The United States of America America Beginnings Exercises.

The United States of America

America Beginnings

Exercises

Copyright

Again, thanks to Stan for the help with the PPT presentations.

Today’s Outline

Columbus, European discovery of America

American Colonization

- early settlements: Jamestown, Puritans,

13 Colonies

American Revolution, the war for independence.

Columbus’ “discovery” of America

Christopher Columbus, an Italian sailor, landed in the Bahamas in 1492.

He was searching for a fast way to Asia, and ended up finding America.

Before, Europeans only traveled to Asia by land.

He believed that the earth was round, and argued that he could sail to Asia by going West.

Christopher Columbus

However, he thought the earth was much smaller than it actually is, and so he argued that sailing west would be a faster way to reach Asia.

Columbus never believed that he had discovered a “new” land, he insisted he had landed in India.

Settlement of America

After Columbus discovered the route to America, the Spanish made many trips to South America and collected great wealth from the Native people.

England also began to send ships to Canada and North America, and the King of England said the whole territory of North America belonged to England.


First we will begin discussing the colonization period of America.

There is a long history, but we will only discuss the 2 first long-term settlements.

The early colonies were a part of a European Empire, such as Spain, England, France, etc.

Then we will jump 100 years to the American War for Independence

English Settlement of America

4 groups came from Europe to settle America, the most famous of these groups are:

The Jamestown Settlement in Virginia The Puritan Settlement of Massachusetts

The first English permanent settlement was organized in 1607.

100 English adventurers landed in America, their goal was to find gold & make a great profit.

Most of the settlers were not accustomed to hard work, and they did not make necessary preparations, such as planting food.

Jamestown

Jamestown, the first settlement

Within a few months, more than half of the settlers were dead.

The beginning of the Jamestown settlement was very hard, but it was not a complete failure.

Eventually, the settlement was able to make profits by growing and selling tobacco to the Europeans.

Jamestown Settlement, Virginia


The Jamestown settlement also began to govern themselves, making their own laws as well as using English “common law.”

Some consider Jamestown the beginning of the modern America that we see today. It was the beginning of English colonization & the beginning of modern American rule and law.


In 1619, the first boat of African slaves was brought to Virginia. This was the beginning of the American slave trade, which drove the American economy.

Movie suggestions

There are some movies about the Jamestown settlement, including

The New World (2005)

A famous movie about American and European slave ships is called

Amistad (1997)

The Puritan Settlement

The second enduring settlement was founded by the Puritans.

The Puritans settled in today’s Massachusetts. They named their new home Plymouth.


In 1620, almost 100 men, women and children rode on a ship known as the Mayflower to settle in America.

These early Puritan settlers are known in America as The Pilgrims.

Because they were searching for religious freedom, Americans see the Mayflower as a symbol of the American dream.


In England, the Puritans were sometimes arrested and killed for their religious beliefs.

The Puritans came to America to escape religious persecution ( 迫害 ) in Europe and create a place for themselves.

Review last year (Seniors)

Last year we talked about how King Henry VIII of England separated the English Church from the Catholic Church in Rome.

The Puritans were a group of Protestants who believed the English church was still “too Catholic.”

The Puritans wanted to “purify” the Church and remove all Catholic influence.


The Puritans were a Protestant group which believed that to live a godly life, you must work hard and live a moral life.

The Puritans were very strict. They strictly punished drunkards, adulterers, people with different beliefs, etc.

They wanted to build a Utopian city ( 理想社会 ) in America

The Puritans (suggested reading, movies) A famous book, called The Scarlett Letter by

Nathanial Hawthorne, is about the early American Puritans. It is about a woman who has an affair and is severely punished by the community. (there is also a movie, but I do not highly recommend it.)

Today, we will watch a movie about Puritan New England called The Crucible

American character

The colonists were building a new way of life in the New World. There were a number of features which would play a role in forming the American character.


For more than 100 years, European counties, especially England and Spain, were colonizing America.

More people were immigrating to the US and people continued to build and expand communities.


Over the years, 13 English colonies were established.

England claimed that the colonies were under the King’s authority.

Beginning of American Revolution

A new nation was emerging in the colonies, one that was different from the nations of Europe.

Eventually, many colonists wanted to separate the colonies from European rule.

The American Revolution (1775-1783)

Many events led to the American Revolution, such as British conflicts with France and Spain, unfair taxes, unfair laws, etc.


The Americans and the British fought a war which is now called

The American Revolutionary War or The American War for Independence


Once the war began, America sent King George III of England a Declaration of Independence. In the Declaration, Americans say that the 13 colonies are now independent states, not a part of England.


The Declaration of Independence begins with the famous words:

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, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

The American Revolution

Ultimately, the Americans won the War for their independence from Britain. It was a long war, and it was a struggle to keep the American colonies united.

However, America received great help from other European countries, especially France. Spain and Holland also helped the Americans.


Victory was declared with the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

The Treaty declared that the colonies were independent of Britain. A new country was born. Now, the Americans had to struggle to successfully build their new country.

Notebook exercise In your own words, write about what we have discussed

today. Include what you found interesting. What was new information and what was old information?

Do you have additional information??

Also include anything that was confusing or unclear.

Today’s topics: Columbus, Jamestown, Puritans, & the American Revolution.

Today’s movie: The Crucible

Today’s movie is set during a famous period during the Puritan settlement days.

It is about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, which was a real event in Massachusetts. 150 people were imprisoned for witchcraft, and 19 were hanged.

The Crucible

The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller.

He wrote it in the 1950’s when many people were being accused of being Communist. If the US government believed you were communist, then you could lose your job and many other things.

In The Crucible, Arthur Miller compared these experiences to the Salem Witch Trials.

Famous People & events

We do not have time in class to discuss the many people& event that built the American government, but you can use these slides to study in your spare time.

All of this information can be found in your book and on the internet.

George Washington was one of the founding fathers of the American republic. He was the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in he War of Independence against the British colonial rule and the first President of the United States.

George Washington

Thomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers of the American Republic. He was the chief author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United states. He is the nation’s greatest champion of representative democracy and the rights of man The most eloquent spokesman on the founding principles of American self-government.

Thomas Jefferson

Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the American Republic. He participated in writing the Declaration of Independence and making the U.S. Constitution. He and John Jay and John Adams negotiated the Treaty of Paris (1783), which ended the War for Independence.

Benjamin Franklin

One of the boldest American political thinkers of his time. Hamilton developed the doctrine of implied powers, which supports a liberal interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. He also served as the nation’s first secretary of the treasury.

Alexander Hamilton (1755~1804)

The fourth U.S. president. Because of his central role in the Constitutional Convention, he became known as the “Father of the Constitution.” As a congressman from Virginia, he sponsored the first ten Amendments known as the Bill of Rights. Madison, a strong supporter of human rights, was by nature a mediator. He kept the United States out of war with Napoleon, but reluctantly led the country into another war with Britain in 1812. During his second term, he encouraged national growth.

James Madison

John Jay had a distinguished career as an American statesman, culminating in his selection as the first chief justice of the United States in 1789. In 1782 he helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution. In 1794, while chief justice, he went to Britain and negotiated Jay's Treaty, which averted another war with Britain. After his return, he resigned as chief justice because he had been elected governor of New York.

John Jay(1745~1829)

Boston Tea Party

In1773, the “Boston Tea Party ” tossed British merchants’ tea into Boston harbor.

The Americans disobeyed the Intolerable Acts passed by British Parliament and boycotted British trade.

• The Declaration of Independence was mainly drafted by Thomas Jefferson and was adopted by the 2nd Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, when the people of 13 English colonies in North America were fighting for their freedom and independence from the British colonial rule.

the Declaration of Independence

“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, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

------ The Declaration of Independence

The document declared the basic human rights and also explained the philosophy of governments: the powers of governments came from the consent of the governed and the purpose of governments was to secure the basic human rights.

The Declaration is a clear explanation of the political theory behind the revolution and this theory came from the British philosopher John Locke.

American war of Independence(1775--1781)

On April 19, 1775, the first shot was fired. The war began.

Not long afterwards ,the Americans troops defeated the British at Saratoga in Northern New York.This was a great turning point of the War of Independence,leading directly to an alliance between the U.S and France.

Victory

Under the help from French fleet, the allied army sieged 8000 British soldiers in York Town in the summer of 1781.

When the victory of York Town spread to Europe, the war actually stoped but the Peace Treaty went effective in 1783.

Formation of a National Government

"Every man and every body of men on Earth, possess the right of self-government."

-- Thomas Jefferson, 1790

Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution on December 15, 1791, confirming the fundamental rights of American citizens.

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, the rights of peaceful assembly and petition.

In 1787, after 16 weeks of deliberation, the finished Constitution was signed by 39 of the 42 delegates from each state present.

George Washington was unanimously chosen president on April 30, 1789. Washington pledged to execute the duties of the presidency faithfully and to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Simultaneously, the Congress established the federal judiciary, establishing not only a Supreme Court, with one chief justice and five associate justices, but also three circuit courts and 13 district courts.

The War of 1812

When there was a war between Britain and France, U.S. harmed the interests of the Britain in trading, territory and conflict occurred.

1812-1814, the War finally established the United States as a complete independent country both in political and economic sense.

Exercises

I.Fill in the blanks

II. Choose the correct answer to each of the following questions

Exercises I. Fill in the blanks

1. In 1782, the Frenchman who settles on Pennsylvania first asked the question " what is an American" in his book__________________________.

2. The New World of America was peopled as a result of two long-continuing immigration movements, the first one from _____ and second from ______ and_____.

Letters from an American Farmer

AsiaEurope Africa


3. American Indians had developed three brilliant civilizations before the Europeans arrived. These three civilizations were _____ _____ ______.

4. Columbus discovered the New World in the year of ____.

the Aztecs the Incas the Mayas

1492


5. The English king claimed the territory of North America based on the voyage of ________.

6. __________ was the first to start the religious Reformation and the next important leader of the Reformation was _______.

John Cabot

Martin Luther

John Calvin


7. The first permanent settlement in North America was established in today's ________ in the year of _____.

8. The crop ______ that was transplanted form the West Indian saved Virginia.

Virginia1607

tobacco


9. Lord Baltimore who set up the colony of ______ was ______ in religion.

10. New England was founded by a group of religious believers called ________ while Pennsylvania was planted by ___________ who was a ______ in religion.

Maryland

Catholic

Puritans

William PennQuaker

Quit

Exercises II.Choose the correct answer

1. which of the following statements was correct around the time of the American Revolution?

A. The American had the mixed blood of Europeans or their descendants.

B. The American had the mixed blood of Europeans with American Indians.

C. The American had the mixed blood of Europeans with blacks.

D. The American had the blood of the English and their descendants only.

Correct answer: A

Exercises II. Choose the correct answer

2. Which of the following was NOT one of the three forces that led to the modern development of Europe?

A. The growth of capitalism.

B. The Renaissance.

C. The religious Reformation.

D. The spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.

Correct answer: D


3. The following were the main Reformation leaders except _____

A. Martin Luther

B. Martin Luther King

C. John Calvin

D. The English King Henry VIII.

Correct answer: B


4. The following were some of the characteristics of Protestantism except _____.

A. challenging the authority of the Pope.

B. salvation through faith.

C. salvation through the church

D. establishing a direct contact with God.

Correct answer: C


5.Which of the following American values did NOT come from Puritanism?

A. separation of state and church.

B. respect of education

C. intolerant moralism.

D. a sense of mission

Correct answer: A


6. Lord Baltimore’s feudal plan failed NOT because _____.

A. There were more Protestant than Catholics in Maryland.

B. The wilderness of the continent made the plan impossible.

C. There was plenty of land while labor was scarce.

D. The English king did not like the plan.

Correct answer: D


7.The following were the founding fathers of the American Republic except _____.A. George Washington

B. Thomas Jefferson

C. John Adams

D. Benjamin Franklin

Correct answer: C


8. The theory of American politics and the American Revolution originated mainly from_____. A. George Washington

B. Thomas Jefferson

C. John Adams

D. John Locke

Correct answer: D


9. Which of the following was NOT a denomination of Protestantism?A. Catholics

B. Puritans

C. Quakers

D. Church of England

Correct answer: A


10. “No taxation without representation ” was the rallying cry of ____.A. the settlers of Virginia

B. the people of Pennsylvania

C. the colonists in New England

D. the people of the 13 colonies on the eve of the American Revolution.

Correct answer: D Quit

The End

The United States of America America Beginnings Exercises.

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