American studies aspect of geography and sociopolitical evolution

 

Unit 1:

*Settlement of the American continent.

*Formation of a nation.

*Growth of a nation.

 

Unit 2:

-1606-1865.

-1865-1896

-1896-1964.

 

Unit 3:

*Immigration.

-Waves 1 and 2 => 1606-1850

-Wave 3 => 1880-1924

-Wave 4 and Beyond => 1924-present

 

Unit 4

*American Indians

-1606-1830

-1830-1924

-1924-present.

 

Origins to 1776.

Columbus sails to America in 1492.

 

Early contacts with America:

-Amerindians populated entire the American continent before arrival oh Europeans.

         *Arrived between 70,000 and 12,000 BC

         *Believe to be Asian origin.

 

First Europeans:

-First Europeans to establish contact with America were Scandinavian explorers

         *As of 1,000 CE Christian Era

         *Sporadic Europe

 

The Role of Europe

-Three European powers dominate exploration of America.

         *Spain, England, France.

-Conflicts in Europe determined destiny of territories in America.

         *Political.

         *Religious.

 

Religious Movements in Europe.

-1517 Martin Luther, protestant Reformation.

         *Calvin 1536 “institutes”

-1533 Henry VIII divorces, English Reformation begins.

 

Spain:

-1492 Christopher Columbus.

         *Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti/Dominican Republic

-1513 Florida and the pacific. Consédélion.

-1519-1521 Cortez, Conquest of Mexico

         *1551. Universities in Lima, Mexico City.

-1588 Defeat of Spanish Navy by English.

 

France:

-1608 Champlain explores and founds French settlement in Québec.

-Between 1698 and 1702 area along the Mississippi between Québec and Louisiana colonized.

 

England – First Settlements. 

-1585 Sir Walter Raleigh. Fail.

-1606 Jamestown

         *Virginia Company – merchants

                   -Quest for gold.

                   -Bring riches to the crown.

                            -1619, first slaves sold.

-1620 Plymouth, Massachusetts

         *Puritans

         *Protestant reforms did not go far enough.

         *Between 1629 and 1642, 14.000 to 20.000 arrived from England (Business).

 

England – Growth og Colonies

-English colonies grew in Massachusetts and Virginia

         *North/South

-Other countries settled territories between them.

         *French in the West.

         *Dutch in New Amsterdam (New York)

 

The Puritans

• 
  Divinely appointed
  
• 
  Obsessed by the presence of evil.
  
• 
  The Devil, Satan.
  
• 
  Rejected Christian holidays
  
• 
  Derived from pagan holidays and rituals.
  
• 
  A Church state
  
• 
  Repressive and intolerant
  

• 
  Mayflower Pact.
  

• 
  Public school system
  

²  1635 Boston Latin School.

²  1636 Harvard University.

• 
  Printing press 1634
  
• 
  First newspaper 1700
  

• 
  Thirteen colonies were incorporated under English administration.
  

• 
  House or Burgess
  

 

Early conflicts

• 
  13 colonies consolidated between 1606 (VA) and 1732 (GA)
  

 

French and Indian Wat(1754-1763)

• 
  French army allied with Native –American Indian group vs the British
  

• 
  Mainly fought in Canada, but also in NY and OH
  

• 
  Class system felt strongly
  
• 
  Colonist lost the fear and respect reserved for British soldier.
  
• 
  Colonist became familiar with the British military techniques and strategies.
  

 

Taxes

• 
  Growth of British territory in North America
  

• 
  Taxes imposed on all goods from England
  

 

Stamp Tax

• 
  Approved by parliament in 1765
  

  Affected those most likely to influence public opinion.

²  Lawyers, merchants, printers, journalists.

 

Taxes

• 
  Protest against the Stamp Tax followed, esp in Boston
  

  ‘No taxation without representation”

• 
  Boycott lead to repeal of tax in 1766.
  
• 
  British continued taxation policy.
  

• 
  People on the frontier complained too
  

• 
  Local militias were formed
  

  South Carolina

  Justice system lacking under British control.

 

Rebellion

• 
  Boston massacre (1770). 17000 death.
  

  British reacted firmly.

 

Boston Tea Party (1773)

• 
  In response to Tea Act (1772)
  
• 
  England reacted even more severely
  

 

War for independence.

• 
  Continental Congress gathered in 1774.
  

  Opposed acts of British.

  Drafted a “Declaration of Rights”.

  Discussed armed defense of Massachussetts.

• 
  First battle took place in 1775 (Lexington and Concord – MA)
  
• 
  Declaration of independence (1776).
  

 

The Northwest Ordinance – 1787.

• 
  Territory defined by the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and the great lakes
  

• 
  Rights, land and protections for Settlers.
  
• 
  Egalitarian principles of constitution applied to territory.
  
• 
  Statehood was main goal
  
• 
  Slavery “tolerated” in territory, until 1848
  
• 
  Indian groups did of acknowledge American sovereignty
  

• 
  Spain had acquired territory for France in 1763, but France acquired it back in 1800-1801.
  

• 
  Napoleon sold territory for $15m.
  
• 
  Size of U.S doubled with Purchase of Louisiana.
  
• 
  Pres. Jefferson sent expedition headed by Lewis and Clark to explore new territory and find Pacific.
  

• 
  Texas annexed in 1845
  
• 
  Dispute with Mexico lead to war.
  
• 
  The U.S claimed all Mexican land north of Texas.
  
• 
  Size of nation increased by a third.
  

• 
  Rail road
  

• 
  By 1912, with admission of Arizona and New Mexico entire continent was U.S territory
  
• 
  Liberal land distribution Policies.
  

  “The Wheat Belt”.

• 
  Mining
  

• 
  Ethnic diversity and urban population. 
  
• 
  Africans – largest ethnic group in 18tc Century.
  

  1775- 2,5 m ( x10 increase) – 15% of population.

  1/5th of entire labor force in bondage.

• 
  Slavery in the colonies.
  

  Important to economy of southern colonies.

²  Esp on large plantations

l  South Carolina.

l  Georgia.

l  Mississippi.

l  Louisiana.

• 
  At Independence, 20% of the population were slaves
  

 

Revolution and Independence.

• 
  Most free blacks in the North supported Revolutionary cause.
  
• 
  Many Southern slaves supported the British.
  

²  Black loyalists lefts left America after the war and settled in Caribbean or England.

 

Slavery after Independence.

• 
  After Independence, Northern states abolished slavery.
  
• 
  Slave importation prohibited in 1808.
  

• 
  Abolitionist movement grew in North (1823).
  

• 
  Compromises between “free” and “slave” states failed.
  
• 
  Civil war erupted in 1861.
  

-        1863 – Emancipation proclamation.

-        Abraham Lincoln.

-        Freedom for slaves in rebellious states.

 

Civil War Amendments. P31

• 
  After the war, three constitutional amendments
  

  14th – Granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to freedmen (1868).

  15th – Granted freedmen the right to vote (1870).

• 
  Equality
  
• 
  Civil rights and liberties.
  

• 
  Southern states instituted racial segregation policies.
  

  Schools

  Public transports

  Hospitals

  Restaurants

• 
  Any remained in effect until the 1960’s.
  

• 
  Southern states instuted rules that deprived black people of
  

²  Poll taxes

²  Literacy tests.

  The right to economic freedom

²  Property rights.

²  Work rights.

 

« Separate but equal »

• 
  These segregation policies were permitted under Supreme court decisions
  

  “Sperate but equal” policies

• 
  Many remained in effect until the 1960’s
  
• 
  Much of the country today remains segregated.
  

• 
  Creation of NAACP 1910 (National Association for the Advancement of colored people)
  

• 
  Integration of Armed Forces 1948.
  
• 
  Brown vs Board 1954
  

• 
  Montgomery bus boycott 1955-1956 (Rosa Parks).
  

• 
  American dream
  
• 
  Equal opportunity and identity
  
• 
  social disoder, discrimination
  

• 
  Integration / homogenisation
  
• 
  Diversity / pluralistic society
  

• 
  1606/1776
  
• 
  1820/1880
  
• 
  1890/1930
  
• 
  1965/ present
  

 

First Wave: 1606-1776

• 
  After "discovery" by Europeans, America became populated by
  

- English

-Irish / Scottish

- French

- Africans

 

Immigration

• 
  Spanish = South and Southwest
  
• 
  Dutch and Swedish = Middle Atlantic
  
• 
  French = Canada ans West of Mississippi
  
• 
  English =
  

- 1660: immigration encouraged (Scots - Irish largest group)

- 1662: Royal Africa Slave Company (140,000 slaves)

• 
  Germans (200,000)
  

- Settled in Middle colonies

• 
  Other groups included
  

- French Huguenots

- Jews

• 
  By 1775
  

- Africans: 20%

• 
  Despite diversity of population Anglo- Saxon culture remained dominant.
  

 

Second Wave: 1820-1880

• 
  "Push" factors
  

- Especially in cities

- Population doubles 1750-1850

- Medical and hygiene advances

- Exodus to cities

- Increase of food supply

- Transport improvements

 

Largest emigrating groups

• 
  Germans, Irish, Britans, Scandinavians.
  

 

"Pull" factors

• 
  Reports of America as land of opportunity
  
• 
  Prospect of available land
  
• 
  Greater work possibilities
  
• 
  Northern European immigrants
  

- Protestants

- Germany

- Scandinavia

- GB

- Holland

• 
  Potato blight and subsequent famine 1840's and 1850's
  
• 
  Arrived with few funds and stayed where they landed
  

• 
  "Native" Americans vs newly arrived immigrants
  
• 
  The "Know- nothings"
  
• 
  Anti - immigrant political parti
  

• 
  Germans
  
• 
  Irish
  
• 
  Chinese
  

• 
  Angel Island
  
• 
  Work in mines and on the rail road
  

• 
  Supported by labor organisations
  
• 
  Repealed in 1943
  

 

Third Wave: 1880 - 1930 (1934)

Decline of Immigration from Northern and Western Europe.

• 
  15 M in 24 years.
  
• 
  Italians, Jews, Poles, Hungarians
  

 

Ellis Island

• 
  Immigration control point
  
• 
  12 M people between 1892 and 1954
  
• 
  Under the Statue of Liberty
  

• 
  Typical immigrant was less like a typical American
  
• 
  Religion
  
• 
  Language
  
• 
  Culture / manners / customs
  

• 
  Growed cities / Immigrant quaters
  

- Exploitive work conditionz

- Children on the streets

 

Progressive era: 1900 - 1920

• 
  Lead to social measure
  

- Compulsary schooling

- Improved living conditions

- Pure Food and Drug Act -> FDA (Food and Drug Association)

• 
  Restricting immigration
  
• 
  National origins
  
• 
  Regional quotas
  
• 
  Asian exclusion repealed in 1943 (Chinese)