The+Young+America

The Young America- America's Early Years
America's early years were largely defined by the presidencies of George Washington and [|Thomas Jefferson]. Both presidents played a significant role in developing our young nation and their legacies last to this day.

Washington and Jefferson are both carved into Mount Rushmore as a way for Americans to consciously remember the contributions of these two great Americans.

Both Washington and Jefferson were critically important founding fathers and later the 1st and 3rd presidents of the United States of America.

George Washington- the Father of our Country
George Washington was America's first president. Before officially assuming power, he first had to be inaugurated as shown in the video below. media type="custom" key="24968716"

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Mount Vernon, the famous home of George Washington teaches us much today about the life of George Washington. Check out this great room-by-room display of Mount Vernon.



Thomas Jefferson- the Man of the People
Similarly to Washington, Thomas Jefferson is a founding father of our nation and also one of our most influential presidents. I also consider him one of the most interesting people in history. Jefferson's personal life is one that has received much historical speculation to this day. Jefferson built and maintained his famous home of Monticello, which you can still visit and tour today even online!

Perhaps Jefferson's most important contribution as president was the Louisiana Purchase. The purchase, acquired from France, doubled the size of the United States and served as a means for Jefferson to accomplish his vision of America as a land of __small__ farmers. Jefferson believed that small farmers best preserved founding the ideals of equality and republican government and served in contrast to Washington's view of America as a commercial republic.



Exploration of the new addition to America was handled by Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery. Lewis and Clark made many important scientific and geographical discoveries on their journey west with the aid of Native Americans including Sacagawea.





The District of Columbia.- the Capitol of our Nation
[|Washington D.C.] or the District of Columbia, was established and developed during the time of our nation's first presidents. Today it remains the seat of government for the United States of America and one of the most important cities in the world. Founded in 1791, and established by the Constitution as our nation's capital city, Washington D.C. named after George Washington and Christopher Columbus, was donated by the state of Maryland. It's central location suggested the need to find balance between the interests of both the North and South.



Washington D.C. is classified as a district, not a state or a city, and today has a population of approximately 530,000 people. It is a popular tourist attraction because of its many museums including the Smithsonian and Mr. Stone's favorite, the International Spy Museum. Additionally, many of the nation's most famous memorials are located in Washington D.C including the, the , , the , , and the. America's National Cathedral and burial ground, Arlington National Cemetery, are also located in Washington D.C.

The White House in 1800



Abigail Adams in the White House East Room

The East Room in the White House today

Washington D.C. before construction

Yet it was not an easy founding and development for this city. Pierre L'Enfant was commissioned to build the capital of our nation. He envisioned "a grand capital of wide avenues, public squares and inspiring buildings in what was then a district of hills, forests, marshes and plantations." L'Enfant modeled his city after European cities such as Paris with a distinctly American flavor. For example, his design situates the Capitol Building as the focal point of the city overlooking the Potomac River rather than the home of the nation's leader.

Note the similarities in L'Enfant's plan to the Washington D.C. of today.

The White House website includes a great virtual tour of this famous building including a look inside the West Wing. Check out this video which provides some great background information.

The Capitol Building is the center for our legislative activity as it is the home of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The Supreme Court building rounds out the three branches of our national government located in our nation's capital.

Check out the following maps of Washington D.C. What do you make of the layout and structure of our capital city?

Washington D.C. birds eye maps:

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Comparison: Maps of Ancient Cities




The War of 1812- America's Second War for Independence
America fought Britain once again in the War of 1812. The war was fought initially over Britain's interference with American shipping. One key result from the war was America's ability to establish its authority in world affairs.



This painting captures the famous naval battle between the U.S.S. //Constitution// and the British ship //Guerriere.// The //Constitution// would earn the nickname "Old Ironsides" after prevailing against the powerful British naval vessel while barely withstanding any damage to its own structure.

Andrew Jackson leading the Americans to victory at the battle of New Orleans.

The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution might be defined as a fundamental shift in society as machine based labor replaced manual labor. Mass production of goods made in factories began in early 19th century America. Although many historians suggest the Industrial Revolution did not truly arrive dominate American culture until after the Civil War, the beginning of the revolution in America has local roots in this area, most notably, the Lowell Mills.

media type="custom" key="24951836" The Lowell Mills still exist today and are available to tour!

Slowly but surely American, especially Northern cities, turned into the manufacturing centers of the nation. **The Development of Slavery** Slavery began in America in the 17th century but it was the ironic invention of the cotton gin that led to its dramatic increase in society.

media type="custom" key="24952032" In class, we will discuss what assumptions the founding fathers had in regards to permitting slavery in the Constitution. Although the tragedy of slavery is a difficult concept of our history to study, we can also also point to positive examples of character within its suffering.

The Oak-Alley Plantation in Virginia built in the 1830's, an example of a Southern plantation home.

Aerial sketch of a Louisiana Plantation

Exterior view of a slave cabin.

Interior view of a slave cabin

Plantation slaves outside their quarters.

A slave family in the cotton fields.

A cotton field

Picture of a slave auction in Virginia. In 1844, Joseph Goodrich built this stop along the Underground Railroad- a hand dug tunnel connecting the basement of his inn to a cellar 40 feet away.

This crawl space was built as a stop on the Underground Railroad by Reverand Alexander Dobbin of Gettysburg Pennsylvania.

One of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, escaped slavery herself before going back to rescue more slaves into freedom.

A former slave and famous writer and orator, Frederick Douglas championed the cause of abolition.

Sojourner Truth was a freed slave and a defender of both women's rights and abolition.

James Monroe and the Era of Good Feelings; Henry Clay and American Nationalism
The presidency of James Monroe is defined by a time period known as "The Era of Good Feelings." This was a time of increased nationalism- a strong belief in patriotism or "patriotism on steroids."

President Monroe

This picture represents the pro-nationalism sentiments following the War of 1812.

Sectionalism and the Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise represented the beginning of sectionalism between the major regions of the country. Sectionalism is when a particular region or section of the country places its own needs before the good of the entire country.

The fighting between new territory was caused over the question of representation in congress. The fighting between sections threatened the beginning of a Civil War. Henry Clay, "The Great Compromiser."