The American Vision: Modern Times © 2008

Chapter 1: A Nation is Born

Chapter Overviews

North America Before Columbus

Section 1 introduces the early civilizations of Mesoamerica and North America. In Mesoamerica, the Olmec, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec developed sophisticated cities and trade networks. Early North American societies included the Hohokam and Anasazi of the Southwest, the Adena and Hopewell cultures of the Eastern Woodlands, and the Mississippians of the Mississippi River valley. Climate and surroundings influenced how Native American cultures established villages, built shelters, and obtained food. In the dry Southwest, corn was important to the survival of some groups, while the Pacific Coast cultures thrived on fish from the coastal waters and rivers. Some Native Americans were nomads who migrated with buffalo herds. The Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands were divided into two major language groups—Algonquian and Iroquoian.

Europe Begins to Explore

Section 2 reviews early European exploration and settlement in the New World. When Pope Urban II launched the Crusades, he unknowingly sparked a trade revolution. Contact with the civilizations of Eastern Europe and the Middle East increased Western Europeans' demand for Eastern goods. As trade increased in Europe and towns grew, feudalism declined. By the mid-1400s, Portugal, Spain, England, and France were looking for a trade route to Asia that would bypass the Muslim kingdoms. The Renaissance promoted advances in technology that made lengthy explorations possible. Portuguese navigators explored the coast of Africa and discovered a water route to Asia. In the late 1400s, Christopher Columbus landed his Spanish ships in the Bahamas and mistakenly thought he had reached the Indies. By the early 1500s, the Spanish had explored the major Caribbean islands, established colonies, and begun exploring the American mainland. European contact with the Americas affected the world's ecosystems. This “Columbian Exchange” proved to be both beneficial and catastrophic. On their quest for gold and slave labor, Spanish explorers gained allies, spread disease, and conquered the Aztec Empire and the Inca Empire. The French took a different approach to colonization. French merchants, attracted by the lucrative fur market, established New France which extended from what is today Nova Scotia far into the interior of North America.

Founding the Thirteen Colonies

Section 3 details the establishment of English colonies in North America. In England, Puritans endured hostility to their beliefs, the poor and unemployed searched for new opportunities, and merchants sought new markets. England’s first permanent colony, Jamestown, was plagued with problems, but ultimately found economic salvation in tobacco. Maryland was founded as a haven for Catholics. In 1620, the Pilgrims established the colony of Plymouth in New England. A decade later Puritans arrived and settled the Massachusetts Bay colony. Puritan leaders banished those who disagreed with Puritan beliefs. Some who felt restricted in Massachusetts decided to establish more tolerant communities. Rhode Island's charter emphasized religious freedom with total separation of church and state. Connecticut offered a written constitution that granted all adult males the right to vote. After the English Civil War, England developed a renewed interest in colonization. In 1664 England seized the successful Dutch colony of New Netherland and renamed it New York. The king granted Quaker William Penn a charter to found Pennsylvania. Penn's aim was to establish a colony where complete political and religious freedom could be practiced. Friends and political allies of the king were granted land that became the Southern colonies of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Economics, Trade, and Rebellion

Section 4 examines how regions of British North America developed differently. In the Southern colonies, colonists established self-sufficient plantations. Their cash crops—tobacco, rice, and indigo—required intensive manual labor. At first, indentured servants were used, but colonists later turned to enslaved African labor. The New England colonies developed thriving fishing, whaling, logging, and shipbuilding industries. Puritan beliefs guided colonists' behavior and encouraged them to develop towns. Town meetings formed the basis for local government. New England and the Middle Colonies saw the rise of port cities and a merchant class. The triangular trade systems helped colonists exchange their products for English goods. Wheat became the most important cash crop in the Middle Colonies. The Navigation Acts prevented the colonies from selling goods to other nations, taxed trade within the colonies, and instituted other restrictions. When customs officials discovered widespread smuggling, the king revoked the charters of the New England colonies. Troubles in England led to the Glorious Revolution, and a new king and queen allowed Rhode Island and Connecticut to resume their previous governments, but Massachusetts became a royal colony. The English Bill of Rights and the writings of philosopher John Locke shaped colonists’ ideas about their rights as Englishmen.

A Diverse Society

Section 5 follows the maturing of America into a productive, diverse society. During the 1700s, a high birthrate, a flood of immigrants, and the slave trade contributed to a population explosion in the colonies. Immigrants from Europe sought religious or economic refuge and included German Mennonites, Scots-Irish, and Jews. Enslaved Africans were forcibly brought to the New World, where they ended up in destinations such as Brazil, the West Indies, and North America. To cope with slavery, Africans in the American colonies developed a new culture that combined traditional African languages, religions, and music with English elements and Christianity. While the colonial population increased, the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening influenced colonial thought and caused many colonists to question traditional authority.