Don't Know Much About History: study questions

Don't Know Much About History: study questions

1) Discuss the significance of Thomas Jefferson's quote: "A little rebellion now and then is a good thing...God forbid that we should ever be twenty year without such a rebellion...The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
~ He said this after Shay's Rebellion and it is prevented an over reaction of the up rise. And it prevented people from just giving up on the new government and that it was important that the government did not get to much control.
2) Why did Shay's Rebellion happen?
~ Farmers were being sent to jail and court and having their land taken away because they could not pay taxes, the farmers thought they were being treated unfairly
3) The constitution is "a political creation, hammered together in a series of artfully negotiated compromises. Discuss these compromises.
~ 3/5 compromise which stated that slaves would count as 3/5, this was for taxation and representation purposes.
4) What was the Virginia Plan?
~ Becomes the constitution with some compromises. James Madision's idea
5) "No person held in service" was a euphemism for what?
Slaves, how it is written in the constitution
6) List the basic Powers and Checks of the three branches of the government.
~ 1) What are the three branches of government and what are the powers of each?
The legislative Branch (House of Representative & the senate): collecting taxes, coining money, and regulating trade. They can declare war and raise and support armies. They also makes all laws needed to fulfill the functions given to it as stated in the constitution.
Executive Branch (The president): There job is to carry out the nation’s laws and policies, be commander in chief of the armed forces and conduct relations with foreign countries.
Judicial branch (Supreme Court and other lower federal courts the congress establish): They hear cases involving the constitution, laws passed by congress and disputes between states. Executive serves as a check or limit on congress, by which they can vetoing the bill. But congress can override or vote down the veto by having two thirds of both the houses voting for the bill.
Also the president chooses the supreme court justices and the senate must approve. The supreme court checks the congress and president by ruling on the constitutionality of the laws and presidential acts.

7) Who wrote the Federalist Papers and why did they write them?
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. To back up the radification of the constitution.
8) Briefly outline the first ten amendments.
1st. seperation of church and state
2nd. The right to bear arms
3rd. soldiers cannot be housed in a private house
4th. the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure
5th.laws concerning prosecution
6th. right to a speedy, public trial
7th. Guarantees trial by jury
8th. prohibits cruel and unusual punishment
9th. Defines the rule of the construction of the constitution
10th.rights of states under constitution
9) Who could wrote in the first election (what parts of the population)?
white males with land
10) How did Washington D.C. come be located on the banks of the Potomac?
They wanted it next to virginia. A secret dinner desicion between Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison wanted it close to virginia to ensure Virginias state of power.
11) What did Jay's Treaty do?
it eliminated british control of western posts, increased trade between countries and averted war
12) What was the "Whiskey Rebellion" and how was it put down?
The farmers rebel because whiskey was being taxed and Washington lead a bunch of troops which put down the rebel quickly

13) Describe the election of 1800? How was it finally resolved?
It was a tie between thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr that had to go to the house of representatives. After 35 votings Hamiltion persuaded on Represnetative to vote for Jefferson which made him win
14) Who was John Marshall?
head of the supreme court for 35 years, put in place by John Adams and made the supreme court what it is today
15) Why did France sell its North America possessions (the Louisiana territory) to the U.S.?
After losing Haiti, Napoleon decides to worry European affairs rather than getting a colony and fighting in America
16) What did Lewis and Clark do? Describe their journey?
Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to Explore the west and the new territory. They did this because Jefferson wanted to get American into the fur trade, to feel out the political and military uses of the West and to collect scientific information about this vast uncharted land. they set out from St. Lewis on three boats, , wintered at fort mandan in north dakota. in the spring the continued west and reached the pacific coast by boat in november and wintered in Fort Clatsop. went for an overland return, splitting into two groups after crossing the rockies and arrived together in St. Lous.
17) How did Hamilton incur the wrath of Aaron Burr? Was he right in what he did? How did the ordeal end?
We made Burr lose his spot as president and as governor, causing a successful political destruction of Burr. Well yes in a sense, challegning Hamilition should have been expected by what he did to burr but burr betraying the United States was not right. Hamiltion was killed and Burr's take over and creat a new empire failed.
18) What was Jefferson's Embargo Act? Why was it unpopular and what was it suppose to do?
the Embargo act prohibited all exports into America as economic retaliation for the British impressment policy and as a means to keep America out of the war. It was very unpopular.
19) What did Tecumseh try and do?
Tried to unite the native groups because he envisioned a vast Indian confederacy strong enouogh to keep the Ohio River as a border between Indians and Whites ( prevent further westward expansion)
20) Describe the Battle of Tippecanoe?
Occured at the junction of the Tippecanoe and Wabash Rivers. The Prophet ordered poorly calculated attack on Harrisons 1000 men. The indians inflicted heavy losses but were eventually pushed back and all of their food stores, their village were destroyed and the prophets claim of invincible magic was shattered
21) Most historians call the War of 1812 a draw. Why?
Both agreed on a truce and neither side lost or gained anything
22) Describe the Battle of New Orleans.
It was a very lopsided war. British suffered more than 2000 dead, while the US casualties were 8 dead and a small number wounded
23) What did the Monroe Doctrine state?
it declared that the United States would not tolerate interventions in the Americas by European nations. or that the US would not interfere with already established colonies or with government sin Europe.
24) What was the Missouri Compromise?
Missiouri would be considered a slave state even though it was north of the slave non slave seperation boundries.
25) How was the election of 1824 decided? Why was it called a "corrupt bargain"?
It went to the house of representatives. it was between andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay. Lots of mudslinging. When John Quincy Adams was elected, Clay was given a position of power which looked like clay dropped to let Adams win so long as he got a position of power. recieved a spot on the presidents cabinet so it looked like a bargon
26) List some of the labels attached to Andrew Jackson.
Trail of Tears, Jacksonian Democracy, Andrew jackson embodied the new American spirit and became the idol of the ambitious jingoistic younger men who called themsleves Democrats ( of the American common man)
27) Was Andrew Jackson an Indian hater? What did the natives call him? What "Indian Wars" did he fight in and what was the outcome? What was his native "policy" as President?
Yes he was, They called him Long Knife. Creek War, which is where he got his reputation as a ruthless indian fighter, first Seminole war, 1812. Unless they adapt the American Culture, we ill kill you our you need to move.
28) How did Jackson come to symbolize the common people?
Andrew jackson embodied the new American spirit and became the idol of the ambitious jingoistic younger men who called themsleves Democrats. Cam from porverty, fought in the revolution, first president from the west.

The Constitution: Study Questions

The Constitution: Study Questions

1) What are the three branches of government and what are the powers of each?
The legislative Branch (House of Representative & the senate): collecting taxes, coining money, and regulating trade. They can declare war and raise and support armies. They also makes all laws needed to fulfill the functions given to it as stated in the constitution.
Executive Branch (The president): There job is to carry out the nation’s laws and policies, be commander in chief of the armed forces and conduct relations with foreign countries.
Judicial branch (Supreme Court and other lower federal courts the congress establish): They hear cases involving the constitution, laws passed by congress and disputes between states.

2) How can these branches check and balance each other?
Executive serves as a check or limit on congress, by which they can vetoing the bill. But congress can override or vote down the veto by having two thirds of both the houses voting for the bill.
Also the president chooses the supreme court justices and the senate must approve. The supreme court checks the congress and president by ruling on the constitutionality of the laws and presidential acts.

3) What were the compromises to the constitution?
A two- house legislature and slaves would only count as 3/5 of a free person for both taxation and representation.
4) Who wrote the Federalist papers?
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay

5) What was the Bill of Rights? Why did some states demand its inclusion before they ratified the constitution?
Because they believe that no government could be trusted to protect the freedom of its citizens and the bill of rights is what protected individual freedoms
6) What were the anti-federalists main fears about the constitution?
They feared that the constitution would take away the liberties Americans had fought to win from Great Britain. They didn’t want the power going back to the rich.

US History Group Projects

* List the strengths of each group and why they should win the war at the beginning
Largest Army,
* List the complaints of each side that lead to war
Americans weren't being taxed enough when it was a war fought for them that put britain into debt
* Outline the important figures of your side (and assign a member of your group to be that character)
King George III - Anna
George Grenville- Kaitlyn
Sir Henry Moore- Helen
Colonel Henri Boughet
* List battles that your side won
* Come up with one theory why the war was won or lost
* Explain the outcome of the war for your side
* Recreate as an i-movie what you feel is the most important moment of the war for your side

Questions from movie

1) What rebel leaders does Paul Revere ride at midnight to warn?
Paul Revere was riding to inform Samuel Adams and John Haddcocks of the 700 British troupes heading for concord because the militia/ minutemen were gathering and had weapons. He also told the Captain of the minutemen and alarmed every house until he got to Lexington.

2) In detail, describe how the battle of Concord looked?
Rebels marched towards the bridge. The British started firing at the rebels so they started to fight back as well. A lot of house-to-house fighting. Minute men marched towards the bridge as the British were coming to it. The British fired a warning shot and than a shot into the minutemen. The American rebels fired back. 19 miles running battle as the British ran back to Boston. 11,000-minute men and militiamen ran to the roadside but only 4000 reached the road to fire at the king’s army.

3) Why was the Revolutionary War the most important event in U.S. History?
It was the most important because it was our attempt and success to break from Britain.
Legally created the nation and infused out beliefs in equality, liberty, happiness of ordinary people and constitutionalist.
So many aspects of what Americans are today were created from the people of the revolutionary war. Composites’ of America are in the revolutionary war

4) How many cities over 10,000 where there in America at the time of the Revolution?
There were four cities.

5) Describe the country before the Revolutionary War? Why might not we, in the 21st century, recognize it?
The riches of the land were the colonists for the taking. We might not recognize it now because them there were only 2 ½ million people who all lived close to the oceans. There were no bridges. The rivers where used as highways but obstacles for movement. It was all wooded. The colonists saw themselves as the freest people in the world.

6) Why was James Otis important?
Lawyer saw the seeds of tyranny. His writings that were the inspiration for Samuel Adams
His writings which where the inspiration of Samuel Adams and other leaders; he was the mind behind the revolution, Samuel was the mouth


7) What was Samuel Adams known for?
He was a leader during the Revolutionary war. Started the Committees of Correspondence. He was the Boston protest movement's mastermind. Started the sons of liberty. Exploited the Boston Massacre.

8) Describe the Patriotic Leaders.
All the leaders were rich white men who didn’t want their social status to change or the way of life to change they just wanted to break from Britain
Radical Patrick Henry
George Washington
Benjamin Franklin
Samuel Adams

9) What percent of the population, according to John Adams, wanted liberty?
1/3 wanted liberty, 1/3 wanted to stay with Britain and 1/3 remained neutral

10) Discuss how the events of the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party lead to the Revolutionary War.
A shot was fired that started the war, it was the first bloody spilled of a fight between the minute -men and Britain,
Boston Massacre: in Boston, British soldiers killed men in a mob. Adams wrote that they needed to be tried for murder and British soldiers were removed from Boston.
The Boston Tea Party further angered both the colonists and British; it caused Britain to strike back hard.

Zinn: Over view of Chapter 5

This chapter had a lot to do with post revolution and a little about the war. It starts with explaining how America had a hard time recruiting white men to fight and that most did not stay in the army for long. Indians were not allowed to fight and only in the North were blacks and slaves allowed to join. Many poor white farmers joined in hope that they would gain social ranking by eventually moving up to a colonel position. This did not happen in most cases and instead afterwards when the men returned home they found out they had become in debt and had not paid thing such as taxes so they lost everything, one women had her her bed taken from under her. Also the revolution was fight mostly by people from the North, the south mostly stayed out of it because they were to busy trying to keep slaves under control. After the revolution, the natives continued to lost land and were not considered equal to colonies. While the blacks began fighting for freedom and rights. Which was mostly gained in the north while slavery in the South grew.
Chapter 5 than continued to talk about the making of the constituiton. It explained how those that meet to write it were many rich men and so the poor colonest started campaign and riot for rights. Preventing court date to go through with in a lot of cases. Zinn also touched on how it was established how leaders would be chosen. Chapter 5 than ended with explaining how some laws and ammendaments have been twisted such as the freedo of speech and that there were many creases that needed to be ironed out within the new government.

Questions from part two of the movie

1) Why do only the Mohawk agree to fight with General Johnson?
- Only the Mohawks joined because none of the other tribes wanted to shed native blood in a white man’s war.
2) What are the results of the Battle of Lake George?
- At first the Mohawks on the French side tried to try to prevent the battle with their fellow Mohawks but the warning was too late. The battle lasted through out the day, until the British finally succeed in forcing the French to retreat. In the end on the British side, 30 warriors 150 colonials are died, their spirits are low, and the Mohawks returned home to mourn their dead. Lake George became the front line between two empires.

3) For what purposes did the Native Americans take captive? (List three)
-They took captives as (1) a weapon against encroachers, (2) as ransom or (3) it was a way to replace warriors killed in battle.

4) Why is the story of Mary Jemison presented? What purpose does it serve?
- Mary Jemison’s story was presented to show what was happening to other colonists and to reflect what was happening to many captives.

5) Do you agree with Washington's disciplinary practices on deserters? Why or why not?
- Not really, his method was to strike fear in his men so that they would obey. I don’t thank that is right and also if a couple of men don’t want to fight they should not be killed for it. I think Washington’s disciplinary practices were a little harsh.

6) Who is Montcalm and why doesn't he like the Natives?
- Montcalm was a French Commander. He saw the Natives as barbarians. He also didn’t like the way things took so long to get anywhere with them. He doesn’t like them because their ways are so much different than that of the French.

7) What is the Native Americans code of honor? How does this differ from the Europeans' Code of War?
- The Native ways were to plunder from their victims and take captives back to their village to replace warriors lost in battle. The European saw this as saveragie because they let the remaining opponents leave with a little dignity and respect.

8) Discuss the culture clash that happens at Fort William Henry.
- The Natives had a problem with the Europeans formal approach and were mad and felt disrespected when Montcalm did not allow them to take plunder or captives and even more disrespected when the French and British had a banquet without inviting the natives.

Questions from Movie

1.) Why is George Washington partially responsible for the start of the French and Indian War?
- He was the one to recruit Half- King who was the one to kill the French messenger, which made the French mans brother mad, so he sent an army, starting the French and Indian War.
2.) Who as Half- King?
- He is an Indian leader who is in Washington’s first war. He Kills a French messenger because he’s on his own agenda. He was also the first leader willing to talk to British about the Ohio fork. Leader of refugees, not much options, and so he felt he need alliance with Britain.

3.) Why did Half King Murder/ Massacre the French?

-He killed the French messenger because he was humiliation from a previous defeat.

4.) Who was in the right? The French. The English or The Native Americans?

- Well I don’t know if anyway was in the right but if I have to choose I guess I would go with the British.

1.) There were several different types of colonies in the New world, you couuld either live in a Charter colony, a proprietary colony, or a royal colony. From 1720- 1740 what is known as the great awakening swept through the people and by the mid 1750's, New england had a very high level of literacy. When wanting a career, people would be apprentice or learning assistants to those who's careers they wanted to follow.


2.) Women cooked, made butter, amd cheese, perserved food, spun yard, and tended the chickens and cows. Also in some areas, women worked in the fields next to their husbands.

3.) It prevented them from trading with who they wanted to and making more money. It also caused them to have to pay more when shipping goods.

4.) Andrew Hamilton argued that free speech was a basic right of english people and stated that though it may be offensive, the article was true.

5.) The great awakening lead the the formation of new churches, emphasis on education, and belief grows that all people are equal before god.

6.) Stephen Daye in 1639. Before the printing press news was spread by word of mouth.

Chapter 4 section 1

1.) Crops became very important for the colonies salvation. Though the northern colonies usually did subsistence farming and didn't grow enough to sell in the triangular trade, the south relied a lot on their crops. It is what they used to trade with the English and make their money. Also, in the southern colonies rice and tobacco were used as cash crops.

2.) In the middle colonies there was some harvesting and also some home-based crafts. There were larger businesses too such as lumbering and mining and small-scale manufacturing. A big employment was a iron mill in New Jersey.

3.) The colonies grew just enough for them to survive but traded things made by the women. With the availability of lumber and fish new English thrived. They also had a good trade system with the West Indies and West Africa.

4.) Similarities- Main economic activity. Differences- Southern: center of the colony, major trade, slaves, Large. Northern: Small, Subsistence farming, farms on the outskirt, no slaves

5.) Well the success was built on the idea that one human cold own another. They probably said that, isnce they held other religious views, were sinners.

6.) Rice, tobacco, indigo, and furs. Goods, Molasses.

Pequots Vs. Settlers

Comprehension Questions:
#3.) The puritans wanted religious freedom and they were planning to set up colonies. They had the intention to live there.

#4.) Land and property: Pequots- You don't own the land your just using it for the time being. Puritans- Believed you had to establish settlements in order to own it. You had to have buildings and live there all year
Division of labor and gender: Pequots- The woman did most the work including farming and taking care of things around the fort while the men went out into the forest all day, hunting or trained for fighting. Women also had a big say in thing and decisions in the native life. The Puritans- The men did most the labor while the woman were more of house wives. The pequots thought the puritans babied there wives.
Warfare: Puritans believe that the idea of total war was a way to get rid of a total culture but natives didn't practice total warfare. The natives spared the woman and children and usually adopted them into their village but the puritans would wipe everyone out so there would be no way they could come back.

#5.) English were there to establish permanent establishments, the dutch were just there for trade. So the dutch wanted to be friends with the natives and coexisted, were as the English wanted the land the natives had and to control the trade. The dutch were friends with the natives but the English and natives were not on good terms and didn't trust one an other.

#12.) It showed success for the English and that it was possible to over take the natives and gain their land. It also made it acceptable to take over the native land by total war. The reason that the massacre of Mystic happened was because the puritans believed god thought it was right.

Extended Activity:
#3.)

Primary Source:
#1.) I believed Winthrop envisioned a conoly where everyone works together to survive and you take care of eachother. Yes I think a colony can learn to work together, thats the way the natives lived together, so it is within reach. Though the puritans and natives were very different so maybe it is not within the puritans reach.

#2.) He is saying they will stick out, and God will be watching them.

#3.) No because they did not ever consider the natives equal. They only used the natives, and no I do not believe the puritan upheld Winthrop's vision in their dealing iwth Natives. Since the beginning the Puritans treated that natives as lesser beings. They never tried to livve as one wiht the natives, they would pretned to like them until they got everything they needed from the natives, thatn they'd try to over take them.

Section 4 Assesment, Chapter 3

1.)

There were many different ways people acquired land in to new colonies. In some colonies, constitutions were made that covered subjects such as land distribution and social ranking. A lot of the time, you'd receive more land if you brought more settlers with you. Most times this worked for the rich. So the poor people would come to the new world as indentured servants. These people had their way to the new world paid for but in order to pay back their debt, they worked for those who paid their way for a certain period of time. There were also those known as tenant farmers, who paid an annual reant and worked for an estate folder for a fixed number of days each year. At this time, missions were also occuring which are religious settlements established to convert people to a particular faith.

2.) They had little interest in large-scale settlement in North America, they were mainly concerned with fishing and trapping animals for fur.

3.) She started to establish rights for woman and played a large role in the government by doing things such as putting down a rebellion from neighboring virgina and she also took charge of paying Marylands troops. She was also americas first lawyer.

4.) Yes because he showed it was possible so I believe it would have sparked flames in others.

5.) Spain -> Most of Mexico, The caribbean and Central and South America. Also the Western and southern parts of the US. France -> Northern Canada

6.) Virginia. Indigo and Rice. Charles Town

section assessment 3

1.) Another one of the early colonies was New amsterdam. The only dutch colony, they tried to get those that were coming over to bring more settlers by offering land. if you brought 50 settlers with you, you were given large amounts of land. By being one of the weathly landowners that aquired land this way you were part of a small group known as the patroons. Even though the dutch tried hard to get new and more settlers to come and live in New Amsterdam, there just weren't enough and so in 1664 England took over New Amsterdam. King Charles the second gave New Amsterdam to his brother, the Duke of York to run. New Amsterdam was renamed to New york and ran as a proprietary colony, making one person all the land and in charge of the government. Another Colony ran by the English was Pennsylvania, there were a group of people here called the quakers who had different beliefs. They thought everyone was equaled. They were also pacifists, and refused to fight in wars. This scared the weathly and other because they believed it threatened established traditions, and so Quakers were fined, jailed and even executed.


2.) Gave the colonists the right to elect representatives to the legislative assembly.

3.)He believed that the land belonged to the natives, and that settlers should pay for it. he also negotiated the first of several treaties with the local Native Americans.

4.) The Quakers believed that every individual had an "inner light" that could guide him or her to salvation. They believed church services and officials were unnecessary, which the puritans didnt.

5.) New York -> Proprietary Colony, one man controlled the government
New Jersey -> had a representative colony who would make local laws and set taxes
Pennsylvania ->North: could elect representiatives to the legislative assembly, South: could form their own legislature.

6.) The Middle Colonies. Products: Grain, Fish, Rum, Cattle, Lumber, and Iron. Grain, Cattle, Lumber, Rum and Iron.

Chapter 3 Page 80

1.) In the 1600 many people in england were dissent and wanted to escape persecution for their religious beliefs. There were to main groups, the Puritans and the Separatists. The Puritans wanted to reform the Anglican Church and had little toleration for those that did not share the same religious beliefs; where as the Separatists, also considered pilgrims, wanted to set up their own church. Both groups established colonies in the new world but before going ashore the pilgrims set up what is known as the Mayflower Compact, this was like their constitution.

2.) They wanted religious freedom.

3.) In Rhode Island people would not be prosecuted for their religious practices.

4.) It was a write up of how their government would be, sort of like there constitution of their time.

5.) The colonists interact with the Native Americans -> Trade ->Constant fight over land -> Helped settlers adapt to the new life

6.) Fur, rum, and lumber were products from New Hampshire.

Questions from chapter 3, section 1

1.) One of the best known colonies in the New world is Jamestown, located in now an day Virginia. It was established in 1606 when several charters decided to try and successfully claim a settlement for England. The group that established Jamestown was known as the Virginia Company. The reason the virginia company was capable of being successful was because it was a joint- stock company in which investor bought part of the company. After it was establish, inorder to keep order, ten colonist in virginia including jamestown sent two men known as burgesses as representative to an assembly.

2.) The main reason the virginia company established settlements was to make money.

3.) When colonists couldn't find gold or silver in Jamestown, they learned to grow tobacco.

4.) Because a lot of other countries were already setting up colonist in the new world and england didnt have one yet. Plus the Colony was supposed to be a way to make mor money.

5.) Growth of Jamestown -> Tobacco and the slave trade

6.) 30 % of the settlers where children

Howard Zinn

Growing up you hear about the heroic deads of past explorers. The land they found, the feats they conquered but who ever tells the story of the people they killed? The native groups they worked so hard, that the group went to extinction? The fame they stole from those that deserve it? there aren't to many out there that tell that side of the story, the loser side, and thats why I like howard zinn's writing. It shows you another point a view. One you dont get to read about in your text book. It is a side some people have tried to get you forget. Though it is said to read how people you grew up believe as being one of the greatest men are nothing more than a killer who takes advantage of others. Its is what happened though or at least part of what happened and people whould not remain ignorant to this and so I like the work of Howard Zinn. He tells the harsh truth and if not completely true its still shines light on another side that you now have to take in to account.