American Nations

Question 1

When was Jamestown founded and by whom

Answer 1

• Founded by vagrants and gentlemen adventurers in 1607. Everyone died because they refused to work even 6 hours per day in the summer to prepare for the winter.
  
  • Took immediately confrontational approach with Indians.

Question 2

What was the true story of Pocahontas and John Smith?

Answer 2

John Smith captured by indians, indians staged mock execution where 11 yr old Pocahontas “saved” him. Pocahontas actual husband, John Rolfe (white) pioneered planted tobacco in VA turning it into an export colony.

Question 3

When, how, and by whom was Tidewater founded?

Answer 3

Founded by diaspora from English civil war in 1640’s.
○ Parliament and Progressives on Trade and Religion (Puritans) vs. the King and Noble Landowners (Cavaliers).
○ Tidewater founded by Cavaliers, Yankeedom by Puritans.
○ A sympathetic Governor Berkely of VA gave Cavaliers massive plots of land when they migrated. Wanted to recreate genteel manor life.
○ Primarily disinherited sons of English gentry (second or third sons who did not receive the land)
○ Indentured servants provided labor, service 3 yrs work for 50 acres at end of term. 30% mortality rate.
○ King ultimately defeated and executed

Question 4

Why were few towns built in the Tidewater region?

Answer 4

No towns were needed in Tidewater (and few were built) early on as ships could pull directly up to estates along the inlets for trade. English goods to cheap to compete with, so no industry was required.

Question 5

What were the two guiding governmental philosophies, who represented each and where were they from?

Answer 5

• Jefferson/Madison/Washington - Tidewater republicans believing in Greek/Roman republic and a ruling elite that had full liberty. Liberty granted, not a right. Elites had the rights, slaves were in bondage.
  
  • Yankees/Midlanders - Freedom, everyone born free with rights, and equal before the law

Question 6

Who founded and built Williamsburg and Annapolis? What were they designed from?

Answer 6

Williamsburg and Annapolis were founded by gentry built cities from central plans inspired by Rome.

Question 7

Why was slavery imported into the Tidewater region?

Answer 7

Slavery was created to resupply labor in Tidewater after indentured servitude dried up in the 1670’s. Originally vagrant whites were given 50 acres after years of indentured servitude.

Question 8

What are the origins of the Episcopal church?

Answer 8

Episcopal Church = Rebranded Anglican Church in America after the American Revolution

Question 9

What are the characteristics of early “Yankeedom”?Moralistic nation of Churches and schoolhouses.

Answer 9

• Each community functions as self governing republic
  
  • Religious utopia, based on John Calvin (Puritan), successor to Martin Luther furthering the protestant reformation.
  • Ruled themselves, not beholden to Feudal nobles or companies (Tidewater, New France).
  • Came from progressive part of England influenced by the Dutch, Educated middle class, skilled craftsmen.
  • Expanded rapidly because they all brought their families, vs. Tidewater who came as servants.
  • Led by elite, distinguished primarily by education
  • Anti-inhered privalege and conspicuous displays of wealth
  • Towns named after places in England.
  • Local control (towns had power) and broad democracy (60-70% of population could vote)
  • Children had to go to school or penalized by law.
  • Founders of the concepts of American exceptionalism and manifest destiny making others “virtuous”. Crushed Indians under God’s will.

Question 10

What happened to quakers or other non-puritans in early Yankeedom?

Answer 10

Non-Puritans not allowed in, Quakers disfigured, death sentences for adultery, blasphemy, sodomy.

Question 11

How was New Netherlands founded, and by whom?

Answer 11

• Diverse, founded by self made men in commerce and real estate from all over.
  
  • Jews both Ashkenazi and Safartic by 1650
  • Decidedly Dutch in philosophy and economics, Tolerance.
  • Pilgrims first went to Holland in 1607, but found it too free and left for U.S. where they exerted more religious control.
  • Managed by West India company.
  • Stuyvesant (governor) tried to stop Jews and Quaker immigration, but was overruled by Amsterdam superiors.

Question 12

What was the guiding philosophies of the founding of New Netherlands?

Answer 12

• Based on Rene Descarte - Inquiry should be based on what is known to be good or true as opposed to Bible or Philosophers texts.
  
  • Spinoza - Dutch founded of modern philosophy. Rationalist. God does not intervene, can live your best life by understanding nature and natural function. God = Nature.
    -

Question 13

How did New Amsterdam get its name changed to New York?

Answer 13

The brother of the future King James (during U.S. revolution) took over New Amsterdam and changed it to New York, but agreed to retain Dutch culture.

Question 14

1688 was first revolution in U.S.

Answer 14

• King James II (Catholic) imposed newly authoritarian policies in the colonies, or “Dominion” government. He was trying to exert more control as a show of power and increased tax revenues.
  
  • In 1688, William of Orange and Mary (King James daughter) captured the throne in bloodless coup and restored protestantism.
  • The 1688 revolution gave the American colonies an opportunity to rise up against the “Dominion” governments, and in most cases they overturned.

Question 15

Who founded the deep South?

Answer 15

• Founded by descendents of Barbados, a hellish slave state

- Barbados had slave mortality rate of 2x Virginia, had to import new slaves to replace the death rate

Question 16

What was the ratio of slaves to whites in the early deep south (early 1700’s)?

Answer 16

Deep South had a 5:1 ratio of slaves to whites in early days.

Question 17

How did slavery progress in Tidewater vs. the Deep South?

Answer 17

• Tidewaters slave population grew naturally through births, and until the late 17th century status was determined by class not race. Interference from Deep South migrating from Barbados with terrible racist policies changed that. Slaves were imported.
  
  • Illigitimate children of slavemasters in the deep south were sometimes sent to Yankeedom for education.

Question 18

What was the Stono rebellion and what was the result?

Answer 18

Stono Rebellion - 1737 revolt and massacre by literate Christian slaves in South Carolina scared southernors. Resulted in restriction of slave assembly, education, and movement.

Question 19

Who founded Georgia, and what ultimately became of the founding philosophy?

Answer 19

Georgia originally founded by philantropists trying to rehabilitate poor white english with hard work, no alcohol, and no slaves. Deep South won out and took over govt. In time.

Question 20

Who founded the U.S. midlands?

Answer 20

• Quakers founded PA. Thought of as radical and dangerous. No Church, no Slavery, Womens equality. Hippy meets scientologist of today. Each person had “inner light”, didn’t need scripture.
  
  • William Penn
    ○ Son of self made Admiral. Inherited much wealth, inherited patron of quakerism.
    ○ Imprisoned for Quaker views.
    ○ When his father dies, king Charles owed him much money. Settled debts in return for Pennsylvania.
    ○ Founded PA as utopian society, peace w/ Indians, everyone could vote, no military.
  • First wave of population was brought by Penn, second was mainly South German immigrants (protestants) fleeing persecution.
  • Quakers and Germans both anti-slavery, but some slavery existed in PA.

Question 21

Who started to encroach on the German/Quaker dominance of the Midlands and when?

Answer 21

• By 1775, around 100k Scottish and Ulster Irish Calvinists came into PA with inherent views that people were wicked and violent. Began to saturate the quaker/german culture. Took Indian land.
  
  • Quakers were terrible governors, leaving everything to self discipline and application of the “Golden Rule”
  • Quaker government ended when Leni Lenape indians tried to retake western PA in response to scots irish transgressions. Quaker government did nothing, ended quaker government.

Question 22

Who founded Appalachia and what were their primary characteristics and interests?

Answer 22

• Founded by those from the English “Borderlands” - Ireland and Scottland. Ravaged and formed by war for 800 years.
  
  • Violent, unorganized, and independent.
  • Valued individual liberty and honor above all else.
  • Life in Ireland/Scotland taught them not to value fixed material wealth or land, wars would quickly take both. Became lazy and sought to maximize freedom and independence vs. wealth.
  • Authorities pushed Border landers close to the frontier to get them out of civilized areas.
  • Clans were created, enormous inequality. Married first cousins often.

Question 23

Who were the Paxton Boys?

Answer 23

Borderlanders were detained for killing indians. Paxton boys mob of Borderlanders laid siege to Philadelphia until the detainees were released.

Question 24

Where are Scots Irish descended from and why did they leave Europe?

Answer 24

• Scots Irish - when Queen Elizabeth the 1st needed warlike people to settle northern Ireland, brough in Scots.
  
  • Rents raised to unmanageable levels in Ireland by English landlords, so they left.

Question 25

What was the result of the French and Indian or 7 years war on English thought toward the colonies?

Answer 25

• British won, also gave them arrogance that they could do what they wanted in the colonies
  
  • British elite class in Britian developed their own schools, language, imperialist philosophy. Wanted to control the states as an elite ruling class.

Question 26

What was the intent of British tax increases on the U.S. colonies?

Answer 26

• States paid 1/20th of the taxes the English did. When the British elite raised taxes on the U.S., they hit lawyers and other professionals the hardest to try and stop lower classes entering professional roles in colonies.

Question 27

What were the positions of each U.S. area during the revolution?

Answer 27

• Yankeedom was the first to coalesce and rebel, forming first contenental congress from town delegates.
  
  • Tidewater didn’t like English control of churches and restraining westward expansion.
  • Appalachia split, most fervent support and opposition came from Appalachia.
  • Midlanders split, mostly neutral.
  • New Netherlanders - Most ardent loyalists. Concerned about Yankees taking over, wanted to continue commerce.

Question 28

When did the fighting of the revolution end in Yankeedom?

Answer 28

Revolution ended early in Yankeedom when they forced out the British in 1776, they then continued to supply the war efforts with food, troops, and supplies.

Question 29

Where did the term “don’t tread on me” come from?

Answer 29

• “Don’t tread on me” was the Scottish borderlanders motto for opposition to the British during the revolution
  
  • Borderlander infighting was the worst of the war

Question 30

What were Cornwallis’ tactics and where were they applied?

Answer 30

British under Cornwallis used inhumane tactics, laying waste to Deep South back country. This earned him many enemies from the Borderlanders, turning the tide.

Question 31

Where did the majority of officers and enlisted men come from during the revolution?

Answer 31

• Tidewater - Some officers

- Yankeedom - Majority of enlisted men and officers

Question 32

Where did different components of the U.S. Constitution come from?

Answer 32

○ Tidewater & Deep South -> Strong President and Electoral College
○ New Netherlands -> Bill of Rights modelled on Dutch
○ Yankees -> Equal Senate Representation

Question 33

What happened to Quebec and Acadia after the 7 years war?

Answer 33

Quebec at end of 7 years war was allowed to retain language and Catholicism. British forced Acadians out of Acadia during the war, however many returned after the war. A significant number migrated to New Orleans, where they became known as Cajuns.

Question 34

What was the Candian myth until the 1970’s about the founding of Ontario?

Answer 34

• Ontario created by loyalists after the American Revolution who founded a more perfect society
  ○ Truth - Loyalists failed to displace New France and New England cultural influences
  ○ Most immigrants to Canada after the war were Germans/Quakers/Dutch, not British, primarily interested in extremely cheap British land. Mainly midlanders who were persecuted for failing to take up arms.

Question 35

What did Britian do in terms of Canadian governance as a result of the American revolution?

Answer 35

• Britian retained close control of Canada in 19th century, learning lessons from American Revolution. Canadians were not allowed to develop distinct culture, values and govt. All leaders were British, very little voting rights.

Question 36

What led to the Whiskey Rebellion in the U.S.?

Answer 36

• PA govt. decided not to accept tax payments in US Govt IOUs, making them worthless. Poor sold these for pennies on dollar to rich, then rich friends of the governor made the IOU’s good.
  
  • Plot by Hamilton and Robert Morris (Morris known scum bag).
  • Also heavily taxed Whiskey, the only real commercial trade in the Appalachias.
  • Led to Whiskey Rebellion and State of Franklin

Question 37

Why did Hamilton exit as head of the army?

Answer 37

Hamilton was purged from Adams cabinet as head of Army after his officers were found interfering in elections.

Question 38

What was the position of Yankeedom during the War of 1812

Answer 38

• New England had lost clout, almost seceded during the war and refused to fight the British.
  
  • Toward end of war, Yankeedom was about to administer an ultimatum - more control of the government or secede. Before they were able to deliver, U.S. won the war, demands seemed rediculous in face of American celebrations including Andrew Jacksons win in New Orleans.

Question 39

Who founded Chicago?

Answer 39

Chicago founded by Yankees, but quickly overwhelmed by immigrants. Fled to Evanston IL, Yankee enclave.

Question 40

Where did Evangelicalism start?

Answer 40

Evangelicals came out of Western NY, sought to remove the middle man in religion and become born again with their direct relationship with God.

Question 41

Who started Seven Day Adventists?

Answer 41

Seven Day Adventists - started by William Miller of Vermont who prophesized Christ would come in 1843, then 1844.

Question 42

What was the Oneida community?

Answer 42

Cultish, communal manufacturing and property ownership, started in 1841. Manufactured traps, silverware, silks, and canned fruit.