American Culture 1
Contents
The colonial period.................................................................................................................................2
Early colonial period...........................................................................................................................3
Colonial period...................................................................................................................................3
The American Dream..........................................................................................................................3
Pilgrims and Puritans..............................................................................................................................4
Pilgrims...............................................................................................................................................4
Thanksgiving.......................................................................................................................................5
Puritans..............................................................................................................................................5
How to become a puritan...............................................................................................................5
Puritan work ethic..........................................................................................................................6
Positive and negative aspects on modern day American life..........................................................6
Puritan influences on modern-day America...................................................................................6
Difference between Pilgrims and Puritans..........................................................................................6
The Salem Witch Trials.......................................................................................................................6
Native Americans....................................................................................................................................7
Problems in Native American-Colonial relations................................................................................7
The Indian Removal Act......................................................................................................................8
Trail of Tears.......................................................................................................................................8
Indian Policy.......................................................................................................................................9
The Indian New Deal, Reorganization Act and The Indian Self-Determination Act.............................9
Reservations.....................................................................................................................................10
The Revolution and the Early Republic.................................................................................................10
French and Indian War.....................................................................................................................10
Leading up to American Independence............................................................................................11
American War of Independence.......................................................................................................11
American Independence, timeline....................................................................................................12
Bill of Rights......................................................................................................................................12
Why was the American Revolution important?................................................................................13
Ideas at the heart of the US government.........................................................................................13
Constitutional branches....................................................................................................................14
The West..............................................................................................................................................14
1
, Manifest Destiny...............................................................................................................................14
Mexican-American War....................................................................................................................15
The Long Jump..................................................................................................................................15
Mormons..........................................................................................................................................15
The Cowboy......................................................................................................................................15
Factual..........................................................................................................................................15
Myth.............................................................................................................................................16
..............................................................................................................................................................16
The South.............................................................................................................................................16
Cultural differences between North and South...............................................................................16
Foundations of slavery in America....................................................................................................17
Life as a slave....................................................................................................................................17
The Abolition Movement..................................................................................................................18
Amendments................................................................................................................................18
Important people..........................................................................................................................18
Western expansion and debate over Slavery...................................................................................19
The Civil War.....................................................................................................................................19
Reconstruction.................................................................................................................................19
Jim Crow Laws..................................................................................................................................20
*
The colonial period
1492-1776
2
, Early colonial period
1492-c.1600
The ‘discovery’ of America
- Was not really the discovery because millions of people already lived there
- October 8th Columbus Day, federal holiday
Natives were nomadic and didn’t claim the land, so the white men thought they could claim
and own it.
Why would Europeans migrate to the US?
- No rules or laws in America (yet)
- Freedom of religion
In the UK there was a religious clash (puritans were big) and so they went to the
New World for more freedom. First they went to Leiden but it was too free for
them.
- Much unclaimed land
Colonial period
1607-1776
Establishment of 13 colonies, later states
1. Virginia
2. New York
3. Massachusetts
4. Maryland
5. Rhode Island
6. Connecticut
7. New Hampshire
8. Delaware
9. North Carolina
10. South Carolina
11. New Jersey
12. Pennsylvania
13. Georgia
The American Dream
The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and
fuller for everyone with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.
3
Contents
The colonial period.................................................................................................................................2
Early colonial period...........................................................................................................................3
Colonial period...................................................................................................................................3
The American Dream..........................................................................................................................3
Pilgrims and Puritans..............................................................................................................................4
Pilgrims...............................................................................................................................................4
Thanksgiving.......................................................................................................................................5
Puritans..............................................................................................................................................5
How to become a puritan...............................................................................................................5
Puritan work ethic..........................................................................................................................6
Positive and negative aspects on modern day American life..........................................................6
Puritan influences on modern-day America...................................................................................6
Difference between Pilgrims and Puritans..........................................................................................6
The Salem Witch Trials.......................................................................................................................6
Native Americans....................................................................................................................................7
Problems in Native American-Colonial relations................................................................................7
The Indian Removal Act......................................................................................................................8
Trail of Tears.......................................................................................................................................8
Indian Policy.......................................................................................................................................9
The Indian New Deal, Reorganization Act and The Indian Self-Determination Act.............................9
Reservations.....................................................................................................................................10
The Revolution and the Early Republic.................................................................................................10
French and Indian War.....................................................................................................................10
Leading up to American Independence............................................................................................11
American War of Independence.......................................................................................................11
American Independence, timeline....................................................................................................12
Bill of Rights......................................................................................................................................12
Why was the American Revolution important?................................................................................13
Ideas at the heart of the US government.........................................................................................13
Constitutional branches....................................................................................................................14
The West..............................................................................................................................................14
1
, Manifest Destiny...............................................................................................................................14
Mexican-American War....................................................................................................................15
The Long Jump..................................................................................................................................15
Mormons..........................................................................................................................................15
The Cowboy......................................................................................................................................15
Factual..........................................................................................................................................15
Myth.............................................................................................................................................16
..............................................................................................................................................................16
The South.............................................................................................................................................16
Cultural differences between North and South...............................................................................16
Foundations of slavery in America....................................................................................................17
Life as a slave....................................................................................................................................17
The Abolition Movement..................................................................................................................18
Amendments................................................................................................................................18
Important people..........................................................................................................................18
Western expansion and debate over Slavery...................................................................................19
The Civil War.....................................................................................................................................19
Reconstruction.................................................................................................................................19
Jim Crow Laws..................................................................................................................................20
*
The colonial period
1492-1776
2
, Early colonial period
1492-c.1600
The ‘discovery’ of America
- Was not really the discovery because millions of people already lived there
- October 8th Columbus Day, federal holiday
Natives were nomadic and didn’t claim the land, so the white men thought they could claim
and own it.
Why would Europeans migrate to the US?
- No rules or laws in America (yet)
- Freedom of religion
In the UK there was a religious clash (puritans were big) and so they went to the
New World for more freedom. First they went to Leiden but it was too free for
them.
- Much unclaimed land
Colonial period
1607-1776
Establishment of 13 colonies, later states
1. Virginia
2. New York
3. Massachusetts
4. Maryland
5. Rhode Island
6. Connecticut
7. New Hampshire
8. Delaware
9. North Carolina
10. South Carolina
11. New Jersey
12. Pennsylvania
13. Georgia
The American Dream
The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and
fuller for everyone with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.
3
