100 Facts for TAKS

100 Facts for TAKS Coach Raadt

1607 • 1607-founding of Jamestown, Virginia, the first English colony, founded by the Virginia Company, a joint stock company (people invested their money for the trip)

1776 • 1776-Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson

1787 • 1787-new constitution was written to replace the Articles of Confederation

1803 • 1803-U.S. bought Louisiana Territory from Napoleon (France), for $15 million. This doubled the size of the U.S. and the U.S. gained control of the Mississippi River.

1861-1865 • 1861-1865-Civil War, North (Union) vs. South (Confederacy), North wins, General Lee (South) surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. President Lincoln is shot shortly after the war. Slavery ends

Exploration and Colonization • Reasons for Exploration and Colonization-3 G’s (Gold, God and Glory), religious freedom, political freedom

Representative Government • Representative Government-power of government is with the people because they elect representatives to govern the country (for example: Senators, Congressmen in the House of Representatives)

Mayflower Compact-a document signed by the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, all men aboard the Mayflower ship sign an agreement setting up majority rule, this is the first example of self-government in colonies.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut • Fundamental Orders of Connecticut-first written constitution in the American colonies.

Virginia House of Burgesses • Virginia House of Burgesses-first government in the colonies where colonists elected people to represent them in making laws, it is known as the first elected representative assembly.

Mercantilism • an economic system where the country’s strength is measured by the amount of gold it has, it should sell more than it buys and colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country

French and Indian War (1756-1763) • French and Indians vs England and colonists. They fought over the Ohio River Valley land and control of the fur trade. England wins and gains the Ohio Valley.

Philadelphia Convention of 1787 • Philadelphia Convention of 1787 (aka Constitutional Convention)-a new Constitution is created for the US replacing the Articles of Confederation because it was too weak. This is the same Constitution that runs our country today.

Protective Tariff • Tax placed on imported goods to make foreign goods more expensive to encourage people to buy US products instead…this allows US factories to make more $.

Washington’s Farewell Address-1796 he decides to leave after two terms but in this speech warns the country of three dangers: • 1. Political parties could divide the country • 2. Geography could divide the country politically • 3. Do not get involved in European affairs (foreign policy-isolationism)

Monroe Doctrine • Monroe Doctrine-1823 President Monroe makes a foreign policy statement telling European countries to stay out of North and South America (Western Hemisphere) or risk war with the US.

Removal and Settlement of Native Americans- 1800’s President Andrew Jackson forces Native Americans (Cherokee Indians) from east of the Mississippi River to be settled in Oklahoma under a law called the Indian Removal Act, this is known as the Trail of Tears.

Northwest Ordinance-in 1787 the Articles of Confederation created this law, it was one of the only strengths of the Articles of Confed., it told how new land added to the US could become organized territories and the process for becoming a new state.

Manifest Destiny 1840’s American belief that it was US destiny to stretch from Atlantic to Pacific Oceans. President Polk strongly believed in this and annexed Texas, made a treaty with Britain for Oregon, and fought the Mexican War for the Mexican Cession.

Cotton Gin • Cotton Gin was invented by Eli Whitney that speeded the cleaning of cotton fibers and in effect, increased the need for slaves

Emancipation Proclamation • Emancipation Proclamation -1862 Abraham Lincoln’s speech which declared all slaves in the Confederate States were free.

Reconstruction (1865-1877)- the period of time after the Civil War where the North had to rebuild the south, they forced the south to become part of the US again, freed the slaves.

Gettysburg Address • after the battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln gives a short speech to dedicate a cemetery for soldiers who died at the Battle of Gettysburg. It is considered to be a profound statement of American ideals

Radical Reconstruction Congress • these people were Congressmen in the North wanted to punish the soldiers in the Confederate Army and in the south’s government for seceding.

Slave Trade Millions of Africans came to America on slave ships, of these Africans 400,000 were sold in North America.

100 Facts for TAKS