Age of Exploration and 13 Colonies

Age of Exploration

• Competitors for Colonization: England, Spain, France, Portugal, and the Netherlands
• Mercantilism: An economic system where nations try to maximize wealth by exporting more than they import
• Treaty of Tordesillas: A 1494 agreement between Spain and Portugal dividing newly discovered lands outside Europe
• Christopher Columbus: Italian explorer for Spain, seeking a trade route to India in 1492. Landed in the Caribbean, initiating expeditions to the New World.
• Impact on Native Americans: Colonization resulted in land dispossession and the spread of disease, decimating Native American populations.
• Vasco da Gama and Bartolomeu Dias: Dias rounded the southern tip of Africa (Cape of Good Hope) in 1487. Da Gama used Dias's route to reach India in 1497, expanding trade routes.
• Cause of the Exploration: Portugal's expansion of trade routes, and Columbus's discovery of the "New World."

13 Colonies

• First Permanent British Settlement: Jamestown, settled in 1607.
• Jamestown: Established in 1607 by the Virginia Company for economic gain.
• John Smith: Arrived in 1607, took leadership during the Starving Time and organized Jamestown's labor.
• John Rolfe: 1612 – Developed a successful tobacco variety. Made tobacco a lucrative cash crop.
• First Slaves in Jamestown: Arrived in 1619.
• Salem Witch Trials: 1692 series of accusations and trials in Salem, Massachusetts, rooted in social anxieties and religious extremism.
• Roger Williams: Founded Rhode Island in 1636 due to religious persecution in Salem.
• Plymouth: First settlement in the New England colonies (1620), established by the Pilgrims.
• Pilgrims: Puritans who fled England and sought religious freedom in the New World.
• Bacon's Rebellion: An 1676 uprising of former indentured servants and frontiersmen, sparked by frustrations over land disputes and Native American attacks. Led to an increase in slave labor.
• Indentured Servants: Agreed to servitude in exchange for passage to the New World. Limited servitude and some rights.
• Slavery: Unpaid, forced labor, viewed as property, with no rights.
• Triangular Trade: A trade network encompassing Europe, Africa, and the Americas, utilizing enslaved people as a significant economic commodity.
• Lord Baltimore: Founded Maryland in 1632 as a haven for Catholics.
• James Oglethorpe: Founder of Georgia in 1732; created as a buffer between British settlements and Spanish Florida.
• Proclamation Line of 1763: A boundary line designed by the British government in the Appalachian Mountains following the French and Indian War.

Colonial Regions

• New England Colonies: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut; primarily settled for economic and religious reasons.
• New England Economy: Focused on the Atlantic Ocean, thriving on fishing, shipbuilding, and trade.
• Southern Colonies: Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, Georgia; settled primarily for economic opportunity.
• Southern Economy: Relied heavily on cash crops such as tobacco, indigo, and rice.
• Middle Colonies: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania; settled for economic gain and religious freedom, specifically for Quakers.
• Middle Colonies Economy: Based on shipbuilding, food production (e.g. wheat).

French and Indian War

• Cause: Tensions between France and Britain over control of the Ohio River Valley.
• Impact on Native Americans: Tribes allied with France or Britain experienced conflict and displacement.
• Impact on Colonists: British imposed taxes to pay for the war, contributing to friction between them and Great Britain.

Revolutionary War

• Sugar Act (1764): British attempt to raise revenue and stop smuggling.
• Currency Act (1765): Prohibited colonies from issuing paper money, causing financial hardship.
• Stamp Act (1765): Tax on printed materials; met with extensive colonial opposition.
• Tea Act (1773): Allowed British East India Company to sell directly, undermining local merchants.
• Intolerable Acts (1774): Punitive measures following the Boston Tea Party.
• Sons of Liberty: Organized resistance against British policies, advocating for colonial rights.
• Boston Massacre (1770): Confrontation where British troops fired on colonists, escalating anti-British sentiment.
• Boston Tea Party (1773): Colonial protest against the Tea Act.
• First Continental Congress (1774): Colonial delegates met to address grievances, fostering a united front against British actions.
• Battle of Bunker Hill (1775): Demonstrated colonial ability to resist British forces, though a defeat.
• Washington Crossing the Delaware and Battle of Trenton (1776): Washington's victory was a crucial morale booster for the American cause.
• Battle of Saratoga (1777): Decisive American victory that convinced France to support the colonists.
• Battle of Yorktown (1781): British defeat, signifying the end of significant military operations during the war, leading to the end of the war.
• Declaration of Independence: Declaration of the colonies' independence and principles of individual rights and government.
• Thomas Paine's Common Sense: Publication that championed American independence and criticized monarchy.
• Articles of Confederation: Provided the first government for the newly independent United States.
• AoC Strengths: Declare war, manage military, sign treaties.
• AoC Weaknesses: No power to tax, no executive, weak central government.

Constitution

• Virginia Plan: Legislative branch with proportional representation. Favored by populous states.
• New Jersey Plan: Each state has one vote in Congress. Favored by smaller states.
• Great Compromise: Bicameral legislature (Senate and House of Representatives).
• Three-Fifths Compromise: Counting enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for taxation and representation.
• Federalist Papers: Writings supporting the Constitution by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay
• Anti-Federalists: Advocated for a weak central government with states retaining strong autonomy.
• Federalists: Favored a strong national government with a centralized authority.

First Presidents

• Washington's Precedents: Two-term limit, cabinet system, neutrality in foreign affairs, avoiding permanent alliances.
• Whiskey Rebellion: Washington's use of government authority to uphold order during a rebellion against whiskey taxes.
• Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions: Introduced the concept of nullification in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts.
• Jefferson's Embargo Act: Designed to hurt Britain and France during the Napoleonic Wars by halting American trade with both nations; negatively impacted the US economy.
• Louisiana Purchase Significance: New Orleans as a crucial port for trade in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys; expanded economic growth and natural resource access.
• Jefferson's Domestic Policies: Reduced the national debt, streamlined the military, limited bureaucracy, and reduced taxes.
• Louisiana Purchase impact on executive power: Broadened presidential authority over foreign policy and land acquisition.
• Lewis and Clark Expedition: Explored the newly acquired Louisiana Territory, mapping it, establishing trails, and establishing contact with Native American communities.

I.D. Terms

• Note: To study, prepare detailed notes for the specific 3 terms from the list you are assigned. Simply knowing general information about multiple terms won't lead to satisfactory exam results.

Test your knowledge on the Age of Exploration and the establishment of the 13 Colonies. Explore the key players, economic principles, and significant treaties that shaped early global interactions. Understand the impact of exploration on indigenous populations and trade routes between continents.