0001 Pre-Revolutionary Era and the War for Independence (SMR 2.1) Flashcards
About how many different tribes and language groups existed before Europeans came to America?
There were over 500 different tribes and language groups before Europeans came in.
What is a Clovis Point?
A clovis point is a sharpened stone tool (originally found in Clovis, New Mexico), tells us that humans have been on North American continent for 13,500 years
What is a popular theory for how people arrived in North America?
A land bridge that formed over the Bering Strait, evidenced by Kennewick Man skeleton & clovis points
What Native American tribes were found in the Southwest (New Mexico & Arizona)?
Pueblo, Apache, and Navajo
Describe the Pueblo tribe
Southwest tribe including Anasazi and Hopi tribes. They were settled groups with complex religious systems, their agriculture was based on Maiz. They had complicated pottery that showed use of pottery wheel and they farmed with irrigation
What did the Pueblo tribe contribute to early American society?
Pottery & farming with irrigation
Where did the Pueblo tribes live and what kind of houses did they live in?
In the Southwest in wooden framed houses built into cliff sides, they had complex pueblo villages
Describe the Apache tribe
The Apache tribe were a group of nomadic hunters, they traded with the Pueblo Indians
Where did the Apache tribes live and what kind of house did they live in?
Lived in wickiups made of bark, grass and branches in the Southwest
Describe the Navajo Tribe
The Navajo group were a settled tribe in the Southwest, they raised corn, squash and beans and hunted deer.
After the Europeans came to North America, how did it change agriculture for the Navajo Indians?
The Navajo indians went from hunting deer and raising corn, squash and beans to having sheep, goats and horses
Where did the Navajo Tribe live and what kind of house did they live in?
The Navajo tribe was from the Southwest and lived in dome-like urban houses
What major tribes were from the Northeast Settlements and what kind of people were they?
Iroquois & Algonquian were tribes in the Northeast. They were into agriculture and hunting
What is three sisters farming?
A farming technique by Northeast Indians where people would plant corns, beans and squash together
Describe the Iroquois tribe
The Iroquois tribe were from Northeast & Canada (Ontario), they had complex politics and a confederacy, representatives of parliament chosen by women, matrilineal because of fertility connection to mother earth, economy was agricultural and women distributed food. Had a great understanding of geopolitics
What was the name of members of Parliament in the Iroquios tribe and how were they voted into power?
Sachem were representatives of the Iroquois parliament and were voted into power by women b/c their society was matrilineal (note that women did not hold the seats though)
Why was the Iroquois tribe matrilineal?
Because of women’s connection to fertility and mother earth
How did the Iroquios Parliament work?
The Iroquios parliament was made up of five tribes. It was bicameral parliament with two tribes holding half and the fifth as a broker. Sachems chosen by women
Which tribe showed the largest opposition to European colonialism?
The Iroquois tribe in the Northeast
What made the Iroquois tribe hard to overcome?
The Iroquois built large fortresses between rives and had walls that made it complicated to enter
What was the Iroquois League?
an agreement established between five Iroquoian speaking groups in late 1300’s to curb inter tribal violence
Where did the Iroquois people live and what did they live in?
The Iroquois people in the Northeast were a collective society who lived in long houses with their extended families
Describe the Alqonguian tribe?
Alqonguian tribes were from the Northeast (Massachussets and Virginia), men fished and hunted, women did agriculture, formed the Powhatan Confederacy against Europeans, lived in longhouses
Why were the Algonquian tribes important to Europeans?
The Algonquian tribes were home to Wampanoah which was present at Thanksgiving feast, and home to Powhatan, the tribe of Pocahontas (Jamestown)
What was the Powhatan Confederacy?
The Powhatan Confederacy was a cultural and political union of Algonquian tribes in the Northeast that provided military support to chief Powhatan
What was the mound-building tradition?
A tradition by Hopewellian native culture that was used to bury the deceased in mounds
Describe the Great Plains (Sioux) indians
The Sioux Indians where semi-nomadic corn farmers, they traveled with domesticated animals and in migration patterns, upon introduction of Europeans they dropped farming and became pastoral nomads with horses
How did the introduction of Europeans influence the Sioux people?
The Europeans introduced the horse which inspired the Sioux people to drop farming and become pastoral nomads who lived off the land and animals. They used horses to hunt buffalo which supplied food , decorations, tools, knives, and clothing.
Where did Sioux people live?
The Sioux people slept in Teepees which could be easily packed up to support their nomadic way of life.
What major characters of early American life came from The Great Plains settlements?
Crazy Horse (Lakota), Sacagewea, and Sitting Bull
What were some tribes of the Southeast settlement?
Choctaw, Cherokee, Cahokia
What did the Cherokee people provide?
Basketry, pottery & Lacrosse
What was Monk’s Mound?
It was a pyramid in meso america believed to have been a temple or chief residence
Where did the Cahokia tribes live?
The Cahokia tribes lived in Mississippi in Chickees which are thatched roof houses (also lived in by Seminoles)
Southeast tribes mostly engaged in ________ for their economy.
Southeast tribes were based on agriculture
Inuit Americans lived in _______.
igloos
Tribes in the Northwest (Pacific Coast) had a rich diet based on what?
The Northwest tribes had a rich diet based on hunting, fishing, gathering nuts, berries, and roots
Northwest tribes lived mostly in permanent _______.
longhouses
What caused the Northwest tribes to be isolated?
High mountains isolated tribes and created barriers to development
Name the five civilized tribes
Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), Chickasaw, Seminole, and Choctaw
Why were the five civilized tribes named?
These five tribes were generally settled prior to Europeans coming over. When the Europeans arrived, they easily adapted to European style of living and concept of land ownership, even having their own slaves.
What was the basic unit of organization for tribes?
Family
Did Native Americans trade?
Yes, they had an extensive trade unit
What did land represent to Native Americans?
Land was considered a source of life, not commodity to be sold (this would cause a lot of conflict when Europeans arrived)
Native Americans believed in a _____ world filled with ______.
Natural/ Spirits
What did the Black Death have to do with Europeans coming to the new world?
After the Black Death made the population decrease in Europe, the feudal system ended and serfs/peasants became a free working class. Less people meant less famine and soon the population increased greatly, leading to the desire to find new land for people to live
Population, New Frontiers, New Production Markets & ________ were all reasons why Europeans wanted to conquer the new world.
European Colonial Competition
Why were new frontiers important for some British settlers?
They were seeking religious freedoms
What was the importance of the Indian Ocean Economy when it came to settling in the new world?
Europeans were looking for more raw materials that could boost industry and help them create actual products that could then be traded to Asia.
Though the 13 colonies were settled by Britain, what do old maps of settlements show us?
That settlements were multicultural. i.e. Florida and Texas were first settled by Spain, Louisiana by France, etc.
Who was the first to create a permanent settlement in America?
Spain in 1492 when Columbus arrived and marked contact with Europe and Americas (note that Vikings were first to settle but didn’t permanently stay)
What was the reason that Spain was the first to reach the new world instead of its European counterparts?
Prior to this, Ferdinand and Isabella in Spain had ousted Muslims from the country and won their political and religious wars to keep Catholicism in Spain once and for all. With this behind them, they had the money to explore the new world.
Meanwhile France & England were fighting other political wars and Protestant wars also kept other countries out
Spain became the strongest European power under ______ (1527-1598) because of _____ and ____ that they found in the new world
Philip II, gold/silver
What was the main reason that the Mexican/Aztec and Inca empires were destroyed by Spanish Conquistadors?
Because of the diseases that the Spanish Conquistadors brought in
The Spanish Conquistadors colonized what parts of the US?
South & Southwestern US
Why did the Conquistadors come to America?
They enslaved native people to get resources through things like mining and attempted to bring catholicism to the natives
As a result of the Seven Years War in 1763 and the signing of the Treaty of _____, Spain lost ____ to Britain
Paris / Florida
What were the two reasons that colonization in the new world was important to Great Britain?
They were funded by joint-stock companies in hopes of yielding a profit while others left Britain in search of religious freedom.
Did Great Britain’s original plan to yield a profit from the new world work?
No, they originally came after seeing Spain’s success with gold and silver but didn’t find that, instead they took raw materials and sent them back for trade
What were France’s reasons for colonizing the new world?
France wanted to establish colonies to convert them to Catholicism (a result of the Protestant Reformation). They were also looking for natural resources like gold and to trade furs.
Why did French and the Netherlands not develop permanent settlements like the British did in the new world?
The French and Dutch came to the new world and set up trading outposts for fur and other resources. The fur trade was transient in nature and therefore settlements were not permanent whereas British set up agriculture in colonies and also included those coming over for religious freedom therefore it was more permanent
New Netherlands and New Amsterdam were founded by the Netherlands and are modern day _____ and _____.
New York & New York City
Similar to the French, the Netherlands came to the new world to make money in the __________.
Fur Trade
The Southern Colonies were funded by ______. Specifically, Jamestown was funded by ________.
Joint stock companies/ those seeking economic gain.
Jamestown was founded by Virginia Company of London (a joint stock company)
What was the first permanent English settlement?
Jamestown, Virginia in 1607
Why was Jamestown, Virginia successful?
- Had tobacco as a cash crop
- People came over for an opportunity to own land through a headright system
- A lack of jobs in England brought people over
Who was John Rolfe?
He was Pocahontas’ husband and also the one who introduced tobacco as a cash crop in Jamestown.
What was a headright system?
A headright system was practiced in Jamestown, Virginia and Southern Colonies to give people headrights (50 acre plots of land). Those who were already in Virginia got two headrights, those who came in later got one, and those with indentured servants received multiple
Who were indentured servants?
Indentured servants were brought over by colonists. They worked for 4-7 years in exchange for passage. The master would pay their room and board and typically they could learn new skills in the process.
Why was the James River Watershed important to Southern colonies?
They wanted to be close to the river system because of irrigation as agriculture was the most important part of their economy
What was the land like in the Southern colonies?
The land in the Southern Colonies was fertile and conducive to plantation agriculture and cash crops. It also had protected harbors like Chesapeake bay
What kept the aristocracy alive in the Southern Colonies?
Plantation crops: they were the most important aspect of the economy and society
Why did second and third born sons from England come over to settle in Southern Colonies?
Because in England, the first born son receives the land, but with the Southern headright system, land was now made available.
What were the main differences between New England colonies and Southern Colonies?
New England colonies were not undertaken by joint stock companies but were independent venture.
New England was primed for rivers and timber but did not have fertile soil like Southern Colonies
In New England, people came over for religious freedom rather than to make an investment
New England colonies had different governing system than Southern Colonies (not aristocratic in New England)
Identify and explain the first colony in New England.
Plymouth was the first colony in New England, established in 1620 by Gov. William Bradford. They aimed to arrive near Jamestown but arrived accidentally in New England
How did the persecution from the Anglican church and monarchy in England influence Plymouth?
The Pilgrims and the Puritans came to Plymouth for religious freedom as they were part of the Seperatist movement and wanted away from the Anglican church. They originally moved to the Netherland but wanted full freedom so set up their own colony in America
When was the first thanksgiving, why did it occur, and who was present at it?
1621 in Plymouth due to an abundant crop. The Wampanoag tribe as well as the Pilgrims of Plymouth were present
Did the Wampanoag tribe and the Plymouth colony have a good relationship?
Yes
What impact did the harsh winter have on the people of Plymouth?
44 died out of the 102 Mayflower passengers
Who and when was the Massachusetts Bay Colony founded?
The Massachusetts Bay colony was a New England colony founded in 1630 by Puritan, John Winthrop
Massachusetts and Rhode Island were settled by _____.
People seeking religious freedoms
What occurred in 1629 that led to the Massachusetts Bay Colony?
King Charles I dissolved parliament in England and was persecuting Puritans, and Puritans wanted out. They bought out investors so that they could have their own colony and make their own rules.
What was unique about the Massachusetts Bay Company?
They were an independent colony and created an American notion of governing ones self, didn’t want to be influenced by the British Parliament.
What colony was made to be a religious Utopia: “A City Upon a Hill”
Massachusetts Bay Colony
Describe Massachusett’s Bay Colony’s government structure.
They had their own charter and was ruled by a local governor, they had non-Puritan elements but religious law as a whole including mandatory church and the city assembly made up of the church
What was the result of Massachusetts Bay Colonies focus on education?
Mandatory education caused high literacy rates and in 1636, Harvard College (a school to train ministers) became the first University in America
How did the Middle Colonies emerge?
The Middle Colonies emerged as part of debt repayment by Charles II to William Penn senior, William Penn senior lent money to Charles II and gets land deed for Pennsylvania, his son William Penn was a Quaker and therefore not in good standing with Britain, therefore William Penn Senior gave land to William Penn and Quakers to go and live
The ______ colonies were brought in by joint stocks, the _____ colonies were brought in by independent ventures and the ______ colonies were brought in by some of both.
Southern / New England / Middle
The Middle Colonies were known for their ______.
Religious tolerance. The Middle Colonies were Quakers who were relatively more liberal and open to non-members than the Puritans.
Who was William Penn?
Was a Quaker (Society of Friends). He was a pacifist who dissented from the Church of England, given Pennsylvania by his father William Penn Sr. who was given land by debt repayment from Charles II
When was Penn’s Woods Colonies established?
In 1681 by William Penn
What was the result of the Middle Colonies being well advertised and tolerant of other religions?
There was a widespread European migration from Germany, the Netherlands, France and Sweden. All these countries were at war with themselves over religion. For example, the Huguenots in France wanted freedom from Catholicism.
What city became the most populated city in the Middle Colonies and why?
Philadelphia because of its open religious tolerance. It became a center of cultural and political activity with trade and business.
What was the result of the Treaty of William Penn with Delaware Indians?
It helped populate and bring peace.
What was geography like in the Middle Colonies?
fertile soil, rolling hills, open territory and larger farms than New England colonies allowed them to have surplus agricultural for trade with Southern (who mostly had cash crops) and New England colonies, trade meant they were not reliant on Britain
Why was Maryland different than other religiously motivated colonies?
Started for religious reasons by an Aristocratic family, the Calverts. Under King Charles I (Catholic), he gets into civil war with Parliament and Parliament wins developing Protestant rule in England, so Catholics came to Maryland to seek refuge, named for Virgin Mary
Why was slavery seen as necessary in the Southern colonies?
Early indentured servants were set free after the end of their servitude terms, but as tobacco and rice farming became more widespread, more laborers were needed and it couldn’t be expensive
When were Enslaved Africans first brought to the New World?
In 1619 in Jamestown, VA
What was the connection between West Africa and North America called?
The Middle Passage (brutal transportation conditions), was a triangle trade of slaves to the americas, sugar, tobacco and cotton to Europe, and rum, textiles and other goods to Africa
How did slavery look different in Souther Colonies than it did in Northern Colonies?
Southern Colonies utilized slaves for Plantation work while Northern Colonies utilized slaves for household or uban work like workshops, craftsmen, etc.
By the Revolutionary War in 1776, how many slaves were in colonies?
500,000 both from trade and from home breeding
What were the four reasons leading to the War for Independence?
- Flexing of British Power
- Philosophical Resistance
- Physical Resistance
- Increased Colonial Resistance
Before Britain started flexing for colonial power, what was the relationship that they had with US colonies?
One of “Salutary Neglect”: England loosely regulated trade and government in colonies but purposefully didn’t interfere much (think of it as a father with his teenage son in the guest house type relationship). This all changed with the French & Indian War
How did the French & Indian War (aka 7 Years War) change British and America’s relationship and lead to the war for independence?
The 1754 French & Indian War was part of the greater British and French wars. American colonies were active in helping Britain win. When Britain won, the 1763 Treaty of Paris caused French to lose most possessions in North America (aka Florida). Since the war was expensive and America gained land, Britain wanted to tax colonies – something that had not been done before
What was the Proclamation Act of 1763 and why did it cause tensions between Britain and America?
It restricted American colonists by forbidding American settlements beyond the Appalachians and limited American frontier expansion. This was Britain’s way of attempting to smooth relationships with Natives but seemed like a violation to colonies
What did the term “No taxation without representation” originally refer to?
The Stamp Act of 1765 that imposed a direct tax on American colonies for anything that was printed. The Stamp Act Congress was made up of 8 colonies.
What was the 1765 Stamp Tax?
It was the first direct tax on the American colonies after French & Indian War, Americans had to pay taxes on anything that was printed – needed stamp of European approval but American colonists were not happy because they did not have a say in creating this act (this was against the Magna Carta)
What is the idea behind “Actual Representation”?
Americans had come to believe that the sovereignty of their government lay in colonial legislatures, not in British Parliament
Why was there a philosophical resistance by the Americans?
They believed Parliamentary taxation was a violation of good government since there was no physical representation and they couldn’t vote for members of parliament
Why was there Physical Resistance and what were some examples of the Physical Resistance by the colonies against Britain?
Between 1765 and into the 1770’s Britain started to increase control over colonies with taxes like Stamp Act, Sugar Act, etc.
The Boston Massacre followed by the Tea Act and Intolerable Acts led to rise in protest. Another form of physical resistance was smuggling
What was the Boston Massacre?
a 1770 British Military take-over of Massachusetts, caused protests by people vs. British soldiers, 8 Americans are killed by British, causes uprising of American nationalism
What was the Tea Act?
In 1773, Britain established a tea monopoly that imparted triple taxes on tea on everyone, even those who did not buy it. They didn’t necessarily had bad intentions, the price of the tax was less than what they were paying for tea before BUT this annoyed American colonists because of taxation without representation
What were American’s responses to the 1773 Tea Act?
The Boston Tea party, the resistance by the sons of liberty, an activist group, who protested abuses, they met to discuss the resistance, disguised themselves as native americans and attacked ships holding tea and pulled tea off of ships and threw it into harbor, claiming they wouldn’t have to pay the taxes , had a harsh reaction from British parliament
What were the acts that came from Britain as a response to the Boston Tea Party?
1774: Intolerable Acts: Britain’s response to the Tea Party that cut off trade and opportunities to expand, purpose was to isolate New England and end physical resistance throughout colonies but had opposite effect
What four acts were part of the Intolerables Act?
Boston Port Act: limited port trade in Boston
Administration of Justice: Claimed British officers could only be tried in Britain
Quartering Act: made Americans house & feed British soldiers
Quebec Act of 1774: Increased Quebec territory
Why was the Quebec Act of 1774 (an Intolerable Act) important?
Increased Quebec territory to Ohio Valley which encroached on colonized land, seemed like a betrayal because Quebec was colonized from French
Explain Benjamin Franklin’s ‘Join or Die’ Propaganda
It was a result of Intolerable Acts, snake cut into pieces representing colonies, concept was “if we don’t join together to fight Great Britain, we will be separated, chopped up and killed individually”
What was the purpose of the 1774 First Continental Congress?
purpose was not to immediately rebel but to formally complain, plants seed amongst colonists for rebellion
What was the First Continental Congress?
Made up of 12 Colonies, except Georgia, asked the crown to reverse and nullify the acts (particularly Intolerable Acts), granted that the parliament have the authority to impose taxes but asked for representation, decided to meet in 1775 if grievances not addressed, as a result towns began organizing militias and stockpiling weapons in case Britain reacted negatively
King responds negatively and colonies plan to meet up again in 1775
The Battles of _____ and _____ in 1775 were considered the first victories for American independence. Why did these battles occur?
Lexington & Concord
When British found out that there would be a Second Continental Congress, they wanted to capture New England leaders but Massachusetts militia inflicted casualties on British soldiers “red coats”, forced them to retreat
What major developments occurred at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia in May 1775.
Established Continental Army led by George Washington as Commander in Chief
and commissioned Thomas Jefferson to write Declaration of Independence, officially deciding to rebel
When did the war for independence begin?
July 4, 1776
What three things did Thomas Jefferson include in Declaration of Independence?
- Basic human rights granted by God that could not be taken away (enlightenment ideas)
- Grievances against Parliament and George II
- Summation that since rights had been violated, independence would be declared
All signatories of the Declaration of Independence were considered ______.
Traitors of the British Crown
What was the first major win for Americans in the Revolutionary War? Why was this win particularly important?
Saratoga in Oct 1777, important because it convinced French King Louis XVI to help assist American effort
What city did the British conquer in 1777 that caused congress to go into hiding?
Philadelphia
What turning point occurred in the Revolutionary War in 1778 that brought military and arms support to Americans?
Treaty of Alliance with France; brings French military and arms support
The siege of ______ in 1781 was a major turning point in the Revolutionary War. Why?
Yorktown, VA, a port in Virginia where French sieged British Navy after Britain couldn’t get ships out of harbor, Lord Cornwallis surrenders and British forces are weakened
What siege changed public opinion in Britain against the war?
The Siege of Yorktown, VA
What was the 1783 Treaty of Paris?
The day when American independence is recognized by British and French. Lands south of the Great Lakes and East of the MS went to the colonies and became new USA
What were some of the other major battles during the Revolutionary War?
Battle of Bunker Hill (British Win, very deadly battle)
Death of Montgomery in Quebec (death of American general Montgomery)
Battle of Cowpens: US victory of SC
Moonlight Battle
