AP US History AMSCO Guided Notes
3.11: Developing an American Identity
AMSCO Guided Notes
AP US History Guided Notes
AMSCO 3.11 - Developing an American Identity
Learning Objectives
- Explain the continuities and changes in American culture from 1754 to 1800.
I. Social Change
1. How did the War for Independence change American society beyond just politics?
A. Abolition of Aristocratic Titles
1. What aristocratic institutions did state constitutions abolish and why were these changes significant?
2. How did the confiscation of Loyalist estates contribute to weakening aristocracy in America?
B. Separation of Church and State
1. What principle did most states adopt regarding government support for religious groups?
2. How did the disestablishment of the Anglican Church reflect revolutionary ideals?
3. Which New England states continued to support the Congregational Church and for how long?
C. Regional Variations
1. What was the most significant difference between northern and southern states after the Revolution?
2. How did Jefferson characterize the differences between northerners and southerners in the 1780s?
II. Political Change
1. How did the development of political parties both reflect and contribute to American identity?
2. What were the origins of the distinctions between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans?
3. How did regional differences and views on federal power shape the early political parties?
III. Cultural Change
1. How did the expansion of newspapers in the late 1700s facilitate the development of American identity?
2. What cultural contributions did Charles Brockden Brown, Charles Wilson Peale, and Gilbert Stuart make to American identity?
3. What role did Washington, D.C., the American Academy of Fine Arts, and new reference works play in establishing a distinctive American culture?
Key Terms
Charles Brockden Brown
Charles Wilson Peale
Pierre-Charles L'Enfant
Gilbert Stuart