History concepts and methods

American History

Sam Adams. Franklin. Jefferson. Alexander Hamilton. Hancock.

Clearly, each of these individuals are related in that they all participated in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence which ultimately led to the American fight for independence from England, and the formation of the new United States Government. They were all instrumental in creating the document and the philosophy behind it, and they were leaders in the new government. Adams and Jefferson served as presidents, Franklin served as a diplomat and patriot, and Hamilton and Hancock served in the government. Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury, and Hancock served as the President of the Continental Congress.

The period was before, during, and after the Revolutionary War, and all of these men were key players in the development of the new country and the laws that govern it. In addition, because they were public figures, they motivated others to support American independence. Today, these are some of the most well-known and respected members of early American society. These men all stood up for what they believed in, created a new government, and then made it work, and they are the foundation of American freedom and democracy.

Pontiac. Powhatan. Tecumseh. Pequot War. Iroquois.

All of these items relate to Native Americans, especially their early treatment by the English settlers, who drove them from their native lands, destroyed their way of life, and led them to revolt in retaliation for their harsh treatment. Chief Pontiac was a leader of an Ottawa band that rebelled against the British in the area around the Great Lakes. Powhatan was the leader of the Powhatan people of Virginia, one of the first tribes to make contact with the white settlers from England, and the father of Pocahontas, who married an Englishman and traveled to England with him. Tecumseh was the leader of the Shawnee and led Tecumseh's War against the United States after he disagreed with massive land sales that took away native lands. The Pequot War was another skirmish between whites and natives, with several tribes siding with the whites against the Pequots, and the Iroquois were a group of five tribes, the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca, who banded together to form a stronger nation against the whites.

These five natives and their tribes are significant because they all fought against the white settlers in one way or another; even though there were times when they attempted to make peace with them. Eventually, they all lost land and lives to the whites, and today they represent the resiliency of the Native Americans, and the ruthlessness of the colonists who overran the natives and took their lands, their livelihoods, and their people as if they did not matter at all. They show a dark side of American history that many people would like to overlook, but cannot.

Indentured Servants. Shay's Revolt. Bacon's Revolt

Salem. Alien & Sedition Act