Making Of America Flashcards
When did George Washington first sail into New York City?
The 23rd of April 1789
What were white settlers?
Families who came from Europe to America
Could claim to be citizens of USA if they were free, white and of good character
Who could not vote at the beginning of the USA?
Women, non-citizens and slaves
Whereas 60 to 90% of white men could vote
What were native Americans/plains indians?
Tribes living in America
Often came into conflict with white settlers if they try to take their land for farming
Indians are allowed to vote, but only if they paid taxes
What were African-Americans?
Vast majority lived in Southern states
Had no right to vote
Owned by White settlers and forced to complete manual labour
What were states?
Well developed areas
Populated - 60,000
Could make own laws as long as didn’t go against constitution
Had own government and governor
Could send representatives to Congress
What were territories?
Areas of land without enough settlers or stability to become a state
ruled by territorial governor appointed by Congress
What were the 13 original states?
Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia
What and when was the Battle of fallen timbers?
1794
US defeated native Americans
Tribe leaders for to sign the treaty of Greenville
What was treaty of Greenville?
Native Americans gave up land in the territories. These territories soon became states.
What were the consequences of the treaty of Greenville?
Forced Native Americans to move further west which caused conflict amongst other tribes
Where was the north-west territory?
North of Ohio River
Where was the south-west territory?
South of the Ohio River
When were the American wars of Independence?
1783
What did Britain do after losing the wars of independence?
Give 230,000,000 acres of Indian land to the US
How much did President Jefferson buy the colony of Louisiana from the French for?
$15 million
Why did the US grow so rapidly?
George Washington took native American lands
Treaty of Greenville
Opened Northwest and Southwest Territories for settlement
Slaveholders wanted to expand plantation business
Louisiana purchase
When was and what was the Louisiana purchase?
1803, the US government bought the colony of Louisiana from the French
This give them 530,000,000 acres of land
This led to more trade routes to the west
Which states were added to the US between 1789 and 1838
Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, and Florida
When did Merriweather Lewis and William Clarke set off and when did they return?
May 1804 until 1806
Details of the expedition of Lewis and Clark?
Followed Missouri river into the Rocky Mountains, and then through to the Pacific coast
Mostly got on well with native Americans
woman called Sacagawea acted as their guide
Positives of the expedition of Lewis and Clark?
Lead to further expansion in the fair trade
Encouraged other trades to head west
Trade with native Americans grew and there were few problems before 1840
What were the impacts of division and conflict between white Americans and Native Americans?
US government had taken lots of Native American land for whites to settle on, so natives were forced to move further west
Impact of division and conflict between white northerners and white southerners?
Northern business owners thought slavery was unfair competition for their factories
Many people in south thought northern business owners were greedy and morally corrupt. They saw a powerful north as a threat to their way of life
What was the impact of division and conflict between abolitionists and other white Americans?
A small number of white and three black Americans called abolitionists thought that the growth of slavery was a marvel. They set about trying to stop it all together
What Christian groups spoke out against slavery?
The Quakers and the Methodists
What were the four reasons that slavery spread across the American south so quickly between 1838 and 1840?
The cotton gin/the pushing system
new lands/forced movement
the 1820 Missouri compromise
the 1803 Louisiana purchase
What and when was the charles deslondes rebellion?
January 1811
Organised a revolt
Forces regained control and rebels either killed or arrested
Charles hands were cut off, he was shot and set on fire
25 of the rebels killed, their heads placed on sticks along the riverbank as a warning to others
What did abolitionists believe?
Slavery is wrong
Don’t like power it gave to south
Immediate emancipation
Free the slaves
What was the 1790s experiment of civilising native American nations?
Washington so native Americans as biologically equal however their society as inferior
Tried to persuade them to become more civilised and live like white people
Many tribes in Northwest did not accept, whereas the south did not have a choice
Who are the five civilised tribes?
Choctaw, Chickasaws, Seminoles, creeks, and Cherokees
What was the 1790s settlement of Seminole and Creek lands?
White settlers started to build plantations and farms across the Seminole and creek lands in the south east
Plantation owner Benjamin Hawkins learned the language of the creek to help them learn from white American culture
What was the 1814 attack on creeks?
White American army led by Andrew Jackson defeated the creeks
Creeks had to sign over 23,000,000 acres of land to Jackson
What was the 1830 Indian removal act?
Pushed through Congress by President Andrew Jackson
Thought their land should be used for cotton plantations
Land in West set aside for Indians who moved from East
They could voluntarily sign up to it, however instead were pressured
What was the 1838 trail of tears?
Most of Cherokee people refuse to move west
1838 the US Army forced remaining 18,000 to March west
Over 4000 died
Led to 7000 US troops forcing Cherokee into concentration comes
Who were the lakota sioux?
Nomadic plains Indians whose lives centred around the Buffalo
Role of men from the lakota sioux?
Skilled Horsemen and members of warrior Society
Plains Indians beliefs?
Great spirit ruled over the Earth and all living things had spirits of their own
What did the lakota sioux use the different parts of the buffalo for?
Sinews - bowstrings, bread
Horns – hairdressers, spoons, powder flask, cups, and arrows
Skull – painted and used as religious decoration
Tongue – hairbrush
Fur – blankets, mittens
Hair – string, stuffing for pillows and saddles
Bones – knives, sledge runners
Hooves – glue, tools
Ribs – sledges for children in winter
Intestines – buckets, cooking vessels
Fat – soap
Tendons – strings, cord, sewing thread
Bladder – food bags
Dung – fuel
Tail – fly whisks, ornaments
Rawhide – made into bags
Tongue tied – robes, Tipi covers
What was manifest destiny?
Idea that it was God’s plan that the white should settle the west
What were economic reasons for people to migrate west?
– 1837 there was a big downturn in the economy leading to no opportunities in the east
– Advert started suggesting people could improve their lives if they moved west
– 1841 pre-emption act passed to stop land speculators buying up all the land making it cheaper to move west
What were colonial reasons for people to migrate west?
1848, land of California taken from Mexico to become US land
1840, mountain men and explorers had roots and trails to allow people to migrate
What were geographic reasons for people to migrate west?
Migrants hope to build better lives on the rich farming land
What were religious reasons for people to migrate West?
1845, journalists and politicians began to talk about manifest destiny
Steps to The journey of people west?
Migrants often spent the winter in a town along the Missouri river. They built their wagoner and stocked up on supplies ready to set off in spring.
Follow the platte the river along the Oregon Trail. Could only cover 18 miles a day and had to deal with the Sun, rain, rivers, Buffalo, and other tribes they would stop at US4 to along the trail like Fort Laramie or Fort Kearney for rest and supplies. Cross the Rocky Mountains, leading to the wagons struggling. When they reached for, migrants would decide whether they would take the route to California or to Oregon.
If they chose Oregon, they would have to cross the mountains which saw many people take the rest of the journey on foot
If they choose California, they had to cross the desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains
What deal did the Indians have with the government regarding compensation for damage to their hunting?
1851, the government could set up forts along the Oregon field in exchange for compensation for their damage to hunting
Details of sagar family journey along the Oregon Trail?
May 1844
Henry Seger and six children with pregnant wife Naomi
Group of 323 emigrants
Heavy rainfall turned ground into mud
Platte river, lost control of oxen and wagon overturned
Catherine jumped from moving wagon, breaking her leg
At fort laramie, disease spread
Henry and Naomi died
Children became orphans and adopted by the Christian mission of Marcus and Narcissa whitman
1847, Maisel killed an Indian tribe and they blamed the Whitmans
the Whitman’s were killed
Whitman’s house set on fire killing 13 people
Only four children survived
Who was leader of the Mormon settlement of Utah?
Brigham Young
How was landownership decided by Mormons?
The church would decide based on necessity
How did Brigham Young improve farming?
Ordered digging of irrigation channels bringing water from distant mountains to the farmland of Salt Lake
What happened in Utah in 1848?
US government sees the area around Salt Lake from the Mexicans this made Mormons American
Young applied for Utah to become a US state but government denied
Named As a territory in 1850 and young made first governor
What happened to the Mormon settlements between 1850 and 1860?
They expanded
This worried people in the east as they feared the spread of Mormon religion
What happened in Utah in 1857?
Government decided to send troops to Utah to force young to bring it in line with US laws however there was no conflict
What did the Mormons do in September 1857?
A group of Mormons led by John D. Lee massacred some settlers they believe to be army spice.
They blamed Indians for the murders, but it was soon disproved
Lead to young stepping down as governor and Utah made to follow the rest of the US laws
When was the California Gold Rush?
1848 to 1849
What happened in the California Gold Rush?
First discovery of gold in December 1848
Stories begun circulating of people making $1000 a day
Trails became packed with men
Over 50,000 headed to California in 1849 alone
Merchants such as Levi Strauss began accommodating to the minors needs
By 1852 all surface gold had nearly gone and started to employ men to dig
108 companies dominated the gold scene by 1852 however there was barely any gold
Any Indians found to be digging fold was shot, this meant that in 1850, a law was passed that stated if an India could not prove he had a job then he would be arrested and sold for slave labour
There were also serious consequences
When was the Pikes Peak Gold Rush?
1858 till 1859
Details of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush?
By 1859, 100,000 people made journey to Kansas
Easier to access than California
Creation of railroad helped
Invention of sale wagon sped up transport
Creation of town boosters
The development of farming
Kansas became a state in 1861
Who were town boosters?
Men who deliberately publish maths on the best way to get to the Goldfield, all claiming that the best route was through their own this was to encourage trade in their town
What happened in September 1859 regarding native land and US government?
The Arapaho and cheyenne tribes met with the US government at fort Laramie to discuss settlers
Five days later, a kiowa man road into a shop in a white settlement in Colorado and spat blood in the shopkeepers face
When was the American Civil War?
1861 to 1865
What was the north/Republicans economy based on?
Capitalist System – anyone can start business
What jobs did Republicans have?
Farming
Working/running a small business
How did Republicans make money?
Working
What did Republicans believe about slavery?
Unfair
What was the south/Democrats economy based on?
Plantation system, rich landowners controlled all trade and land
What jobs did Democrats have?
Farming on large plant
Very little industry
How did Democrats make money?
Work of slave labourers
What did Democrats believe about slavery?
Natural and right
Thought state government was more important than national government
When and what was the underground railroad?
1800 till 1860
Former slaves, Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman and others set up the underground Railroad to help us smuggle escape slaves to freedom. Thousands of slaves were helped to escape the south
What and when was the Missouri compromise?
1820
Stay at join US in pairs – one slave, one free
Maintained political balance but slavery grew in Missouri and south of it
Compromise stay in place until 1854
What and when was the anti-slavery Society?
William Lloyd Garrison and Arthur Tappan formed national Anti slave society
Grew to 250,000 members by 1838
Slaves able to stories through essays, pamphlets and petitions
When and what was the Congress ban of slavery in the new territories?
Congress dominated by northern politicians in 1846
Voted to ban slavery in new territories
When and what was the clay compromise?
Slaveholders worried they were losing their influence as north grew in power and wealth
Proslavery Southern politician Henry clear suggested a compromise
California should enter a free state
Territories gained from Mexico should make their own decision
All states should accept the new fugitive slave act agreeing to return escaped slaves
When and what was the Kansas Nebraska act?
1854
Overturned Missouri compromise
Allowed Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether they wanted slavery through a popular vote
When and what was bleeding Kansas?
1850s
Political violence between pro and anti-slavery
People trying to increase the population to become a state in order to vote on whether or not there should be slavery
Just under 200 people killed in violence
When and what did James Buchanan becoming president mean?
1856
Democrat
Openly supported slavery
Opened plantations in the north
Supported the Dred Scott decision
What was the Dred Scott decision?
Stated that Congress had no right to ban slavery as every American had the right to own property
When and what did Abraham Lincoln’s presidential campaign mean?
1860
Portrayed himself as honest Abe, who was a man of the people
Prevented expansion of slavery
Promised a new transcontinental railroad
Won a solid victory
South stated they would secede from the USA to start their own country and defend their rights
When and how did Southern State succeed?
1860 till 1861
Newspapers stirred north and south into a frenzy
November 1860, South Carolina voted 169 to 0 to secede from the union
Stated the president no longer represented their interests
During 1860 winter, another six states left the union and Join South Carolina to form the confederacy
When and how was the new Confederate Congress formed?
February 1861
Elected a new government in Montgomery, Alabama
Led by slave holder Jefferson Davis
Argued any state had the right to remove itself from the union of the USA if they did so democratically
Argued, the confederacy was a test of the rights of states versus power of the president
What and when was the fort Sumpter attack?
April 1861
Lincoln made a speech in March saying it was illegal for the south to leave the union
12th of April, confederates open fire on union soldiers in Fort Sumter which was a gun battery at Charleston Harbour in Southern Carolina
Three days later, Lincoln asked loyal US troops to stop the rebellion and bring the confederacy back into the US
