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History 1301 – United States History to 1877

Spring 2016
Kingwood Community College

Instructor: Annette Ollsen, MA
Phone: 281-852.8939
Office Location: Bldg. A210
Office Hours: 2:00-3:00pm Monday and Wednesday
E-mail: [email protected]

COURSE DESCRIPTION
A survey of U.S. history from Pre-Contact Societies through Reconstruction. Themes to be developed include westward expansion
and globalization, slavery, Native Americans, and religious and social changes. An additional purpose of this course is to introduce
students to the skills and practices of history. (5401025125) Prerequisites: ENGL 0305 or ENGL 0365 or ENGL 0115 AND ENGL 0307
or ENGL 0375 or ENGL 0117 OR higher level course (ENGL 1301) OR placement by testing. ENGL 0309 or ENGL 0310 also meets
prerequisite

REQUIRED READINGS
Shi, David E., Tindall, George B. America: A Narrative Story, Volume One Brief 9th Edition.

New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 2013. ISBN 978-0-393-91265-4 (pbk)
Douglass Frederick. A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.

Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2009. ISBN 978-0-674-03401-3 (pbk)
Stick, David. Roanoke Island: The Beginning of English America. The University of North

Carolina Press, 1983. ISBN 080-784-110-2

ATTENDANCE/MAKE-UP POLICY
It is crucial to be present in class. If you fail to attend classes on a regular basis, you may be dropped from the course as the format
is an interactive learning environment. Make-ups are only given with consent of the instructor.

Communication Policy
Students are expected to be prepared to participate in the discussions. There are due dates for each assignment, quiz and exam. It is
important that you submit all written assignments by the due date. Please note that no submittals will be accepted after the last day
of class. The grading scale can be found under Grading in the complete syllabus.

I will respond to student correspondence no longer than 48 hours.

ASSIGNMENTS
Quizzes (10 @2 points each)
Mid Term (20%)
Written Assignments (3 @ 10 points each)
Final Presentation/Power Point 25%

Be sure to read the entire syllabus which can be found in D2L

History 1301
Learning Objective: Analyze and evaluate the factors contributing to the beginning of the European Age
of Discovery.

Lesson Objective: By the end of this lesson, students will understand global exploration and what drove
Europeans out of their native land. (Bloom’s Taxonomy Level 4: Analyze)

Lesson Objective: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to determine the significance and
importance of global exploration to the discovery of America. (Bloom’s Taxonomy Level 6: Evaluation)

Second P

COURSE: American History 1301
Lesson Title: The Age of Discovery
Course Student Learning Outcome: Understand what made Europeans seek a new land and assess the impact of the contact and interchange between the
New and Old World.

Learning Objectives (these should be the ones you wrote in Module 1):
By the end of this lesson, students will understand global exploration and what drove Europeans out of their native land.

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify how global exploration brought about the rise of international trade.

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to analyze the impact religion had on the colonization of America.

Participatory Learning:

Time Instructor Activities Learner Activities Lesson Materials

25min Provide the article: “The Age of Exploration” and Answer questions from the article: “The Age of Exploration” Upload article in D2L
discuss with students.  Explain and discuss the reasons Europeans wanted Powerpoint slides.

to establish colonies in America?

20min Discuss overseas exploration and the rise of global View Youtube: ”The Explorers: The Dawning of the Era of View map of the Colonial
trade. Exploration” https://youtu.be/yExw1YNK27U Expansion
View Video
Incorporate a technology Question to ask for Kahoot: Which motive do you think was GetKahoot.com
the strongest for encouraging European exploration? Why?

30min Discuss the effort of English Puritans and Pilgrims in Group Activity: Divide class into two groups pro and con: Hand out Reagan and
5min establishing a Christian commonwealth in New Debate on historians argument that the ongoing tendency Obama’s inaugural
England and their hope that it might serve as a model of Americans to view the United States as a nation that has speech to determine
society a special calling to serve as an example for the rest of whether there are some
humanity is rooted in the Puritans and this missionary recent ways in which this
Incorporate a CAT- One Minute Paper idealism. view is still alive.
Examine whether this American “sense of mission” is still
alive for the United States and discuss the positive and Hand out template of One-
negative consequences for the United States and the world.
What was the most surprising or unexpected reason why

the Europeans wanted to establish colonies in America? Minute Paper

What idea expressed in today’s class, strongly affected or
influenced your personal opinions, viewpoints, or values?

See Attached PPT

Student Preparatory Strategy

 Reading Assignment--upload into D2L the article, “The Age of Exploration”
 Map of Colonial Expansion
 Youtube ”The Explorers: The Dawning of the Era of Exploration”
 Group questions
 Incorporate a technology

The Age
of Exploration

A Resource to Accompany

History Alive! The United States
Through Industrialism

TeachBerrisn’gsCLuerarrinciungluAmliveIn! stitute
1

Introduction

I n this reading, you will learn about the Age of Why did explorers brave such dangers? In
Exploration. This period of discovery lasted this reading, you will discover some of the rea-
from about 1418 to 1620. During this time, sons for the Age of Exploration. Then you will
European explorers made many daring voyages learn about the voyages of explorers from
that changed world history. Portugal, Spain, and other European countries.
You will also learn about the impact of their
A major reason for these voyages was the discoveries on Europe and on the lands they
desire to find sea routes to east Asia, which explored.
Europeans called the Indies. When Christopher
Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean,
he was looking for such a route. Instead, he land-
ed in the Americas. Columbus thought he had
reached the Indies. In time, Europeans would
realize that he had found what they called the
”New World.” European nations soon rushed to
claim lands in the Americas for themselves.

Early explorers often suffered terrible hard-
ships. In 1520, Ferdinand Magellan set out with
three ships to cross the Pacific Ocean from South
America. He had guessed, correctly, that the
Indies lay on the other side of the Pacific. But
Magellan had no idea how vast the ocean really
was. He thought his crew would be sailing for a
few weeks at most. Instead, the crossing took
three months. While the ships were still at sea,
the crew ran out of food. One sailor wrote about
this terrible time. “We ate biscuit… swarming
with worms…. We drank yellow water that had
been putrid [rotten] for days... and often we ate
sawdust from boards.”

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

2

Reasons for the
Age of Exploration

W hy did European exploration begin to to spread Christianity. Both Protestant and © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
flourish in the 1400s? Two main reasons Catholic nations were eager to make new con-
stand out. First, Europeans of this time had sever- verts. Missionaries followed the path blazed by
al motives for exploring the world. Second, explorers, sometimes using force to bring native
advances in knowledge and technology helped peoples into their faiths.
make voyages of discovery possible.
Advances in Knowledge and Technology The
Motives for Exploration For early explorers, one Age of Exploration began in the midst of the
of the main motives for exploration was the Renaissance, a time of new learning. A number
desire to find new trade routes to Asia. By the of advances made it easier for explorers to ven-
1400s, merchants and crusaders had brought ture into the unknown.
many goods to Europe from Africa, the Middle
East, and Asia. Demand for these goods One key advance was in cartography, the art
increased the desire for trade. and science of mapmaking. In the early 1400s, an
Italian scholar translated an ancient book called
Europeans were especially interested in spices Guide to Geography from Greek into Latin. The
from Asia. They had learned to use spices to help book had been written by Ptolemy in the second
preserve food during winter and to cover up the century C.E. Printed copies of the book inspired
taste of food that was no longer fresh. new interest in cartography. European mapmak-
ers used Ptolemy’s work to draw more accurate
Trade with the East, however, was expensive maps.
and difficult. Muslims and Italians controlled the
flow of trade. Muslim traders carried goods to Discoveries by explorers gave mapmakers
the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Italian new information to work with. The result was a
merchants then brought the goods to Europe. dramatic change in Europeans’ view of the world.
Problems arose when Muslim rulers sometimes By the 1500s, globes showed Earth as a sphere,
closed the trade routes from Asia to Europe. or ball. In 1507, a German cartographer made the
Also, the goods went through many hands, and first map that clearly showed North and South
each trading party raised their price. America separated from Asia.

European monarchs and merchants wanted to In turn, better maps helped explorers by
break the hold that Muslims and Italians had on making navigation easier. The most important
trade. One way to do so was to find a sea route to Renaissance geographer, Gerardus Mercator, cre-
Asia. Portuguese sailors looked for a route that ated maps using improved lines of longitude and
went around Africa. Christopher Columbus tried latitude. Mercator’s mapmaking technique was a
to reach Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic. great help to navigators.

Other motives also came into play. Many An improved ship design also helped explor-
people were excited by the opportunity for new ers. By the 1400s, Portuguese and Spanish ship-
knowledge. Explorers saw the chance to earn builders were making caravels. These ships were
fame and glory as well as wealth. Some craved small, fast, and easy to maneuver. Their shallow
adventure. And as new lands were discovered, bottoms made it easier for explorers to travel
nations wanted to claim the lands’ riches for along coastlines where the water was not deep.
themselves. Caravels also used lateen (triangular) sails, an
idea borrowed from Muslim ships. These sails
A final motive for exploration was the desire

3

Reasons for the
Age of Exploration

could be positioned to take advantage of the wind Questions
no matter which way it blew. 1. What were some key motives for Europeans

Along with better ships, new navigational tools during the Age of Exploration?
helped sailors to travel more safely on the open 2. Which motive do you think was the strongest
seas. By the end of the 15th century, the compass
was much improved. Sailors used compasses to for encouraging European exploration? Why?
find their bearing, or direction of travel. The astro- 3. What key advances in knowledge and technol-
labe helped sailors figure out their distance north
or south from the equator. ogy allowed Europeans to explore these new
areas?
Finally, improved weapons gave Europeans a 4. Which advance do you think was the most
huge advantage over the people they met in their important? Why?
explorations. Sailors could fire their cannons at
targets near the shore without leaving their ships.
On land, the weapons of native peoples often were
no match for European guns, armor, and horses.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

4

European Exploration
and Land Claims, 1488–1610

European Exploration and Land Claims, 1488–1610

Goa
Malacca

Questions 6. Which country had explorers who led expedi-
1. Which explorer was the first to establish a sea tions into the lands of the Aztecs and Incas in
North and South America? Who were these
route to Asia? For which European country did explorers?
he sail?
2. Which explorer was the first to sail to the east 7. By 1600, on which continents did Spain claim
coast of South America? For which European territory?
country did he sail?
3. By 1600, on which continents did Portugal 8. Which European countries during this period
claim or control territory or cities? sent explorers to North America’s east coast?
4. Which explorer was the first to sail to what are Name three of these explorers.
today the Caribbean Islands, between North
and South America? For which European © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
country did he sail?
5. Which explorer was the first to lead a voyage
that eventually went around the world? For
which European country did he sail?

5

Portugal Begins the Age
of Exploration

T he Age of Exploration began in Portugal. This In 1500, Pedro Cabral set sail for India with a © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
small country is located on the southwestern fleet of 13 ships. Cabral first sailed southwest to
tip of Europe. Its rulers sent explorers first to avoid calms (areas where there are no winds to fill
nearby Africa and then around the world. sails). But he sailed so far west that he reached the
east coast of present-day Brazil. After claiming
Key Explorers The key figure in early Portuguese this land for Portugal, he sailed east and rounded
exploration was Prince Henry, the son of King Africa. Arriving in Calicut, he established a trad-
John I. Nicknamed “the Navigator,” Henry was ing post and signed trading treaties. He returned
not an explorer himself. Instead, he encouraged to Portugal in June 1501 after battling several
exploration and directed many important Muslim ships.
expeditions.
The Impact of Portuguese Exploration Portugal’s
Beginning in about 1418, Henry sent explorers explorers changed Europeans’ understanding of
to sea almost every year. He also started a school the world in several ways. They explored the
of navigation where sailors and mapmakers could coasts of Africa and brought back gold and slaves.
learn their trades. His cartographers made new maps They also found a sea route to India. From India,
based on the information captains brought back. explorers brought back spices like cinnamon and
pepper and goods such as porcelain, incense,
Henry’s early expeditions focused on the west jewels, and silk.
coast of Africa. He wanted to continue the cru-
sades against the Muslims, find gold, and take After Cabral’s voyage, the Portuguese took
part in trade. control of the eastern sea routes to Asia. They
seized the seaport of Goa in India and built forts
Gradually, Portuguese explorers made their way there. They attacked towns on the east coast of
farther and farther south. In 1488, Bartolomeu Africa. They also set their sights on the Moluccas,
Dias became the first European to go around the or Spice Islands, in what is now Indonesia. In
southern tip of Africa. Later, Dias died in a storm 1511, they attacked the main port of the islands
at sea. and killed the Muslim defenders. The captain of
this expedition explained what was at stake. If
In July 1497, Vasco da Gama set sail with four Portugal could take the spice trade away from
ships to chart a sea route to India. Da Gama’s Muslim traders, he wrote, then Cairo and Makkah
ships rounded Africa’s southern tip and then sailed “will be ruined.” As for Italian merchants, “Venice
up the east coast of the continent. With the help of will receive no spices unless her merchants go to
a sailor who knew the route to India, they crossed buy them in Portugal.”
the Indian Ocean.
Portugal’s control of the Indian Ocean broke
Da Gama arrived in the port of Calicut, India, the hold of Muslims and Italians on Asian trade.
in May 1498. There he obtained a load of cinna- The prices of Asian goods like spices and fabrics
mon and pepper. On the return trip to Portugal, dropped, and more people in Europe could afford
da Gama lost half of his ships. Many of his crew- to buy them.
members died of hunger or disease. Still, the valu-
able cargo he brought back paid for the voyage During the 1500s, Portugal also began to
many times over. His trip made the Portuguese establish colonies in Brazil. The native people of
even more eager to trade directly with Indian
merchants.

6

Portugal Begins the Age
of Exploration

Brazil suffered greatly as a result. The Portuguese Questions
tried to get the native people to give up their reli- 1. What contributions did each of these individu-
gion and convert to Christianity. They also forced
them to work on sugar plantations. Missionaries als make to Portuguese exploration?
sometimes tried to protect them from abuse, but • Prince Henry “the Navigator”
countless numbers died from overwork and • Bartolomeu Dias
European diseases. Others fled into the interior • Vasco da Gama
of Brazil. • Pedro Cabral
2. What impact did Portuguese exploration have
The colonization of Brazil also had an impact on the people of these continents?
on Africa. As the native population of Brazil • Africa
decreased, the Portuguese needed more laborers. • Asia
Starting in the mid 1500s, they turned to Africa. • the Americas
Over the next 300 years, ships brought millions of
enslaved West Africans to Brazil.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

7

Spain’s Early Explorations

I n the late 1400s, King Ferdinand and Queen between Europe and Asia. One of these people © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Isabella of Spain were determined to make their was Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer.
country a powerful force in Europe. One way to
do this was to sponsor explorations and claim new Magellan believed he could sail west to the
lands for Spain. Indies if he found a strait, or channel, through
South America. The strait would connect the
Key Explorers It was Ferdinand and Isabella who Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, allowing ships to
sponsored the voyages of Christopher Columbus. continue on to Asia.
The Italian-born Columbus thought that the Indies,
or eastern Asia, lay on the other side of the Magellan won Spain’s backing for a voyage to
Atlantic Ocean. He believed sailing west would find the strait. In August 1519, he set sail with five
be the easiest route to the Indies. ships and about 250 men.

When Columbus failed to win Portuguese sup- Magellan looked for the strait all along South
port for his idea, he turned to Spain. Ferdinand America’s east coast. He finally found it at the
and Isabella agreed to pay for the risky voyage. southern tip of the continent. Today it is called the
They wanted to beat Portugal in the race to control Strait of Magellan.
the wealth of Asia. They also wanted to spread
Christianity. After passing through the strait, Magellan
reached the Pacific Ocean in November 1520. It
In August 1492, three ships left Spain under took another three months to cross the Pacific.
Columbus’s command. For the crew, venturing During the crossing, Magellan’s men ran out of
into the open ocean was frightening. As the weeks food and were plagued by disease and thirst. They
went by, some of the men began to fear they reached an island in the western Pacific just in
would never see Spain again. time.

Then, on October 12, a lookout cried “Land!” Continuing west, Magellan visited the
Columbus went ashore on an island in the Philippines. There he became involved in a battle
Caribbean Sea. Thinking he had reached the between two local chiefs. In April 1521, Magellan
Indies, Columbus claimed the island for Spain. was killed in the fighting.

For three months, Columbus and his men Magellan’s crew sailed on to the Spice Islands.
explored nearby islands with the help of native Three years after the expedition began, the only
islanders, whom the Spanish called Taino. ship to survive the expedition returned to Spain,
Thinking they were in the Indies, the Spanish loaded with cloves. The 18 sailors on board were
soon called all the local people “Indians.” the first people to circumnavigate the globe.

In March 1493, Columbus arrived back in The Impact of Early Spanish Exploration Early
Spain. He proudly reported that he had reached Spanish exploration changed Europeans’ view of
Asia. Over the next 10 years, he made three more the world. The voyages of Columbus revealed the
voyages to what he called the West Indies. He existence of the Americas. Magellan’s expedition
died in Spain in 1506, still insisting that he had opened up a westward route to the Indies. It
sailed to Asia. showed that it was possible to sail completely
around the world. And it proved that Columbus
Many Europeans, however, believed that had indeed found a “New World”—one they
Columbus had actually found a land mass that lay hadn’t realized was there.

8

Spain’s Early Explorations

Columbus’s voyages were the beginning of Questions
Spanish settlement in the West Indies. Spain 1. What contributions did each of these individu-
earned great wealth from its settlements. Settlers
mined for precious minerals and started sugar als make to early Spanish exploration?
plantations. The Spanish also sent Europe new • Christopher Columbus
crops, such as sweet potatoes and pineapples. • Ferdinand Magellan
2. What impact did early Spanish exploration
For the native people of the West Indies, have on the people of these continents?
Spanish settlement was devastating. Priests forced • Europe
many of them to become Christians. Native people • the Americas
were forced to work as slaves in the mines and on
the plantations. When the Spanish arrived, perhaps
1 or 2 million Taino lived on the islands. Within
50 years, fewer than 500 were left. The rest had
died of starvation, overwork, or European diseases.

Like Portugal, Spain looked to West Africa for
new sources of laborers. From 1518 through the
mid 1800s, the Spanish brought millions of
enslaved Africans to work in their American
colonies.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

9

Later Spanish Exploration
and Conquest

A fter Columbus’s voyages, Spain was eager to Aztecs’ native enemies. Third, their horses, armor, © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
claim lands in the New World. To explore and and superior weapons gave the Spanish an advan-
conquer “New Spain,” the Spanish turned to tage in battle. The Aztecs had never seen any of
adventurers called conquistadors (conquerors). these things before. Fourth, the Spanish carried
The conquistadors were allowed to establish set- diseases that caused deadly epidemics among the
tlements and seize the wealth of natives. In return, Aztecs.
the Spanish government claimed one fifth of the
treasures they found. Aztec riches inspired Spanish conquistadors to
continue their search for gold. In the 1520s,
Key Explorers In 1519, Spanish explorer Hernan Francisco Pizarro received permission from Spain
Cortes and a band of conquistadors set out to to conquer the Inca Empire in South America. The
explore present-day Mexico. From native people, Incas ruled an empire that ran along most of the
Cortes learned about the Aztecs. The Aztecs had Andes Mountains. By the time Pizarro arrived,
built a large and wealthy empire in Mexico. however, a civil war had weakened the empire.

With the help of a native woman named In April 1532, the Inca emperor, Atahualpa,
Malinche, Cortes and his men reached the Aztec greeted the Spanish as guests. Following Cortes’s
capital, Tenochtitlan. The Aztec ruler, Montezuma, example, Pizarro launched a surprise attack and
welcomed the Spanish with great honors. Deter- kidnapped the emperor. Although the Incas paid a
mined to break the power of the Aztecs, Cortes roomful of gold and silver for Atahualpa’s ransom,
took Montezuma hostage. the Spanish killed him the following year. Without
their leader, the Incas’ empire quickly fell apart.
Cortes now controlled the Aztec capital. In
1520, he left Tenochtitlan to battle a rival Spanish The Impact of Later Spanish Exploration and
force. While he was gone, a group of conquista- Conquest The explorations and conquests of the
dors attacked the Aztecs in the midst of a religious conquistadors transformed Spain. The Spanish
celebration. In response, the Aztecs rose up rapidly expanded foreign trade and overseas colo-
against the Spanish. The soldiers had to fight their nization. For a time, wealth from the Americas
way out of the city. Many of them were killed dur- made Spain one of the world’s richest and most
ing the escape. powerful countries.

The following year, Cortes mounted a siege of Besides gold and silver, ships brought corn and
the city, aided by thousands of native allies who potatoes from the New World to Spain. These
resented Aztec rule. The Aztecs ran out of food crops grew well in Europe. By increasing the food
and water, yet they fought desperately. After sev- supply, they helped spur a population boom.
eral months, the Spanish captured their leader, and Conquistadors also introduced Europeans to new
Aztec resistance collapsed. The city was in ruins. luxury items, such as chocolate and tobacco.
The mighty Aztec Empire was no more.
In the long run, gold and silver from the
Four factors contributed to the defeat of the Americas hurt Spain’s economy. Inflation, or an
Aztec Empire. First, Aztec legend had told of the increase in the supply of money compared to
coming of a white-skinned god. When Cortes goods, led to higher prices. Monarchs and the
appeared, the Aztecs welcomed him because they wealthy spent their riches wastefully instead of
thought he might be their god Quetzalcoatl. building up Spain’s industries.
Second, Cortes was able to make allies of the
The Spanish conquests had a major impact on

10

Later Spanish Exploration
and Conquest

the New World. The Spanish introduced new ani- Questions
mals to the Americas, such as horses, cattle, sheep, 1. What contributions did each of these individu-
and pigs. But they also destroyed two advanced
civilizations. The Aztecs and Incas lost much of als make to later Spanish exploration and
their culture along with their wealth. Many conquest?
became laborers for the Spanish. Millions died • Hernan Cortes
from disease. In Mexico, for example, there were • Francisco Pizarro
about 25 million native people in 1519. By 1605, 2. What impact did later Spanish exploration
this number had dwindled to 1 million. and conquest have on the people of these
continents?
• Europe
• the Americas

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

11

European Exploration
of North America

S pain and Portugal dominated the early years of that is now called Hudson Bay. He spent three © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
exploration. Rulers in rival nations wanted months looking for an outlet to the Pacific, but
their own share of trade and new lands in the there was none.
Americas. Soon England, France, and the
Netherlands all sent expeditions to North America. After a hard winter in the icy bay, some of
Hudson’s crew rebelled. They set him, his son,
Key Explorers Explorers often sailed for any and seven loyal followers adrift in a small boat.
country that would pay for their voyages. The Hudson and the other castaways were never seen
Italian sailor John Cabot made England’s first again. Hudson’s voyage, however, laid the basis
voyage of discovery. Cabot believed he could for later English claims in Canada.
reach the Indies by sailing northwest across the
Atlantic. In 1497, he landed in what is now The Impact of European Exploration of North
Canada. Believing he had reached the northeast America Unlike the conquistadors in the south,
coast of Asia, he claimed the region for England. northern explorers did not find gold and other
treasure. As a result, there was less interest at first
The next year, Cabot set out on another voyage in starting colonies.
with five ships. The fate of this expedition is
uncertain. Cabot may have returned to England, Canada’s shores did offer rich resources of cod
or he may have been lost at sea. and other fish. Within a few years of Cabot’s trip,
fishing boats regularly visited the region.
Another Italian, Giovanni da Verrazano, sailed Europeans were also interested in trading with
under the French flag. In 1524, da Verrazano Native Americans for otter skins, whale oil, and
explored the Atlantic coast from present-day North beaver and fox furs. By the 1600s, Europeans
Carolina to Canada. His voyage gave France its had set up a number of trading posts in North
first claims in the Americas. Like many explorers, America.
however, he met an unhappy end. On a later trip
to the West Indies, he was killed and eaten by English exploration also contributed to a war
native people. between England and Spain. As English ships
roamed the seas, some captains, nicknamed “sea
Sailing for the Netherlands, English explorer dogs,” began raiding Spanish ports and ships to
Henry Hudson journeyed to North America in take their gold. Between 1577 and 1580, Francis
1609. Hudson wanted to find a northwest passage Drake sailed around the world. He also claimed
through North America to the Pacific Ocean. Such part of what is now California for England, ignor-
a water route would allow ships to sail from ing Spain’s claims to the area.
Europe to Asia without entering waters controlled
by Spain. The English raids added to other tensions
between England and Spain. In 1588, King Philip
Hudson did not find a northwest passage, but II of Spain sent an armada, or fleet, to invade
he did explore what is now called the Hudson England. With 130 heavily armed vessels and
River. Twenty years later, Dutch settlers (people about 31,000 men, the Spanish Armada seemed an
from the Netherlands) began arriving in the unbeatable force. But the smaller English fleet
Hudson River valley. was fast and well armed. Their guns had a longer
range, so they could attack from a safe distance.
The next year Hudson tried again, this time After several battles, a number of the armada’s
under the flag of his native England. Searching ships had been sunk or driven ashore. The rest
farther north, he sailed into a large bay in Canada

12

European Exploration
of North America

turned around but faced terrible storms on the way Questions
home. Fewer than half of the ships made it back to 1. What contributions did each of these individu-
Spain.
als make to the European exploration of North
The defeat of the Spanish Armada marked the America?
start of a shift in power in Europe. By 1630, Spain • John Cabot
no longer dominated the continent. With Spain’s • Giovanni de Verrazano
decline, other countries—particularly England and • Henry Hudson
the Netherlands—took an active role in trade and 2. What impact did the European exploration of
colonization around the world. North America have on the people of Europe?

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

13

The Impact of Exploration on
European Commerce and Economies

Major European Trade Routes, About 1750

PACIFIC NORTH ENGLAND ASIA
OCEAN AMERICA NETHERLANDS

FRANCE EUROPE
PORTUGAL SPAIN

ATLANTIC AFRICA PACIFIC
OCEAN OCEAN

Spain SOUTH INDIAN N
Portugal AMERICA OCEAN WE
England
France 0 1,500 3,000 miles S
Netherlands 0 3,000 kilometers
Trade routes

T he voyages of explorers had a dramatic impact Another aspect of the capitalist economy con- © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
on European commerce and economies. As a cerned the way people exchanged goods and serv-
result of exploration, more goods, raw materials, ices. Money became more important as precious
and precious metals entered Europe. Mapmakers metals flowed into Europe. Instead of having a
carefully charted trade routes and the locations of fixed price, items were sold for prices that were
newly discovered lands. By the 1700s, European set by the open market. This meant that the price
ships traveled trade routes that spanned the globe. of an item depended on how much of the item was
New centers of commerce developed in the port available and how many people wanted to buy it.
cities of the Netherlands and England, which had Sellers could charge high prices for scarce items
colonies and trading posts in faraway lands. that many people wanted. If the supply of an item
was large and few people wanted it, sellers low-
Exploration and trade contributed to the ered the price. This kind of system is called a
growth of capitalism. This economic system is market economy.
based on investing money for profit. Merchants
gained great wealth by trading and selling goods Labor, too, was given a money value. Increas-
from around the world. Many of them used their ingly, people began working for hire instead of
profits to finance still more voyages and to start directly providing for their own needs. Merchants
trading companies. Other people began investing hired people to work in their own cottages, turning
money in these companies and shared in the raw materials from overseas into finished prod-
profits. Soon this type of shared ownership was ucts. This growing cottage industry was especially
applied to other kinds of business. important in the making of textiles. Often entire

14

The Impact of Exploration on
European Commerce and Economies

families worked at home, spinning wool into Questions
thread or weaving thread into cloth. Cottage 1. Define the following terms associated with the
industry was a step toward the system of factories
operated by capitalists in later centuries. commercial revolution in Europe:
• capitalism
A final result of exploration was a new eco- • market economy
nomic policy called mercantilism. European rulers • cottage industry
believed that piling up wealth was the best way to • mercantilism
build their countries’ power. For this reason, they 2. In what ways did the Age of Exploration help
tried to reduce the things they bought from other spur the commercial revolution in Europe?
countries and increase the items they sold.

Having colonies was a key part of this policy.
Nations looked to their colonies to supply raw
materials for their industries. They profited by
turning the materials into finished goods that they
could sell to other countries and to their own
colonies. To protect the valuable trade with their
colonies, rulers often forbade colonists from trad-
ing with other nations.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

15

Summary and
Processing Assignment

Summary Processing Assignment
In this reading, you learned about the Age of Draw heads and facial expressions representing
Exploration. Beginning in the 1400s, European the feelings that European monarchs, European
explorers went on great voyages of discovery. explorers, and European merchants might have
Their voyages had a major impact on Europe and had about the Age of Exploration. Add thought
on the lands they explored. bubbles above the heads showing what each group
might be thinking.
European explorers sought wealth, land,
knowledge, and adventure. They also wanted to Then draw heads and facial expressions repre-
spread Christianity. A number of advances in senting the feelings that Africans, Asians, and
knowledge and technology made their journeys Americans might have had about the Age of
possible. Exploration. Add thought bubbles above the heads
showing what each group might be thinking.
The Portuguese explored Africa’s coasts, chart-
ed a sea route to Asia, and claimed Brazil. The
voyages of Christopher Columbus led to Spanish
colonization in the Americas. England, France,
and the Netherlands sent explorers to North
America.

Millions of people living in the Americas died
as a result of European colonization and conquest.
The Inca and Aztec Empires were destroyed. West
Africans suffered greatly when they were brought
to the Americas to work as slaves. For the
Europeans, the Age of Exploration vastly
increased their knowledge of the world.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

16

Guide to Questions

Reasons for the Age of Exploration 2. Which explorer was the first to sail to the east © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
1. What were some key motives for Europeans coast of South America? For which European
country did he sail?
during the Age of Exploration?
Cabral was the first explorer to sail to the
Europeans were interested in spices from Asia, east coast of South America. He sailed for
but Muslims and Italians controlled the trade Portugal.
routes from Asia to Europe. People were also
looking for new knowledge, wealth, fame, and 3. By 1600, on which continents did Portugal
adventure. Nations wanted to claim new lands claim or control territory or cities?
and riches for themselves. A final motive was
the desire to spread Christianity. By 1600, Portugal had claimed territory or
cities on South America, Africa, and Asia.
2. Which motive do you think was the strongest
for encouraging European exploration? Why? 4. Which explorer was the first to sail to what are
today the Caribbean Islands, between North
Answers will vary. and South America? For which European
country did he sail?
3. What key advances in knowledge and technol-
ogy allowed Europeans to explore these new Columbus was the first explorer of this period
areas? to explore the islands between North and South
One key advance was in cartography, or map- America. He sailed for Spain.
making. Europeans began to view the Earth as
a sphere. Navigation was made easier with 5. Which explorer was the first to lead a voyage
new maps and tools. There were also improve- that eventually went around the world? For
ments made to the design of ships and which European country did he sail?
weapons.
Magellan was the first explorer to lead a
4. Which advance do you think was the most voyage that eventually went around the world.
important? Why? He sailed for Spain.

Answers will vary. 6. Which country had explorers who led expedi-
tions into the lands of the Aztecs and Incas in
European Exploration and Land Claims, North and South America? Who were these
1488–1610 explorers?
1. Which explorer was the first to establish a sea
Spain had explorers who led expeditions into
route to Asia? For which European country did the lands of the Aztecs and Incas. The explor-
he sail? ers were Cortes and Pizarro.

Da Gama established the first sea route to
Asia. He sailed for Portugal.

17

Guide to Questions

7. By 1600, on which continents did Spain claim 2. What impact did Portuguese exploration have © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
territory? on the people of these continents?

By 1600, Spain had claimed territory on North • Africa
America, South America, and Asia. After the native population of Brazil decreased,
millions of Africans were brought to Brazil as
8. Which European countries during this period slaves.
sent explorers to North America’s east coast?
Name three of these explorers. • Asia
The Portuguese seized the seaport of Goa in
England, France, and the Netherlands sent India and built forts there. In 1511, they
explorers to North America’s east coast. attacked and killed all the people defending the
Among them were Cabot, sailing for England; main port of the Spice Islands. Portugal broke
da Verrazano, sailing for France; and Hudson, the hold that Muslims and Italians had on
sailing for both England and the Netherlands. Asian trade. Prices of Asian goods dropped.

Portugal Begins the Age of Exploration • the Americas
1. What contributions did each of these individu- The Portuguese established colonies in Brazil
and tried to convert the native people to
als make to Portuguese exploration? Christianity. Native people were forced to work
on sugar plantations. Many died from over-
• Prince Henry “the Navigator” work or European diseases.
Prince Henry started a school of navigation
where sailors and mapmakers could learn their Spain’s Early Explorations
trades. His cartographers made updated maps 1. What contributions did each of these individu-
with new information. His expeditions also
explored the west coast of Africa. als make to early Spanish exploration?

• Bartolomeu Dias • Christopher Columbus
Dias became the first European to sail around Columbus sailed west, not east, to find the eas-
the southern tip of Africa. iest route to Asia. He landed on an island in
the Caribbean Sea and claimed it for Spain.
• Vasco da Gama He found a world that was new to Europe.
Da Gama sailed to India and brought valuable
spices back to Portugal. • Ferdinand Magellan
Magellan also sailed west to find a route to
• Pedro Cabral Asia. He sailed around South America and
Cabral sailed to present-day Brazil and eventually sailed to the Philippines. He died,
claimed its lands for Portugal. In India, he but his crew continued and they were the first
established a trading post and signed a trading to circumnavigate the globe.
treaty.

18

Guide to Questions

2. What impact did early Spanish exploration • the Americas
have on the people of these continents? New animals, like the horse, were introduced.
At the same time, two advanced civilizations
• Europe were destroyed. Many native people became
Europeans learned of a new world and that it laborers for the Spanish and millions died from
was possible to sail completely around the European diseases.
globe. Spain earned great wealth from settle-
ments in the “New World.” New crops were European Exploration of North America
introduced to Europeans. 1. What contributions did each of these individu-

• the Americas als make to the European exploration of North
Many native peoples were forced to become America?
Christians. They were also forced to work
as slaves in mines or on plantations. Many • John Cabot
died from overwork, European disease, or He landed in Canada and claimed it for
starvation. England.

Later Spanish Exploration and Conquest • Giovanni de Verrazano
1. What contributions did each of these individu- His exploration of the North American coast
gave France its first claims in the New World.
als make to later Spanish exploration and
conquest? • Henry Hudson
He tried to find a northwest passage to Asia,
• Hernan Cortes but instead explored the Hudson River. Later,
Cortes conquered the Aztec Empire and he explored Hudson Bay and claimed it for
claimed its land and riches for Spain. England.

• Francisco Pizarro 2. What impact did the European exploration of
Pizzaro kidnapped the Inca emperor, which led North America have on the people of Europe?
to the empire’s downfall.
Trading posts were established in North
2. What impact did later Spanish exploration America. Europeans traded for fish, otter
and conquest have on the people of these skins, whale oil, and beaver and fox furs.
continents? English exploration contributed to a war
between England and Spain.
• Europe
Spain rapidly expanded foreign trade and © Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
overseas colonization. It became one of the
world’s richest and most powerful countries.
New crops were introduced and contributed
to a population boom. Eventually, though,
Spain’s economy suffered from inflation and
from wasteful spending.

19

Guide to Questions

The Impact of Exploration on European Commerce 2. In what ways did the Age of Exploration help
and Economies spur the commercial revolution in Europe?
1. Define the following terms associated with the
Answers will vary, but could include the fol-
commercial revolution in Europe: lowing: As a result of exploration, more goods,
raw materials, and precious metals entered
• capitalism Europe. Trade routes expanded. New centers of
Capitalism is an economic system based on commerce developed.
investing money for profit.

• market economy
A market economy is a type of economy in
which prices are determined by the buying and
selling decisions of individuals in the market-
place.

• cottage industry
Cottage industry is a small-scale business in
which people work mostly at home.

• mercantilism
Mercantilism is an economic policy by which
nations try to gather as much gold and silver
as possible by controlling trade and establish-
ing colonies.

© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute

20

Colonial Expansion

THE EUROP
OF DISC

PEAN AGE
COVERY





◦ . Who were the first people in North Americ
◦ 2. What were the Europeans reasons for est
◦ 3. What was Britain’s reasons for establishin
◦ 4. How important was religion as a motivat

ca?
tablishing colonies in America?
ng colonies in North America?
tion for colonization?

◦ When the Europeans arrived in North Ameri
million Indians lived on the Continent.

 For at least 15,000 years before the arriv
the vastness of North America undist

 Wars between tribes were commonplac
 Indians played a significant role in shap

States

ica in the sixteenth century, as many as 10

val of Europeans, the Indians had occupied
turbed by outside invaders
ce
ping America and the origins of the United

What brought about the exp

◦ With the new technology, construction of fu
voyages were built

◦ There were more accurate navigation tech

pansion of Europe?
ull-rigged sailing ships capable of oceanic
hniques, maps and more powerful weapons

Which brought about:
Ambition to explore new territories
 Growth of global trade
Formation of nations
Religion



Inaugural Address

By President Barack Hussein Obama

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you've
bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation -- (applause) -- as well as the generosity and
cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising
tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering
clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or
vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our
forebears and true to our founding documents.

So it has been; so it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching
network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and
irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the
nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too
costly, our schools fail too many -- and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy
strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound,
is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the
next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will
not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met. (Applause.)

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and
discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the
recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young
nation. But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come
to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble

idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and
all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. (Applause.)

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be
earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the
faint-hearted, for those that prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and
fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more
often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long rugged path towards
prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new
life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops, and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip, and plowed
the hard earth. For us, they fought and died in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe
Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so
that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions,
greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our
workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods
and services no less needed than they were last week, or last month, or last year. Our capacity remains
undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant
decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off,
and begin again the work of remaking America. (Applause.)

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of our economy calls for action, bold and
swift. And we will act, not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build
the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us
together. We'll restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's
quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our
factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new
age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot
tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has

already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose,
and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them,
that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works --
whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is
dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will
end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform
bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust
between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth
and expand freedom is unmatched. But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the
market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The
success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on
the reach of our prosperity, on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity,
but because it is the surest route to our common good. (Applause.)

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our
Founding Fathers -- (applause) -- our Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine,
drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man -- a charter expanded by the blood of
generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience
sake. (Applause.)

And so, to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to
the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation, and every man,
woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity. And we are ready to lead once
more. (Applause.)

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but
with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect
us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead they knew that our power grows through its prudent
use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering
qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more we can meet those new threats
that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will
begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old
friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a
warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense. And for those who seek to
advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is
stronger and cannot be broken -- you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. (Applause.)

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians
and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture,
drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and
segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe
that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows
smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new
era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those
leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West, know that
your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. (Applause.)

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are
on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your
fist. (Applause.)

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean
waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy
relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can
we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must
change with it.

As we consider the role that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave
Americans who at this very hour patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell
us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit
of service -- a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.
And yet at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit
us all. For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the
American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees
break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which
sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but
also a parent's willingness to nurture a child that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values
upon which our success depends -- honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and
curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet
force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded, then, is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of
responsibility -- a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation
and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that
there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that
God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men
and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall;
and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served in a local restaurant can
now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. (Applause.)

So let us mark this day with remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of
America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the
shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained
with blood. At the moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation
ordered these words to be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could
survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America: In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these
timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms

may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this
journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's
grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

Senator Hatfield, Mr. Chief Justice, Mr. President, Vice President Bush, Vice President
Mondale, Senator Baker, Speaker O'Neill, Reverend Moomaw, and my fellow citizens:

To a few of us here today this is a solemn and most momentous occasion, and yet in the history
of our nation it is a commonplace occurrence. The orderly transfer of authority as called for in
the Constitution routinely takes place, as it has for almost two centuries, and few of us stop to
think how unique we really are. In the eyes of many in the world, this every 4-year ceremony we
accept as normal is nothing less than a miracle.

Mr. President, I want our fellow citizens to know how much you did to carry on this tradition. By
your gracious cooperation in the transition process, you have shown a watching world that we
are a united people pledged to maintaining a political system which guarantees individual liberty
to a greater degree than any other, and I thank you and your people for all your help in
maintaining the continuity which is the bulwark of our Republic.

The business of our nation goes forward. These United States are confronted with an economic
affliction of great proportions. We suffer from the longest and one of the worst sustained
inflations in our national history. It distorts our economic decisions, penalizes thrift, and crushes
the struggling young and the fixed-income elderly alike. It threatens to shatter the lives of
millions of our people.

Idle industries have cast workers into unemployment, human misery, and personal indignity.
Those who do work are denied a fair return for their labor by a tax system which penalizes
successful achievement and keeps us from maintaining full productivity.

But great as our tax burden is, it has not kept pace with public spending. For decades we have
piled deficit upon deficit, mortgaging our future and our children's future for the temporary
convenience of the present. To continue this long trend is to guarantee tremendous social,
cultural, political, and economic upheavals.

You and I, as individuals, can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but for only a limited
period of time. Why, then, should we think that collectively, as a nation, we're not bound by that
same limitation? We must act today in order to preserve tomorrow. And let there be no
misunderstanding: We are going to begin to act, beginning today.

The economic ills we suffer have come upon us over several decades. They will not go away in
days, weeks, or months, but they will go away. They will go away because we as Americans
have the capacity now, as we've had in the past, to do whatever needs to be done to preserve this
last and greatest bastion of freedom.

In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.
From time to time we've been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be
managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of
the people. Well, if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the
capacity to govern someone else? All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the

burden. The solutions we seek must be equitable, with no one group singled out to pay a higher
price.

We hear much of special interest groups. Well, our concern must be for a special interest group
that has been too long neglected. It knows no sectional boundaries or ethnic and racial divisions,
and it crosses political party lines. It is made up of men and women who raise our food, patrol
our streets, man our mines and factories, teach our children, keep our homes, and heal us when
we're sick—professionals, industrialists, shopkeepers, clerks, cabbies, and truck drivers. They
are, in short, "We the people," this breed called Americans.

Well, this administration's objective will be a healthy, vigorous, growing economy that provides
equal opportunities for all Americans, with no barriers born of bigotry or discrimination. Putting
America back to work means putting all Americans back to work. Ending inflation means
freeing all Americans from the terror of runaway living costs. All must share in the productive
work of this "new beginning," and all must share in the bounty of a revived economy. With the
idealism and fair play which are the core of our system and our strength, we can have a strong
and prosperous America, at peace with itself and the world.

So, as we begin, let us take inventory. We are a nation that has a government—not the other way
around. And this makes us special among the nations of the Earth. Our government has no power
except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government,
which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed.

It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the Federal establishment and to demand
recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the Federal Government and those
reserved to the States or to the people. All of us need to be reminded that the Federal
Government did not create the States; the States created the Federal Government.

Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it's not my intention to do away with government. It
is rather to make it work--work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back.
Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.

If we look to the answer as to why for so many years we achieved so much, prospered as no
other people on Earth, it was because here in this land we unleashed the energy and individual
genius of man to a greater extent than has ever been done before. Freedom and the dignity of the
individual have been more available and assured here than in any other place on Earth. The price
for this freedom at times has been high, but we have never been unwilling to pay that price.

It is no coincidence that our present troubles parallel and are proportionate to the intervention
and intrusion in our lives that result from unnecessary and excessive growth of government. It is
time for us to realize that we're too great a nation to limit ourselves to small dreams. We're not,
as some would have us believe, doomed to an inevitable decline. I do not believe in a fate that
will fall on us no matter what we do. I do believe in a fate that will fall on us if we do nothing.
So, with all the creative energy at our command, let us begin an era of national renewal. Let us
renew our determination, our courage, and our strength. And let us renew our faith and our hope.

We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are
not heroes, they just don't know where to look. You can see heroes every day going in and out of
factory gates. Others, a handful in number, produce enough food to feed all of us and then the
world beyond. You meet heroes across a counter, and they're on both sides of that counter. There
are entrepreneurs with faith in themselves and faith in an idea who create new jobs, new wealth
and opportunity. They're individuals and families whose taxes support the government and
whose voluntary gifts support church, charity, culture, art, and education. Their patriotism is
quiet, but deep. Their values sustain our national life.

Now, I have used the words "they" and "their" in speaking of these heroes. I could say "you" and
"your," because I'm addressing the heroes of whom I speak—you, the citizens of this blessed
land. Your dreams, your hopes, your goals are going to be the dreams, the hopes, and the goals
of this administration, so help me God.

We shall reflect the compassion that is so much a part of your makeup. How can we love our
country and not love our countrymen; and loving them, reach out a hand when they fall, heal
them when they're sick, and provide opportunity to make them self-sufficient so they will be
equal in fact and not just in theory?

Can we solve the problems confronting us? Well, the answer is an unequivocal and emphatic
"yes." To paraphrase Winston Churchill, I did not take the oath I've just taken with the intention
of presiding over the dissolution of the world's strongest economy.

In the days ahead I will propose removing the roadblocks that have slowed our economy and
reduced productivity. Steps will be taken aimed at restoring the balance between the various
levels of government. Progress may be slow, measured in inches and feet, not miles, but we will
progress. It is time to reawaken this industrial giant, to get government back within its means,
and to lighten our punitive tax burden. And these will be our first priorities, and on these
principles there will be no compromise.

On the eve of our struggle for independence a man who might have been one of the greatest
among the Founding Fathers, Dr. Joseph Warren, president of the Massachusetts Congress, said
to his fellow Americans, "Our country is in danger, but not to be despaired of . . . . On you
depend the fortunes of America. You are to decide the important questions upon which rests the
happiness and the liberty of millions yet unborn. Act worthy of yourselves."

Well, I believe we, the Americans of today, are ready to act worthy of ourselves, ready to do
what must be done to ensure happiness and liberty for ourselves, our children, and our children's
children. And as we renew ourselves here in our own land, we will be seen as having greater
strength throughout the world. We will again be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope
for those who do not now have freedom.

To those neighbors and allies who share our freedom, we will strengthen our historic ties and
assure them of our support and firm commitment. We will match loyalty with loyalty. We will
strive for mutually beneficial relations. We will not use our friendship to impose on their
sovereignty, for our own sovereignty is not for sale.

As for the enemies of freedom, those who are potential adversaries, they will be reminded that
peace is the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it;
we will not surrender for it, now or ever.

Our forbearance should never be misunderstood. Our reluctance for conflict should not be
misjudged as a failure of will. When action is required to preserve our national security, we will
act. We will maintain sufficient strength to prevail if need be, knowing that if we do so we have
the best chance of never having to use that strength.

Above all, we must realize that no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so
formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries
in today's world do not have. It is a weapon that we as Americans do have. Let that be
understood by those who practice terrorism and prey upon their neighbors.

I'm told that tens of thousands of prayer meetings are being held on this day, and for that I'm
deeply grateful. We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free. It
would be fitting and good, I think, if on each Inaugural Day in future years it should be declared
a day of prayer.

This is the first time in our history that this ceremony has been held, as you've been told, on this
West Front of the Capitol. Standing here, one faces a magnificent vista, opening up on this city's
special beauty and history. At the end of this open mall are those shrines to the giants on whose
shoulders we stand.

Directly in front of me, the monument to a monumental man, George Washington, father of our
country. A man of humility who came to greatness reluctantly. He led America out of
revolutionary victory into infant nationhood. Off to one side, the stately memorial to Thomas
Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence flames with his eloquence. And then, beyond the
Reflecting Pool, the dignified columns of the Lincoln Memorial. Whoever would understand in
his heart the meaning of America will find it in the life of Abraham Lincoln.

Beyond those monuments to heroism is the Potomac River, and on the far shore the sloping hills
of Arlington National Cemetery, with its row upon row of simple white markers bearing crosses
or Stars of David. They add up to only a tiny fraction of the price that has been paid for our
freedom.

Each one of those markers is a monument to the kind of hero I spoke of earlier. Their lives ended
in places called Belleau Wood, The Argonne, Omaha Beach, Salerno, and halfway around the
world on Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Pork Chop Hill, the Chosin Reservoir, and in a hundred rice
paddies and jungles of a place called Vietnam.

Under one such marker lies a young man, Martin Treptow, who left his job in a small town
barbershop in 1917 to go to France with the famed Rainbow Division. There, on the western
front, he was killed trying to carry a message between battalions under heavy artillery fire.

We're told that on his body was found a diary. On the flyleaf under the heading, "My Pledge," he
had written these words: "America must win this war. Therefore I will work, I will save, I will
sacrifice, I will endure, I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole
struggle depended on me alone."

The crisis we are facing today does not require of us the kind of sacrifice that Martin Treptow
and so many thousands of others were called upon to make. It does require, however, our best
effort and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform great
deeds, to believe that together with God's help we can and will resolve the problems which now
confront us.

And after all, why shouldn't we believe that? We are Americans.
God bless you, and thank you.

STRATEGIES TO GET STUDENTS TO READ

Selecting books to engage students to read can be a real challenge. In researching books, I look
for ones that are intriguing that will arouse their curiosity and spur their interest. For instance, in
studying life in the colonies, we discussed the lost colony in Virginia. Since there are many theories as
to why the colony was abandoned, I thought the students would be interested in reading some of them
and to make their own decision as to what happened to the colony. Students were required to write a
paper and present it in class.

A weekly quiz over one chapter is a good indicator if students are reading. I make the quiz
questions directly from the book, so if the students read the chapter they will be able to answer the
questions. I also have one essay question which asks them to compare and contrast a theme.

Another strategy I use in class is to have students debate over a topic that relates to the reading
and pertains to a real world situation. I divide the class into two groups and have them debate the pros
and cons of the situation.

One last strategy is to again break students up into groups. Have each group responsible for
reading one section of the chapter. Give the students ample time to discuss it among the group and
then have them present the material to the class.