Early America: Beginnings and Evolution
When Europeans arrived in the Western Hemisphere in
the 1490’s it was already home to hundreds of Native
American peoples with different languages, cultures, and
social values.
Some peoples, such as the Aztecs of Mexico and Central
America, created complex societies with great cities,
large-scale farming, and elaborate record keeping based
on a
system of writing
.
Others, such as the Plains Indians, who hunted buffalo,
lived in portable dwellings and passed on their
knowledge through
oral tradition
.
Beginning about 1400, Europeans to start exploring the rest of the
world.
One of these explorers was
Christopher Columbus
, an Italian who
commanded a Spanish fleet.
In 1492 he made the first of four
voyages from Spain to the Americas,
opening the era of cultural
contact between Europe and the Western Hemisphere.
The European exploration, conquest, and settlement of the
Americas led to the founding of many new nations, including the
U.S. For the Native Americans, however, it was the beginning of an
immense tragedy during which many of their societies were
destroyed by
war
and
disease
.
Religion was a major factor in American colonial
culture. Groups of
Protestant from England,
such as the Pilgrims and Puritans
, began
founding settlements in New England in 1620.
Other groups seeking religious freedom
followed, including the Quakers, who settled in
Pennsylvania in 1670
.
In the 1730’s and 1740’s,
a religious revival called
the Great Awakening
spread throughout the
colonies.
From their beginnings, the American
colonies suffered from a severe labor
shortage.
By 1750 there were more than
200,000 enslaved Africans
in Britain’s North
American possessions, most of them in the
Southern colonies.
In the mid-1760’s, unrest began to develop in the American
colonies
.
A long war with France had left Britain in debt. To raise money,
the British government passed a series of unpopular laws.
By the mid-1770’s, resentment over these taxes was leading to
political violence and calls for colonial self-rule.
The first battles of the Revolutionary War were fought there
between American militiamen and British soldiers.
On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the
Declaration of Independence, asserting the colonists’ right to self-
government and establishing the United States of America.
To defend their independence, the Americans fought a long war
with the British,
who finally accepted American independence in
1783.
Separatist
-
an advocate of secession
or separation from a larger group (such
as an established church or a national
union)
Puritan
-
A member of a group of English
Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries
thought that the Protestant Reformation under
Elizabeth was incomplete
and advocated the
simplification and regulation of forms of worship.
Puritans
held to a strict work ethic. In England, the
calendar year included about 240 working days, but
the Puritans in America worked at least 300 days a
year, taking holidays only on the
Sabbath, election
day, and public thanksgiving days.
John Carver, a successful business man,
attained financial backing and chartered the
Mayflower which held 102 passengers:
50 men
19 women
14 teenagers
19 children under the age of 12
Most wished to join the new settlement for
religious and economic reasons
Nearly 500 miles northeast of their intended
destination, the Separatists landed in
Provincetown, Massachusetts
, on Cape Cod on
November 21, 1620.
On December 26
th
, the 102 settlers disembarked
nearby at a site they named Plymouth
.
Before leaving the Mayflower, the men in the
group drafted and signed the historic Mayflower
Compact, the colony’s rules of government.
The
Mayflower Compact
was the first
governing document of Plymouth Colony.
It
was written by the colonists, later known as
the Pilgrims, who crossed the Atlantic
aboard the Mayflower. Almost half of the
colonists were part of
a separatist group
seeking the freedom to practice Christianity
according to their own determination
and
not the will of the English Church.
The voyage had been harsh and the
Pilgrims arrived with little or no food at
the onset of winter and had no
wilderness survival skills. They
constructed crude shelters, hoping to
make it through the winter.
Nearly half the colonists died of
scurvy,
pneumonia, fever, or starvation.
William Bradford was 30 years old
when he was aboard the
Mayflower.
Born in Yorkshire, England.
Bradford was orphaned and
brought up by relatives. He studied
the bible in his youth and became a
Separatist.
The group of about 100 settlers, known today as
the Pilgrims, elected Bradford leader after John
Carver, the first governor, died.
He was reelected governor for thirty, one-year
terms
between 1622 and 1656.
He served as
chief magistrate, high judge, and
treasurer.
To ensure
peaceable, organized society,
Bradford distributed parcels of land equally to
all settlers, even non-believers.
In 1630, Bradford started to compile, “Of
Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647”.
The chronicle is unique in that it separates
religious commentary from historical
commentary.
He steered a middle course between a Bible
commonwealth an a secular society that
made for a prosperous Plymouth.
The early history of America showcases the intricate interplay of Native American cultures, European exploration and colonization, religious influences, the slave trade, and the American Revolution. From diverse indigenous societies to the establishment of the United States, this period shaped the foundation of the nation we know today.
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Presentation Transcript
Early America Beginnings 1800
The Native Americans When Europeans arrived in the Western Hemisphere in the 1490 s it was already home to hundreds of Native American peoples with different languages, cultures, and social values. Some peoples, such as the Aztecs of Mexico and Central America, created complex societies with great cities, large-scale farming, and elaborate record keeping based on a system of writing. Others, such as the Plains Indians, who hunted buffalo, lived in portable dwellings and passed on their knowledge through oral tradition.
European Contact Beginning about 1400, Europeans to start exploring the rest of the world. One of these explorers was Christopher Columbus, an Italian who commanded a Spanish fleet. In 1492 he made the first of four voyages from Spain to the Americas, opening the era of cultural contact between Europe and the Western Hemisphere. The European exploration, conquest, and settlement of the Americas led to the founding of many new nations, including the U.S. For the Native Americans, however, it was the beginning of an immense tragedy during which many of their societies were destroyed by warand disease.
Religious Belief Religion was a major factor in American colonial culture. Groups of Protestant from England, such as the Pilgrims and Puritans, began founding settlements in New England in 1620. Other groups seeking religious freedom followed, including the Quakers, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1670. In the 1730 s and 1740 s, a religious revival called the Great Awakening spread throughout the colonies.
The Slave Trade From their beginnings, the American colonies suffered from a severe labor shortage. By 1750 there were more than 200,000 enslaved Africans in Britain s North American possessions, most of them in the Southern colonies.
The American Revolution In the mid-1760 s, unrest began to develop in the American colonies. A long war with France had left Britain in debt. To raise money, the British government passed a series of unpopular laws. By the mid-1770 s, resentment over these taxes was leading to political violence and calls for colonial self-rule. The first battles of the Revolutionary War were fought there between American militiamen and British soldiers. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, asserting the colonists right to self- government and establishing the United States of America. To defend their independence, the Americans fought a long war with the British, who finally accepted American independence in 1783.
Life in the New World
Separatists Separatist - an advocate of secession or separation from a larger group (such as an established church or a national union)
Puritans Puritan-A member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries thought that the Protestant Reformation under Elizabeth was incomplete and advocated the simplification and regulation of forms of worship. Puritans held to a strict work ethic. In England, the calendar year included about 240 working days, but the Puritans in America worked at least 300 days a year, taking holidays only on the Sabbath, election day, and public thanksgiving days.
The Mayflower John Carver, a successful business man, attained financial backing and chartered the Mayflower which held 102 passengers: 50 men 19 women 14 teenagers 19 children under the age of 12 Most wished to join the new settlement for religious and economic reasons
The Mayflower Nearly 500 miles northeast of their intended destination, the Separatists landed in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod on November 21, 1620. On December 26th, the 102 settlers disembarked nearby at a site they named Plymouth. Before leaving the Mayflower, the men in the group drafted and signed the historic Mayflower Compact, the colony s rules of government.
The Mayflower Compact The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was written by the colonists, later known as the Pilgrims, who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower. Almost half of the colonists were part of a separatist group seeking the freedom to practice Christianity according to their own determination and not the will of the English Church.
The First Winter The voyage had been harsh and the Pilgrims arrived with little or no food at the onset of winter and had no wilderness survival skills. They constructed crude shelters, hoping to make it through the winter. Nearly half the colonists died of scurvy, pneumonia, fever, or starvation.
William Bradford William Bradford was 30 years old when he was aboard the Mayflower. Born in Yorkshire, England. Bradford was orphaned and brought up by relatives. He studied the bible in his youth and became a Separatist.
William Bradford The group of about 100 settlers, known today as the Pilgrims, elected Bradford leader after John Carver, the first governor, died. He was reelected governor for thirty, one-year terms between 1622 and 1656. He served as chief magistrate, high judge, and treasurer. To ensure peaceable, organized society, Bradford distributed parcels of land equally to all settlers, even non-believers.
Of Plymouth Plantation In 1630, Bradford started to compile, Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647 . The chronicle is unique in that it separates religious commentary from historical commentary. He steered a middle course between a Bible commonwealth an a secular society that made for a prosperous Plymouth.
