UNITED STATES HISTORY

I. COLONIAL PERIOD
A. EARLY EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY
- In the year 1000, a group of Vikings from Iceland, with Leif Ericson as their leader, sailed to the
continent of North America. They named the place upon which they landed Vinland.
- As can be seen, at first the Europeans were mostly attracted to the New World by the hope of
acquiring wealth.
-The territorial claims of these European sovereigns could only be enforced by placing settlements of
Europeans on the lands. Later, Spanish priests wanted to convert the natives of the region to
Christianity.
B. ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS
- The first English colony established in the Americas was at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. This
colony was financed by a London company which hoped to make money off the settlement. This goal
was never achieved.
- In the northeastern section of what is now the United States, many colonies were founded by
English Puritans. These settlers disagreed with the Church of England, which they said had accepted
too many Romn Catholic practices.
C. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COLONIAL ERA
- Most foreigners looking at America would say that it is made up of not just one culture but of a
mixture of cultures. During the colonial period, this mixture of contrasting cultures was beginning to
take shape.
- Although most farmers in the northern and middle Atlantic states worked on small farms, in the
southern colonies of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, many landowners had huge
plantations of Tabaco, rice, and cotton.
- The Peace of Pars was signed in 1763, giving England power over Canad and all of North
America east of the Mississippi River except for Louisiana.
- In 1765, representatives from nine colonies met as the "Stamp Act Congress and argued against the
new taxes. They called it "taxation without representation
QUESTIONS:
1.

Who were the first explorers of America?

The Vikings.
2.

What were the three main reasons Europeans started colonies?

Wealth, religious conversion or political, and religious freedom.

3.

Why did England try to control the colonies after the French and Indian War?

Because England become involved in a conflict with the American colonies. In order to prevent the
colonists from fighting with the native Indians, England issued a proclamation prohibiting the colonists
to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains.

2. REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD
QUESTIONS:
1.

What did the two Continental Congresses try to achieve?

They wanted the Declaration of Independence, which finally began on July 4, 1776, and the colonies
were declared to be free and independent from England. It also set forth the idea behind the
revolution, that men have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness;" that governments can
only rule with the consent of the governed; that any government should be dissolved when it fails to
protect the rights of the people.
2.

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence and what did it state?

Thomas Jefferson, it declared the colonists free and independent from England.
3. DEVISING A CONSTITUTION
- Although the thirteen colonies were now "free and independent states," they were under a
government of the Articles of Confederation, a constitution that set up a very weak central
government.
- There was no federal judiciary and no executive authority. Each individual state was virtually
independent. Each state could even make its own tax laws.
- In May 1787, a convention was held to revise the Articles of Confederation.
- This Constitution established a stronger central, or federal government, which had the power to
collect taxes, regulate international relations, carry out foreign trade and commerce, and set up an
army and a navy.
-The most important fact of all was that it established the principle of a "balance of power" to be
maintained among the three branches of government, the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.
- This Constitution was accepted in 1788 only after much debate and discussion.
- Thus, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights established a balance between two basic aspects of
American politics - the necessity of a strong, effective central government, and the necessity of
preserving the liberty of the individual.
QUESTIONS:
1.
Explain the system of checks and balances as set up by the Constitution of the United
States.
BRANCHES OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
a) Legislative: congress make laws, 435 members House of Representatives: must be 25
years old, must be citizen for 7 years, house can purpose tax laws. 100 members: Senate:
must be 30 years old, must be citizen for 9 years, senators serve a six-year term, senate can
approve presidential appointments.
b) Executive: president, vice-president and cabinet: enforces laws: must be 35 years old, must
be a US citizen by birth, must be a US resident for 14 years, president nominates judgments to
supreme court.
c) Judicial: supreme and federal court: interprets laws: serve for life; chief justice of the
Supreme Court presides over the impeachment trial of the president.
2.

How does each of the branches check the power of the other two?

Each branch was provided with the independent means of exorcising checks on and balancing the
activities of the others, thus insuring that no branch obtain dictatorial authority over the functioning of
the government.

4. THE NEW NATION

- The first president of the United States, George Washington, governed in a Federalist manner, that
is, he stressed the power of the president and the central government. For example, when
Pennsylvania farmers refused to pay a federal liquor tax, Washington sent an army of 15,000 men to
put down this "Whiskey Rebellion."
-The next president, John Adams, was elected in 1797, and he, too, was a Federalist. He involved
the nation in an undeclared naval war with France, and in this atmosphere of war, a Federalistcontrolled Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798.
-When Thomas Jefferson was elected president in 1801, the Alien and Sedition Acts were ended.
Since he was a Republican, Jefferson was informal and accessible as an executive. But, although he
wanted to limit the power of the president, certain political events forced him to use the executive
power to its full extent.
-This tendency towards a strong central government was broken when Andrew Jackson, from a
poor family in the West, became president in 1828. Jackson, with his new Democratic party,
encouraged popular democracy, appealing to the poorer members of society - farmers, and laborers.
QUESTIONS:
1.
Give examples of a strong central government, as un-der the presidencies of George
Washington and John Adams.
2.
How were suspicious foreigners treated during the presidency of John Adams? What did
Thomas Jefferson think of the Alien and Sedition Acts? Why do you think Jefferson opposed
the Acts?
-They had to deal with the deportation or arrest because they were seen as dangerous aliens.
- Because he was a Republican. Besides, Jefferson was informal and accessible as an executive.
But, although he wanted lo limit the power of the president, certain political events forced him to use
the executive power to its full extent.
3.
What are some examples of a strong government of the people, as under Andrew
Jackson in contrast to a strong central government?
- He had a Democratic party, encouraged popular democracy, appealing to the poorer members of
society - farmers, mechanics, and laborers. The other presidents took advantage of the poor people
in order to get more benefits.
- Jackson came from a poor family and he was Democratic, the other ones were Federalists and
Republican.
- Jackson took away the power of the Bank of the United States, which had dominated the economy
of the nation.
5. SECTIONAL CONFLICT
In this period a serious social evil was developing around the US. It was the system of slavery. A part
of the declaration of independence said that all men are created equal but it didnt have meaning for
the 1.5 black people who were slave on plantations. The northern gradually abolish slavery and
importation of slaves was outlawed in 1808. In the southern the economy was based on plantations
were slaves worked to grow cotton, rice tobacco and sugar.
Diet and Nutrition: corn was the principle food followed by rice, pork sweet potatoes

Shelter: families lived one room cabins of longs, boards and were about 20 feet square, were
unpainted and had dirty floors.
Clothing: most slaves received 2-3 pants per year and didnt have any shoes, in winter they didnt
have enough clothes to keep warm
Kinds of Labor: not all salves work on field, children, and old slaves did lighter work like spinning
wool or cotton, some favored slaves worked as servants
Working Hours: it depended of the season, type of work and place, some go off early in the
afternoon, and southern work from morning to night during the growing season
Slave sales and family stability: Slaves sale broke slaves families, 10-30 percent of slaves
marriages were broken up, even children were sold away from their parents
Punishment and resistance: beatings were common and werent looked cruel, they were few largescale revolts of slaves, everyday protests were common
State laws controlled slavery within each state: congress didnt have the power to pass laws
about slavery, but federal government regulates slave trade between other countries. State cities
passed laws about what a slave cannot do.
6 ABOLITIONISTS
- When the congress was trying to make compromises to keep the voting balance equal there began
a political movement called abolitionism, they were small and try to free slaves and to end slaves
trades from 1820 to 1850. They used 3 tactics
1. In the government: abolitionists worked to get laws against slavery, the congress couldnt end
slavery but could end slavery trade between states and other countries. Tactics: they collected
names on petitions that asked congress or state to pass the laws they wanted. They worked to elect
lawmakers who agreed with their goals. They talked directly to lawmakers urging to pass wanted
laws.
2. Among the people: they held meetings sometimes in churches and explained why slavery should
be abolished. They printed newspaper and books describing the evil of slavery.
3. Direct action: many abolitionists helped free slaves directly, some bought slaves and free them.
The most common was to help slaves to escape by a secret system of routes called the Underground
Railroad. They traveled at night and used the stars to guide their way.
- Antislavery groups got most members from the North, but some southerners also joined. The most
important black leader was Frederick Douglas, he was a slave and he became a great speaker. As
for white leaders the Grimke sisters Angelina and Sarah, they were the first two women to speak in
men groups, they received criticism because it was shocking for women to speak in public.
7. EVENTS PRIOR TO THE CIVIL WAR
UNCLES TOM CABIN

Uncle Toms Cabin is a novel, which showed the stark reality of slavery and is generally
regarded as one of the major causes of the Civil War.
The novel was written in 1852 by American author Harriet Stowe, she was a teacher and a
dedicated abolitionist, who was once greeted by Abraham Lincoln as the little lady who started
a war.
The climax of the book is when an escaping slave, Eliza, tries to get across the frozen water
on Ohio.
The hero is Uncle Tom, a slave who tries to live up to the Christian ideal of turning the other
cheek to his enemies.
Southerners disliked this novel because it described the condition of the slaves in the South.
Northerners became more aware of the system of slavery due to the book.

THE SUMNER-BROOKS AFFAIR

In May 1856, ardent abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts delivered a twoday speech named The Crime Against Kansas.
Sumner described Senator Butler as having a mistress, slavery, which was polluted in the
sight of the world.
Several days later, Preston Brooks, attacked Sumner with a cane while he was seated at his
desk in the Senate chamber.
As a mark of how deep the divide was between the two sections, Bully Brooks became an
instant hero in the South.
In the other hand, Sumner was lauded as a near martyr in the North. Massachusetts reelected him while he was still unable to take his seat in the Senate.

THE DRED SCOTT CASE

Dred Scott was a slave who sought his freedom through the American legal system.
This slave sued his owner because he said since he lived in free territory he should be free, so
in 1857, the case reached the United States Supreme Court.
The 1857 decision by the United States Supreme Court in the Dred Scott case denied his
plea, determining that the termn no Negro the term then used to describe anyone with
African blood, was or could ever be a citizen.
The Dred Scott case became a rallying point for them and contributed to the election of
Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860.

JOHN BROWNS RAID

-

John Brown was a white abolitionist who was a radical.

He planned to take over a fort in Virginia, and give guns to slaves.
He wanted the slaves gain their freedom but his plain failed.
Brown was consider an evil man by the Southerners.
Northerners considered him a martyr.

THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES

-

The questions of slavery was presented in the congressional elections as well as in those for
president.
The main issue discussed in all seven debates was slavery.
Douglas said each state should continue to have the right to decide whether to have slavery or
not, whereas Lincoln said slavery should be outlawed in new territories.
White Southerners were afraid of Lincoln and his party.

8. THE CIVIL WAR

- Lincoln lost the election of senator, but in 1860 he won the presidential election against Douglas.
- 11 Southern states proclaimed themselves a separate nation The Confederate states of America
- They declared they were not fighting a war to persevere the system of slavery, but they were fighting
for their independence, too.
- Northerners outnumbered the Southerners in forces and they had a better industrial system to
support the war.
- By 1863, Lincoln issued The Emancipation Proclamation granting freedom to all slaves.
- The Southern was defeated and the Union forces then controlled the entire Mississippi valley,
dividing the Confederacy in two.
- On April 14, Lincoln was assassinated by the actor John W. Booth, a sympathizer with the Southern
cause, killed Lincoln.

What advantages did the South have in the civil war?

They had the advantage of fighting on their own territory, and they had good soldiers and cavalrymen.
What advantages did the North have?
They had better industrial system to support the war.
What were the goals of the civil war?
-Reunite the North and the South in order to keep the U.S. as one country.
-End the system of slavery.
- True freedom for blacks.
Were these goals reached?
Yes, because the war solved basic problems: slavery was abolished once for all, and America
became once again a single nation.
Also, the secondary goal of the war true freedom for blacks, was only imperfectly achieved.
9. RECONSTRUCTION.
- The defeat of the confederacy of Southern states and the Sothern aristocracy was reduced to
poverty.
-The legal abolition of slavery didnt mean that blacks had civil rights.
- After the civil war, Southern states legislatures refused to allow black to vote, and they passed laws
restricting the freedom of former slaves.
- By 1870, Southern states were being governed by blacks, cooperative whites, and some
Northerners.
- A secret society of whites was formed, KU KLUX KLAM, which sought to protect white interests
through terror and violence.
- Reconstruction ended in 1877, once new constitutions had been ratified and once all Union troops
had been removed from the South.
- By the end of the 19th century, 1896, The Supreme Court ruled that separate facilities were
constitutional for blacks and whites, as long as these services were equal.
1. To what extent were blacks equal to whites after Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation?
In spite of constitutional guarantees, Southern blacks were still subordinated to whites although
blacks had some civil rights in few Sothern states. However, in most cases, racial segregation existed
in schools, hospitals, and all other public places.
2. What happened to lack civil rights by the end of the 19 th century?
Although blacks were legally free, they continued to live and be treated almost slaves. Blacks who
had been accused of small crimes were sentenced to hard labor, and many were hunted and killed by
white mobs.