Units 1 & 2U.S. Geography& the Foundingof America

I. Map – U.S. - Physical Features

………………

Missouri R.

Arkansas R.

Rocky Mts.

Mohave Desert

Mississippi R. Ohio R.

Tennessee R.

Appalachian Mts.

Great Lakes

Lake Michigan

Lake Superior

Lake Huron

Lake Erie

Lake Ontario

MANIFEST DESTINY “Sea To Shining Sea”

II. United States Regions

New England

Mid-Atlantic

South Atlantic

Southern-Gulf

Mid-West

High Plains

Southwest

Mountain

Pacific Northwest

III. U.S. States

The Founding of America

1. Map of the Colonies

2. Map of the Revolutionary War

3. Timeline

4. American Colonial Period

5. The American Revolution

Map of Original 13 Colonies

Map of the American Revolution

Cowpens

Vincennes

Yorktown

Trenton

Valley Forge

Ft. Ticonderoga

Lexington and Concord

Saratoga

Timeline: The Founding of America

1600 1620 1640 1660 1680 1700 1720 1740 1760 1780 1800

English establish

Jamestown colony1607

Pilgrims establish Plymouth Colony1620

A Bill of Rights is created in England

1689

French and Indian War

starts1754

Lexington and

Concord1775

Declaration of Independence

1776

British surrender

1781

Articles of Confederation

approved1781

American Colonial PeriodSetting America:1.) Native Americans

- Relations with European Settlers:a.) Relations with Europeans varied from place to place – sometimes coexisting and sometimes in conflictb.) Differing cultural values led to many conflicts

- Tradea.) Europeans depended on trade with the Native peoples for survival initiallyb.) Some native tribes, such as the Iroquois, came to dominate

areas of trade with the Europeans- Alliances

a.) Various alliances between native people and European powers existed, failed, and became created again and again over time

- Iroquois Alliances and the Powhatan Confederacy- Warfare

a.) French and Indian War:- French and Native Americans vs. English Colonists- Also known as the 7 Years War- Fought for control of the Ohio River Valley area mostly

2. Africans

1.) Free Blacks:- Early Africans were considered “indentured servants” – freed when their contract ended

2.) Enslaved Blacks- Large plantation farms in the south required many workers- Africans were brought to work on these farms as enslaved workers- Smaller farms and a more diverse economy required less slaves in the northern colonies

European Settlers

1.) Many different European cultures were represented in the colonies

2.) The English dominated though, and came to influence the development of the 13 colonies

3.) The came for religious, economic, and political reasons

The Colonial Political ExperienceExperiments of Democracy:

The Mayflower Compact:- 1620 – Pilgrims signed a contract before landing at Plymouth to consent to be governed by a body that they created themselves- This established the precedent of self-government in the colonies

The Virginia House of Burgesses:

- Prototype for colonial legislative bodies – based on the two-house system similar to the English Parliament

- This further established the tradition of republican governments in America

Albany Plan of Union:

- Representatives from the colonies gathered to create a common “union” governmental body

- Initially designed to help protect the colonies against the French

- Was a plan to share governmental responsibilities between the colonies on a central level

- Was rejected by the colonies because they feared losing local control

- Became a model for later centralized governmental ideas like the Constitution

John Peter Zenger – Freedom of the Press:

- Zenger was arrested for accusing the governor of NY of doing things he wasn’t supposed to be doing

- His lawyer argued that it wasn’t a crime – if what he printed was accurate

- The jury freed Zenger – establishing the case of freedom of the press

The American Revolution

European Democratic Traditions:Much of what later became part of the American experience of democracy, came from ideas and events that took place in Europe before and during the American Colonial Period

Events:1. Magna Carta

- Documents signed in 1215 – limited the powers of the monarchy for the first time2. English Bill of Rights

- Late 1600’s – England – established representative

government in England and the idea that the “rule of law” was more important than the powers of a monarch

Enlightenment Connection: ideas of these political thinkers greatly influenced American politics

1. John Locke- People have certain natural rights (life-liberty-property)

2. Barron de Montesquieu- Separation of powers was a good idea (Legislative – Judicial – Executive)

3. Jean Jacques Rousseau- “Social Contract” – people can choose their government – but must agree to follow its rules- The idea that the “majority rules”

Causes of the Revolutionary War

1. Mercantilism:- The idea that colonies existed to support the economy of the “Mother Country”

- The colonies were used to provide raw materials and markets for English goods

2. Salutary Neglect- The British government did not pay much attention to the day-to-day political activities of the colonists, allowing them to rule themselves as they saw fit

- Was seen as both a negative (the British didn’t care about them) and a positive (the colonists learned how to do things on their own)

3. Proclamation of 1763

- British rule that prohibited colonists from moving into lands won from France after the French and Indian War

4. Taxation Issues

- Several new taxes caused increasing resentment in the colonies

British Act:

- Sugar Act: Tax on imported sugar

Colonial Response:

- Smuggling, reduced consumption

British Act:

- Stamp Act: tax on all written documents, newspapers, letters, legal papers, playing cards

Colonial Response:

- Boycott of products, Stamp Act Congress

British Act:- Townsend Acts: variety of taxes (lead, glass, tea) Provides for the firs search warrants against colonists

Colonial Response:- Continued boycott of products- Boston Massacre

British Act:- Tea Act: Tax on non-British Tea – gave a monopoly to the British East India Company for sale of tea in colonies

Colonial Response:- Boston Tea Party

British Act:

- Intolerable Acts: Response to Boston Tea Party, closure of Boston Harbor, Suspension of self-government (Town meetings)

Colonial Response:

- Continued protests, prelude to war

5. Natural Rights: the basic tenants of the Enlightenment caused the colonists to eventually decide to make a political break from Great Britain

Common Sense:

- Written by Thomas Paine

- Appealed to rational thought

- Propaganda for action by the common man in the colonies

- Increased support for the fight for independence

Declaration of Independence:

- Delegates from all colonies met in Philadelphia in June, 1776

- This document stated the colonies’ intention to declare their independence from Britain, and then gave the reasons why they did so

- Agreed to by the representatives on July 4th – marking the beginning of the United States of America

- Written by Thomas Jefferson

- Most of the document was based on the ideas of the Enlightenment (natural rights, consent of the people, etc…)

Essential Questions

1. In what ways, was the social make-up of the colonies in America significantly different from the culture of Great Britain?

- Though dominated by the English culture, the colonists were also made up of Scottish, Irish, German, Dutch, French, and many other European cultures

- The experiences and relationships the colonists had with the Native Americans was significantly different than anything Europeans ever dealt with

- The reliance on Africans for labor, created a unique economic environment in the colonies, in addition to the social and cultural effects on the community

2. In what ways did aspects of European culture contribute to a desire by colonists to claim their independence?

- The documents of the Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights had established a tradition of questioning and limiting the powers of a monarchy

- The ideas of the European Enlightenment thinkers greatly influenced the minds of the colonists and the creators of the new political system in the Americas

3. What part of the colonial experience in America helped the colonists feel confident in both their ability and right to declare their independence from Great Britain?

- The mixing of different cultures created a new culture that was not entirely similar to the “home culture” – a feeling of cultural independence existed

- The effects of “salutary neglect” gave colonists motivation and confidence to establish a government that would look after their own interests