making of america Flashcards
How many colonies did Britain have on the east coast
13 colonies by 18th century
When did George Washington become president of America
1789
Where did most of the American population live 1789-1838
East coast
When did the US purchase Louisiana
1803
Where did the US buy Louisiana from
France
How big was Louisiana when bought by America
800,000 square miles (doubled the size of America)
What did the purchase of Louisana lead to
Control of the Mississippi River which was important for trade
What was the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Explore the Louisiana territory and the land beyond in 1803
What did the Lewis and Clark Expedition find
Reached the west coast in 1805 and returned with their findings
When did America declare war on Britain and when did it end
1812
1815
Why did America declare war on Britain in 1812
Government were angry that British were restricting American trade and forced American sailors to join the British Navy and support the Native American fight against western expansion
Why did the Native Americans feel affected after the war in 1812
- felt threatened by westward expansion
(Britain supported them in halting expansion but at the end they stopped) - Shawnee war chief united the different tribes but died and no one replaced him
When was Thomas Jefferson president
1801-1809
What did Thomas Jefferson believe
land ownership and farming created a healthy and virtuous population
What better transport links were made in 1811 and 1825 that enabled western expansion
- 620 mile long national road (1811) connecting the east coast to illinois
- 353 mile long eerie canal (1825) connecting New York to the Great Lakes
By 1838 how many states were created
26
When were plantations established
17th century in the South America
What were plantations
Large farms which harvested crops such as sugar, cotton and tobacco
Needed a lot of workers to harvest them
How did plantation owners claim slaves
Atlantic slave trade
How did technology increase the importance of cotton and slavery
1 - new machines allowed factories to process more cotton (demand for cotton increased in Britain)
2 - mechanical cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, removed cotton fibre from seeds mechanically
3 - cotton gin allowed planters to expand cotton production which increased expansion in slavery
How were slaves treated?
- inhumane and cruel
- whipping and beating
- sexual abuse to females
How did Washington aim to civilise eastern Native American tribes
Perused a policy of ‘civilising’ Native Americans living east of the Great Plains
What five tribes were considered civilised by Washington and why
Cherokee, Chicksaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminole
They all took aspects of of white culture
When was the Indian Removal Act passed
1830
What was the Indian removal act in 1830
Authorised president to grant tribes land on the Great Plains in exchange for their land in the East - Jackson claimed it would benefit the tribes to be moved away from settlers where they could live in peace
What was the impact of the Indian Removal act
it was supposed to be voluntary but some tribes resisted, the US forced them
What two tribes resisted the Indian Removal Act
Cherokee - ‘Trail of Tears’ where forced to leave to the Plains in 1838
4000 out of 15000 died en route
Seminole - fought a guerilla war against the Us army from 1835-1842
Seminole surrendered and moved to Plains
How many people were moved by 1840 to the Great Plains
70,000 - 100,000
Who were the Lakota Sioux
- normadic Plains Indians
- largest and split into 7 bands
- used buffalo’s for meat, skin for clothing, bones for weapons
- tribal warfare (steal horses, counting coup)
- believed Wakan Tanka created the world and that everything in nature contained spirits
- women didn’t work and men hunted and fought
What are tipis
Family tents
When did settlers start to move to the west coast
1830
Why did settlers move to the west
(Problems in the east)
- recession in 1837 caused low wages and high unemployment
- overpopulation
- disease (yellow fever)
Why did settlers move to the west
(Attraction of the west)
- land was fertile and cheap
- governments encouragement (to strengthen Americas claim in the land)
- gold
Why did settlers move to the west
(Manifest Destiny)
- believe they were superior to Native Americans and that they should civilise the continent
How was the journey to the west coast for settlers
- took 5 months to complete the 5000 mile journey
- travelled in wagons
- 10% died on the way
- mountains and rivers to cross
- food and water shortages
- accidents were common
Who started the Mormon religion and how
- Joseph Smith who published his ‘Book of Mormon’ in 1830
Who were the Mormons
- separated themselves from American society and called non-Mormons ‘gentiles’
- formed a militia called the danites and violence against non Mormons
- against slavery and tried to convert Native Americans into Mormonism
What happened in Ohio 1831 regarding the Mormons
- faced violence
- Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered in 1832
What happened in Missouri 1837 regarding the Mormons
- anti slavery stance annoyed slave owners
-
What happened in illinois 1839 regarding the Mormons
- created their own city called Nauvoo
- Smith was eventually in jail by an angry mob
Where did the Mormons settle in
Salt Lake Valley
What were the conditions in Salt Lake Valley
- little rain
- no trees for wood
- needed to become self-sufficient
When did the Mormons plan to leave illinois and what happened
Spring of 1846 but due to increase in anti-Mormon in violence left in February
Left supplies as disorganised
In 1848 what happened regarding Salt Lake City and the US
Mexico gave Salt Lake City to the US and became subject to American laws
Mormons ignored the laws and Danites attacked US officials
When and where was Gold found
California 1848
Who found Gold
James Marshall while working at John Sutter’s sawmill in January 1848
President Polk made a speech in December confirming that gold had been found. Then people started migrating the west
What challenges did the California Good Rush present
- many deaths from cholera
- surface gold was limited and grew scarce
- living and working conditions were poor
- male gold seekers and quick development of mining towns meant society was unstructured
- frequent racial conflict= white Americans considered themselves superior to foreign miners
What effects did the Gold rush have on California and the US
- harmed the environment (chemicals caused pollution)
-non Native American population rose from 14,000 to 225,000 between 1848-1852
What was the lack of understanding between settlers and Indians
- Indians believed land was for everyone
- settlers wanted own, farm and exploit it
How did Native Americans and settlers come into contact
- plains Indians became more holistic - sometimes attacked wagon trains, increasing settlers fear and distrust
- ## settlers disrupted buffalo herds which Plains Indians relied on
What did the Reservation system replace
Permanent Indian frontier
What was the Fort Laramie Treaty (1851)
Governments first attempt to concentrate Plains Indians in certain areas - defined territory of each tribe to minimise inter tribal conflict
What effects had the Fort Laramie Treaty had
- tribes remained in their territory to allow settlers to cross Plains, allow government to build new roads and forts along the trails
- in return government promised tribes permanent rights to their land and receive $50,000 of goods a year
- neither side kept to the treaty (government couldn’t keep their deal (changed yearly goods to $10,000)
What impact did the Fort Laramie treaty have?
- settlement increased in California and Oregon
- Broken promises increased Native American resentment towards government and settlers
What did Pike’s Peak gold rush bring about
New Conflict
In 1858 gold was discovered where
Pikes Peak
What did the Pike’s Peak gold rush lead to
- thousands moved to Colorado (population growth helped it become officially recognised as a US territory)
- Fort Wise treaty in 1861 which restricted territory of both tribes and gave more land to the settlers (increased tension)
In the early 19th century what was the South’s economy based on
Cotton exports
When did all northern states ban slavery
1804
North and the South (population)
- North population bigger = gave more political power
What did abolitionists do?
- abolitionists called slavery a moral evil which should end immediately which formed the American Anti-Slavery Association in 1833
- abolitionists gained support in the south
- in 1851, Harriet Beecher wrote a novel attacking slavery
When is the Missouri Compromise Broken
1854
What made the Missouri compromise end
Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854
When the act admitted Kansas and Nebraska to the union, it allowed settlers to vote on whether they become free or slave states
What was formed after the Missouri compromise
Republican Party - aimed to stop spread of slavery
- gained support in the north
- democrats stayed popular in the south
When did Abraham Lincoln win presidential election
1860
Abraham Lincoln
- he thought that slavery was a moral and opposed it spread in the new territories but he said he didn’t want to interfere with areas were it already existed
- Many so the nose felt that they didn’t owe any loyalty to a man who threatened their way of life. His election triggered the withdrawal of seven states and in February 1861 These states formed the confederate states of America with Jefferson Davis as their president.
Abraham Lincoln in terms of causing the Civil War
Lincoln refused to withdraw US government troops at Fort Sumter in South Carolina - the Confederate saw this as a lack of respect for their independence. Lincoln sent more supplies to the fort but said that he would only attack if the south did so first. In April 1861 Confederate troops attacked the fort.
This triggered the Civil War between the union and the confederate by August 18 6111 southern states had withdraw from the union
What was Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation in 1863?
All slaves and rebellious states were to be freed
What happened when African-Americans tried to join the army?
They got rejected
How many African-American soldiers had joined the union army?
180,000
How did African-Americans help the war effort?
- Blacksmith’s
- Cooks
- Spies
How did black people face racism and discrimination in the union army?
- They fought in segregated regiment led by white officers
- Many people didn’t believe that black men were a skilled or as brave as white men
- Black soldiers were paid $10 a month compared to $13 with the white soldiers
- African-Americans were given poor supplies and more rations
Why did African-Americans unwillingly help the south
- many slaves began to resist by working at a slower pace refusing to obey orders and breaking rules
- Many slaves and free African-Americans were forced to support the confederate war effort by made to build fortifications, working in factories
- Confederates were unwilling to arm slaves because of fears of slave rebellion. Slaves were only accepted as troops in 1865 when the south was coming close to losing the war.
How was slavery formally abolished after the war?
- many slaves in the south had already been freed by the emancipation proclamation in 1863
- The 13 amendment was introduced by Lincoln when he was re-elected in 1864 -it formally abolished slavery in all states
- Freedmens bureau was set up in March 1865 to help freed slaves and poor southerners to rebuild their lives. It provided food and shelter, and legal and medical aid it was closed in 1872.
When did Andrew Johnson begin presidential reconstruction?
1865
How did Andrew Johnson begin presidential reconstruction?
- Pardoned all white so the nose except confederate leader leaders and wealthy planters, but many later received individual pardons
- some of the southern elite regained power – many had been in the confederate government and army
- Property was returned to its original owners instead of being re-distributed. Many African-Americans rented land from white people - sometimes they rented from their former masters
- Some southern states created the black codes, which will limited the freedom of African-Americans (Andrew Johnson didn’t support equal rights for African-Americans so we did nothing to stop the black codes)
- In 1866 he rejected the civil rights act, which gave equal rights to African-Americans
Why did some Republicans disagree with Johnson’s approach?
- wanted racial equality and greater punishment of confederate leaders
- Created an alliance with the radicals and overturn his civil rights veto
- Congress past the 14th amendment in 1868 - Johnson opposed it on the southern states refused to ratify it
What were the first and second reconstruction acts?
- passed by Congress in March 1867
- Placed the south under military role
- Forced to ratify the 14th amendment and rewrite their constitutions to allow black people to vote
Johnson tried to obstruct radical reconstruction how?
- Rejected both reconstruction act so radicals put him on trial
Who was elected president in 1869?
Ulysses Grant
What was the 15th amendment and when was it passed and ratified?
It was passed in 1869 and ratified in 1870
Citizens of the USA could not be denied the right to vote based on their race, colour, or previous condition of servitude
How many enforcement acts were passed between 1870 and 1871?
Three
What did the enforcement act of 1870-1871 made it illegal to do?
Made it illegal to use terror, force or bribery to stop black people from voting and they gave the government powers to quickly suppress the Ku Klux Klan
When did the reconstruction era end?
1877
How did the reconstruction era improve rights for African-Americans?
- More than 700,000 black people were registered to vote and over 1500 were elected to state and national offices
- Many KKK members were fined and let off with a warning
- Some southerners ignored the 15th amendment by trying to stop black people from voting = the Supreme Court ruled in defence of this unfair system
What is the homestead act (1892)
- Gave each settler 160 acres of land
- if they farmed it for 5 years they opened up 2.5 million acres for settlement and was open to everyone
- between 1862-1900 estimated 600,000 people claimed land under the land
What is the pacific railroad act (1862)
- government wanted to build a railway from east to west and believed it would make migration into unsettled land easier
- approved the first transcontinental railroad in 1869
- government gave railways land, economic development, transportation made easy
Why did many move to the plains in 1865?
- growing population and high land prices
- slaves who had been freed wanted a new start
- escape poverty and religious prosecution
Why was homesteading in the plains after1865
-no wood for building or fuel
- lack of water
- wind
How were the plains successfully settled
- better machinery (steel ploughs, windpumps, barbed wire)
- new crops (turkey red wheat from Russia in 1874)
- new techniques (dry farming)
What government act helped people get more land
Timber Culture Act of 1873
Desert Land Act of 1877
How did people adapt to the Great Plains
- made houses out of sod as there was no wood
- women were responsible for housework, helping others in childbirth, collecting buffalo dung for fuel
- women formed church groups to combat loneliness
- schools and shops were built
What did the Great Plains produce lots of
Wheat and corn
What did the Homestead Act achieve
Settlement of the West
By 1900 there was 500,000 farms on the Plains
What was the Beef Bonanza in Texas
- Texas Longhorn cattle was results of inbreeding
- Numbers of Texas Longhorn grew
- Beef grew popularity in 1850s in northern markets
What were the four main cattle trails
Goodnight-Loving, Western, Chisholm and Shawnee
How long were cattle trails
1200-1500 miles
Who established the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail?
Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving in 1866 from Texas to Wyoming
Who set up an open range ranching in Wyoming
John Iliff in 1867
What did cattle trails lead to
Cow towns
Who built a cow town and when
1867 by McCoy
- built Abilene (fully equipped cow town)
- after a few years 3 million cattle passed through Abilene
What angered the Plains Indians
Railroads, ranching and Gold
Why did railroads anger the Plains Indians
- built railroads through Native American lands
- railroad companies encouraged hunting of Buffalo (railroads divided herds and made them easier to hunt)
Why did ranches anger the Plains Indians
- Indians were attacked because cattle drives went through Indian land and built ranches on Indian territories
Why were the Plains Indians unhappy with the reservation policy
- reservation lands were insufficient for farming - some tribes faced starvation
When was the Little Crow’s war?
1862
What was the Little Crow’s War
- in August 1862, four Dakota returning from an unsuccessful hunt, murdered five settlers for a dare
- Little crow reluctantly let his warrior in an uprising. Hundreds of settlers and about 100 soldiers were killed and the town of New Ulm was burned
- The Dakota was defeated that Woodlake in September (38 Dakota prisoners were hanged and most of the Dakota were expelled from what was left of their land)
When was the Cheyenne Uprising and the Sand Creek Massacre
1864
How did the Cheyenne uprising and the Sand creek massacre occur
- Cheyenne faced starvation because they couldn’t grow food on their land at Sand Creek
- Colonel John Chivington attacked the Cheyenne
- Cheyenne rebelled by attacking ranches, women and children
When was the red clouds war and the Bozeman trail
1866-1868
How did the Red Cloud’s War and the Bozeman Trail started?
- Bozeman trail was established to link the gold fields in Montana with the Oregon Trail - however they passed through the Sioux
- Sioux attacked travellers who used the trail so the army built forts to protect themselves
- Sioux began to attack the army (Fetterman and all 80 of his men were killed)
When was the Great Sioux War
1876-1877
What was the Great Sioux War
- started by the discovery of gold in the Black hills of Dakota in 1874
- US government tried to buy the Black Hills from the Sioux but refused
- miners still showed up and many of the Sioux left the reservation
- started attacking eachother
who lost the great Sioux war
Sioux
How did the Sioux lose the great Sioux war
The army launched the winter campaign against the siouxin 1876-1877. After losing their horses and starved, they surrendered.
What did the buffalo slaughter force native Americans to do
Accept reservations
What were the effects of lots of buffalo slaughtering
- buffalo numbers decreased rapidly (almost extinct)
- main source of food gone = led many plains Indians to accept life on reservations
What did reservations do for the plains Indians
- no longer feed or clothe themselves
- high rates of alcoholism
- many children taken away to be educated
- religious practices banned
When was the Dawes act
1887
What did the Dawes act do
Parcelled out tribal lands
What was the aim of the Dawes act
Convert tribesmen into independent farmers
What did the Dawes act do?
Broke reservations into allotments
Each family assigned 160 acres
How was the Dawes act a disaster for Native Americans
- tribal communities broken up and culture destroyed
- creation of allotments led to Indians losing their land (down from 138 million acres in 1887 to 78 million acres in 1900
What happened to the Dawes act in 1934
- government repealed the act and encouraged tribal identities
- already by that time, Native Americans lost over 60% of their orginal reservation lands and suffered from alcoholism, suicide
What was the Wounded Knee Massacre
- spiritual leader Wovoka taught ‘Ghost dance’ could raise the dead / he was against violence but white Americans feared the dance would lead to rebellion
- Fighting broke out between a band of the Sioux and the US army - 150 Sioux and 25 soldiers died
In 1890 what did the census reveal
No longer a definable western frontier of settlement - frontier was declared officially closed
Meant that there was no more land available for settlers
How did African Americans lose their civil rights
- separated from white people
- ‘Jim Crows’ laws which legalised segregation
- Supreme Court supported segregation
How did African Americans face Economic Repression
- lived in poverty and prevented from making money
- few chances to improve their lives / education for them was poor
- ‘Pig Laws’ punished African Americans for stealing farm animals
How were African Americans denied their political rights ?
- democrats tried to remove voting rights for African Americans
- introduced poll taxes and literacy tests (affected African Americans as they can’t read or write)
Where did African Americans move to from the South
West
What happened to African Americans when they moved to ‘Sundown Towns’
- racism and exclusion
What is the period between 1870 and 1914
Second Industrial Revolution
Why did America have a Second Industrial Revolution
- created steel and oil and electricity
- successful businesses were created due to this
Give examples of rich business men during the Second Industrial period
John Rockefeller founded the standard oil company - introduced techniques which transformed the oil industry
Andrew Carnegie created the Carnegie steel company - used improved technology and method to quickly and efficiently mass produce steel
What did industrialisation and mass migration lead to
Growth of cities
- moved for jobs
- 11 mil immigrants arrived between 1870 and 1900
- US population doubled
What did the poor call the wealthy and why
‘Robber barons’
Workers were paid low wages for long periods of time
Rich showed off too poor
Discontent among workers led to rise of trade unions
