Unit 1The American Character and Belief System

LT1: Political Foundations

O Belief in a written constitution (Mayflower Compact and the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut)O Legitimacy through written laws and the description

of how self-government will workO God was included in these documents

O Despite this fact, they were examples of Enlightenment political thought

O Self government (to an extent) from the start (House of Burgesses and the New England Town Meetings)O The wealthy landowners, religious leaders, or

appointed governors still controlled most important decisions, but elections within those positions did take place

O M and M Theory

LT2: Religious Development

O New England – Puritans (largest denomination in the colonies)

O Middle Colonies – very diverse: Catholics, Puritans (especially those banished), Anglicans, Quakers, etc.

O Southern Colonies – Anglican (second largest denomination)

O PuritansO New England, Massachusetts Bay ColonyO The “city upon a hill” quote from John

WinthropO Strict moral code and the requirement of

profession of faithO Church was the focal point of each townO Though they sought religious freedom in

coming to America, they were not tolerant of other faiths (or even slight differences within their faith)O Roger WilliamsO Anne Hutchinson

O Prosperity contributed to their declineO Their success both allowed them to prosper,

then pulled them away from original purpose

O Anglicans (Church of England)O Virginia (Chesapeake region)O Though membership may have been

required, this requirement was . . .O Resented because of strong individual spiritO Embraced because it brought status

(official Church of England and a connection to the Crown)

O Less of a focus than Puritan faith in New EnglandO Churches were more scattered due to the

settlement pattern of the farming (plantation) South

O A family affair

O The Great AwakeningO Religious revival era of the mid-1700sO Johnathon Edwards and George Whitefield felt people

were becoming too concerned with worldly matters (remember the Puritan decline)O This is the Age of Enlightenment

O Field preaching brought thousands to the “hellfire and brimstone” sermons

O It democratized religion in AmericaO Women and African-Americans were involved more

than everO It split churches, but this provided more options for

peopleO God became closer to the believer- personal experience

O This religious challenge to authority helped foster political challenges to authorityO Therefore, it can be viewed as a contributing factor to

the American Revolution

LT3: EnlightenmentO Philosophers of Europe were not just

challenging religion with science, they were challenging the old political ideas by introducing new theories of governmentO Challenging authority across the

boardO Divine Right gave way to natural

rights, consent of the governed, and self-government

O Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of IndependenceO Connection to Britain is no longer neededO Britain has violated the rights of its citizens

(natural rights)O Therefore, we have the “right of revolution”

– to overthrown an unjust government O The colonists had a rebellious spirit (LT4)

O Consent of the governed is the only legitimate government

LT4: Rebellion was a Tradition

OBacon’s, Shays’s, and Whiskey Rebellions were sparked by economic and political grievances against authority that was perceived as arbitrary and distant

OTurner’s Rebellion epitomized the great nightmare of the antebellum slavocracy- a large-scale slave revolt

O Bacon’s Rebellion - 1676O Virginia frontiersman are upset that the

government in Virginia is not protecting them from Indians

O Rebellion burns Jamestown, but ultimately the government crushes it

O OutcomesO British government realized the perils of the

poor white classO Indentured servitude dwindles and black

slave labor increasesO Can be seen as the first true challenge to

the British government’s authority (100 yrs. before the Revolution)

O Shays’s Rebellion – 1787 O Massachusetts farmers are in debt (new states

were increasing taxes to acquire money after the Revolution)

O Those unable to pay are thrown in debtor’s prisonO Shays’s leads attacks on the courts because of

these “unfair” taxes and an unresponsive, distant government and the state militia is called out

O OutcomesO The government feared rebellions might spread to

other statesO There was a call to “alter” the Articles of

Confederation to provide a stronger authority in matters of national interest and the economy

O Whiskey Rebellion - 1794O Taxation on those who produced whiskey

(vital economic good)O Farmers attack tax collectors in protest

(unfair taxation – remember the Revolution)O Washington’s force disperses the rebelsO Outcome

O An early test of the government’s ability to tax

O An early test of the government’s ability to maintain law and order

O Turner’s Rebellion - 1831O Slave revolt – physical assault on

white southernersO Turner was caught and executedO Outcome

O The South imposes harsher restrictions on the slave population and the slave code

O The South more passionately defends slavery

O Helps inflame abolition movement in the North

LT5: The Ideas and Principles of the Articles and the Constitution

O Coming out of the Revolution, America wanted a National Government that was weak.O Colonists had viewed themselves as

Virginians, New Yorkers, etc. first, and then Americans. Colonial, and then state, pride came first.

O They created a loose confederation (league of friendship) with a weak national government – The Articles of Confederation

O It failed.

O The Articles of ConfederationO Successes

O It was a national government that was based on the principles the founders and colonists fought for

O The Northwest OrdinancesO Failures

O Virginia Plan called for a strong central government with three distinctive elementsO National Supremacy above state sovereigntyO The people could directly vote for some national

leadersO The central government would be made up of three

distinct branches: a bicameral legislature, an executive, and a judiciary

O The New Jersey Plan would continue more along the lines of how Congress already operated under the ArticlesO This plan called for a unicameral legislature with the

one vote per state formula still in place

O The supporters of the proposed Constitution called themselves FederalistsO the Constitution was required in order to

safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created

O Antifederalists opposed the ConstitutionO They believed that the greatest threat to

the future of the United States lay in the government's potential to become corrupt and seize more and more power

LT6: Political and Social Conflict in the Early 19th Century

O Rapid population growth and geographic expansion caused a great deal of conflict

O Democracy began to be championed as an unqualified key to improving the country

O Slavery and its expansionO The country's founders left no clear

solution to the issue of slavery in the Constitution. Popular sovereignty, amendment, nullification, and secession were all discussed as possible remedies

O Northwest Territory

O Northwest OrdinancesO Division of the territory into statesO Formula for establishing these new

states with representationO Establishment of religious freedom,

the banning of slavery, and provisions for education

O Importance:O There is a plan to move westO America values education and sets up

an orderly way to expandO Slavery becomes an issue as we

expand

O Compromise of 1820O (1) Missouri was admitted as a slave state

and Maine (formerly part of Massachusetts) as free, and

O (2) except for Missouri, slavery was to be excluded from the Louisiana Purchase lands north of latitude 36°30′

O was criticized by many southerners because it established the principle that Congress could make laws regarding slavery;

O northerners, on the other hand, condemned it for acquiescing in the expansion of slavery

O Compromise of 1850

North Gets South GetsCalifornia admitted as a free state

No slavery restrictions in Utah or New Mexico territories

Slave trade prohibited in Washington D.C.

Slaveholding permitted in Washington D.C.

Texas loses boundary dispute with New Mexico

Texas gets $10 million

  Fugitive Slave Law

OWho won and who lost in the deal? ONorth seemed to gain the most.

The balance of the Senate was now with the free states, although California often voted with the south on many issues in the 1850s.

OThe major victory for the south was the Fugitive Slave Law. OIn the end, the north refused

to enforce it.

O Compromise of 1877O The end of 15 years of Reconstruction

O Hayes (R) “defeats Tilden (D)O Military “occupation” ends

O North abandons the SouthO Too long of a processO More pressing concerns out West

O South is handed back over to Democratic RuleO Segregated society continues and

strengthensO Black underclass

LT7: Religious, Philosophical, and Social Movements of the 19th

CenturyOAfter establishing a new nation,

America sought to make its own way – the American experimentO Grounded in optimism and

individualismOEven when people begin to see flaws

in the American experiment, they sought new thoughts and ideas O And many times this created serious

conflicts

OUtopian societies

OMost of the original utopias were created for religious purposes.

OGradually, utopian communities came to reflect social perfectibility rather than religious purity

OSelf-reliance, optimism, individualism and a disregard for external authority and tradition

OThese experiments ultimately disintegrated

OThe Second Great Awakening

O Because religion was separated from the control of political leaders, a series of religious revivals swept the United States from the 1790s and into the 1830sO best known for its large camp meetings

O The evangelical impulse at the heart of the Second Great Awakening shared some of the egalitarian thrust of Revolutionary idealsO The new evangelical movement, however,

placed greater emphasis on humans' ability to change their situation for the better

O Second Great Awakening also included greater public roles for white women and much higher African-American participation

OTranscendentalismO People, men and women equally, have knowledge

about themselves and the world around them that "transcends" or goes beyond what they can see, hear, taste, touch or feel

O People can trust themselves to be their own authority on what is right

O The transcendentalists led the celebration of the American experiment as one of individualism and self-relianceO Imagination was better than reason, creativity was

better than theory, and action was better than contemplation

O Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman

O TemperanceO By 1830, the average American over 15 years

old consumed nearly seven gallons of pure alcohol a year – three times as much as we drink today – and alcohol abuse (primarily by men) was wreaking havoc on the lives of many, particularly in an age when women had few legal rights and were utterly dependent on their husbands for sustenance and support

O The temperance movement, rooted in America's Protestant churches, first urged moderation, then encouraged drinkers to help each other to resist temptation, and ultimately demanded that local, state, and national governments prohibit alcohol outright

OAbolitionO Early Abolitionists called for a gradual end to

slaveryO The new Abolitionists thought differently. They

saw slavery as a blight on America that must be brought to an end immediately.

O They sent petitions to Congress and the states, campaigned for office, and flooded the south with inflammatory literatureO William Lloyd GarrisonO Frederick DouglassO Sojourner TruthO Uncle Tom’s Cabin

LT8: Political and Social Impact of Territorial Expansion

O Western migration had become central to the American way of life. O This land offered the promise of independence and

prosperityO Manifest destiny touched on issues of religion, money,

race, patriotism, and moralityO Political Impact of Expansion

O Representation for new statesO Slavery in the territoriesO The west led the path by having no property requirements

for votingO Social Impact of Expansion

O In the new western states, there was a greater level of equality among the masses than in the former English colonies. Land was readily available

O Louisiana Purchase

O Jefferson's plans for the nation depended upon western expansion and access to international markets for American farm productsO The most efficient route to market remained

along waterways and access to New Orleans remained crucial for the western economy and its settlement.

O The belief that the future prosperity of the republic required the expansion of yeoman farmers in the west. . an "EMPIRE OF LIBERTY"

O Federalist oppositionO Was it constitutional?

OLewis and Clark ExpeditionOWhile trying to find a route across

the continent, they were also expected to make detailed observations of the natural resources and geography of the west

Othey were to establish good relations with native groups in an attempt to disrupt British dominance of the lucrative Indian fur trade of the continental interior

OThe expansion of the nation caused major alterations in American life

OCompanies begin to build roads (called turnpikes since they charged a fee), bridges, canals

OOutright military conflict with native groups increases

OA new capitalist economy enormously expands wealth and lays the foundation for the Industrial Revolution

OA growing regional distinctiveness of American life emerges

O Remember the Compromise of 1820

O Remember the Compromise of 1850

O http://mappinghistory.uoregon.edu/english/US/US09-01.html