I LOVE TAKS!!
8TH GRADE STYLE
Dates
1607 - Jamestown, first successful English colony
1776 - Declaration of Independence was written - it declared independence from Great Britain, written by
Thomas Jefferson
1787 - Second Continental Congress passes United States Constitution
1803 - Louisiana Purchase doubles size of United States, President Thomas Jefferson
1861-1865 - United States Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln
Colonialism 1607-1770s
Why did settlers come to America?
1. religious reasons – religious freedom, escape religious persecution
2. economic reasons – business, profit, joint stock companies
3. political reasons – to make their countries more powerful, European rivalries
New England - Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
Economic – fishing, relied on trade rather than farming b/c cool temperatures, short farming season
Political - Mayflower Compact (1620) – established representative government and majority rule; 1620 Pilgrims
landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts on the Mayflower, self-governing
Religious - Pilgrims wanted to separate from Church of England – Puritans wanted to purify Church of
England
Middle - New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey
Economic - trade, some farming
Political - Dutch, English, German
Social/Religious – religious freedom, Quakers were against war
South - Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland
Jamestown, VA (1607) - swampy location, many colonists died b/c of disease, 1 st English colony
Economic - plantation system, growth of slave trade, spread of slavery, profit on tobacco
Political - Virginia House of Burgesses (1619) – first form of representative government in America
Social - primary goal was to make money
In the South…warm climate + cash crops + plantations + the need for cheap labor = slavery
Atlantic Ocean borders east side of colonies while the Appalachian Mountains border west side of
colonies
American Revolution 1760s-late 1700s
Mercantilism - economic policy, colonies provide Great Britain with raw materials (cotton, wool, etc.) and
Great Britain would manufacture the products (make clothes) and ship product back to the
colonists for sale; Colonists could only trade w/ British not with French, Spanish, Dutch
French and Indian War (1763) – British and the colonists versus French and Indians
British won the war - gained control of trade in the English colonies & portions of Canada
Economic Policies following French and Indian War - cost British money and government went into
debt
Who should pay for the French and Indian War? – British government decided it should be the colonists in
America through TAXES!!
“NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!”
Proclamation of 1763 - colonists could not move west of the Appalachian Mountains
Sugar Act of 1764 - taxes on foods containing sugar
Stamp Act of 1765 - taxes on stamps which had to be posted on all types of documents
Boston Massacre (1770) - five colonists shot to death after protesting and heckling British soldiers
Boston Tea Party (1773) – group of Sons of Liberty dumped tea from British ships into harbor
Intolerable Acts (1774) – a series of laws enacted by Parliament to punish colonists for Boston Tea Party
Samuel Adams - founder of Sons of Liberty, organized Boston Tea Party
Benjamin Franklin – helped write Constitution and Dec. of Ind.; negotiated with France to become our
ally during American Revolution; was an important figure during Enlightenment
King George III - King of England before, during and after Am. Rev., refused representation of colonies
in Great Britain (Parliament)
Thomas Jefferson - wrote Declaration of Independence in 1776
Patrick Henry - “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” influential speech to rally American colonists to the
cause of independence from British – he believed freedom was worth dying for
Thomas Paine - wrote pamphlet Common Sense, ordinary people understood this writing, promoted
independence movement from Great Britain, attacked King George III, freedom of press united the colonists
George Washington - Commander-in-Chief for Continental Army during Am. Rev., President of 2nd
Continental Congress, 1st President of the U.S. – he believed foreign alliances should be avoided
Loyalists – supported the British during the war; Patriots – supported independence from Britain
John Paul Jones – first American naval commander; won the most famous sea battle during the war
Articles of Confederation – system of government after the Am. Rev.; created strong STATE
governments and a weak FEDERAL government
Strengths of the Articles - Northwest Ordinance 1787 - established principles and procedures for orderly
expansion of the U.S., creation of new states; new states equally treated compared to original states (representation)
Weaknesses of the Articles
Legislative Branch – CONGRESS had…
NO power to TAX or levy TAXES
NO regulation of trade
NO power to raise an ARMY (had to gain permission from states to send troops)
Required all 13 states to approve changes to the Articles
Executive Branch - NONE
NO President - did not want another King George III
Judicial Branch - NONE
NO Supreme Court
States could not settle disputes between each other
Battles of the American Revolution
Lexington and Concord (1775) - first battles of the American Revolution, “shot heard round the world” (Paul Revere) spread
the message that “The British are coming!”
Saratoga - colonists won battle, French convinced to enter the American Revolution on the side of the
colonists, French provided army/navy, Benjamin Franklin in France during Am. Rev. & helped to convince French to
become our ally
Yorktown (1781) - last major battle w/ British in Am. Rev., colonists won w/ aid of French army/navy
Treaty of Paris (1783) - end of Am. Rev., British signed peace treaty with America
Developing and Ratifying the Constitution 1787-1791
Why did we need the Constitution?
Articles of Confederation were weak + Shay’s Rebellion + desire for strong national gov’t
Historical Ideas Originated From:
Magna Carta (1215) - guaranteed basic rights such as trial by jury
English Bill of Rights - individuals have rights protected by the government
Philadelphia Convention of 1787 - delegates met together to rewrite the Articles of Confederation but
instead wrote the Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation (too many weaknesses)
Virginia Plan – proposed a government with three branches and a two-house legislature; and that large
states would receive more representatives than small states - based on population
New Jersey Plan – proposed a one-house legislature and that small states would receive the same number
of representatives as large states
Great Compromise – two-house legislature (House and Senate); combined VA and NJ Plan; Senate based
on 2 representatives per state; House of Representatives based on a state’s population
Federalists - supported ratification of U.S. Constitution, emphasized federal power rather than state power
Anti-Federalists - did not support ratification of the Constitution, wanted a Bill of Rights to be included,
emphasized state power rather than federal power
Federalist Papers - supported ratification (passing) the U.S. Constitution; authors - Alexander Hamilton,
James Madison, John Jay
Alexander Hamilton - believed in free enterprise system -market (consumers) decide prices, proposed a
national bank to regulate currency (money) – wanted a strong federal gov’t - Federalist
Constitution
THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
1. Legislative - Congress, Bicameral (2 houses), makes laws
A. Senate - each state elects 2; total = 100
B. House of Representatives - decided by population of the state, large states receive more reps
than small states, total = 435
2. Judicial (Judiciary) - Supreme Court, interprets laws
3. Executive - President, enforces laws
3/5 Compromise - slaves counted as 3/5 of a person for representative purposes - compromise between the
North and South to get the South to accept and sign the Constitution
Limited government - government does not have total control over its citizens
Republicanism - election of representatives by the people to represent the people
Checks and Balances - each branch (legislative, judicial, executive) has separate powers but checks on
each other; Example - President (executive branch) nominates Supreme Court justices while the
Senate (legislative branch) confirms nomination
Federalism - three levels of government - federal, state, and local; all work together but have different
responsibilities; Example - Law enforcement - FBI (federal), Highway Patrol (state), Police (local)
Separation of Powers - three branches of government have separate powers
Popular Sovereignty - people hold final authority over government – “we the people”
Individual Rights – it is the job of the government to protect the rights of citizens
Unalienable Rights - LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS – rights that cannot be taken away by
the government
Amending (Adding to) Constitution - proposed by Congress with 2/3 vote in both houses (Senate and House of
Representatives) or ratified by legislatures of ¾ of states
Bill of Rights
1st Amendment – Freedom of…
Speech
Religion
Assembly
Petition
Press
Other Amendments in Bill of Rights (must recognize as a part of the Bill of Rights)
2nd - right to bear arms
3rd - no quartering (housing) troops
4th - no illegal search and seizure, must obtain warrant
5t h - due process of law - indictment (officially charged w/ crime), no double jeopardy (cannot be tried for
the same crime twice), cannot be forced to testify when testimony incriminates self (telling on
yourself gets you in trouble)
6th - trial by jury – criminal; right to a speedy, public trial
7th - trial by jury - civil (involving money rather than jail)
8th - no cruel or unusual punishment
9th - people have other rights not listed in Constitution
10th - states have other rights not listed in Constitution
Opposition to the Constitution by Anti-Federalist because there was no Bill of Rights at first
Early Republic - Washington and Adams 1789-1800
Federalists (federal government power) vs. Democratic-Republicans (state government power)
Washington’s Farewell Address - foreign alliances are a threat and should be avoided; we should not be in
the business of other nations
John Adams – 2nd President of the U.S.
Northwest Ordiance – system for creating new states from western territories
Jeffersonian Democracy and Democratic Republicans 1800-1824
Thomas Jefferson – 3rd President of the U.S. – wrote Dec. of Ind. – opposed Hamilton – against big government
Louisiana Purchase (1803) - doubled size of United States, access to Mississippi River (New Orleans –
port city), increase in trade and communication
Lewis and Clark – main explorers of Louisiana Purchase
Marbury v. Madison (1803) - established judicial review, Supreme Court can decide if law is constitutional
or unconstitutional
War of 1812 - Great Britain vs. United States
British impressing (kidnapping) U.S. sailors and interfering with trade
British guns still in Ohio River Valley
War was a draw until Battle of New Orleans - Gen. Andrew Jackson defeated the British - created
a sense of nationalism
British removed guns from U.S. soil and stopped impressing sailors
Monroe Doctrine (1823) - President James Monroe implemented policy, U.S. would not allow new
European colonization of the Western hemisphere
New Orleans – important trade center on the Mississippi River
Era of Good Feelings – followed the War of 1812 – characterized by increased nationalism and patriotism
Industrialization and Inventions 1800-1844
Led to an increase in dependence on slavery in South (plantation system) and an increase of
production in North (factory system)
Industrial Revolution – factory machines replaced hand tools and manufacturing replaced farming as the
main form of work; another change was people moving from the country to the city
Efficient production (faster/cheaper way to produce product)
Eli Whitney - invented cotton gin and interchangeable parts; cotton became main crop of the South
Interchangeable Parts - increase in efficiency for replacing machine parts, saved time and money
McCormick Reaper - increased agricultural production
Robert Fulton – invented steamboat, used with canal and river trade – transportation on rivers more efficient
Samuel Morse – invented telegraph, increased communication
Lowell Mills - mostly single women worked in first factories, lived and worked on site of factory, usually
textile mills (clothing)
Factories in mid-1800s - employed mostly immigrants (Irish)
Railroads become more important as population increases
Jacksonian Democracy 1824-1840
Andrew Jackson elected as President in 1828 and 1832; brought forth the idea of spreading political
power to all the people and ensuring majority rule; claimed to represent the “common man”
Tariff of Abominations (1828) - tax on raw materials and manufactured goods; Southerners disagreed
with the tariff (tax) because it hurt their economy
Nullification Crisis of 1832 - South Carolina tried to nullify (reject a federal law they believed to be
unconstitutional) the Tariff
Jackson (representing federal gov’t) told South Carolina (the state) that they could NOT nullify the law;
there was a compromise reached in Congress - Henry Clay and Daniel Webster helped to write a
compromise tariff
Sectionalism – loyalty to the interests of your own region or section of the country, rather than to the
nation as a whole…conflict between the North/South over states rights and slavery in the territories
Indian Removal Act of 1830 - opened Native American lands to westward expansion by moving Native
Americans; eventually led to the Trail of Tears-removal of Native Americans to present-day Oklahoma
Manifest Destiny
What led to westward expansion?
1. Industrial Revolution
2. spread of cotton farming
3. advances in transportation
Manifest Destiny was the belief that the U.S. was destined to stretch across the continent from the Atlantic
Ocean to the Pacific Ocean; it was the westward growth of the nation starting with the Louisiana
Purchase (1803) but increased with land acquisition through the 1840s and the removal of the Native American
population
Mexican War (1846-1848) – fought because of the annexation of Texas; development of present-day California,
Nevada, and Utah; much of southwestern U.S. acquired as a result of this war
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo – Mexico recognized that Texas was part of the U.S.; Mexico also gave up
a region called the Mexican Cession which included many current states out West
California was populated by the promise of GOLD
Immigration increased population of United States because of the potato famine in Ireland
Mormons - settled in Salt Lake City, Utah
Oregon Trail/Santa Fe Trail – two of the main trails that led settlers out West
What were the consequences of westward expansion?
1. Indian Removal Act
2. Mexican War
3. U.S. acquired more land
Social History of 1840s
Elizabeth Cady Stanton - led women’s movement towards equality and suffrage (right to vote)
Temperance movement - no sale or drinking of alcohol
Sojourner Truth - ex-slave who wrote about the freeing of slaves and the rights of women
Horace Mann - father of public education
Harriet Beecher Stowe - wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin - discussed the horrors of slavery, enraged the
South
Quakers – made important contributions to reform movements
Slavery in the South 1800s
Missouri Compromise (1820) – a series of laws enacted to maintain the balance of power between slave
states and free states
Southerners based agricultural economy on slavery - produced mostly cotton
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 - Northern/Southern officials could arrest runaway slaves in states without
slavery, abolitionists (those against slavery) against this Act
Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) - Supreme Court decision allowed slavery to be extended into territories and
new states, Northern states disagreed with this decision
Compromise of 1850 – admitted California as a free state but also passed the Fugitive Slave Act
Civil War (1861-1865)
Union (Blue) versus Confederacy (Gray)
United States of America versus the Confederate States of America
North versus South
Southern states seceded (withdrew) from the United States over the issues of states rights and slavery
Disadvantages of South during the war: small navy, few railroads, lack of industry
Civil War Battles
Fort Sumter - first battle of the Civil War, Confederates won
Gettysburg - only major battle fought in the North (Pennsylvania), Confederate army was defeated and
never entered Northern territory for remainder of Civil War
Vicksburg - General Grant defeated the Confederates, Union gained control of Mississippi River, split the
Confederacy in half
Appomattox Court House - General Robert E. Lee (Confederate) surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant (Union), April 9, 1865,
Civil War was over
Important People from the Civil War
Abraham Lincoln - President of the United States of America during Civil War
Jefferson Davis - President of the Confederate States of America during Civil War
Robert E. Lee - Commander of military forces of the Confederate States of America, surrendered at
Appomattox Court House
Ulysses S. Grant - Commander of military forces of the United States of America (Union), accepted
Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House
Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address (when Lincoln became President for his first term) - upheld the power
of the federal government, secession of states was illegal
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address (when Lincoln became President for his second term) – he declared
that he would not punish the South at the end of the Civil War
Lincoln’s Assassination - shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C.,
April 14, 1865
Emancipation Proclamation (1863) – issued by Lincoln; freed all slaves in Confederate territory
Gettysburg Address – given by Lincoln, emphasized democracy and “we the people”.
Amendments passed as result of Civil War
13th - set slaves free
14th - gave citizenship to ex-slaves and free Blacks
15th - gave right to vote to Black men
PRIMARY SOURCE – a first-hand account of something that happened from somebody who witnessed it