LECTURE 5:

NORTH AMERICA
ASSIGNMENT
• Identifying and narrowing down the topic (200 words)
- Broad topic and how it has been narrowed down (3 Marks)
- Understanding of the topic (2 Marks)

• Motivation (300 words)

- The significance of the topic is understood (2 Marks)
- Motivation (academic) is well defined (3 Marks)

• Critical Analysis (500 words)

- Problem statement/research problem well defined (3 Marks)
- Overall coherence and language (2 Marks)
OUTLINE
• Colonization of North America
• The Revolutionary War and Independence of USA
• Constitution of USA
• Slavery and Civil War
• American Exceptionalism

Required Reading - Chapter 20

COLONIES IN AMERICA
• By 1750, virtually whole of
Americas was occupied by
European Colonists
• Quebec in Canada was the
capital of New France
• After the ‘Seven Years War’
British root out the French
• Settlement in West started
after 1750’s
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
• Discontent against the taxation by the British Government

• 1773 – Boston Tea Party – threw the cargo of tea into Boston Harbor – ‘no taxation without
representation’

• 1774 – British Parliament passed several acts to restore order – Colonies united in opposing them

• British forces tried to arrest the troublesome colonist leaders – George Washington became the
commander of the newly formed Colonist Army

• 1776 – The original 13 colonies signed the Declaration of Independence

• 1777 – French formed an alliance with the Colonists

• 1782 – British signed the provisional agreement recognizing the American Independence

• 1783 – Decision is ratified in Treaty of Paris – George Washignton becomes first President of the
United States of America (also known as the Union)
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

• We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men

are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among
these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
CONSTITUTION OF USA
• Ratified in 1789
• WE THE PEOPLE….
• 7 Articles – amended 27 times – first ten are collectively known as ‘Bill of Rights’
• 2nd Amendment - the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed
• A very ‘liberal’ constitution
EXPANSION OF THE FRONTIERS
ISSUE OF SLAVERY
• In the 1800’s – America’s frontiers expanded – some of these states had marginally
better ‘Slavery laws’ than the other
• In 1833 – Britain passes Slavery Abolition Act – abolishing slavery in all its colonies
• Southern States had most slaves because of the cotton plantations
• In 1860’s presidential election, Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln, supported
banning slavery in US territories
• He won the elections – primarily through winning the Northern States
• 1861 – 7 Southern States left the Union and formed a Confederacy
AMERICAN CIVIL WAR (1861 – 1865)
• Union states vs Confederate States
• More than 600,000 died
• 1863 – Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Decleration
• 1865 – Confederates surrendered
• One nation, indivisible
• Slavery formally abolished in the 13th Amendment to the constitution
in 1865
• 14th Amendment in 1868 – Citizenship to the African Americans
• 15th Amendment in 1870 – Granted male African Americans right to
vote
CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (1954 – 1968)
• Racial Segregation – Disenfranchisement –
Exploitation Violence
• Non – violent protests, Civil Disobedience, Legal
Battles
• “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise
up, live out the true meaning of its creed: we
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
are created equal”
• Civil Rights Act of 1964 – banning discrimination
based on color, gender, religion
THE AMERICAN DREAM
• the ideal by which equality of opportunity is
available to any American, allowing the
highest aspirations and goals to be achieved
• American Exceptionalism?