DISCOVERY OF AMERICA TO 1763: THE AMERICAN COLONIES

1. DISCOVERY OF AMERICA TO 1763: THE AMERICAN COLONIES

2. What were some of the common characteristics of the natives when Columbus and subsequent Europeans arrived in the Americas? It is very hard to say because pre-Columbian America was such a diverse set of cultures, languages, and tribes. Thus, the political and linguistic differences of natives HURT their ability to unite in opposition to the Europeans.

3. What was the Columbian Exchange? It was the movement of plants and animals and foods between Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America and South America after 1492, when Columbus discovered the continent.

4. What was the Great Awakening and its significance? The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals which occurred in the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. The movement led to increased church attendance, the founding of American universities like Brown, and, some scholars think, a decline in respect for traditional authority, specifically England.

5. What was the Halfway Covenant and its significance? The Halfway Covenant was adopted in 1662 by the Puritans, in response to declining church attendance. It allowed for the baptism of children of baptized, but unconverted Puritans, in an attempt to shore up church membership. It signaled, to a degree, the beginning of Puritan decline.

6. What was the effect of indentured labor used in the colonial period? Indentured servants had their transportation to the New World paid for, and in return they agreed to work for a period of time (2-7 years) under contract. Indentured servitude enabled poor people to seek opportunity in America.

7. Why were Harvard and Yale founded? Harvard was the first university founded in America. It was established in 1636 and its stated goal was to train ministers in the Christian religion. Yale and other universities were founded for similar reasons.

8. Settling the colonies - what was the purpose? • New England - religious freedom and Puritan example • Middle – most were royal charters or proprietorships and thus were to make money • Southern – were royal charters or joint stock companies – also to make money

9. Describe the status of women in the colonial era. Generally they were not equal to men. They lost control of their property, for example, upon marrying. Still, they were probably as free, if not more so, than anywhere else in the western world in the 18th century.

10. Describe the status of slavery in the American colonies. It existed in ALL thirteen colonies, although it became more important in the south. Slavery did not increase rapidly until after 1650 and on into the 18th century. Before then, colonists primarily relied on indentured servitude to solve labor shortage problems.

11. What did settlers in Virginia and Massachusetts have in common in the 17th century? To some extent both colonies were supposed to make a profit for the investors, although this was perhaps more true for Virginia than Massachusetts. They also had continuing conflicts with Native Americans, high mortality rates, problems with starvation, and disease.

12. What was the Puritan idea of the covenant? God/Church and Government/Governed? Puritans believed that there was a covenant between themselves and God. If they obeyed Him and His laws, they would be rewarded and prosper. Similarly, they thought that was a covenant between the governed and their government. The governed had a responsibility to obey the government, while the government had a responsibility to care for its citizens or community.

13. Why did religious toleration develop in the American colonies? Partly it developed as a result of the Great Awakening, which resulted in the strengthening of several new denominations in the colonies. But, religious toleration also developed because no single group or church could dominate throughout the thirteen colonies.

14. Describe political theory in the colonies and what did it have to do with the concept of “deference” and aristocracy, democracy and monarchy? The colonists thought the ideal government was a mixture which contained elements of aristocracy, democracy, and monarchy. They glue that held this all together, they believed, was popular sovereignty, or the idea that the people had the final authority or say in all matters.

15. What was the major purpose of England’s mercantilist policy towards the colonies? Mercantilism was the economic philosophy that colonies should provide the mother country with raw materials and a market for surplus products. Thus, the purpose of the American colonies was TO INCREASE ENGLAND’S PROSPERITY.

16. What was salutary neglect and what was its impact in the colonies? Salutary neglect was the English “policy” of winking at colonial smuggling and bribery to acquire needed products from countries other than England. When England cracked down on this after 1763 colonists were angry, upset.

17. THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA

18. What were the results of the French and Indian War? The French and Indian War may be the most consequential war in American history. Its results included the following: 1. France lost Canada and virtually all her North American holdings. 2. Great Britain incurred high war costs and consequently, more debt. 3. Great Britain saw a need to tighten its administrative system in the Empire. 4. Great Britain was going to take a greater role in the American colonies and even declared it would reinvigorate its mercantile system.

19. What was the Proclamation of 1763? The Proclamation of 1763 set a boundary along the crest of the Appalachian Mountains beyond which the English colonists (e.g. Americans) were forbidden to settle. It was an attempt by Parliament to forestall problems with Native-Americans and the colonists. It failed, as the colonists were upset over the prohibition and moved west anyway.

20. Why was the Stamp Act crisis so important? What was the primary purpose of the Stamp Act? The primary purpose of the Stamp Act was to raise revenues to support the stationing of British troops in North America. Patriot leaders felt the act denied them their British birthrights. The Stamp Act crisis was the first of a series of crises between England and its colonies that eventually led to war.

21. Define virtual representation and “no taxation without representation”. Virtual Representation was the idea that Parliament represented all people in the empire, whether or not they had specific representatives was irrelevant. “No taxation” was the cry of colonists after the Stamp Act that only their colonial assemblies should be able to tax them, since they had no representatives in Parliament.

22. Describe the violence used in the Boston Tea Party, Shay’s Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion? Generally, the violence was directed at “outsiders”, or those who represented the distant authority of England. Later the distant authority, of course, was the new central government under the new Constitution.

23. Declaration of Independence – what it accomplished • It appealed to the philosophy of natural rights • It appealed to the sympathies of the English people • It contained the phrase “all men are created equal” • It accused George III of tyranny

24. Why did the Americans seek foreign help during the War for Independence? Because they were losing the war. Washington endured several losses in and around New York during 1776 and even though he won important battles at Trenton and Princeton, Patriots believed French military and financial assistance was crucial to winning the war. They signed a treaty with France in 1778 which remained in effect until 1800.

25. What single factor contributed the most to American victory in the War for Independence? Quite simply, the military and financial aid that France provided after the Battle of Saratoga. You could argue that George Washington was perhaps as important to American success, but French aid was most crucial. After what battle did the French decide to recognize the United States and go to war with Britain? SARATOGA!

26. What battle convinced the British government to commence peace negotiations with the United States? YORKTOWN!

27. Preamble to the Declaration of Independence – what’s in it? • Governments exist to protect rights of citizens • When a government is oppressive, then people have the right to revolt • The government is the servant to the people, not the master • Governments are based on the consent of the people

28. Where did the founding generation locate sovereignty? How did they divide it when they wrote the U.S. Constitution? The founding fathers broke new ground when they located sovereignty in the PEOPLE. They divided sovereignty between the Federal government and state government (the term for this is FEDERALISM).

29. What was the principal reason for drafting the Bill of Rights? In order to get the Constitution ratified James Madison promised various anti-Federalists that he would press for a Bill of Rights in the first Congress. Madison wrote the Bill of Rights to protect rights that were not specified in the Constitution.

30. How many amendments are included in the Bill of Rights? TEN!

31. What was the attitude of the Founding Fathers toward political parties? The founding generation thought that parties were vehicles of ambition and selfish interests. They thought that parties threatened the very existence of republican government in the new United States of America.

32. What were the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions and what was their significance? Written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts (1798), these resolutions claimed that the authority of state governments included the power to decide whether or not an act of Congress was unconstitutional.

33. List some of the acts of the First U.S. Congress. To make the new government viable, the U.S. Congress: 1. Organized a federal court system under the Supreme Court. 2. Drafted a Bill of Rights and sent them to the states for ratification. 3. Passed a tariff for the purposes of raising revenue and protecting infant American industries. 4. Established four Departments, Justice, State, Treasury, and War, to assist and advise the president.

34. Why did Jefferson want to purchase Louisiana from France? Jefferson was concerned about Napoleon’s ambitions in America. Originally, Jefferson only wanted New Orleans as a port to provide an outlet for western crops. But, when offered all of Louisiana, Jefferson hoped to create or preserve an agricultural society by making abundant lands available to future generations. Hence, Jefferson thought in purchasing Louisiana he was creating an “Empire for Liberty” on the American continent.

35. Why did the British continue to hold forts in the U.S. after 1783? This actually became one of the causes of the War of 1812. They continued to hold forts in North America because the United States, after the War for Independence, violated treaty clauses dealing with restoration of Loyalist property.

36. Why was the election of 1800 “another revolution”? The election of 1796 was important in that George Washington surrendered power VOLUNTARILY to John Adams. But, they were of similar political persuasions. In the election of 1800, however, there was a PEACEFUL transfer of power from one political party (John Adams and the Federalists) to another (Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans).

37. What did Jefferson mean when he said “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists” in his first inaugural address? Jefferson was probably trying to be generous to his political opponents. He also was asserting that the principles of American self-government were above party politics. It was an attempt at conciliation.

38. What was George Washington’s neutrality proclamation, when was it issued, and why was it issued? George Washington issued this Neutrality Proclamation in 1793 in response to French diplomatic overtures to invoke the Franco-American Alliance of 1778 due to war between Britain and France.

39. Which of the following is actually a part of the U.S. Constitution? 1. Political Parties 2. A Presidential Cabinet 3. Direct election of senators 4. Electoral College to select the president 5. Two-Term presidential limit See next slide!

40. Which of the following is actually a part of the U.S. Constitution? 1. Political Parties 2. A Presidential Cabinet 3. Direct election of senators 4. Electoral College to select the president 5. Two-Term presidential limit

41. What was the significance of Marbury v. Madison, Gibbons v. Ogden, McCulloch v. Maryland, and Dartmouth College v. Woodward? Marbury v. Madison – Supreme Court can review Congressional enactments (e.g.JUDICIAL REVIEW) Gibbons v. Ogden – Only Congress, not the states, may regulate interstate commerce. McCulloch v. Maryland – A state may not tax a federal institution. Dartmouth v. Woodward – Contracts are sacred. All these decisions ENHANCED the power of the federal government at the expense of the states. They were made by John Marshall, who was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for 34 years and a staunch nationalist in a Jeffersonian era.

42. Describe Alexander Hamilton’s financial program and the opposition it engendered. HAMILTON’S PROGRAM: 1. Fund the national debt at par. 2. Excise Tax on Whiskey, or distilled liquor. 3. Establish a Bank of the United States (B.U.S.) 4. Federal Government will assume the debts of the states. All of this was very controversial and led to the establishment of the first political parties in America, the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

43. What was the greatest achievement of the Articles of Confederation? Historians think the greatest achievement of the Articles of Confederation was to provide for the orderly settlement of the western territories. This was done through two laws, the Land Ordinance of 1785, and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

44. What were the opponents of the ratification of the Constitution called? 1. Federalists 2. Anti-Federalists 3. Which is it? 4. Anti-Federalists!

45. Explain the rise and development of political parties in the new nation Political parties developed in response to Alexander Hamilton’s financial program. Differing ideologies and viewpoints accented by disagreements over the establishment of a national bank, the payment of the foreign, national, and state debts, foreign policies, and the Alien and Sedition Acts, all led to the rise of political parties in the 1790s.

46. Define loose v. strict interpretation of the Constitution. Strict Interpretation – Proposed by Jefferson. If the Constitution does not allow it, then it is prohibited by the federal government and the power reverts to the states (see 10th Amendment). Loose Interpretation – Proposed by Hamilton. If the Constitution does not forbid it, it is allowed (see elastic clause). These interpretations arose over Hamilton’s proposal to create a Bank of the United States. Letters written by Hamilton and Jefferson to Washington outlined the above views.

47. Which of the following is NOT true about George Washington? 1. He was General of the Continental Army during the War for Independence. 2. He was president of the Constitutional Convention. 3. He was a Federalist and a supporter of Hamilton’s financial program 4. Silly Goose! All of the above are true!

48. Which of the following is NOT true about Thomas Jefferson? 1. He was the architect and founder of the University of Virginia. 2. He was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. 3. He authorized the purchase of Louisiana in 1803. 4. Silly Goose! All of the above are true!

49. THE AGE OF NATIONALISM AND JACKSON

50. How did the election of James Monroe reflect nationalist sentiment/felling in America? Monroe ran as a Democratic – Republican, which was the only political party in existence after the War of 1812. Federalists, remember, were viewed as disloyal and no longer existed.