Early America Beginnings-1800

The Native Americans When Europeans arrived in the Western Hemisphere, it was already home to hundreds of Native Americans. These Native Americans focused their lives around the earth, family and oral tradition.

European Contact Beginning about 1400 advances in navigation and shipbuilding prompted Europeans to explore the rest of the World.

Religious Belief Religion was central to American colonial life. Three major groups of Protestants from England where the Pilgrims, the Puritans, and the Quakers.

The Slave Trade By 1750 there were more than 200,000 enslaved Africans in North America. This was primarily due to the large plantations in the south that required hundreds of workers. Slave codes were developed. These were formally regulated laws that defined relationships between enslaved Africans and free people.

The American Revolution Because of its debt, England raised taxes on a variety of everyday items in the American colonies. British troops were called in to end the unrest in America. This was the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War lasted eight years (April 1775-1783)

The Sacred Earth and the Power of Storytelling The respect for the land and all that inhabited it was given to the next generation through storytelling.

The Cycle of Life Native Americans used dreams and visions to contact the spirits they believed to inhabit all living things.

Owning Land Native Americans viewed the land could not belong to one person, instead it should belong to all.

A Legacy of Stories Native American traditions have been passed down generations through story telling. This transfer of traditions has lasted over hundreds of years.

Life in the New World For Europeans in the New World, the biggest struggles were enduring daily life and conflicts with Native Americans. Survival and the need to hold on to cultural identity were battles for the enslaved Africans in North America.

A Collision of Cultures Brutal battles occurred between new settlers and Native Americans. Because of their advanced weapons, Europeans were able to defeat the Native Americans. Even more damaging was the new diseases Europeans brought with them. Without immunity to these diseases, few Native American survived beyond the 1600s.

Puritan Style Puritans established communities in New England after leaving what they thought was a corrupt Church of England. Puritans influenced early American literature through their direct language which often focused on their faith.

Surviving Slavery Before being brought to North America against their will, slaves had to endure the horrors of “Middle Passage”, the long sea voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

The Road to Independence As colonists became more independent from England, they thought this responsibility should be matched with an increase in political and economic rights.

A “Natural Aristocracy” Early colonists emphasized self-improvement through education. Puritans believed learning was a defense against evil.

Political Rights During the Enlightenment, many new settlers began the concept that human beings possessed certain “inalienable” rights, or basic rights that couldn’t be taken away.

Women’s Rights In colonial America, laws and customs gave men greater authority and importance in both politics and the home. Although women made great contributions to the early settlements and the Revolutionary War, political rights would be denied for 140 years.