Native Americans History

• The seeds of the society that became the United States were planted by three distinct peoples: Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans.

Native Americans

• They were the first inhabitants of America.
• They first came to the Americas in three waves, approximately 40-20,000 years ago, 12-6,000 years ago, and 10-5,000 years ago.
• They were mostly nomadic tribes following the buffalo herds.
• Major migration began 16,000 years ago from the direction of Alaska, based on new DNA evidence.
• Tribes split into two branches about 14,000 years ago, spreading into Central and South America.
• Approximately 9,000 years ago, another wave from the north moved south, displacing the original wave.
• About 4,200 years ago, the final wave moved from contemporary USA territory into the Andes.
• Some tribe groups began developing agriculture and a more settled lifestyle around 2,000-1,500 BCE forming three civilizations: Aztec, Mayan, and Incan Empires.
• By 1500, the population of Native Americans in empires and nomadic tribes ranged from 8 to over 100 million.
• Current estimates range from 43-72 million, with 22-48 million in North America. North American native tribes formed distinct cultures, languages, traditions, and lifestyles despite similar roots.
• Most tribes settled down, with exceptions like the Plains Tribes and those along the Northwestern coast, retaining a nomadic lifestyle.
• Tribes from the Eastern Coast lived in wooden huts, while the Pueblo tribe in Arizona and New Mexico built their homes from clay-made bricks.
• Tipis were stereotypically associated with natives and only used by nomadic tribes from the plains.

A New World for Native Americans

• "New World" is understood as a process rather than a place in historiography.
• Europeans brought diseases, leading to virgin soil epidemics that proved deadly for natives, causing a 50-90% death rate from childhood diseases.
• By 1650, the native population was reduced to only 6 million due to epidemics.
• Natives accepted European items with functional use, viewing exchange as formal relationship cementing, unlike European profit-driven exchange.
• Over time, tribes became dependent on Europeans, and demand for furs led to overkill of animals.
• The Spanish conquistadors brought horses during Cortez's conquest of Mexico, some escaped and were tamed by Plains Tribes thus horses allowed Plains Tribes to travel faster, further, improved efficiency of hunting for buffalo
• Differences in Indian and European notions of land ownership.
• Indians viewed land as common property, while Europeans represented an individualistic approach to it.
• Europeans justified colonial expansion by seeking to evangelize Native Americans and Asians, but in North America, missionary work was largely ineffective.
• Christianity, especially Catholicism, was used to assimilate natives into colonial society.

A New World for Europeans

• Native Americans provided Europeans with technology and knowledge to deal with the new world, while Europeans brought crops like corn and potatoes to Europe.
• Colonists felt chosen by God to "civilize" natives, and separation from Europe created a sense of uniqueness, leading them to identify as Americans.

African Roots

• Africa displays much diversity in ethnicity with around ~200 distinct languages spoken in Nigeria alone.
• Focus on West Africa civilizations as the ancestral origins of most African Americans.
• Extended kinship networks formed the foundation of African society, tracing ancestry to common individuals.
• Often matrilineal inheritance customs are evident, in contrast to European patrilineal systems.
• Seniority determined leadership and heads of families with polygamy practiced commonly.
• Lineage and occupation based on social status with enslaved Africans, but not perpetual, hereditary, nor racial like the European American one.
• The geography influences dominant economic activities with various available resources such as gold in Mali. Farming constituted the cornerstone of the economy along with artisans and commerce. Africans practiced ancestral worship, regarded nature as alive with spirits, and believed in the power of magic and rituals.
• Muslim influence existed among elite classes with beliefs similar to African customs, such as polygamy.
• There were not Christian missionaries until the 16th century and they made little headway until the 19th century, when Europeans developed medicines against malaria.
• The arts, especially music and singing, formed an important part of the people's cultural heritage.
• Oral literature passed down generations survived enslavement with African American stories later collected by Joel Chandler Harris into "Uncle Remus".

The Slave Trade

• It began in 1441 with a Portuguese merchant bringing 10 Africans to Lisbon to be traded for Asian goods originally.
• Labor demands for slaves on New World plantations triggered mass slave imports from Africa.
• The first slave ship arrived in the Americas in 1525, and the last in 1866 where around ~12.5 million slaves arrived in the New World.
• A king granted a company a monopoly to establish trading posts on the African coast.
• European ships exchanged goods for captured Africans traded by other Africans costing males four times that of females.
• The middle passage from Africa to the Americas was where ships crammed ships with people; around 250-300 people died when sailing due to sickness, starvation, disease, suicide or murder.
• Enslaved people were not passive and viewed revolt as a dire threat, "insurance" was needed in case of revolt.
• An estimated 2/3 of slaves were transported to Brazil and the Caribbean early on, later this dynamic changed with the introduction of cotton in the South.
• Starvation was common due to lack of food on board.
• Upon arrival in the Americas, slaves were auctioned in places like Charleston and Port-au-Prince where slaves work on New World plantations for coffee, sugar, and cotton.
• Slave trade had consequences for colonial economies and Africa. King Nzinga, a Catholic, questioned the Portuguese King for conducting the slave trade and was ultimately deposed.

Europe in the 16th Century

• Europe underwent a cultural revival during the Renaissance.
• Columbus's voyages marked turning point.
• The Renaissance led to revivals in trade, learning, strong leadership and religion.
• Trade revival stemmed from economic growth, agricultural changes, and population growth.
• Europeans desired luxurious goods from the East, a trend fueled by the Crusades.
• Trading was heavily regulated and taxed due to Italian and Muslim merchants controlling access to Western European merchants.
• Expeditions sought new sea routes to import luxurious commodities from India and other distant nations independent from trade laws and taxes.
• Classic texts on astrology, astronomy, mathematics, and medicine were studied with Ptolemy of Alexandria’s theory of round earth influencing Columbus’s voyage to India.

Technological Advancements

• Astrolabes were invented.
• Improved shipbuilding resulted in faster, more resilient ships with greater cargo capacity.
• Stronger monarchies invested in exploration, seeking resources and revenues.
• More stable governments allowed monarchs to fund explorers.

Revival of Religion

• The Reformation occurred
• Religions were used as national identity.
• Religious fervor enhanced competition among European powers in both Europe and colonies

Factors of Expansion

4 primary motivations influenced expansion of Europe

• Trade spurred wealth creation.
• Knowledge propelled technological progress
• Monarchies provided financial backing.
• Religion contributed cultural superiority

Portugal

• Portugal pioneered colonial expansion due to small size and unexpected leadership.
• Large and influential merchant class.
• Prince Henry the Navigator sponsored colonial expeditions.
• Portgual became Silicon Valley for 15th century colonisation.
• Discoveries of Azores and Canaries provided foothold in South America and Africa, later becoming the future main hub of the slave trade.
• Cape Hope rounded in 1487.
• De Gama sailed to India in the years 1497-99.

Spain

• Spain colonised for "Gospel, Gold, Glory."
• Soldier Cortez: ""We came here to serve God and the King, and also to get rich”"
• Columbus sought a westward route to Asia, funded by King and Queen of Spain.
• Columbus accidentally came in contact with the Caribbean in 1492, but he believed it was India.
• Columbus made 4 expeditions to Caribbean.
• Cortez began conquest Mexico in 1519 and Pizzaro conquers Incan Empire in Peru in 1531.
• Through conquest Spain gets vast resources including 'silver' resource that became New Spain's "gold"
• King grants Spanish upper class the right to the encomienda for aristocratic management of natives whom work in their estates.
• Aristocrats in Madrid were obliged to fund Church and missionaries tasked aimed at converting natives into Catholicism.
• The new society became one of extremes with a small, elite ruling class vs majority native impoverished population.
• Saint Augustine in Florida, founded by the Spanish 1565, was the first permanent colony in future USA.
• Spanish had influence in Southwest USA through Franciscan missionaries in Santa Fe (1608) and California.
• It was Royal order by the Spanish king in 1526 to include two priests with conquistadors to further religion spread.
• “The Requirement" of Conquistadors was to read a text to natives demanding acceptance of authority, natives not know Spanish.
• The plan was for gradual assimilation natives through church but beliefs were only diminished over time.

English Colonies

• James I became King of England after Elizabeth I in 1603.
• James I ended war with Spain to invest in exploration and colonization, and used a joint stock company for financing.
• Royal Companies were established on royal charters with English colonial efforts consisting of private enterprises instead of government funding.

Virginia

• The Virginia Company of London established Jamestown in 1607, near collapse occurred due to poor efforts.
• Colony reorganized with 400 inhabitants in 1618 and ~1200 inhabitants in 1625, tobacco became Virginia's "gold" with England 1st shipment in 1612.

Tobacco

• Indians taught the spanish how to smoke, then spanish taught the rest europe.
• James I personally disliked tobacco but treasury flow forced acceptance.
• The headright system was created to allow land access and money influx.
• Reforms in 1618 led to 50 acres given for passage to Virginia, described as the "first American boom".
• Tobacco expansion required labor supplied by indentured servants, those workers paid as little as possible in work in exchange for voyage payment,.
• 4/5 people to Virginia were servants who contracts lasting 4-7 years; harsh labor and high mortality rates; given land at end of service
• The first African slaves arrived in America in 1620 with many working as indentured servants with freedom later on.
• This changed in 1660 when Christianity slavery status changes after laws passed thus there's a decline in death rate.
• Initially double the cost but servants become less profitable over time as with increased supply slavery costs declined.
• After 1660, a revolt of landless freed servants against restrictions on their access and treatment by government failed.
• The rebellion convinced rich planters abandon servant work for slave as they solved social challenges due to indentured servants.

Carolina Colony

• Founded in 1660 in support caribbean colonies.
• Slavery was written into its charter.

Massachusetts

• Puritan settlement with H. L. Mencken saw Puritanism as “"haunting fear that someone, somewhere might be happy."
• Reformation in England "via media" satisfied most Protestants, but still wanted to finish reformation and purify the Anglican church.
• Pilgrims left to establish independent congregations, also known as Separatists or Brownists.
• By 1607 they go netherlands for freedom, but feared corruption of Dutch ideals from outside.
• They receive land grant from the London Company and create the Mayflower Compact.
• Massachusetts Bay Company was established and between the years 1630-40 Great Migration of puritans occurred in family from 20-40k.
• New arrival maintenance colony economically and various product efforts failed until trade becomes Massachusetts' gold.
• New members who arent Puritan change town demographics, plus the death of a Puritan Dream about the colony influenced economic power. New England town settlement pattern was orderly and public education was used from sunday schools.
• Believed in godly calling and taxation; taxes seen as a threat to Calling and influencing future mentality revolution

English civil war

• Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Connecticut, + Rhode Island formed before civil war to stop Expansion.
• Colonies: Carolians, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, pennsylvania, Georgia formed after civil war resumed

18th Century Society

• In the year 1750, towns of 2,500 people or more consisted 5% of colonists whom centers of society, government, and culture with influence over society.
• Urban growth, prosperity and trade stimulated demands for merchant sailors and workers in industries who stimulated retail/commerce services.
• Craft manufacturers heart and industry in commercial life thus apprentice, to journeyman to craftsman exists thus with poor migrants that migrate city

Views of Corporate society

• Each part functions interdependent to the overall goal and views on the individualist
• Deferrence to elitas and higher up is corporate belief due to proper rule.
• poverty is sign of unworkable government, wars hurt depopulated communities and widows with orphans.
• Great Awakening is sentiment on eased merchant regulations influenced the rise of First Great Awakening.
• Whitefield would encourage freedom and religion over regulations
• Increased freedom and new community communication

Englightenment

• present age is enlightenment knowledge through scientific revolutions books and colonisation of the individual.
• Great Awakening and enlighenment both occur at colonization with enlightenment preachers and people.
• colonies different you make with order and law.

Imperial Relations

• Mercantile economic and policies aim discouraged imports and encourage exports to grow wealth.
• Colonial empire serves source of raw material and market goods, government regulates.
• Prior 1660 before wars the English had civil conflicts and war and sideling affairs.
• this changed with Navagation Acts from 1660 and 1663 which trade by english or colonise goods send english only
• British colonial trade control dependent colonial governors colony, but series of colonial wars expanded.

Colonial Wars

• French arrive in 1530s with Jacques Cartier and colony establish on quebec.
• Trade post that traded with native Americans for fer instead of spanish british.
• Small population about 50 600 people, while a million vs the big difference English colonies, due to being trade not native displacement.
• From 1689 and 1815, English and France fought for colonies.
• William and league to determine fate of France and dissolved.
• First colonial wasn't sideshow war
• Started conflicts settlers fighting with ohio valley
• Virginia government send geoge washington send his militia to forced retreat, however he was unable
• britain sen help also lost to the french at 1757, then william support british colonial who commit resource conquere new france.
• Later 1760 three angle assault prepare, and 1763 new france signed piece of paris

Imperial Crisis 1763-1783

• Three part colonial government exists, a governor appionted by king with representive council to the king
• Assembles were powerful because they can make taxes
• The elites believed that their were the same the house commons british parilement wanted self representation like englad.
• Sideline local assembilies outradge

No Taxation

• War debts caused anger with colonist which moved to undermines assembly and new prices limits incomses.
• new taxes in colonies the the slogan for taxes which the British saw a corrupt England.
• Long trains of Whigs which saw government abusing power not governing it
• British didn't listen to colonists for long list greivances
• Procamation lead to discontent
• Boston massacre soldiers colonist that protested
• Quebec that took colonies ohio.

Declaring Independence

• continental called to corrdinate colonist response
• petitioned and boy cotted
• 4k british boston troops stationed to enforce
• congress and parliament rejected rebels to take control from power
• washington commander in cheif army, write olive brand, declare loyaraty who king rejects as it
• thomas pain argued monarchy had issues
• british was forced boston and begin raid ships
• special commitye orgnisation made

Winning independence

• French military loan
• Saratoga british defeat
• washington retreat strategy
• Pulaski leader
• yorktown forced surrenderr
• Paris of Colonies, establish boundaries, return of property

Road to the revlution

• what to preserve protect socities
• little social change because loyarists, new markets
• emancipation and abolition
• abigial criticised inconsistancesy and law
• all men are equal turned to white man

Reshaping American Policit

• freed independnet state strong independence that the union
• congress represatations of states
• executive brand president with commader cheif
• power to t and regualte states

Redefinition of Sufrage

• general conferenced revist amedment constitution document
• bicarmel, populuar voting system, representation
• compromise between senate and delegates, big state house and small for senate
• congress tax and regulate trade
• election president blending

Advantage Federalist Bill or Rights

• power that government would respect independent Federalalist writing ratification for new york and jefferson to the state.
• congress makes not proivions make parties dislike and
• Hamilton power economy with manufactur
• constitution support or opposion it lead the fedelrist party
• Jefferson personal liberty social economy, oragrariamis opposed to industry, oppoed induatilation or the way opportunities and catizens.

Explore the history of Native Americans, from their initial migrations to the Americas to the impact of European contact. Understand their diverse cultures, lifestyles, and the factors that shaped their societies. Learn about the empires, tribes, and significant events in Native American history.