AP+Responses+to+Essentional+Questions+-

Essential Question 1

Colonization in the New World began to increase for many reasons. People in England were unhappy with the power of the church and their way of life. They heard stories of success and freedom in the New World and many left England to start over. Life in the New World, however, was not an easy life to live. There was disease, little food, Indian attacks, and harsh weather conditions that killed almost anyone who came to the New World. Life in the New World was tough and few were able to adjust. Even though their chances of survival were slim, the settlers stayed and continued to try and colonize the New World. Many believed that they had made it this far and did not see the point in voyaging back to England as failures. Others had a poor life in England and could not give up this opportunity to start over. Land also played a major role in the colonists decision to stay. Many had hundreds of acres of land to themselves and they did not have to pay for it. This was an incentive for most to stay even though they could not grow crops on the land or use it for any other purpose. They voyage back to England was treacherous and many did not want to make that journey again. If it were not for the determination and stubbornness of the colonists, America would not be what it is today and maybe not be here at all.

Essential Question 2

With the establishment of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania in the seventeenth century, many colonists began to settle in these areas. __Although many did settle in Massachusetts, the freedoms, tolerance, and morals of Pennsylvania allowed many to live a better life.__ Many settlers chose Pennsylvania for these reasons. William Penn was a strong believer in Quaker faith. In 1681 he received a grant from the king to establish a colony. He soon established a colony called Pennsylvania and immediately put the values of the Quaker faith into society. The Quakers believed everyone was equal and they did not believe in violence. William Penn used these morals to build a foundation for Pennsylvania. He gave free land to anyone who would settle in Pennsylvania no matter who they were. He did not judge people and was therefore on very good terms with the Native Americans. This relationship helped him to gain land and the respect that he needed to have a successful colony. Many called Pennsylvania the counter culture because of its opposing ideas with other colonies. The Government in Pennsylvania was one of the main conflicting ideas. People of Pennsylvania had the freedom to vote and practice any religion they chose. Although they did not approve of Catholics and Jews, they were very tolerant of all other religions and cultures. This allowed Pennsylvania to become a very diverse colony which was unusual at this time. Slavery was absolutely not accepted in Pennsylvania which made the colony stand out and attract many people. With the freedoms, tolerance, and morals in Pennsylvania, people were able to live a better life like they dreamed they would in the New World.

Essential Question 3 The French and Indian War began in 1754 after the battle at Fort Necessity. The French and Indians fought against George Washington and the other British troops in order to force them out of the Ohio Valley area. The British were ultimately defeated and were allowed to leave the Ohio Valley unscathed. This event sparked the French and Indian War which is also known as the Seven Years War. __This War marked a turning point in the relationship between the British and the colonists as many tensions began to arise among them.__ The colonists used Indian style tactics as a method of fighting. This is primarily because the Indians helped the colonists in the war. The Indians also helped the British, but the British kept to their formations and commander’s rule during battle. The colonists followed captains that they had appointed by themselves. This was an example of freedom and also military organization. The British followed the officers that took charge in the war and wanted to control the colonists. The British army had very strict discipline, whereas the colonial army observed no protocols or strict drills. With every war comes costs and the British felt that the only way to pay for the colonists defense was to tax them for it. The colonists did not like the increasing taxes and refused to pay. These tensions were a result of the French and Indian War which established new relations among the British and the colonists. After the war, many acts were passed in order to help the British get out of debt. These acts were put in place by George Grenville. The Sugar Act of 1764 was meant to prevent the illegal smuggling of sugar into the colonies. This shows how England was trying to assert their authority into the colonies. The Currency Act of 1764 was meant to establish a common currency in Great Britian as well as in the colonies. This act was a complete failure because most of the colonies had already established their own form of currency. There were other acts that also were unable to be followed and enforced in the colonies. Because of the war, the British and the colonists developed a new relationship which led to conflict and tension.

Essential Question 4

After the French and Indian War, England tightned its grip on the colonies. England established many new laws and acts in order to control every aspect of the New World. The American colonists had no choice but to fight for their independence from England. They did not tolerate the acts that were put in place and displayed many rebellions against England. __Their actions for independence can be justified through the outrageous acts decalred by England.__ After the war, England immediately began to assert its authority into the colonies. George Grenville was in charge of reducing the debt from the war in England. He came up with a number of acts to generate money, but the colonists did not agree. Grenville came up with the sugar act, the currency act, the quarting act, and the stamp act. Each of these acts were eliminated because of the colonists. They acted against these new laws and overturned the rule of England. Soon after that, other acts were put into place. One of the more famous acts was the Tea Act of 1773. This placed a tax on all tea and the money was sent to the British East India Company. The colonists were furious with this act and many rebellions took place. One of the most important and most remembered rebellions was the Boston Tea Party. On December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty overtook a British tea ship and dumped all the tea into the Boston Harbor. The Sons of Liberty showed their disapproval of England's authority and this sparked the American Revolution. There were many other acts passed after this incident to control the colonists, but they did not give up their fight independence. The rebellions against England continued throughout the colonies which ultimately lead to the Revolutionary War. England attempted to assert its power in the colonies and this lead the colonists to their independence.

Essential Question 5 Since the Constitution was first drafted, many arguments have come up regarding its content. Its purpose was to give the people the freedoms and rights they needed by establishing a strong federal government. Many read the constitution in a very literal way, taking in its content word for word. Others read the constitution and saw guidelines which they interpreted into different meanings. __Because of the different views and interpretations of the constitution, multiple political debates took place and were able to change history.__ This was the beginning of two separate political groups we know today as the democratic and republican parties. During the time of the constitution, these groups were known as federalists and anti-federalists. They had completely separate views of the constitution which accounted for strong political debates. The constitution was said by one side to give too much freedom to the people, and by the other side to give too little freedom. Many were afraid that this new government would give too much power to one man and it would be just as it was in England. Others feared the power of the people because they were dumb and uneducated. Thomas Jefferson believed in the rights of the people. He spoke his thoughts and eventually became president. He often had conflicting ideas with others about the constitution and the new government. Alexander Hamilton was one of the men Jefferson often had arguments with. They were on opposite ends of each issue sparking debate on every topic. This helped to shape America and its government. The constitution had sparked debate since the beginning. Without its controversy, many major issues would not have been addressed.

Essential Question 6 Thomas Jefferson's election is often refered to as the Revolution of 1800. A revolution is an overthrow of government and a replacement with another government, usually in a violent manner. __Jefferson's election was refered to as a revolution because it was the first time power had been gained in a peaceful way and it was the beginning of a new democratic form of government__. Jefferson was able to win the election be promising to put his trust in the people to make decisions for themselves. His principals of freedom and self-government helped him to win the election and create a revolution. Winning the election was what Jefferson needed to make his revolution. He won in a non-violent way and immediately put his new government into action. He was able to overthrow the Federalist form of government and create a new domocratic government. The Revolution of 1800 was not a true revolution. Although the election did establish a new government, it was done so peacefully and fair. Jefferson was proud of what had come out of his election and refered to it himself as the Revoultion of 1800.