American History Beginnings To 1877 Myworld Interactive __hot__ Page

Declared the Western Hemisphere closed to future European colonization—a bold statement of U.S. influence.

In April 1775, British troops marched to Concord, Massachusetts, to seize colonial weapons. At Lexington and Concord , the “shot heard ‘round the world” started the war.

Reunite the nation and define freedom for 4 million newly freed African Americans. american history beginnings to 1877 myworld interactive

Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts (1774) , closing Boston Harbor and restricting Massachusetts’ self-rule. Colonists responded by forming the First Continental Congress and preparing militias. Part 4: The American Revolution (1775–1783) Key Vocabulary: Militia, Declaration of Independence, Thomas Paine, Loyalist, Patriot, Saratoga, Yorktown, Treaty of Paris 1783

Britain and France (plus Native allies) fought over control of the Ohio River Valley. Britain won but was deeply in debt. To raise money, Parliament began taxing the colonists directly. Declared the Western Hemisphere closed to future European

Seeking a sea route to Asia, Christopher Columbus (sailing for Spain) landed in the Caribbean in 1492. This contact began the Columbian Exchange —a vast transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Europeans brought horses, wheat, and sugar; they took back maize, potatoes, and tobacco. Devastating diseases like smallpox wiped out up to 90% of some Native populations.

The first permanent English settlement was Jamestown (Virginia, 1607), founded by a joint-stock company. It barely survived due to disease, hunger, and conflict with the Powhatan people. John Smith’s leadership and John Rolfe’s introduction of tobacco as a cash crop finally made Jamestown profitable. Part 2: The 13 Colonies & Colonial Life (1630–1754) Key Vocabulary: Puritan, Pilgrim, Mayflower Compact, Great Awakening, Mercantilism, Triangular Trade, Middle Passage At Lexington and Concord , the “shot heard

President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory (1803) from France for $15 million, doubling U.S. size. He sent Lewis and Clark to explore it to the Pacific.