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In which year was the Civil Rights Law established, prohibiting racial discrimination in public facilities?
In which year was the Civil Rights Law established, prohibiting racial discrimination in public facilities?
1964
Who wanted to unite Vietnam under a communist regime?
Who wanted to unite Vietnam under a communist regime?
The Hippie Generation was against any kind of war.
The Hippie Generation was against any kind of war.
True
____ broadcasted the My Lai massacre where civilians were killed by both sides.
____ broadcasted the My Lai massacre where civilians were killed by both sides.
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Match the President with their foreign policy action:
Match the President with their foreign policy action:
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What event marked the start of the United States' involvement in World War I?
What event marked the start of the United States' involvement in World War I?
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Who was the President of the United States when the U.S. declared war on Germany in World War I?
Who was the President of the United States when the U.S. declared war on Germany in World War I?
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Wilson's effort to set up the League of Nations succeeded.
Wilson's effort to set up the League of Nations succeeded.
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In 1919, the 18th Amendment prohibited __________ in the United States.
In 1919, the 18th Amendment prohibited __________ in the United States.
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Match the following American icons with their names:
Match the following American icons with their names:
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What were the main differences between the individual sections of the USA?
What were the main differences between the individual sections of the USA?
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What did the Missouri Compromise regulate?
What did the Missouri Compromise regulate?
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What did the abolitionist movement want to achieve?
What did the abolitionist movement want to achieve?
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What was the Underground Railroad?
What was the Underground Railroad?
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What was the significance of the battle of Gettysburg?
What was the significance of the battle of Gettysburg?
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Who was the author of the Emancipation Proclamation and what was it?
Who was the author of the Emancipation Proclamation and what was it?
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Where did the Civil War end and how?
Where did the Civil War end and how?
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What do the terms Black Codes and the Separate but Equal Doctrine refer to?
What do the terms Black Codes and the Separate but Equal Doctrine refer to?
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What were the consequences of the Louisiana Purchase?
What were the consequences of the Louisiana Purchase?
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What did the Monroe Doctrine say?
What did the Monroe Doctrine say?
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What were the causes and consequences of the War of 1812?
What were the causes and consequences of the War of 1812?
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What was the Trail of Tears and whom did it affect?
What was the Trail of Tears and whom did it affect?
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What policy did Andrew Jackson have concerning Native Americans?
What policy did Andrew Jackson have concerning Native Americans?
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What was transcendentalism and who were the main representatives?
What was transcendentalism and who were the main representatives?
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Who were Robber Barons?
Who were Robber Barons?
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What were the causes and consequences of the Spanish-American War?
What were the causes and consequences of the Spanish-American War?
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What was Roosevelt's Big Stick Diplomacy?
What was Roosevelt's Big Stick Diplomacy?
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Characterize immigration to the USA in the 2nd half of the 19th century.
Characterize immigration to the USA in the 2nd half of the 19th century.
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When did the first people come to North America and why? Where did they come from?
When did the first people come to North America and why? Where did they come from?
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What were the leading nations sending explorers to North America?
What were the leading nations sending explorers to North America?
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Name the most important explorers and the areas they discovered.
Name the most important explorers and the areas they discovered.
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What were the typical features of Spanish explorations of North America?
What were the typical features of Spanish explorations of North America?
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What was the first English colony founded in North America?
What was the first English colony founded in North America?
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Which colony was helped by Native Americans and Pocahontas?
Which colony was helped by Native Americans and Pocahontas?
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Which colony is associated with the first Thanksgiving? When and why did it take place?
Which colony is associated with the first Thanksgiving? When and why did it take place?
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Who were the Puritans and what was typical of their colony?
Who were the Puritans and what was typical of their colony?
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What events preceding the American Revolution is the city of Boston associated with?
What events preceding the American Revolution is the city of Boston associated with?
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Where and how did the War for Independence begin?
Where and how did the War for Independence begin?
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When and where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
When and where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
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What was the impact of the battle of Saratoga?
What was the impact of the battle of Saratoga?
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When and how did the War for Independence end?
When and how did the War for Independence end?
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What was the origin and function of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution?
What was the origin and function of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution?
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Who was Alexander Hamilton?
Who was Alexander Hamilton?
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Study Notes
Early American History
- The first people came to North America from Asia via the Bering Strait between 12,000 and 14,000 years ago.
- The migration across North America went through three phases: Beringian (12,000 to 8,000 B.C.), Archaic (8,000 to 500 B.C.), and Post-Archaic (500 B.C. to 1600 A.D.).
- The leading European countries in exploration were England, Holland, France, Spain, and Portugal.
- The reasons for exploration were:
- Looking for an all-water route to Asia.
- New trade routes and the advancement of geographical knowledge.
- Seeking treasure to finance the spread of Christianity.
- The rise of nation states.
First Explorations
- Major explorers of the Atlantic Coast:
- Lief Erikson (may have visited Northern Canada in 1000 A.D.).
- John Cabot (explored Nova Scotia and Newfoundland in 1497).
- Giovanni de Verrazano (explored the Eastern Coast of North America in 1524).
- Henry Hudson (explored the Hudson River Valley in 1609).
- Spanish explorers of the South:
- Christopher Columbus (explored the Caribbean in 1492).
- Amerigo Vespucci (helped to distinguish America as a new continent).
- Ponce De Leon (explored Florida in 1513-1520).
- Hernando de Soto (explored the Mississippi Valley in 1539-1542).
- Francisco Vasquez de Coronado (explored Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and the Midwest Plains in 1540-1542).
English Colonies
- The first English colony was founded in North America in 1587 at Roanoke Island.
- The Jamestown colony was established in 1607 in Virginia.
- The Plymouth Colony was established in 1620 in New England.
- The Mayflower Compact was a document promising to work for the good of the colony.
- The first Thanksgiving took place in 1621 in Plymouth Colony.
Colonial America
- Key personalities of the Colonies:
- John Hancock (richest man in New England and the largest signature on the Declaration of Independence).
- John Adams (later the second President of the United States and a voice of caution).
- Thomas Jefferson (later the third President of the United States and writer of the Declaration of Independence).
- Thomas Paine (advocate for individual rights).
- George Washington (a wealthy landowner and slave owner, leader of the Colonial Army, and the first President).
- Benjamin Franklin (politician, inventor, writer, diplomat, and librarian).
Events Leading to the War
- The Seven Years War (1756-1763) was a French and Indian War.
- The Revenue Act (1764) increased customs revenue.
- The Stamp Act (1765) introduced a tax on official paper.
- The Currency Act (1764) made colonial money useless.
- The Quartering Act (1765) forced colonists to pay for housing British troops.
- The Townshend Acts (1767) introduced customs on tea, paper, paint, glass, and lead.
- The Boston Massacre (1770) and the Boston Tea Party (1773) were key events leading to the War.
The War for Independence
- The Continental Congresses (1774 and 1775) were meetings of the Colonies to deal with England.
- The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776.
- The War of Independence lasted from 1775 to 1783.
- The Treaty of Paris (1783) ended the war and gave the Colonies their independence.
After the War
- The Articles of Confederation (1781) were the first attempt at a Constitution.
- The US Constitution was written in 1787 and ratified in 1788.
- The Constitution established the office of the President, the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
Manifest Destiny and the Westward Expansion
- The Louisiana Purchase (1803) doubled the size of the USA.
- The Lewis and Clark expedition (1804-1806) explored the West Coast.
- The War of 1812 was fought over economic reasons, the British influence in Canada, and the Indian question.
- The Monroe Doctrine (1823) stated that America was no longer a field for colonization.
- The Mexican War (1846-1848) was fought over westward expansion.
- The Manifest Destiny policy (coined in 1845) aimed to justify the American expansion.
Fights in Mexico and the Mexican War
- The Texas Revolution (1836) was fought over the independence of Texas from Mexico.
- The Mexican War (1846-1848) was fought over the annexation of Texas.
- The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) ended the war and Mexico ceded Alta California and New Mexico to the USA.
American Society
- The period of the "Wild West" or of the "Frontier" (1870-1890) was characterized by gunfighters, Indians, and Bank Robbers.
- The Gilded Age (1890-1910) was a period of rapid industrialization and economic growth.
- Robber Barons (captains of industry) like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and Cornelius Vanderbilt built large companies and trusts.
- Immigration and urbanization were key features of this period.
The End of the Frontier
-
The Stages of settling the West (1840-1890) were:
- Explorers (soldiers, missionaries, and trappers).
- Miners.
- Ranchers (cowboys).
- Farmers (end of the open range and the "wilderness").
-
The Wounded Knee Massacre (1890) marked the end of the Wild West era.
-
The Spanish-American War (1898) was fought over Cuban independence.### Economic Policies of the USA (End of 19th Century)
-
Robber Barons: wealthy industrialists and financiers who dominated the economy
-
Characterized by: monopolies, exploitation of workers, and government corruption
Immigration to the USA (2nd half of 19th century)
- 1840-60: boom of immigration from Europe
- 1845: potato famine in Ireland led to a surge in Irish immigrants
- 1860s: US government encouraged emigration from Europe to fill army ranks
- 1880s: immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe (Italians, Poles, Russians, Hungarians, Czechs)
- Immigration Statue of Liberty: presented to the US by France in 1886
Spanish-American War (1898)
- Causes: expansion and protection of trade markets, capture of valuable mineral deposits, acquisition of land for agriculture, and "liberation" of Cuba
- Events: sinking of the USS Maine, yellow journalism, and President McKinley's call for war
- Consequences: US acquired control of the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, and Puerto Rico, and Cuba became a US protectorate
Reforms (1890-1920)
- Labor laws, building codes, health and safety codes, minimum wage law, and workman's compensation
- Women's rights and politics: 19th Amendment (1920) granted women the right to vote
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): founded in 1909
- "Muckrakers" and investigative journalism: exposed social and political ills
Colonial Expansion and Imperialism
- US became a colonial power, replacing the UK
- Uprisings and disputes in US "colonies" (Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic)
- Construction of the Panama Canal started
- Roosevelt Corollary: reinforced the Monroe Doctrine, US would "police" Latin America
Slavery and the American Civil War
- 1808: import of new slaves prohibited
- By 1810: 7.2 million people in the US, including 1.2 million black slaves
- The South: large plantations, economy dependent on slavery
- Abolitionists: wanted to abolish slavery
- Underground Railroad: network of secret routes from the South to the North and Canada
- Events leading to the war: Sectional Crisis, Missouri Compromise, Dred Scott Case, John Brown's raid, and the election of Lincoln
- The war: 1861-1865, Union (North) vs. Confederacy (South)
- Key battles: Fort Sumter, Shiloh, Antietam, Gettysburg, and Appomattox Courthouse
- Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and the 13th Amendment (1865) abolished slavery
Reconstruction Era (1865-1877)
- Increased segregation, racial violence, and KKK persecution
- Black Codes: new laws passed to restrict the rights of freed slaves
- Reconstruction governments: blacks, white southerners, and carpetbaggers (men from the North)
- Jim Crow laws: segregation and grandfather clauses (only persons whose grandfathers were free before 1865 could vote)
Natives vs. Whites
- Indian Removal Act (1830) and the Trail of Tears
- Battles: Seminole War (FL), Black Hawk War (IL), and the Battle of Little Bighorn
- Ghost Dance Movement and the Wounded Knee Massacre
- Result: Native Americans were sent to reservations
Progressivism and WWI
- Initial US position: isolationism
- Woodrow Wilson's efforts: Fourteen Points, League of Nations, and the Versailles Treaty
- Causes of US entry into WWI: sinking of the Lusitania, Zimmermann Note, and the need to "make the world safe for democracy"
The Roaring 1920s
- Jazz Age, Hollywood, and the Charleston
- Prohibition (1920) and organized crime
- Fashion and the "flapper" culture
- Economic boom: mass production, automobiles, and stock market speculation
The Great Depression and FDR's New Deal
- Causes of the Wall Street Crash: overproduction, buying on credit, and speculation
- Consequences: widespread unemployment, poverty, and a general economic collapse
- FDR's New Deal: relief, recovery, and reform programs, including the CCC, FERA, AAA, NRA, and the Social Security Act
WWII
- Initial US position: isolationism
- Causes of US entry into WWII: Japanese aggression, Pearl Harbor, and the need to "stop Hitler"
- American involvement: Europe (Allies, Normandy, D-Day) and the Pacific (island hopping, Hiroshima, Nagasaki)
- Post-war: formation of the United Nations, Marshall Plan, and the Cold War
The Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement
- Cold War: policy of containment, Red Scare, McCarthyism, and the Civil Rights Movement
- Desegregation of education and transportation
- Martin Luther King Jr. and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
- Brown v. Board of Education and the end of "separate but equal"
1950s-1970s US Politics and Culture
- Eisenhower and the Cold War
- JFK's foreign policy and the Cuban Missile Crisis
- LBJ's Great Society and the War in Vietnam
- Nixon and the Watergate scandal
- Feminist movement and the Iranian Hostage Crisis### Cold War and Communism
- The Cold War was a period of diplomatic tension between the USA and the Soviet Union, characterized by a weapon and space race.
- The policy of containment of communist ideology was a key aspect of this period.
- Senator Joseph McCarthy's "witch hunts" and "Red Scare" led to a climate of fear and paranoia in the United States.
- The Truman Doctrine was a policy aimed at supporting democracies against authoritarian threats.
- The Marshall Plan (1947-1952) was implemented to provide economic assistance to European countries, allowing them to postpone debt repayment to the United States and receive necessary goods.
The Conflict in Korea
- The conflict in Korea (1950-1953) was a result of the division of the country into two parts by the 38th parallel of latitude.
- North Koreans sought to unite the country using military power, while the South received support from the United States.
- General Douglas MacArthur played a key role in the conflict, which seemed to drag on endlessly.
- After Stalin's death, the Soviet Union lost motivation to continue supporting the conflict, leading to a ceasefire in 1953.
The Crisis in the Middle East
- President Eisenhower and his Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, sought to establish friendly relations with Arab nations.
- The Eisenhower Doctrine (1957) aimed to uphold the integrity of Middle Eastern nations.
- The Middle East Treaty Organization (METO) was established in 1955, but failed to achieve its goals.
American Society in the 1950s
- There was a clash between the old and new generations in American society.
- Developments in atomic power and space exploration were significant during this period.
- The culture was thriving, with the emergence of Rock 'n' Roll, the Beat poets, and Hollywood icons like Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean.
- The American way of life was changing, with suburbanization and a consumer society emerging.
The Civil Rights Movement
- The sit-in movement was a popular form of racial protest in the 1960s, with the Greensboro sit-in being a notable example.
- The March on Washington in 1963 was a significant event, with Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and the singing of "We Shall Overcome."
- Black militant groups like the Black Panthers and Black Muslims emerged, seeking radical change and rejecting white participation.
John F. Kennedy's Presidency
- John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic and youngest president in US history, winning the election against Richard Nixon in 1960.
- He founded NASA and the Peace Corps, supporting minority and women's rights, but was assassinated in 1963.
- His domestic policy focused on space exploration, while his foreign policy dealt with Cuba and Vietnam.
Lyndon B. Johnson's Presidency
- Lyndon B. Johnson became president after Kennedy's assassination and launched the Great Society program to fight poverty, improve education, protect the environment, and promote culture.
- He established Medicare and Medicaid and signed the Civil Rights Law of 1964, prohibiting racial discrimination.
The War in Vietnam
- The US assisted the French in Vietnam, but the country was divided into communist North and non-communist South.
- The Vietcong, a North Vietnamese guerrilla army, fought against the South, with US material support.
- The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and Operation Thunderstorm marked an escalation of US involvement, leading to the Tet Offensive and the eventual withdrawal of US troops.
Hippie Generation
- The Hippie Generation rejected mainstream values, embracing free love, free thought, and free drugs.
- They were characterized by their anti-war stance, communal lifestyle, and interest in Eastern spirituality and psychedelic experiences.
America in the 1970s and 1980s
- Nixon's foreign policy focused on Vietnam, China, and the Soviet Union, with a "Vietnamization" strategy and a historic visit to China.
- The Watergate Scandal led to Nixon's resignation, and President Ford pardoned him in 1974.
- Jimmy Carter's presidency saw the Camp David Accords and the Iran hostage crisis, while Ronald Reagan's presidency was marked by a conservative agenda, economic growth, and foreign policy interventions.
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Test your knowledge of the early explorers of North America, including their motivations, routes, and discoveries. From the Bering Strait to Spanish expeditions, see how well you know the history of American exploration.
