American Nations Flashcards
(42 cards)
When was Jamestown founded and by whom
- 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.
What was the true story of Pocahontas and John Smith?
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.
When, how, and by whom was Tidewater founded?
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
Why were few towns built in the Tidewater region?
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.
What were the two guiding governmental philosophies, who represented each and where were they from?
- 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
Who founded and built Williamsburg and Annapolis? What were they designed from?
Williamsburg and Annapolis were founded by gentry built cities from central plans inspired by Rome.
Why was slavery imported into the Tidewater region?
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.
What are the origins of the Episcopal church?
Episcopal Church = Rebranded Anglican Church in America after the American Revolution
What are the characteristics of early “Yankeedom”?Moralistic nation of Churches and schoolhouses.
- 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.
What happened to quakers or other non-puritans in early Yankeedom?
Non-Puritans not allowed in, Quakers disfigured, death sentences for adultery, blasphemy, sodomy.
How was New Netherlands founded, and by whom?
- 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.
What was the guiding philosophies of the founding of New Netherlands?
- 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.
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- Spinoza - Dutch founded of modern philosophy. Rationalist. God does not intervene, can live your best life by understanding nature and natural function. God = Nature.
How did New Amsterdam get its name changed to New York?
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.
1688 was first revolution in U.S.
- 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.
Who founded the deep South?
- 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
What was the ratio of slaves to whites in the early deep south (early 1700’s)?
Deep South had a 5:1 ratio of slaves to whites in early days.
How did slavery progress in Tidewater vs. the Deep South?
- 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.
What was the Stono rebellion and what was the result?
Stono Rebellion - 1737 revolt and massacre by literate Christian slaves in South Carolina scared southernors. Resulted in restriction of slave assembly, education, and movement.
Who founded Georgia, and what ultimately became of the founding philosophy?
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.
Who founded the U.S. midlands?
- 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.
- William Penn
Who started to encroach on the German/Quaker dominance of the Midlands and when?
- 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.
Who founded Appalachia and what were their primary characteristics and interests?
- 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.
Who were the Paxton Boys?
Borderlanders were detained for killing indians. Paxton boys mob of Borderlanders laid siege to Philadelphia until the detainees were released.
Where are Scots Irish descended from and why did they leave Europe?
- 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.
