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