Native Americans & American Revolution

Theories of Migration to the Americas

• The Bering Land Bridge theory is the most substantiated.
• The Atlantic and Oceania theories have less supporting evidence.
• People migrated to the Americas from other continents thousands of years ago.

Pre-Columbian Native Americans

• Native Americans thrived in North America before European colonization.
• Their beliefs, culture, knowledge, and history are still relevant today.
• They can be divided into geographical subsections: Northwestern Coastal, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Great Plains.
• Northwestern Coastal tribes excelled in fishing and art, creating totem poles.
• They established permanent civilizations and held lavish feasts called potlatches to display wealth.
• The Southwest tribes were nomadic and developed complex irrigation systems for farming.
• They are known for sandstone architecture carved into canyon walls.
• The Northeastern tribes were mainly agrarian, migrating with the seasons and hunting deer.
• The Southeastern tribes, known as "Civilized tribes," actively engaged with European economy and culture.
• They were known for beadwork, basket-weaving, pottery, and arrowheads.
• The Great Plains tribes were nomadic, following buffalo herds for food and supplies, and were skilled horseback riders.
• European colonization in the 16th century brought diseases that decimated the Native American population, with an estimated 90% mortality rate by 1600.
• Many Native American tribes continue to thrive in North America today.

The Old World and the New World

• The "Old World" consists of Europe, Africa, and Asia.
• The "New World" (Mundus Novus) refers to the Americas.
• The Age of Discovery, leading to the New World, was driven by the search for silks, spices, and new crops.
• Expansion of the Catholic faith and the pursuit of adventure were also motivations.
• The exchange of goods and peoples between the Old and New Worlds is called the Columbian Exchange.

Motivations and Impact of European Colonization

• The Age of Exploration in the 15th century was motivated by God, gold, and glory.
• European monarchs funded explorer journeys to engage in trade with Asia.
• Missionaries spread Christianity to the New World.
• Colonizers sought to conquer lands, expand power, and convert indigenous populations.
• The Columbian Exchange facilitated the inter-continental trade of food, goods, livestock, and disease.
• European metal tools significantly impacted Native Americans.
• Diseases like smallpox and measles decimated Native populations.
• The introduction of livestock, especially horses, transformed Native American life.
• Horses were used for war and hunting.
• European colonizers forced indigenous people into slavery.
• The decline of Native populations led to the enslavement of Africans in the Caribbean.
• European colonization led to race-based caste systems that favored people of European descent.

French Exploration and Colonization

• France initially sought the Northwest Passage.
• France established the colony of New France, spanning eastern Canada, the Great Lakes Region, the Ohio River Valley, and the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.
• French explorers, starting with Jacques Cartier, developed positive relationships with indigenous people.
• These relationships helped French fur trappers prosper economically.
• Trade with Native Americans was crucial, exchanging weapons for pelts.
• Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet sailed down the Mississippi River in the 17th century.
• La Nouvelle Orleans became a successful French colony at the end of the river.

Jamestown Settlement

• Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America, founded on May 14, 1607.
• It was located on the James River in present-day Williamsburg, Virginia.
• Key figures among the settlers included Captain Christopher Newport, Captain John Smith, John Rolfe, and others.
• The Virginia Company, a joint-stock company, financed the settlement.
• Jamestown's primary economic source shifted from minerals to land and agriculture.
• Tobacco, initially grown by John Rolfe, became the first cash crop.
• Pocahontas served as a liaison between Native Americans and the English, promoting peace.
• Enslaved people replaced indentured servants as the primary labor source by the mid-17th century.

Puritan Society

• The Puritans aimed to remove Catholic influences from Anglicanism in the 1500s-1700s.
• Many Puritans migrated to America, especially the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
• Puritan society emphasized a conversion experience for church members.
• They practiced diverse crop planting.
• There was no separation between church and state; church members ran towns.
• Banishment was a common punishment for dissent.
• John Winthrop and Thomas Dudley banished dissenters like Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams.
• Puritanism evolved into other religious movements and is associated with a historical time period.

The Thirteen Colonies

• The 13 British colonies existed in a balance of control and freedom.
• Colonists had freedom to own farms, develop societies, and elect local governments.
• Northern colonies focused on trade, while Southern colonies produced cotton and tobacco.
• The colonial economy was a mercantile system controlled by Britain.
• Colonists produced raw materials, which Britain manufactured and sold back at higher prices.
• Britain restricted colonial trade with other nations, leading to black market networks.
• Enlightenment ideas influenced colonists, sparking discussions about liberty and revolution.

Key Facts About the Thirteen Colonies

• The Thirteen Colonies were settled to escape religious and political persecution.
• The colonies were divided into New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies.
• Jamestown, Virginia, was the first colony, founded in 1607 by John Smith and John Rolfe.
• The Pilgrims founded Plymouth in 1620, which later became part of the Massachusetts Bay colonies.
• The colonies were owned by Great Britain, with varied life based on trade, climate, and politics.
• Expansion led to conflicts like King Philip's War.
• The Salem Witch Trials and the trial of John Peter Zenger highlight the struggle for religious and political expression.
• Tobacco was the main American export, grown in the warm-climate Tobacco Colonies.
• The Revolutionary War resulted from British oppression, ending with the Treaty of Paris in 1783 and the creation of the United States of America.

British Taxation and Colonial Protest

• Britain imposed taxes on the colonies to pay off debt from the French and Indian War.
• The Sons of Liberty advocated for colonial rights and protested British taxation.
• Pontiac's Rebellion led to British soldiers being sent to the colonies.
• The Sugar Act, Currency Act, Quartering Act, and Stamp Act caused further agitation.
• The rallying cry "no taxation without representation" epitomized the American desire for political voice.
• The Stamp Act Congress marked the first collective protest against the British.
• The Sons of Liberty used peaceful protests, boycotts, and violent tactics like tarring and feathering.

Rising Tensions and the Boston Massacre

• The British raised import taxes to pay for the French & Indian War.
• The Stamp Act was repealed due to colonial protests, but the Declaratory Act asserted British authority.
• The Townshend Acts taxed glass, lead, and tea.
• The Townshend Acts led to violence, ending with the Boston Massacre.
• The Boston Massacre escalated from colonists throwing snowballs to British soldiers firing into the crowd.
• Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty used the Boston Massacre for propaganda.
• The Boston Tea Party led to British retaliation.
• Escalation led to the American Revolution.

Lexington and Concord

• The first battles of the American Revolutionary War occurred at Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.
• American Patriots fought to defend themselves against the British.
• The British sought to seize colonial arms stores.
• Lexington and Concord demonstrated the readiness of Patriot militias and minutemen.
• The Patriots realized they could potentially fight against the British military.
• Major events following Lexington and Concord included the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga, the Second Continental Congress, and the Declaration of Independence.

African Americans in the Revolution

• Both enslaved and free blacks significantly contributed to the American Revolution.
• Approximately 5,000 enlisted in the Continental Army, with thousands more in local militias.
• Their impact was felt across all three regions of the American Colonies and grew as the war progressed.

Women's Roles in the American Revolution

• Women supported the war as nurses, cooks, cleaners, and caregivers, known as Camp Followers.
• Women like Deborah Sampson, Molly Pitcher, and Sybil Ludington fought and warned against British attacks.
• The Daughters of Liberty boycotted British goods, encouraging homemade goods production.
• After the Revolution, women advocated for their rights, challenging restrictions on property ownership, earning a living, education, voting, and public office.
• Judith Murray published "On the Equality of the Sexes" in 1771.
• Phillis Wheatley published a book of poetry in 1773, advocating for freedom and gender equality.

Naval Operations in the American Revolution

• The Continental Navy, primarily consisting of privateers, focused on engaging English merchant ships.
• Their efforts helped supply the army and hinder British reinforcements.
• John Paul Jones captured three British warships and attacked an English village.
• His actions encouraged foreign navies like the French, Spanish, and Dutch to join the war.
• French fleets played key roles at the Battle of the Chesapeake, leading to the British surrender at Yorktown on October 19, 1781.
• The American Navy was disbanded after the war but higher pay kept the ships sailing throughout.

Post-Revolutionary America

• The American Revolution led to increased political participation by average citizens.
• Ordinary, landowning men became politicians and exercised their right to vote.
• The revolution left the economy in disarray.
• Native Americans' rights and interests were disregarded, leading to the Northwestern Confederacy.
• Women were denied voting rights but gained new educational opportunities.
• The concept of Republican Motherhood emerged.
• Slavery was phased out in the North but continued in the South.
• Rhode Island initiated an emancipation program in 1784, inspiring other states.

Articles of Confederation

• The Articles of Confederation was the first official Constitution of the United States, ratified on March 1, 1781.
• It aimed to create a union of state governments with a weak federal government.
• The federal government could declare war, borrow money, and interact with Native Americans.
• It was responsible for settling state disputes and making treaties.
• The federal government lacked enforcement power, leading to competition and discontent among states.
• It could not levy direct taxes or compel states to send soldiers.
• There was severe devaluation of money due to unregulated state printing.
• Lawmaking power was primarily with the states, requiring agreement from nine of thirteen states.
• The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 addressed the creation of new states in the Northwest Territory.
• Larger states ceded western land claims.
• It included provisions for human rights: protection of Native American lands (largely ignored), abolition of slavery in the Northwest Territory, freedom of religion, and right to trial by jury.
• It laid out the legal path to statehood.

The U.S. Constitution

• The U.S. Constitution was created by the Founding Fathers to establish the federal government.
• It was ratified in 1788.
• Key components include the Preamble, articles, and amendments.
• Article II outlines presidential requirements: US birth, at least thirty-five years of age. Serve two four-year terms in office and must give a state of the union address from time to time.
• Article I defines the duties and responsibilities of the US Congress.
• Article III establishes the judicial branch.
• The Constitution is considered a highly influential legal document.

The Bill of Rights

• The Bill of Rights was crucial for the Constitution's ratification and guarantees citizens' rights.
• It protects the rights of U.S. citizens.

Principles of U.S. Government

• The U.S. government operates on five principles: popular sovereignty, limited government, separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.
• Popular sovereignty: the government operates with the people's consent and authority.
• Limited government: the government's powers are restricted and defined in the Constitution.
• Separation of powers: divides government functions among branches.
• Checks and balances: provides oversight between branches.
• Congress can pass a bill; the president can sign or veto it; Congress can override a veto. The judicial branch can determine if a law is unconstitutional.
• Federalism: divides power between the federal and state governments.
• The federal government prints money, while state governments have unique powers.

Political Parties

• George Washington warned against political parties.
• Alexander Hamilton led the Federalists, and Thomas Jefferson led the Democratic-Republicans.
• Federalists favored a strong central government, a national bank, and an economy based on manufacturing and trade.
• They believed wealthy property owners should govern.
• Democratic-Republicans opposed a strong central government, supported states' rights, and an agrarian economy.
• The two major parties believed that common people and famers should govern the country.
• They advocated for lower voting restrictions.
• Both parties aimed to support liberty and freedom from the American Revolution.

Explore Native American history, pre-Columbian societies, and the impact of European colonization. Examine the American Revolution including the role of the Continental Navy and significant battles.