American History Overview

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American History Overview

• American Revolution to Civil War

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French and Indian War

• With the end of the French and Indian War the
  British won land all the way to the Mississippi
  River.
• The Proclamation of 1763 passed by Parliament
  stated that colonists could not move west of the
  Appalachian Mountains to cut defense costs and
  avoid confrontation with Native Americans
• Some colonists felt this limited their
  opportunity from lands they helped win from
  France.

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Britain needs money

• The French and Indian War left a huge debt on
  Britain.
• British Parliament raised taxes to pay for war.
  Colonists protested the new taxes

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The Sugar Act

• Starting in 1764 Parliament started enacting a
  series of taxes to pay off debt.
• Colonist protest was especially strong in Boston
  who relied heavily on shipping trade.
• Payment of taxes (used to be smuggled) would be
  strictly enforced now. Especially on foreign
  imports such as sugar, textiles, coffee and wine.
• Result was inflation increase in prices.
• Colonists protested not having a say in
  Parliament.

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The Stamp Act

• 1765 Parliament passed a tax on all official
  documents in the colonies
• The money was to pay for keeping British troops
  in the colonies
• External vs. Internal Tax
• James Otis coins phrase Taxation without
  representation is tyranny

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Sons of Liberty

• 1765 Samuel Adams formed sons of liberty to
  organize opposition to the Stamp Act.
• They would resort to violence destroying homes of
  British officials and forced tax agents to
  resign.
• To enforce a boycott of British goods they
  threatened merchants. (Tar and feather)

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Fix or Folly?

• October 1765 delegates from nine colonies met in
  New York City demanding repeal of Stamp Act.
  (1766)
• Parliament repealed and started a new tax, the
  Declaratory Act which flatly declared Parliaments
  right to make any taxes they want in colonies
  without colonists approval.

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The Boston Massacre

• Britain increased the amount of troops in Boston
  since it was the center of most the controversy.
• March 5, 1770 tensions exploded. A mob taunted a
  British soldier. Crowd gathered and started
  throwing snowballs and eggs at soldiers.
• Soldiers led by Captain Preston fired, Crispus
  Attucks (sailor of African and Native American
  heritage) died.
• Preston was put on trial and acquitted, two of
  his men were found guilty and branded on the hand.

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Get the word around

• In 1772 Colonists formed committees of
  correspondence
• Letter writing groups to inform other colonies
  what was happening

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Tea Act

• 1773 Parliament passed the Tea Act to save the
  East India Company from bankruptcy. (Created a
  monopoly)
• Sons of Liberty dressed up as Mohawk Indians and
  tossed 342 chests of tea into the harbor Boston
  Tea Party

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Price to Pay

• As punishment for the Boston Tea Party Parliament
  closed the Boston Harbor to all shipping until
  the tea was paid for.
• The word got out about the harbor being closed
  and this outraged colonists who would be affected.

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First Continental Congress

• Held in Philadelphia in 1774.
• Called for a halt in trade with Great Britain and
  resolved to meet again in 1775

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The British are coming

• General Gage, governor of Massachusetts, received
  orders from London to arrest leaders and
  supplies.
• British soldiers marched toward Concord. At
  Lexington a small band of American militia tried
  to stop them. 8 Americans dead.
• Paul Revere and William Dawes rode ahead to warn.
• At Concord fighting broke out again. Colonists
  hid behind rocks and trees and picked off 273
  British soldiers.

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Second Continental Congress

• May 10, 1775 the Second Continental Congress met
  in Philadelphia
• Called for a formation of a Continental Army of
  20,000 men
• Sent King George III a petition blaming
  Parliament for the problems and asking for the
  Kings help (Olive Branch Petition)
• King rejected petition and sent more troops.
• Thomas Paine writes Common Sense in language of
  farmers to unite.

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Push for Independence

• 1776 Continental Congress met to draft
  Declaration of Independence.
• Written by a committee led by Thomas Jefferson.
• Consisted of three parts statement of what a
  government should do, reasons for separation,
  official declaration of independence.
• Who was it written for?
• July 4, 1776 adopted.

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Winning the War

• Congress chose George Washington, a Virginian to
  lead the army. He had rank, wealth, integrity,
  and he was a Southerner.
• The first years went badly for the Continental
  Army.
• Turning point was Saratoga, New York which
  persuaded the French to enter on the American
  side.
• Became a war of attrition.
• 1/3 of Americans patriots, 1/3 loyalists, 1/3
  undecided.
• British surrender was at Yorktown, Virginia 1781.
• War ends officially in 1783 when Congress sent
  John Adams, Ben Franklin, John Jay to negotiate
  terms of peace. (Paris Peace Conference)
• The United States of America was recognized by
  Britain as an independent nation with a border to
  the Mississippi River.

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A new nation is born

• Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation in
  1777. (Confederation an asociation of
  independent sovereign states with common goals)
• Central govt. had power to
• Set national policies
• Relate to foreign nations
• Borrow, coin money
• Maintain an army and declare war.

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Weakness to the Articles

• The Articles of Confederation did not have the
  power to impose or collect taxes, 9 of 13 states
  had to ratify, did not cover admission of new
  states.
• 1787 the Constitutional Convention met to fix the
  Articles decided to throw out and start over

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The Constitution

• Major issues developed over finding a balance
  between large and small states, northern and
  southern interests, strong national govt. or
  states rights.
• Great Compromise
• Legislative Branch
• Senate 2 representatives per state
• House of Representatives based on population

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Branches of Government

• Legislative Congress makes the laws
• Executive The President enforces the laws
• Judicial Branch interprets the laws
• Checks and Balances should stop any one branch
  from becoming too powerful

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Bill of Rights

• Many states felt that the new Constitution did
  not do enough to protect the liberties of
  individuals
• Bill of Rights was added First 10 Amendments to
  the Constitution

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Moving Ahead

• George Washington first President (1789)
• Early 1789 French Revolution, Washington passed
  the Neutrality Proclamation.

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Northwest Ordinance

• Northwest Ordinance was passed in 1787.
• Encouraged orderly settlement and the formation
  of new states, all controlled by law
• Promised settlers religious freedom and other
  civil rights
• Did not allow slavery in the Northwest Territory
• A single governor was put in charge.
• A district could become territory with a
  population of 5,000 adult males. Then could send
  a nonvoting representative to Congress
• A territory could write a constitution and apply
  for statehood with a population of 60,000.

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Jeffersons Presidency

• Marbury vs. Madison Supreme Courts right to
  declare that a law violates the Constitution
  Judicial Review
• Louisiana Purchase 1803 doubled the size of the
  United States. Cost 15 million. Sent Meriwether
  Lewis and William Clark to explore, help of
  Shoshone woman Sacajawea

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War of 1812

• War broke out between France and Britain in 1803
• British began to seize Americans at sea and force
  them into the British navy
• British were also helping Native Americans in the
  Northwest fight American settlers.
• Congress called for war.
• Most of fighting took place along
  American/Canadian border
• Result America won and felt like it showed the
  world the revolution was not a fluke. And war
  weakened Native American resistance

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No More New Colonies

• President Monroe in 1823 issued the Monroe
  Doctrine.
• Stated to Europe there shall be no more European
  colonies in Western Hemisphere
• Any foreign military expeditions sent to Western
  Hemisphere would be seen as a threat to U.S.
• No European nation should interfere in US affairs

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Missouri Compromise

• In 1819 there were 22 states in the Union.
• Half were slave states, half were free states
• When Missouri asks to come into the Union as a
  slave state the balance is upset.
• 1820 Missouri admitted as a slave state, Maine
  came in as a free state keeping the balance.
• In the future 36 / 30 to determine free or slave.

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Native Americans pushed out

• In 1830 President Jackson signed the Indian
  Removal Act which called for the relocation of
  Native Americans west of the Mississippi River
• Many Cherokee died along the Trail of Tears

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Industrial Revolution

• Industry growth started with the textile
  factories in Britain and came to America. Textile
  factories spread rapidly in America
• To move goods, roads, canals, and railroads
  spread
• Eli Whitney Cotton Gin, became incentive to
  maintain slavery in South

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Immigration

• Many people immigrated to the United States
  during the early 1800s to escape poverty in
  Germany and Ireland (Irish Potato Famine)
• Fueled the industrial revolutions need for labor
  in the North
• Lived in tenements (poorly made apartments with
  little light, ventilation, sanitation.
• Low wages in unsafe working conditions

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Womens Rights and Abolition Movement

• July 1848 Seneca Falls Convention women
  petitioned for rights, highly ridiculed
• Abolitionist movement was a campaign to end
  slavery.
• Underground Railroad

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Sectionalism
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Expansion West

• Hundreds of thousands of Americans migrated West
  in 1840s and 1850s
• Manifest Destiny Americas God given right to
  rule from the Atlantic to the Pacific
• 1848 Gold discovered in California (Gold Rush)
• Many Americans had settled in Texas which
  belonged to Mexico. In 1835 the Texans began a
  revolution.
• The Alamo is most remembered battle
• 1836 the Republic of Texas was born

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War with Mexico

• War broke out between US and Mexico over border
  dispute after Texas joined the Union.
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848 ended the war.
  Mexico gave up a huge amount of land to US. In
  return the US paid Mexico 15 million

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