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Class Notes by Chapter

Searching for new routes to the riches of the East, European sailors ventured into the unknown territory.
Braving the elements, these early explorers charted course into history when they discovered a “New World”.

European nations raced to settle in North and South America.  For religious reasons, the desire for land, and
economic opportunity, each of the major European powers established "colonies" in the New World. 
Often times this competition led to war and conflict for control over territory.

In the years that followed the Age of Exploration, Most notably the English established the original 13 colonies
along the Atlantic Coast.  These colonies along with their English legal traditions eventually become the
United States. Each of these colonies was established for unique reasons and lifestyles varied greatly in
each region of the 13 colonies.

The British felt that as the mother country they could tell the colonies what to do. 
They also believed that the colonies should pay for the cost of the French and Indian War.
On the other hand colonists began to question why they needed the English anymore.
They refused to pay taxes and follow England's direction because they had no say or representation in Parliament.
This difference of opinion led to a series of events in which the relationship between England and her colonies grew
sour and the American Revolution!

The Birth of our great nation required the sacrifices of many to achieve independence from British tyranny and to ensure liberty.  The long struggle known as the American Revolution or War for Independence took place between 1775 - 1783.  Heroes such as George Washington led the military campaign, while others fought on the political battlefield.

After the Revolution, the new American republic struggled for its survival. The weaknesses of the "Articles of Confederation" caused many problems for the nation.  We will explore these problems in an attempt to save the young country.

During the summer of 1787, our Founding Fathers met in Philadelphia to try and fix the nation's problems by creating a stronger federal government . In four months, 55 extraordinary delegates wrote a new Constitution. In doing so, they created the greatest form of government the world has ever know which we still use today.  We will discuss the many debates, compromises, and nuts and bolts of American government.

With the ratification of the Constitution, America embarked on its next great challenge.  No nation in the history of the world had ever attempted a government by the people on such a grand scale.  No one knew if the new Constitution would be successful.  The first presidents had the responsibility of test driving the Constitution and creating the office of the presidency that we know today.  Each of the first presidents faced many challenges which tested the new Constitution and the young nation.

In this section, we examine the young nation's adolescences.  The young nation grows up during the War of 1812 and becomes a truly United States of America.  The USA experiences the spread of nationalism and the development of a national identity! It is a time period of tremendous growth with a developing west and the prosperity of the Industrial Revolution.  It is also a time when democracy grew and more people were given the opportunity to vote during the Age of Jackson.

Since the first Americans set foot upon North America they have continued to move west.  Americans have always believed in their "Manifest Destiny" or the right of the United States to conquer the continent and spread freedom and democracy across the continent.  In this section we will examine this idea and apply it to the first pioneers on the Oregon Trail, the brave defenders of the Alamo, the Gold Rush in California, the Transcontinental Railroad, and many other examples of how America spread from sea to shinning sea.

In this section we will discuss how courageous Americans stood up to fight injustices they saw on a daily basis. It is by their example that we may learn when to say enough is enough.

“A house divided can not stand” Due to different points of view, the North and South are dragged into a long and bloody war in which father is pitted against son and brother against brother. We will examine the war that brought an end to slavery in America.

The long process of rebuilding the U.S. after four grueling years of fighting proves to be  harder than expected. Scars run deep and people are pulled by their emotions, we will discuss how the North and South compromise in order to get beyond the Civil War.