
attempts to push back the white settlers. -
Jim Crow Laws
Plessy v. Ferguson gave the South permission to discriminate on the
basis of color in all public places
•Jim Crow laws, which segregated public facilities were adopted by cities
across the South
•Discrimination did not end with Jim Crow Laws, Southern States worked
to disenfranchise African American voters through the use of literacy
tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses -
Causes of Spanish American War
1895 - Cubans rebel
against Spanish rule.
US had economic
interests in Cuba
(sugar plantations)
Many in the US
sympathized with
Cuban rebellion;
reminded them of the
American Revolution. -
Unit 7 imperialism
1898-1945 -
USS Maine gets destroyed
February 1898: USS Maine
explodes in Havana Harbor
killing 266 US sailors.
Spain immediately blamed
for the attack without
proper evidence.
April 1898: US declares war
on Spain. -
New Imperialism
With the closing of the western frontier, many
Americans felt that Manifest Destiny had still not
been fulfilled. The rise of American economic
power also caused many people to believe the
United States should continue expanding its
influence and power.
Imperialism was not a new idea (desire of Europe to
establish colonies led to Monroe Doctrine in 1823)
New imperialism was characterized by jingoism
(extreme nationalism that encourages a very
aggressive foreign policy stance) -
The Big Stick Diplomacy
President Teddy Roosevelt
(right) developed his own
approach to dealing with US
Due to his forceful policies
(ex. in Panama), some
branded his actions “gunboat
diplomacy”
His policies became known
the “Big Stick” diplomacy.
“Speak softly and carry a big
stick.” – African proverb
Roosevelt believed that
American goals in Latin
America called for the
creation of a strong military. -
Taft's Presidency
Taft came into the White House in 1909.
He had served as Roosevelt’s Secretary of
War.
Continued dismantling trusts and regulating
businesses
Taft angered Roosevelt after ordering the
prosecution of an antitrust violation by U.S.
Steel (a merger Roosevelt had approved)
Roosevelt saw this as a personal attack, and
the feud encouraged him to seek reelection
for a splinter sect of the Republican
Party in 1912 -
The Panama Canal
In an effort to support US trade
in Latin America, Teddy
Roosevelt took over control of
the construction of the Panama
Canal.
Before construction could begin,
the US needed approval from
the Colombian government who
at the time owned what is now
Panama.
Roosevelt sent US warships to
Colombia; Colombia soon
granted Panama its
independence.
Construction of the canal could
now begin. -
Unit 8 Prosperity and Global Responsibilities.
1945-1980 -
Cold War Orgins
US President Harry Truman and Soviet
Union dictator Joseph Stalin disagreed on
how Germany and Eastern Europe should be
controlled after WWII
– Recall US was capitalist; Soviet Union was
communist
– Stalin’s army ended up occupying almost all
of Eastern Europe making them satellite
states of the USSR
– The rivalry for control between the US and
the USSR led to a 46 year conflict known as
the Cold War -
The Iron Curtain
– British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill agreed
with Truman that Stalin
was attempting to spread
Soviet influence
throughout the world.
– He commented that the
world was now divided in
two by an “iron curtain”;
on one side communist,
the other side capitalist. -
Truman Doctrine
The Soviet Union attempted to expand
its influence over the struggling nations
of Greece and Turkey.
– President Truman pleaded to Congress
in 1947 to financially assist these two
countries to deter them from falling
under Soviet control.
– Truman’s promise to aid nations
struggling against communist
movements became known as the
Truman Doctrine, setting a new course
for American foreign policy. -
Berlin Airlift
– June 1948 --Stalin cut off Berlin
from Western contact
– All land routes to into city were
blockaded by Soviet troops
– Truman decided to fly supplies to
the cities citizens by air
– Berlin Airlift delivered supplies to
the city for 11 months
– Possibility of war loomed
– Stalin finally reopened city -
Baby Boomers
– Soldiers returning from WWII come
home and have a lot of babies
– At the peak of the “baby boom” 4.3
million babies born in a year (1 every 7
seconds)
– With rapid population growth comes
changes in the structure of society -
Another redscare
– This fear was revived after WWII.
– With the “loss” of China and the thousands of troop deaths in the Korean
War, many Americans again became concerned about the growing
influence of communism.
– This “Second Red Scare” caused more alarm, spreading deeper and wider
than the Red Scare of the 1920’s.
– HUAC: House on Un-American Activities Committee created to search
for communists in all aspects of American life. (government, army,
unions, education, etc.) -
Berlin splits into two
Later (1961), the Berlin
Wall was constructed
physically separating
communist East Berlin
from capitalist West
Berlin -
Seward's Folly
Secretary of State William H. Seward worked
out a deal to purchase the region of Alaska
from Russia for a sum of $7.2 million in 1867,
in early move toward expansionism
Purchase was not well received; known as
=“Seward’s Icebox,” “Seward’s Folly”
Americans would not realize that it was a
sweet deal until the 20th century, when oil
drillers discovered that Alaska is rich with
fossil fuels -
Unit 9 Modern America
1980-Now -
Ronald Reagan Elected President
Ronald Reagan, former governor of
California elected President in 1980. As a conservative, Reagan believed that the
federal government should have a smaller
role in American life.
Pursued an economic policy critics called
“Reaganomics”; included lower taxes,
smaller government, and a stronger military
“Reaganomics” (sometimes referred to as
supply-side economics or “trickle-down”
economics) is generally thought to have
benefitted wealthier Americans while
penalizing the poor. -
Iran Contra Scandal
During Reagan’s second term, a scandal
involving the sale of weapons tarnished his
administration.
In an attempt to free 7 American hostages
from Iran, Reagan’s administration offered
to sell Iran weapons for the hostage’s
release.
This money would in turn be used to fund
the rebellion of anti-Communist fighters
(called “Contras”) in the Latin American
country of Nicaragua.
Both the sale of arms to Iran and the
funding of the Nicaraguan Contras
violated acts of Congress. -
George H. W. Bush Presedency
Reagan’s VP George H.W. Bush
wins the presidency in 1988.
Remembered mostly for guiding
the US through the Persian Gulf
War (the 1st Iraqi War).
August 1990 – Saddam Hussein
and the Iraqi army invade
neighboring Kuwait
US sends in troops to turn back
the approaching Iraqi Army
and liberate Kuwait. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
Reagan famously encouraged Soviet
leader Gorbachev to end Soviet control
of its satellite nations.
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
October 1989 – Berlin Wall torn down
Reunification of communist East
Germany and capitalist West Germany -
Cold War Comes To an End
On Christmas Day in 1991,
Gorbachev resigns as leader
of the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union is dissolved
into 15 individual republics
including Russia, the Ukraine,
Belarus and Kazakhstan.
The collapse signified the over
50 year standoff between the
US and the Soviet Union known
as the Cold War. -
Bill Clinton Impeachment
Clinton’s second term was consumed with defending himself
against charges of personal and political misconduct
The two charges were for perjury and obstruction of justice.
The perjury charge arose from Clinton's testimony about his
relationship to Monica Lewinsky during a sexual
harassment lawsuit brought by former Arkansas state
employee Paula Jones.
The obstruction charge was based on his actions during the
subsequent investigation of that testimony. -
9/11 Attack
The September 11 attacks were a
series of coordinated suicide attacks
by al-Qaeda upon the United States
19 Islamist terrorists affiliated with
al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial
passenger jet airliners.The hijackers intentionally crashed
two of the airliners into the Twin
Towers of the World Trade Center in
New York City.
Both buildings collapsed within two
hours, destroying at least two nearby
buildings and damaging others.The hijackers crashed a
third airliner into the
Pentagon.
