The First Americans

Focus Question: What were the major patterns of Native American life in North America before Europeans arrived?

- Survival and civilization

The First Americans: Settlers

• The Settling of the Americas– Migrated via Bering Strait or by sea– Followed large animal herds (to extinction)– Developed agriculture-maize (corn), squash, beans

Map of The First Americans

Map 1.1 The first Americans. Give Me Liberty!: An American History, 4th EditionCopyright © 2013 W.W. Norton & Company

Native Ways of Life, ca. 1500

Give Me Liberty!: An American History, 4th EditionCopyright © 2013 W.W. Norton & Company

The First Americans: Indian society

• Native American Religion– Believe in single creator

• Also spiritual power of living/non-living

• Land and Property– Communal land—all shared in tribal land– Didn’t devote themselves to accumulating wealth/material goods

• Gender Relations– Men assumed political leadership, warfare, hunting/agriculture– Matrilineal (inheritance/succession thru females), and in some groups it

was possible for women to own property, engage in premarital sex, divorce their husbands, take part in religious ceremonies

The First Americans: Views

• European Views of the Indians– “Noble savages”– Uncivilized or Inferior barbarians

• Lack of Religion • Land Use Practices• Subversion of Gender Roles

The Expansion of Europe

Focus Question: What impelled European explorers to look west across the Atlantic?

- technology, trade, adventure, power

New Technology and Trade• Beginning in the 1300s, Europeans

began sending ships into the Atlantic Ocean to look for a water route to China. They started building new ships capable of long distance travel.

“Adventure, Trade and Wealth”

• Portugal invented the caravel, a ship that made travel much faster.

• Ex: the astrolabe (device that uses the position of the sun to determine direction, latitude, and local time) and the compass.

• By the mid-1400s, Portugal, Spain, England, and France emerged as strong national states in western Europe.

New Nations “Wealth and Power”

The Spanish Empire

Focus Question: What were the chief features of the Spanish empire in America?

“New Spain” Expands• Built on the ruins of Tenochtitlán,

Mexico City was the capital of the Spanish colony of New Spain.

• People who led expeditions into Central America became known as conquistadors, or “conquerors.”

• For most conquistadors, the main motive for coming to America was to acquire wealth and prestige; for many Spaniards, the main motive was to bring Spanish Catholicism to the natives…….

“God, Gold, and Glory”

Spanish empire by the 1600’s

consisted of Southern part of

North America Central America Caribbean Islands Most of outer South America

Slavery and Sugar

• Slavery already existed in African society.

• Most enslaved people had been captured in war.

• Sold back to their people or absorbed into their new African society.

• African slavery changed with new agriculture advancements

…..SUGAR!!!!!

The Columbian Exchange

• Columbian Exchange - series of interchanges that permanently altered the world’s ecosystems and changed nearly every culture around the world.

The French Empire

Focus Question: What were the chief features of the French empire in North America?

The French Empire: New France

Find Gold?Locate a Northwest Passage to the PacificMapped coastal area of present-day Canada

• Established “New France”• Settlements on St Lawrence River and Great Lakes• Explored the Mississippi River to the Gulf of

Mexico and claimed the region, named Louisiana, for the king of France. Later established New Orleans

The French Empire: New France

• New France and the Indians– Fur trade

• Military, commercial, diplomatic relations– Few Settlers

• Mostly men, intermarriage with Indians– Jesuit Priest-tried to convert to Indians

• More tolerant of Indian religions

The British Empire

Focus Question: What were the chief features of the British empire in North America?

England and the New World: North America

• National glory, profit and religion• The Social Crisis

– Overpopulated cities– “Enclosure” of croplands for

grazing forced farmers out and into poverty and/or homelessness.

– Primogeniture - elder sons got everything; younger sons sought fortunes elsewhere.

English Colonies

• Jamestown (first colony to make it)– Profit: Joint Stock Company

• New England Colonies– Religious freedom

• Middle and Southern Colonies– Plantations vs Subsistence Farming

• Labor?– Freemen, Indentured Servants & Slaves

Foundations of America

Focus Question: How was the United States of America government created?

Politics and Freedom: rights

• Magna Carta of 1215– Rights to all “free men”– Rights of Individuals

• Against arbitrary imprisonment• Seizure of Property without due process• Habeas corpus (determine legality of detainment)• Trial by Jury

• House of Burgesses/Mayflower Compact 1620– Established colonial self government and majority rule concepts

• English Bill of Rights 1689– Gave sole authority to a representative government (Parliament)

Discussion of Freedom: Liberty

• The Language of Liberty– General right to resist arbitrary government

• Republican Liberty (public and social)– Virtue-willingness to subordinate self-interest to a

common public good—criticized corruption in politics

• Liberal Freedom (individual and private)– Individuals surrendered part of their right to govern themselves in

order to enjoy benefits of the rule of law: security of life, liberty, and property (later in Declaration of Independence-”pursuit of happiness”).

John Locke, Second Treatise of Civil

Government (1690)• No one ought to harm another in

his life, liberty, or property; if anyone does harm another, the one he harms has the right to punish him

• Through a social contract, people create a government to protect their natural rights of life, liberty, and property

• The best form of government to protect natural rights is a government of limited powers (constitutionalism)

• If a government breaks the social contract, the people have the right to dissolve it

Two Treatises of Civil Government (1690)

Founding fathersBenjamin RushPennsylvania rep. (Doctor)Declaration of IndependenceConstitution CommitteeSons of LibertyTreasurer of the U.S. Mint

John HancockMassachusetts rep (merchant)First to sign Declaration of Independence President of the Continental Congress

John JayNew York rep (lawyer) Declaration of Independence Supreme Court Justice

John WitherspoonNew Jersey rep (clergyman)Declaration of Independence President of Princeton University

John Peter MuhlenbergPennsylvania Rep (Clergyman/Soldier)Elected to the first U.S. CongressBrigadier General of Continental Army

Charles CarrollMaryland Rep (planter)Declaration of Independence Delegate to Constitutional Convention

Jonathan Trumbull Sr. Connecticut GovernorPreacher/MerchantOnly colonial governor who supported the American cause in the Revolution

The purpose for creating the Declaration of Independence was to

tell the world why they felt it was necessary to break away from Great

Britain and form their own government

Courtesy of John Buxton. Founding Fathers –The Declaration Committee

by John Buxton

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration also argued that one of the purposes of a government was to protect the basic rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Governments only existed if they had the consent of the governed. If the government failed to protect basic human rights or were the cause of a violation of rights, the Declaration stated that citizens had a right and a duty “…to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”

* Originally slavery was banned, but Southern slave owners had language removed

Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence had 3 main parts

Part I: Explains the basic rights on which on which the nation was founded.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Libertyand the pursuit of Happiness”

Part 2: The Second part of the Declaration of Independence lists the wrongs committed by King George III

Part 3: Officially announced that the 13 British Colonies were now the United States of America

It stated that the United States could make alliances and trade as it pleased

Articles of confederationThe authors of the Articles of Confederation did not create a nation, but a “firm league of friendship” between the 13 states. Each state had one vote.It did not create an executive or judicial branch.

Congress could1.maintain the military2.conduct foreign policy3.declare war4.make peace5.coin money

The Congress could NOT regulate trade between the states or between states and foreign nations. Congress had to ask states for money to keep the federal government going- they could not force them to contribute

Shays’ Rebellion proved one thing: The federal government was much too weak and a stronger national government was needed!**Leading cause for the writing of the U.S. Constitution.

ConstitutionPreamble

We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the

common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this

Constitution for the United States of America.

I. The first principle is POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY (the people rule) The people elect public officials to make laws for them called representative governmentII. The second principle of the Constitution is LIMITED GOVERNMENT(a government by law)III. The third principle of the Constitution is FEDERALISM a nation that had shared powers between the federal government and the state governmentIV. The fourth principle of the Constitution is the SEPARATION OF POWERSThe purpose was to prevent any group or individual from having all the power. The government was divided into three branches: Legislative, Executive, JudicialV. The fifth and final principle of the Constitution is the system of checks and balances. This system exists to ensure that no one branch of government gets too powerful

The Great Compromise proposed a strong national government with:

1.Three Branches of Government

• Legislative Branch (pass laws)

• Executive Branch (carry out/ enforcelaws)

• Judicial Branch (interpret laws-see if laws are fair and carried out fairly)

The GreatCompromise

Bicameral Legislature

Upper HouseEach state

would have equal representation (1

state, 2 votes).Members would be

chosen by state legislatures

Lower House

Each state would be

represented based upon population and

elected directly by the people of their state

Legislative Branch Checks Over…

Executive Judicial• can override presidential veto• confirms presidential appointments• ratifies treaties• can declare war• appropriates money• can impeach and remove president

• Create lower federal courts• Can impeach or remove judges• Can propose amendments (overruling judicial decisions)• Approves appointments of federal judges

Executive Branch Checks Over…

Legislative Judicial• can propose laws• makes appointments• negotiates foreign treaties• can veto laws• can call special sessions of congress

• appoints federal judges• can grant pardons to federal offenders

Judicial Branch Checks Over…

Executive Legislative

• can declare executive actions to be unconstitutional

• can declare laws and acts of Congress to be unconstitutional

• Congress can also remove a President from office if he is guilty of a crime or serious misbehavior

• A case against the President must be brought to the House of Representatives in a process called impeachment.

• A President can be impeached in the House of Representatives by a simple majority, and then a trial is held in the Senate. A 2/3 vote in favor of conviction is required to remove the President from office

Andrew Johnson Bill Clinton

The Framers of the Constitution understood that conditions would change throughout time

George Washington said, “I do not think we are more inspired, have more wisdom, or possess more virtue than those who will come after us”

For this reason, the framers devised a system

for amending the Constitution

George Washington (Lansdowne portrait). Oil on canvas. 1796. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.

Congress Created 2 Ways to Propose Amendments to the

Constitution1. 2/3 of both houses of Congress can propose

Amendments

2. 2/3 of the states call for a Constitutional Convention for the purpose of creating amendments (never been done)

2/3 of

2/3 of

3/4 of the state legislatures

must approve

3/4 of special state conventions

must approve

Since 1789, 9,000 amendments have been introduced in Congress (not all proposed), but

only 27 have been ratified

The first 10 amendments, called the

Bill of Rights, were approved by 1791. They outline the

freedoms the government promises

to protect.

1. Amendment 1. Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition

2 Amendment 2. Right to Keep Arms

3 Amendment 3. Quartering of Troops

4 Amendment 4. Search and Seizure; Warrants

5 Amendment 5. Rights of Accused Persons

6 Amendment 6. Right to a Speedy Trial

7 Amendment 7. Jury Trial in Civil Cases

8 Amendment 8. Bail, Fines, Punishments

9 Amendment 9. Rights Not Listed are Retained by the People

10 Amendment 10. Powers Not Listed are Reserved to the States

11. Amendment 11. Suits Against States

12. Amendment 12. Election of President and Vice-President

13. Amendment 13. Slavery Abolished

14. Amendment 14. Citizenship Defined and Protected

15. Amendment 15. Right to Vote with No Racial Barriers

16. Amendment 16. Income Tax Authorized

17. Amendment 17. Election of Senators by Direct Popular Vote

18. Amendment 18. National Prohibition of Intoxicating Liquors

19. Amendment 19. Right to Vote Given Nationwide to Women

20. Amendment 20. Presidential Terms; Sessions of Congress

21. Amendment 21. Repeal of National Prohibition

22. Amendment 22. Two-Term Limit for Presidents

23. Amendment 23. Presidential Vote for District of Columbia

24. Amendment 24. Poll Tax Banned in Federal Elections

25. Amendment 25. Presidential Disability and Succession

26. Amendment 26. Voting Age Lowered to 18 Years

27. Amendment 27. Congressional Pay

Caption: "I think we should include something in the Constitution in case the people elect a couple of Morons."

* How does this cartoon reflect a serious concern of many of the Framers?

Additionally, the Great Compromise set up a system for electing a president

The Great Compromise called for the creation of

an Electoral College to ensure that the president

could not be directly elected by

the people

36 Reps2 Senators

= 38 Electoral Votes

Each state would have as

many “electors”as it had

representatives and senators

When we vote for president,

we actually vote for electors to

cast votes for a candidate

Texas Congressional Districts

11 Democrat25 Republican

Our Congressional

DistrictDistrict 31 is made up of…•Bell County (that’s us)•Coryell County•Erath County •Falls County•Hamilton County•Milam County •Robertson County•Williamson County

Total of 36Congressional

Districts in Texas All Counties in Blue

Famous Mottos

Focus Question: What is the meaning and historical significance of the mottos “E Pluribus Unum” and “In God We Trust”?

“E Pluribus unum”E Pluribus Unum" was the motto proposed for the first Great Seal of the United States by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson in 1776. Latin phrase meaning "One from many," the phrase offered a strong statement of the American determination to form a single nation from a collection of states. Over the years, "E Pluribus Unum" has also served as a reminder of America's bold attempt to make one unified nation of people from many different backgrounds and beliefs. The challenge of seeking unity while respecting diversity has played a critical role in shaping our history, our literature, and our national character.”

The Great Seal of the U.S.

All U.S. coins

“in god we trust”An Act of Congress, approved on April 11, 1864, authorized the coinage of two-cent coins upon which the motto first appeared. Legislation approved July 11, 1955, made the appearance of ‘In God We Trust’ mandatory on all coins and paper currency of the United States. In the 1950s the threat of Communism prompted Congress to distinguish the United States from the Soviet Union which promoted state atheism.

By Act of July 30, 1956, ‘In God We Trust’ became the national motto of the United States. Several years ago, the appearance of ‘In God We Trust’ on our money was challenged in the federal courts. The challenge was rejected by the lower federal courts, and the Supreme Court of the United States declined to review the case.”

Court Cases

Focus Question: What are three significant Supreme Court cases establishing government power over state power?

Marbury vs madisonJudicial Review - Under the Constitution, the Supreme Court can decide whether or not laws or presidential actions are constitutional.

The authority to declare acts of Congress, which implies acts of the president, unconstitutional if they exceeded the powers granted by the Constitution. But even more important, the Supreme Court became the final authority on what the Constitution meant.Therefore, the Supreme Court became an equal partner in government, and it has played that role ever since.

Gibbons Vs Ogden1815: Ogden had purchased the right to operate ferry between New Jersey and New York CityThomas Gibbons, who had federal coasting license, set up a competing line and Ogden sued. Ogden claimed Gibbons had no right to cross into New York waters

Supreme Court Marshall ruled in favor of Gibbons, destroying Livingston’s New York monopolyNational authority takes precedence in regulating commerce when it crosses a state border

Supreme Court ruling (1824) that held that no state could pass laws affecting interstate trade, thereby ensuring the federal government’s supremacy in interstate commerce.

McCullough vs Maryland

Maryland tried to tax the Bank of the U.S. as a “foreign” bankMarshall declared the bank constitutional, which made Maryland’s tax unconstitutionalStrengthened implied powers of Congress, confirmed “loose” interpretation of Constitution, aided economic growth

OutcomeAn 1819 Supreme Court ruling that state governments could not tax a federal agency—in this case the second Bank of the United States—for “the power to tax involves the power to destroy.” The decision affirmed the doctrine of the implied powers of the federal government.

Tocqueville

Focus Question: What are the characteristics/culture that make Americans unique among nations?

What are americans?At the time of the American Revolution, America was a very different place from Europe. At that time, most of Europe was still divided into hereditary social classes. Nobles enjoyed special privileges, while in many countries, there were still serfs with no rights at all. Throughout most of Europe, land was owned by a few wealthy families: there was very little free land available for people to settle or buy.

Alexis de Tocqueville tried to define what it meant to be an American in 1782. He was greatly impressed by the mixing of peoples of different nationalities, the rich resources of North America, the absence of kings and nobles demanding a share of the worker's labor, and the willingness of Americans to work hard out of their own self-interest:

America was quite different from Europe, and he tried to identify the ways. The result was his book, Democracy in America, which was published in 1835. His book serves as a guide to measure how America has changed since it was written. It also allows us to gain some perspective on what aspects of American society have remained the same.

5 Values: Egalitarianism, Populism, Liberty, Individualism, and Laissez-faire

Tocqueville (5 values)

EGALITARIANISM (EQUALITY)

Egalitarianism refers to a society of equals. In Europe, society was built around hereditary distinctions separating the nobles, middle classes, and peasants. In America, there were differences in wealth, power, and intelligence, but everyone was equal socially. The availability of free land also promoted equality. Owning land allowed Americans to view themselves as equal to their neighbors and further contributed to their feeling of equality. Tocqueville believed that the primary concern of the nation should be to safeguard liberty, since it created the conditions for Americans to become economically prosperous. Two exceptions to this were slavery and the treatment of Native Americans, which Tocqueville also wrote about.

Tocqueville (5 values)

POPULISM (POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY)

Tocqueville wrote that democratic government, - "a government where the people more or less participate in their government,"-is closely bound up with the idea of "political liberty." Populism refers to the participation of the common people in political life another distinguishing characteristic that Tocqueville found in American society in the early nineteenth century. Since everyone in society was equal, everyone had the same right to participate in government. The goal of such a society was peace and prosperity for all.

Tocqueville (5 values)

LIBERTY

By "liberty," Tocqueville meant protection against tyrannical government. The great danger in democratic government was the tyranny of the majority. He noted that Americans were devoted to the rule of law, and that America's federal system helped prevent the rise of an over-powerful government. Most important of all, American customs and manners were devoted to the spirit of liberty. In America, Tocqueville wrote, religious faith helped strengthen the belief in individual liberty.

Tocqueville (5 values)

INDIVIDUALISM

In American society, the government did not direct individual activity to the same extent as Tocqueville had seen in Europe. People in America were free to flourish without hereditary distinctions, and individuals believed they could rise in society. Individuals even organized themselves into their own private, voluntary associations, such as charities.

Tocqueville (5 values)

LAISSEZ-FAIRE

Because the role of government was more limited in America than Europe, people had to rely on themselves. Government took a laissez-faire, or "hands off," approach to the economy. Tocqueville felt that a key value of Americans was that each individual was the best judge of his own interests. Americans should not allow government to become too protective. He feared if they relied too heavily on government, they would saddle it with a burden it was unable to perform