Chapter 7 Life in the New Nation Chapter 8 Growth of a national Economy

Chapter 7 Life in the New NationChapter 8 Growth of a national

Economy

With independence from G.B., Americans gained the right to determine their own destiny.

◦Mercy Otis WarrenHosted political meeting in her Plymouth home

Wrote several plays encouraging independence

Encouraged other women to take up scholarly interests

American Scholars and Artists

Benjamin Rush◦Doctor, Scientist, & Revolutionary◦Signed the Declaration of Independence

◦represented PA in the Continental Congress

◦Study and teachings of medicine in Philadelphia.

Benjamin Banneker◦Writer, inventor, mathematician, & astronomer

◦Published first almanac

Charles Willson Peale◦Skilled artist, soldier, PA representative, scientist, & inventor

Phillis Wheatley◦Enslaved as a child but was taught to read & write

◦Published poet

Self reliance, hard work, frugality, harmony, & sacrificing individual needs for the good of the community

Looked for women to set the standards◦Could teach these qualities to men◦Schools started educating females to

support the Republicans

Republican Virtues

1780- population 2.7 million 1830- population 12 million in 24 states About 90% came from births Average family had 5 kids Declined to 3 by 1870 High infant mortality rate

◦130 of every 1,000 births Median age was 17 in 1820

Social Changes

Women preferred a long period of getting acquainted with suitors before they committed to marry

Courtship◦Used by women to get to know a potential partner & to negotiate the terms of their future life together

For most women getting married was a matter of survival

Church membership declining in the 1790’s. States started cutting support

The Second Great Awakening Began in KY & TN & attracted a large

number of people

Religious renewal

Baptists◦Named for their beliefs about baptism

◦Only those who are old enough to understand Christian beliefs should be baptized

◦Baptism by dunking people completely under water

New Denominations

Methodists◦Grew out of the beliefs of British Minister

John Wesley◦Attracted followers because Focuses on the person’s relationship with

God Preachers were common folk

Spread their message through a system of traveling ministers called circuit riders

Held frequent & exciting camp meetings

Unitarians◦ believed that Jesus was a human messenger of God but not divine himself

◦God is a loving father, not a stern judge

Mormons◦Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith◦Foretold that God would soon restore a truer, simpler church, free of ministers

◦Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Millennialists◦William Miller determined that Jesus would

return to the world◦March 1843 Called the Advent or the Second Coming

Preached that only the people who knew of the Advent ahead of time & believed in it would be saved & go to heaven

Followers were called Millerites or Adventists Number between 50,000 & 100,000

U.S. need room to expand the trans-Appalachia area is where Americans settled in early 1800’s.

Crossing the Appalachians

Several main roads west From Northeast- Mohawk trail into west NY From Philadelphia- Forber’s Road to Pittsburgh

& then voyage west on the Ohio River From Baltimore- went to Pittsburgh on

Braddocks Road From Mid- Atlantic States- Cumberland Road or

National Road From South- Great Valley Road or Richmond

Road

Daniel Boone◦Employed to cut Wilderness Rd through the Cumberland Gap

◦1792- 75,000 pioneers settled in Kentucky

◦Became the 15th state

Diverse people settled in trans Appalachian◦ Young energetic generation crossed.

Settling the Wilderness

Americans already occupied Florida. Spain saw little hope of keeping Florida and

decided to get whatever it could in exchange for land.

Spain & the US agreed to control the Natives living within their borders & to prevent them from attacking each other’s territories

Expanding into Florida

January 1848- gold was discovered August- 4,000 gold crazed prospectors swarmed

the land Mostly unmarried men

◦ 10% were Chinese Impact on California

◦ Bad for Natives◦ Made them slaves in their mines

Gold Rush

Brought commercial prosperity to cities along the Pacific Coast

Mining towns usually had short lives Ghost towns Number 1 important in attracting settlers

to the West- Gold Strike of Sutter Mill

Plains Indians◦Nomadic◦Hunted bison◦The Impact of the horse◦Natives acquired them through trade & raids on Spanish settlements

◦Changed most about Native life

The Great Plains & The South West

Nature of warfare & the division of labor Some groups didn’t change their ways,

while for others the horse completely changed their way of living

Some nomadic groups developed into warrior cultures

Comanche drove the Apache & Navajo into Spanish New Mexico

Controlled the southern plains Agricultural natives suffered because they

were caught between settlers & nomadic groups

The Decline of Villages

Stephen Austin received permission from the Mexican government to fund a colony for hundred’s of families & east Texas◦By 1825 1,800 people moved there

Texas fights for Independence

Found fertile land for growing cotton Mexican policy promised cheap land,

protection of the Mexican government & a multiyear tax break if they settled in Mexico

1830 Americans outnumbered the Mexicans Government worried that they were losing

Texas through immigration◦Passed a law prohibiting further American

settlement & outlawed the importation of slaves

By 1835 30,000 Americans lived in Texas◦Demanded more political control

1833- Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna took power in Mexico (made himself dictator)◦More demand for self government

October 1835 start of the War for Independence◦Sam Houston was named Commander in Chief

Santa Anna led an army to put down the rebels

Battle of the Alamo◦Less than 200 Texans prepared to resist Santa Anna

◦Lasted 13 days◦Texans inflicted heavy casualties on 4,000 Mexicans

Morning March 6th, Mexican soldiers forced their way inside◦Ordered to take no prisoners180 Texans dead

March 2, 1836 Rebels declared TX independent

By the end of the month, seemed it was going to fall◦Santa Anna divided his force to finish off the rebels

April 21st the rebels surprised Santa Anna◦Rally cries of “Remember the Alamo”

Captured Santa Anna Forced him to sign the Treaty of Velasco &

recognized the republic of Texas Later renounced the Treaty but didn’t try

to retake Texas Elected Sam Houston President