North American History: Encounters and Ideas

North American History

• North Americans often exhibit a patronizing attitude towards their own history, especially in the 20th century.
• Thomas Jefferson believed that pursuing happiness is a right, but happiness itself is not.
• The Founding Fathers valued the power of ideas as a driving force for revolution, aiming to avoid Europe's mistakes.

Columbus and Indigenous Peoples

• Columbus reached America on October 12, 1492, landing on an island he named Guanahani, inhabited by the Tainos, whom he called Indians.
• Indigenous people likely observed Columbus's ships before he discovered them, making the term "discovery" debatable.
• An estimated 80-100 million people lived in the "New World" in 1492, mostly south of North America.
• North America was relatively sparsely populated.
• By the early 17th century, about 100,000 indigenous people lived east of the Mississippi.
• Indigenous tribes had laws, with communal ownership of property.
• Kinship was vital in these tribes, with tight blood ties.
• Europeans often portrayed indigenous men as idle hunters, while women were hardworking as they believed hard work gained respect.
• Women were responsible for food in certain tribes and its distribution. About 250 tribes existed in North America.
• 1792 marked the first celebration of the "discovery," honoring Columbus and his troops.
• Indigenous voices and historians highlight a missed opportunity for peaceful coexistence.
• Within 20 years after Columbus's arrival, 95% of the indigenous population was decimated, primarily due to disease and European violence.
• Violence was a key characteristic of colonialism, unprecedented in its scale.
• Colonization, spanning from the 15th to the 20th century, was a global phenomenon not limited to America.

Mercantilism and Colonial Themes

• Mercantilism involved state supervision to accumulate wealth, based on the idea that wealth equates to power.
• Colonial North America was shaped by hope for wealth, racism/discrimination, and tension between freedom/economic opportunity versus political/economic exploitation.
• The Spanish monarchy and papacy granted the Spanish a mandate, unlike the British.
• The British crown sent people away due to poverty and hunger but lacked funds.
• The British developed joint stock companies, where investors received a share of the earnings, operating privately.

Chesapeake Bay Colony

• Anthony Johnson, formerly a slave, became a landowner with white and black servants in the Chesapeake Bay area.
• English migration to Chesapeake Bay consisted of 80% male and 20% female settlers.
• Of 144 who departed for Virginia, 104 arrived.
• Jamestown experienced crises: hierarchy, hunger, and high mortality rates.
• John Smith (1580-1631) was a navigator, geographer, and writer.
• The Jamestown River's salt content caused poisoning in summer, leading John Smith to relocate the settlers.
• The new settlers showed indifference and ignorance towards their surroundings, refusing help from natives.
• Settlers started a war against natives, resulting in 38,800 deaths out of 5,000.
• Tobacco became the dominant crop, surpassing gold or silver in profitability, ensuring the survival of white settlers in Virginia.
• Indentured servants agreed to work for a master for 7 years in exchange for land and clothing to grow tobacco.
• Many indentured servants died before completing their contracts.
• African slaves replaced indentured servants between 1660-1700.
• Virginia attracted people seeking wealth: survival of contract led to riches.
• White Virginian society in the 17th century was characterized by money and violence.
• There was political instability, a lack of public interest, no marketplaces, and constant conflict

Massachusetts Bay Colony (Puritans)

• People migrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony not for wealth but for religious reasons (Puritans).
• Puritans were a radical religious group extensively studied in American colonial history and were demographically successful, with 7-9 children per family.
• The British government supported their relocation to Massachusetts, believing it was divinely ordained.
• The Massachusetts Bay Company, founded in 1629, was not a stock company.
• They established a general court elected by freemen (70% of all men in Massachusetts) to govern themselves.
• Differences between the colonies included religion, social organization, and economics.
• Puritans believed they were members of an invisible church.
• Hard work was seen as a sign of divine favor, necessary for salvation.
• Massachusetts was described as a cold, rocky dessert, yet the Puritans were very successful, perhaps due to prior knowledge of the area.

Puritan Society

• The Puritans reached the highest standard of living in the Western world, doubling their population every 25 years until 1660.
• They faced a "Puritan dilemma".
• By 1660, they became worldly and lost their sense of mission.
• Early colonization led to stark differences in the eastern coast of North America.
• Chesapeake Bay was characterized by individualism, violence, monoculture, and greed.
• Massachusetts Bay was characterized by community life, control, harmony, consensus, no tolerance, and mercantilism.

The Great Awakening

• A large group of people redefining their connection to God through religious experience in the context of mass conversion.
• George Whitfield was a Methodist who transformed into a religious hero.
• Whitfield's view of God's anger differed from Puritan beliefs.
• The Great Awakening had two phases, needing preachers and regular clergymen.
• Served as a form of anti-authoritarian movement.
• Rekindling with Faith.
• Eighteenth-century action that serves as a response to Calvinism.
• Economy focused on market.
• Colonies expanded and those who lived there became a part of the transatlantic trade market.
• Pre-matrital sex wasn't as much of a crime anymore and around 50% of women were pregnant when married.
• Conflicts arose over meetinghouses as people wanted their houses close to the meeting place and wished to sit as far up front.
• Ministers did not see themselves as servants to the people but to God.
• The congregation did not want to pay the ministers.
• Clergy lost authority.
• Biology had an epidemic between 1737-1739 where 20,000 people died in New Englan.

Religion

• Ministers asked to admit guilt to the people.
• Jonathan Edwards came from a family with 11 children; he felt that God was furious and both men and women were sinners.
• Accepting Christ means people have choice.
• Experinecing grace is a phsycial feeling.
• Anti Authorian, nothing is in between one and good.
• 60% of colonists are churchgoers.
• Number of churches explodes.
• Great awakening means that the Aemricana are different, better, peculiar chosen.

American Revolution

• Long term development across 170 years.
• In 1763 the British Parliament changed its colony policy and called in their armies, increasing taxes within the colonies.
• Sugar Act of 1764.
• Stamp Act of 1765 taxed every official document.
• Colonists were unhappy due to the British crown presence and lacked a part of the British Tax System.
• Violence sparked through the colonies against stamp distributors.
• British set up and American Board that decided on taxation on many things.
• Crown lost credibility.
• John Dickens felt taxes were okay, but saw inattention.
• Massachussets council statement parliament interpreted as rebellious and dismissed local asssemblies.
• Colonial boycott of British Imports.
• King and the crown break British Law (in eyes of the colonists).
• 1769 Parliament revokes all taxes.
• Not about taxes anymore but who has the last word.
• October 1768 British soldiers arrive in Boston Harbor to try to show authority, leading to more tension.
• Feburary 1770 the situtation becomes escalated and a boy lost his life, becoming propaganda.
• Boston massacre March 5, 1770 a mob attacks a guard and 5 people died.
• First itme "partiot" and Briths fight.

Continental Congress

• In 1774 the colonies formed a continental congress to refuse British Laws and the colonists do not feel like part of Britsh crown.
• Thomas Payne arrived in 1794 to write in a language everyone understands.
• Declaration of Independence 1776 Thomas Jefferson doesn't accuse parliament but accuses George III.
• Origins of the revolution are local, structural, erratic, long term and political.

The Constitution

• Tension based from Anglo-American traditions versus Republican radicalism.
• The number of seats in senate does not match the number of people.
• The executive power is completely thrown out the window.
• By taking power away in the government you have to give elsewhere.
• Balance of power (limit the power of rulers).
• More states formulated before 1784 bill of rights.
• Seperating state from church, meaning no church tax.
• Ordinance of 1787 define settlements.
• Conditions to become a state and people had to apply.
• Westward expansion is saving wealth.
• Indiginous people lose their entitlement to keep land.
• African Americans weren't seen as humans.
• Government was weak due to the constitution.
• They didn't have money or ability to take taxes.

Philadelphia Convention 1787

• 55 delegates
• James Madison.
• Virginia pan
• Stronger federal government.
• Raise taxes and veto law from states.
• National government should have the power to proceed militarily.
• William Peterson advocates the exact difference.
• The assembly and everyone else should send same same number of representatives as basicaly not changing anything.
• In the end a senate is where sends to representatives according to the population.
• Distrubtion of power in the 1987 goverment and creates a system of checks and balances.
• The constitution estabilishes a dual system passing laws. Legislative: The state makes laws and hands out funds.

Presidents and Laws

• Executive: The president carried out laws.
• Judical: Supreme court evaluates law.
• Geroge Masons wanted The 3/5 Clause which is disgraecful for humanity, this was wanted by souther states because they had less people living in those northern states.
• June 21, 1789 the constitution became the law as nine states ratified it.
• Washington comes into office 1789, not gloriously.
• Constitution characterized by the ongoing tensions.
• The constiution consists of ongoing tensions such as Radicalism vs conservatism, engagement and isolation, strong government vs weak government.
• No voices, representation of female minorities and Native Americans.

Feminism

• Lizzie Borden father and stepmother were killed in the house.
• It's assummed that suspect Lizzy was the cause of the incident.
• Decleartion of independence wasn't for owman.
• No right to vote, no property, no home house hold or church.
• Alexis de Tocqueville say that Aemrican women are freer than women in Europe.
• However, Independence of women is irrecoverably lost in the bonds of matrimony".
• Women reform group failed due of not coaltioning with other groups.
• Girmkees sister didn't put right to the vote.
• Feminism is linked to sperate spheres and domesticity.

Enslavement, African American Slavery

• Slavery is common in places where they farm or grow suger and tobacco.
• 1808 there was in import stop of slaves.
• Historians said dehumaninzaiton made commit suicide or live under a goodmaster better than a low paying somewhere.
• Slaverly was dehumanzing to all.
• What manners as slaver was where one or who, farmer or where.
• A slave coming in the 17th cnetucy could find himself isolated due to commnunication and language barriers.
• Finding friends was hard to due to isolation of farms.

African American Slavery in the 1800s

• Slave population rises
• Suddenly there are even gender rations and the ability to find partners.
• 10 slaves on one plantation.
• Day in the life would be one hour before surise, Modane breakfast, on the farm all day or brining cotton to collectors.
• Skiled labor such as Blacksmiths had a higher standing.
• Field workers would get diseases.
• Sunday was a day off. Mortality rate very hgih and especially bies.
• Corporeal punishment, God given duty from masters. They can marry or get childern the master sencouraged that as they are capitial.
• Slaves are not protescted by law and if so they sold.
• there were slaves in urban envrionments where the contribute to the culture of the south and there langauge,
• It makes them sing as they though singing makes em work and sing.
• the makes convert to chrustanity which masters liked.
• Free slaves there mostly live in cities or work as bankers or murchants.
• They kind of lived a grey zone/ area of law.
• Slaves boycotts, do not follow orders slowly.
• Slaves and resistence they cannot loose job the owner would get punished since the slaves are the capitol.

Ned Turner

• He was field slave and was considered al preacher.
• All he had to do was read.
• Believced al whites see blacks are ketlle.
• In a group startet to wonder country kill every white person.
• Slaves thought that messias would not come until they rest.
• 70 year prior to the war 5 rebelions.

Manifest Density

• USA give all sudeu al land.
• Jefferson bought the land from France.
• He thaught about the porblems and thought the it wolsve the issue.
• Immagrants between 1900-18.
• The did what jeff tought stay work
• German worker a weird langauge.

Politics

• Wig parite, conttruside and damoarte.
• Locals demand ldan reform and agriciltial project.
• A big group of Anti formngerz.
• But busnis grew due to the immagreationl.
• Native lived there.

Texas

• But there are compeiotars with texixia.
• John wanted to anex taxes.
• 1848 amerixans wars wins amerixans.

Compromise

• Messourri compromise that maybe clauseur.
• Prohibited salvery and under it a lot.
• Except missiouri retain salary and alerady has 30 americnas ahve said. New admissinos. That fugitive salve have the act of 300 s lave need to retun.

Dared Scott

• The congress said have to make it slavery.
• The salve does get a bit.
• That book the slave part get better.
• What part lose the the credibility to fugutive.

Abraham Lincoln

• Supreme split nations.
• Everything to win the net election.
• All of this leaded to Aabrmaon Lincoln becoming the election the south didn't have any help.
• So they didn't feel represented any time voted from linkclon to the army and the united

###Capatilm and Industlizaitno Age

• The goldeng age an increasie.
• 4 percenbt every year.
• 4 reason for undustation and exanpatio
• Railor symbolis the gilde.
• No governmenta; interfernece ot regualtion.

Golden Age

• By 1900 is the a few very large enterprise who dominate.
• The wealyhs of this corporations is establish of the war.
• Low paid jobs and child labor.
• In 1900 women 175 salary gice and govos independence.

Cities

• By 1910 a cizities.
• Diversfciation and ethincs.
• Great avenue os gao between poor.
• The afll.
• Strong unoin fluence.
• Chalges to workers for the us imgration.

Huamn and Humane

• Human a anser.
• An movement with the world of cooperation.
• Correct the scocial misser to the be govenrtm role.
• The vicotoi ang and porgresim imporvemen.

USA

• The were to vote the woworkplcas.
• In the 3 status and what women.
• Som agrure tot cpmplee equal.

1990s

• Devose founded
• Progressom enede After wod war
• In didvas so Sid or nto to solve the orbl on thier.
• The soermembt joa to reltafe

World Wars

• Wsw sund yby gmer snmaring
• Before the bewigging og travel from byrc yo liver pool the gemrabemabssi.
• Germayr and and austis dint extpt the dta to.
• Witliso dint want to particiapre yo hsr but also wrnt emphaiang meit.

World War I

• Wilsion for war the lusinias disater was a sigaifcsnl.
• Zummermand telelfm and mexico janpana.
• June1 1917 firt soskder arrived in uroped
• Wilsons towsred opternation sdysym s.

1919

• The p[arsi Peace to the trataty.
• The nation as result to us srmsrty.
• The leak of narion failed but us live.

1920

• Gerlardsm semk.
• President warsen and cadls cooldge
• It does pusho to gemray and france.

Explore the early history of North America, from Columbus's arrival and encounters with Indigenous peoples to the foundational ideas of the Founding Fathers. Understand the demographic landscape of the continent and the complexities of cultural interactions and philosophical underpinnings.