CRASH COURSE IN EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY
CRASH COURSE IN
EARLY AMERICAN HISTORY
25,000-12,000 B.C.
Estimated date when people migrated to
inhabit North America
Debated if they crossed over land bridge near
Alaska from Asia
Some think they arrived by sea from the
Pacific Islands
Both?
1000 AD
Leif Erikson, the Viking,
lands in Newfoundland
Several attempts to
establish a permanent
settlement failed
*
1492
Christopher Columbus lands in the Bahamas
From Italy but convinced Spain to send him to
find route to the Indies (spice islands)
Never found treasure, enslaved natives, own
men didn’t like him
1500S
Lots of explorers check out Florida, the
Southwest, the Californian coast
Native slaves and African slave trade gets
underway
*
CRASH COURSE CLIP
1607
John Smith establishes Jamestown as the
first permanent British settlement on
American soil
(Virginia)
*
1619
House of Burgesses meets in Jamestown
First representative government in the New
World
Various settlements around the area had elected
representatives that met and made laws for the
settlers
Why is this important to
American history?
PRIMARY SOURCE WORK
Pocahontas myth
Disney Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q1QF8G
47oU
1620
Mayflower lands in Massachusetts “Pilgrims” separated from
the Church of England because it was still too Catholic...got kicked out/left to start own colony
Mayflower Compact Signed on ship. People
agreed to obey laws agreed upon Why is this important to U.S.
history?
QUOTE FROM MAYFLOWER COMPACT
“...to enact, constitute, and frame, such just
and equal laws, ordinances, acts,
constitutions, and offices, from time to time,
as shall be thought most meet and
convenient for the general good of the
colony; unto which we promise all due
submission and obedience.”
INITIAL REASONS FOR COLONIZATION
Virginia – gold/resources
Massachusetts – religious freedom (pilgrims/puritans)
Pennsylvania – relig. freed.(quakers)
Maryland – relig. freed(Catholics)
Carolinas – profit from farming
Georgia – debtors haven
1754-1763
French and Indian War
*
French b/c: Britain trying
to get French out of
N.America
Indian b/c: there were
allied tribes helping
British win....gain lots of
territory
1770 – ROAD TO REVOLUTION
Boston Massacre
British had soldiers in the
colonies, they weren’t
paid well, tried to find
work, colonists didn’t like
this
Fight broke out between
locals and soldiers
British soldiers fired on
unarmed mob
5 locals dead, 6 wounded
*
Paul Revere’s print that spread
across the colonies
PRIMARY SOURCE “PHOTO” ANALYSIS
1773
Boston Tea Party Background: Tea Act of 1773:
Already a tax on British tea....so American colonists would smuggle it in from other countries
Britain had lots of extra tea in warehouses they needed to sell, so
Just passed law saying American colonies could only import tea from Britain
Patriots didn’t like Britain coming in and telling them what to do/not to get tea from other places on their own
“No taxation without representation” Lots of other taxes before (on paperwork, on other British goods,
cost of paying for and housing British soldiers to be in America)
Pushed Patriots closer to war with British
AMERICA: THE STORY OF US
Video with video questions
1774
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
Britain demands the close of the port of Boston
until the colonists pay for the dumped tea from
the “Boston Tea Party” (sent war ships to guard
port from any ships coming in or out)
Anyone accused of crime was sent to England
(not tried by own peers)
British sent 2,000 troops
Colonists had to house them
1774
1st Continental Congress
In response to Intolerable Acts, 12 of the 13 colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia to discuss what to do next
Decision: 1. Boycott all British goods
2. Organize local militias “minutemen” and stockpile weapons
3. Demand complete end to Intolerable Acts
4. Decide to meet again in 8 months if necessary
MOOD...
Britain claims Massachusetts is in rebellion
Massachusetts militia starts practicing to
prepare to fight
Not all colonists favored war or separation,
they were still British at heart (Loyalists) or
neutral (just trying to survive)
1775 Lexington and Concord- British general went
to go collect a stockpile of Patriot weapons. Patriots heard of plan and sent messengers to
spread word.
When British troops reached town of Lexington, met by 70 minutemen (fight...8 dead)
Kept going to Concord...400 minutemen...eventually completely surrounded British
1775
Second Continental
Congress
Delegates can’t decide what
to do
1. Sent both an angry and
apologetic letter to Britain. Both were ignored....looks like
war is imminent
2. George Washington
becomes commander in
chief of Continental army
1776 - JANUARY
Thomas Paine writes and distributes Common Sense pamphlet
Argued America needed to become independent from the tyrannical England
Sold 500,000 copies
“Small islands, not capable of protecting themselves, are the proper objects for kingdoms to take under their care; but there is something absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island.”
1776
Declaration of Independence
Document that states that ties will be cut
from Britain (and reasons why)
1783 -
American Revolutionary War for
Independence