Unit 1: Discovery and Settlement
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First Americans – Paleo Indians
A. Arrived during the last ice age
B. Crossed via the land bridge, Beringia – today’s Bering Strait
C. Three Periods – identified by their tool kits
i. Clovis (NM) – 11,000-9000 BC, regarded as first human inhabitants of the New World
a. Artifacts were associated with mammouth remains
ii. Folsom (NM, east of Raton) – 9000-8000 BC; artifacts associated with bison (buffalo) remains
iii. Plano (Great Plains) 9000-6000 BC – Plano (projectile) points
D. Native Americans – descendants of first Americans
i. Indigenous - people originating from and living in an area
ii. Nomads that moved from place to place & were hunter-gathers
E. Agricultural revolution had the biggest impact on Native American society before the Europeans
arrived in North America
- Farming led to settlement in villages - Grew maize, beans and squash
- Led to advancement in culture
Native Americans in the Southwest
A. Hohokam were famous for extensive series of irrigation canals to farm in the desert
i. Brought water from rivers to fields
ii. Our modern canal system mirrors Hohokam
B. Anasazi – “Ancient Ones” built adobe pueblos
i. Known as cliff dwellers (Chaco Canyon) that built miles of roads
ii. Severe drought in 1200’s led to dispersement eastward
C. Mogollan – lived in eastern AZ and built pit-houses; famous for brown pottery
Iroquois Confederacy
A. Indian confederation known as the League of the Five Nations
B. Most powerful in the Northeast region
C. Utilized local resources – hunted, fished and farmed
D. Matriarchal leadership - Native American women had authority over the family
i. Property inherited and passed through the mother
ii. Practiced by natives; shocked Europeans because they were patriarchal
iii. Family relations were the heart of Native American society
Voyages of Columbus
A. In search of a westward water passage to Asia
B. Voyage west reached the West Indies (Bahamas)
C. Thought it was India
D. Founded first colony for Spain, Hispanola
E. Encountered Tainos and forced them into servitude; treated with little respect
F. Within 100 years, Tainos population was completely destroyed (mainly disease)
G. Main result of Columbus’ voyages was that he initiated trade and colonization of the New World
European Impact on Native Americans
A. Europeans impacted Native American cultures with religion, trade and diseases
B. Was Columbus a hero or villain?
C. Natives lost land and over 1,000,000 died from abuse and disease
D. Led a flood of explorers and colonizers
Native American Influence
A. Matriarchal leadership
B. Farming and technology – food, hunting, canoes, and medicine
C. Language – state names and rivers
D. Sports – lacrosse and soccer
E. Respect for nature
European Colonization in America
I.
II.
III.
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Nations Explored
A. British had conflict with natives over land and spread disease
i. Needed a place of refuge for religious dissenters
ii. Needed an outlet for criminals and undesirable
iii. Sought economic opportunity by expanding overseas markets
iv. Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the globe (1st)
B. French were friendly w/ natives because they profited from fur trade
i. Followed St. Lawrence River to the Great Lakes
ii. Jacques Marquette explored northern part of Mississippi River
iii. La Salle journeyed to Gulf of Mexico & named Louisiana
C. Spanish introduced horses to the Native Americans – allowed expansion
i. Ponce de Leon discovered Florida
ii. Cabeza de Vaca reached AZ & NM
iii. Coronado explored the Grand Canyon and the SW
iv. Spanish missionaries tried to convert Native Americans to Catholicism
a. Spread of disease killed countless natives
D. Henry Hudson searched for a Northwest Passage
i. Sea route through the Arctic that connects the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean
ii. Found and named NY Harbor and Hudson River
iii. Rivalry over furs developed between Dutch and French (aided by the Algonquins)
Reasons for European Colonization of America
A. Religious freedom
i. Protestant Reformation led to establishment of the Church of England (Anglican Church)
ii. Puritans were English Protestants who wanted to “purify” the Anglican Church
iii. Separatists wanted total separation from the church altogether
iv. English were required to attend service & pay taxes, so they left for America to practice freely
B. Economic opportunity
i. $ problems at home pushed people out
ii. Farm workers were unemployed
iii. Tobacco was big business in Jamestown
iv. Expanded to other parts of Virginia and the South
C. Start a new life
i. Desired land to farm
ii. Criminals wanted a clean slate
iii. Many wanted to practice religion freely
iv. Debtors wanted a fresh start
Roanoke
A. Expedition in 1585 was led by Sir Walter Raleigh w/ 100 men
i. Landed in North Carolina, but returned home within a year
B. Second attempt made by John White w/ 117 colonists; White returned to England for supplies
C. Colony was gone when White returned 3 years later & is still a mystery today
Jamestown
A. First permanent settlement in North America by Europeans
B. Tobacco was the most profitable crop
C. Jamestown survived because:
i. Supplies & people kept coming
ii. Tobacco provided economic base
iii. Privatization of land
iv. Self-government
V.
New England Colonial Government
A. Royal colonies were under the direct rule of the Governor and ultimately the English king
B. Town govt. was most important to the people
C. Town meetings selected delegates for colonial assemblies & set taxes
D. Closest thing to democracy in the colonies
VI.
Southern Colonial Government
A. English king and the Governor ultimately had the final word
B. Colonists had self govt.
i. There was a general assembly and they made up laws
C. Virginia House of Burgesses established the precedent (example) of self-government in the colonies
VII. New England Economy
A. Manufacturing – main source of power was water
B. Industries included mills for grain, distilling rum, ironworks and textiles
C. Trade and commerce – whaling and fishing
i. Boston, NY and Philadelphia were thriving centers
D. Subsistence farming (feed the family)
E. Most distinctive feature of NE economy was thriving commercial class
VIII. Southern Economy
A. Southern agrarian economy was dominated by wealthy landowners and property owners
i. Tobacco was the most valuable export
ii. Rice – knowledge brought by slaves
iii. Indigo – blue dye used for clothing and military uniforms
B. Because of cash crops, southern colonies developed less of an industrial economy
C. Charles Carroll of Carrollton, wealthiest man in the colonies, had over 40,000 acres
D. Small farmers formed majority of the South, but planters dominated the economy
IX.
New England Geography
A. NE agriculture was harder to farm because of cold weather and hard rocky soil
B. Forests were abundant – wild game and timber for ships
C. Accessible harbors for importing and exporting goods - ships could easily navigate
D. Boston was most populated city
X.
New England Resources
A. Timber for shipbuilding employed 33,000 colonists
i. Less expensive to build ships in the colonies than in England
B. Fishing and trapping beavers (furs)
XI.
Southern Geography
A. Warm, humid climate was ideal for farming
B. Virginia next to Chesapeake Bay - exported tobacco to Europe
C. Carolinas had swamp lands - ideal for growing rice
D. Georgia was as a buffer between Spanish Florida and the colonies - last of the 13 Colonies
XII. Resources in the South
A. Rich farm land - tobacco, rice and indigo were $ crops
B. Fishing & forests
XIII. Religions in New England
A. Pilgrims were Separatists from Church of England
i. Wanted religious freedom
ii. Mayflower landed at Cape Cod, MA and colony was named Plymouth
iii. Mayflower Compact was an agreement to work together and later influenced the Constitution
iv. Help from Native Americans, especially Squanto, and Thanksgiving was born
B. Puritans
i. Massachusetts Bay Company was established to provide refuge for the Puritans
ii. Goal was to earn a profit and the laws reflected Bible
iii. John Winthrop, leader, wanted total separation from Church of England
iv. Salem Witch Trials – Puritans 1692 (20 executed)
XIV. Religion in the Southern Colonies
A. More religious diversity - Protestants, Catholics, Jews and Baptists
B. Maryland was the most tolerant for religious differences
C. Early settlers were British
D. Other immigrants were German, Swiss, French, Spanish and Jews
XV. Impact of Key Colonial Figures
A. John Smith saved Jamestown from total collapse with harsh discipline
i. Set up strict rules
ii. Burned in gunpowder accident, so he returned to England
iii. Pocahontas helped keep the peace
B. William Penn founded Pennsylvania - joined Quakers
i. Primary purpose was to provide refuge for persecuted Quakers
ii. Believed all people were equal
iii. Penn started the “Holy Experiment” - model of freedom, peace & religious faith
iv. Called for fair treatment of Natives
C. Roger Williams founded Rhode Island because Puritan Church was too powerful
i. Believed in separation of church and state
ii. Believed in religious toleration for Protestants, Catholics and Jews
iii. Co-founded Baptist congregation in 1638
D. Anne Hutchinson claimed believers could communicate directly w/ God
i. Considered a heretic by the Puritans
ii. Challenged the role of women in Puritan society
iii. Imprisoned for speaking her beliefs concerning spirituality and rocking the boat
XVI. Different Experiences for Different Groups
A. Property owners were wealthy agrarian landowners that dominated the Southern economy
i. Majority of farmers had small plots of land
ii. Most New England owners lived modestly
B. Colonial African Americans - forced migration from Africa
i. Had few basic rights and some owned property
ii. Once slavery began in 1625, their rights diminished
iii. No chance for freedom in the later half of 17th century
iv. Faith and religion were vital to keeping culture intact
C. Women took care of the family & served as teachers to children
i. Pitched in with labor as needed on the farm
ii. Very few rights – couldn’t own property, except in Maryland
D. Native Americans - Iroquois Confederacy was the most powerful in colonial times
i. Land disputes erupted with colonial settlers
a. Conflict led to fighting and countless deaths
ii. Clash of cultures
E. Indentured servants included poor and kidnapped English people, along w/ convicts
i. Worked for a period of time (4-7 years) to repay passage to America
ii. Voluntarily bound to masters; in return, they received passage, food, shelter & land
XVII. Bacon’s Rebellion
A. Conflict w/ natives over western lands in Virginia
B. Led by Nathaniel Bacon - army consisted of former indentured servants
C. Raided native villages and burned the capital, Jamestown
D. Rebellion failed after Bacon died
E. Effect – House of Burgesses opened frontier lands which relied on slave labor
i. Shift from indentured servants to slaves begins
XVIII. Comparing Slaves and Indentured Servants
A. Indentured servants earned freedom & land after 4-7 years
B. Slaves earned no wages, received no land and were not freed
C. Slavery was an economic benefit for farmers, since indentured servants were too restless
D. Indentured servants were treated with more dignity than slaves
i. Slave families were separated
ii. Slaves were bred & brutally beaten
E. Stono Rebellion – South Carolina slaves took weapons & killed several white people
i. Apprehended and executed
ii. Slavery still continued
F. Indentured servants declined in 1670s because of:
i. fear of unrest
ii. decrease in English birth rate
iii. increase in English prosperity
iv. increase in life expectancy in the colonies
XIX. Triangular Trade
A. Ships with rum went from New England to Africa and traded rum for slaves
B. Slaves traveled from Africa to the West Indies (Caribbean) & were traded for sugar and molasses
i. This was the Middle Passage and it was a horrific journey
C. Then ships from West Indies went to New England with sugar and molasses (for rum)
D. Benefited both Southern and New England colonies
XX. The French and Indian War
A. French allied with Native Americans to defeat the British to protect fur trade
B. French had home field advantage because native allies were familiar w/ land
C. British advantages were larger population (20x), assistance of the Iroquois Confederacy
D. Causes of the war
i. Both sides wanted to protect their economic interests in fur trade
ii. Long-standing dispute between British and French over land holdings
iii. War started in colonies, but spread to Europe as part of the Seven Years War
E. Albany Plan of Union - planned united defense with the Iroquois to help against the French
i. Proposed by Benjamin Franklin
ii. Called for Grand Council w/ reps from each colony
iii. For laws, taxes and defense
iv. Rejected by colonial assemblies
v. Albany Plan was significant because it was the first attempt to unite the colonies
XXI. Key Events of the French and Indian War
A. George Washington was sent by VA Governor Dinwiddie to protect upper Ohio River Valley
B. French had built Fort Duquesne at that location
C. Washington led surprise attack that defeated the French
i. Washington & Virginians built Ft. Necessity nearby
D. Later, French trapped and surrounded Fort Necessity, so Washington was forced to surrender
i. First battle of the war
E. William Pitt, British Secretary of State, sent Britain’s best generals to colonies
i. Pitt also encouraged colonists to support the war ($)
ii. Tide of war turned in favor of British
iii. Lord Jeffrey Amherst captured fort at Louisburg
F. Iroquois convinced the Delaware to stop fighting
G. French couldn’t hold Ft. Duquesne…British captured it & renamed Ft. Pitt (Pittsburgh)
H. British took Fort Niagara
I. Quebec was the turning point in the war
i. Gen. James Wolfe was sent to take Quebec, capital of New France
ii. Key to controlling French supply routes
iii. Quebec was well defended atop steep cliff and French Gen. Montcalm was prepared
iv. Wolfe’s daring plan - climb at night & surprise them at dawn
v. Wolfe and Montcalm both killed in battle
vi. British victory at Quebec sealed fate of New France
vii. British took Montreal in 1760 and the war ended  British controlled Canada
XXII. Effects of the French and Indian War
A. The Treaty of Paris 1763 - British gained Canada & lands east of Mississippi River
B. Proclamation of 1763 drew a line along Appalachian Mountains
i. British forbade colonists to settle west of the line
ii. Meant to protect natives and fur-traders in the West
iii. Colonists were outraged!
C. Salutary Neglect - No strict enforcement of British law for 70 years
i. British Parliament did not interfere in the govt. of the colonies
ii. America existed in relative political isolation
iii. British Prime Minister Walpole believed relaxed trading restrictions stimulated commerce and
benefited England
iv. Colonial assemblies had the power to tax and pass laws
v. In 1763, the English govt. began tightening its control over American colonies
D. Taxes - British were deeply in debt and began collecting taxes from colonists to pay for the war
i. “No taxation without representation”
XXIII. Life in the Colonies
A. The Enlightenment led to advances in science
i. Scientific method introduced
ii. Newton and gravity
B. John Locke was a great English philosopher
i. Govt. duty was to protect life, liberty and property
ii. Social contract - citizens justified in overthrowing govt.
C. Baron de Montesquieu – branches of govt. should be divided (separation of powers)
D. Later Americans such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and James Madison
made vital contributions to Enlightenment traditions
E. The Great Awakening was a religious revival – materialism was replacing spiritual values
i. Jonathon Edwards emphasized personal relationship w/ God
ii. George Whitefield’s sermons got the spirit churning inside his followers
iii. United the colonies for the first time
iv. Created centers of learning – Princeton, Brown and Rutgers
F. FYI…
i. African American culture – religion was center of community
ii. Half the farmers in the colonies did not even own a plow
iii. Many households had few, if any, pots for cooking, guns or rifles and candles
iv. The most commonly owned tool on farms was the axe
v. Few colonists were self-sufficient in late 17th and early 18th centuries
vi. Few colonial families owned spinning wheels or looms, so most purchased their yarn or
clothing from merchants
vii. Cities had libraries, bookshops, theatres for plays and concerts and schools
viii. Neighborhood gatherings for music and dancing
ix. Communications mainly through newspapers and books
a. Postal service was improved by Benjamin Franklin
b. John Peter Zenger won a case to help secure freedom of the press