US History and Government Ch 5.3

Settlers The first people to settle North America were nomads from Asia They traveled across Beringia The land connecting Siberia and Alaska was formed mainly by glaciers These “native” peoples occupied the land undisturbed until the 1400s

Settlers In the 1400s (15 th Century), Europeans began exploring what they called the “New World” The Spanish were the first to arrive in present day America The Spanish settled in St. Augustine in Florida St. Augustine is the oldest permanent European Settlement in the US

Settlers The French and English were the next to arrive in the “New World” The first permanent English settlement was established in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 Most settlers took over the land that the native Americans had lived on for years The Europeans also brought Africans to America to work as slave laborers

The Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange brought many new crops, animals, resources, people, and diseases to the “New World” The “New World” also provided an abundance of new crops and resources for the “Old World” Europe, Africa, and the Americas changed drastically because of the Columbian Exchange **See Columbian Exchange handout!

The French and Indian War Great Britain and France fought for 7 years over the North American territory and trade rights In 1763, Great Britain gained control of all of North America east of the Mississippi

American Revolution Britain’s control over the colonies did not last long In 1776, America declared Independence from Great Britain The main reason for the split was the lack of representation the colonies had in GB Colonists wanted equal representation and fair taxes The end result of this conflict was the founding of the United States of America

Early America America began to grow quickly after 1776 Settlers began to push westward toward the Mississippi River

The Louisiana Purchase In 1803, the United States doubled in size with the purchase of the Louisiana territory from France Lewis and Clark were commissioned by President Jefferson to explore the new frontier

The Civil War Growing tensions between the agricultural south and the industrial north led to the Civil War The Civil War lasted from It took 4 years of bloody battles and many more years of reform to reunite the country

Industrialization As the west was being settled, immigrants continued to pour into the USA from Europe About 14 million people immigrated to America between 1860 and 1900 Cities in the east (Chicago, New York, Boston, etc.) began to expand rapidly The USA was transformed from a rural, agricultural nation to an urban, industrialized one

The Great Depression The Stock Market crash of 1929 was the start of the Great Depression (Black Tuesday) People were spending and demanding money they did not have (credit) and it resulted in bank failures People put money in the banks that was uninsured and lost all of their savings The Dust Bowl, a major drought throughout the Great Plains, also contributed to the Great Depression

The New Deal ( ) Franklin D. Roosevelt created the “New Deal” plan to help pull America out of the Great Depression In the New Deal, the government regulated many programs to get America back on track The government implemented agencies, services, and organizations that expanded governmental power The New Deal plans were created to stabilize jobs and build the economy

A World Power By the 20 th century, the US had emerged as a dominant political and economic power After two World Wars and a global economic depression, the United States was still a healthy, growing country

The Cold War The Cold War was primarily a war between the United States and the Soviet Union After WWII tensions were high between the US and the Soviet Union Over time, a series of events including the Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs invasion, and the Space Race, brought the US and the USSR into constant competition and conflict In the 1980s, the conflict lessened as the USSR went through many reforms, including the tearing down of the Berlin Wall

Vietnam War The Vietnam War was primarily a was between Communist and non-Communist forces It lasted from The United States faced a great deal of opposition from citizens who protested the war

Government 3 Branches Executive President, VP, Executive Departments Legislative Congress (House of Representative, Senate) Judicial Supreme Court

The Constitution The Constitution of the United States of America was drafted in 1787 and ratified in 1788 It outlines the framework of the United States government The first 10 amendments to the US Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights

US Economy Our economy is mainly run on free enterprise Free enterprise is an economic system where private individuals own most of the resources, technology, and businesses, and can operate them for profit The US began as a largely agricultural superpower Today, the United States has developed from a “good” or product industry to a service industry This postindustrial economy is one where manufacturing no longer plays a major role

US Economy The United States is still the world’s major trading nation The US leads the world in overall value of its exports and imports American corporations that engage in business worldwide are known as multinationals

US Economy Most of our important business leaders and entrepreneurs come from the service sector today Sam Walton (Wal Mart) Oprah Winfrey (entertainment) Estee Lauder (cosmetics) Bill Gates (Microsoft)