Chapter 6   Exploring the Southeast

A.   Geography of the Southeast

1.                Two long coastlines

a)                Atlantic Ocean

b)               Gulf of Mexico

2.                The Coastal Plain covers more than half of the Southeast

a)                Atlantic Coastal Plain

b)               Gulf Coastal Plain

3.                The Everglades in southern Florida is a wetland made of swamps and marshes.

4.                Inland areas are made up of hills, mountains, plateaus, plains, and the Mississippi River.

a)                Appalachian Mountains

b)               The Piedmont which is an area of high land at the foot of the mountains.

c)                Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky and Tennessee.

d)               Ozark Plateau in Arkansas

5.                The Southeast has a mild climate.

a)                Hurricanes strike during June and November.

(1)             Cause terrible damage to trees and buildings

(2)             Cause flooding

6.                Natural Resources

a)                A sunny climate, plentiful rainfall, and rich, flat make it a good farming region.

b)               Chesapeake Bay, in Maryland and Virginia, provides fish, oysters, clams, and crabs.

B.   Early History

1.                Native Americans

a)                 The Powhatan lived near the coast.

b)               The Cherokee had settled in the Appalachian region.

(1)             Sequoyah developed the Cherokee writing system.

c)                The Shawnee made homes west of the mountains.

(1)             The Native Americans used the natural resources.

(a)             Soil to grow crops

(b)            Trees to make homes and canoes.

(c)             Stone, wood, and animal bones to make tools and weapons

(d)            Animals were used for food.

(e)             Rivers used for drinking, food, and transportation.

C.   Colonies and Settlers

1.                In the 1500s, explorers from Spain, England, and France claimed land in the Southeast.

a)                In 1565, the Spanish built St. Augustine, in Florida.

b)               In 1607, the English built in Jamestown, Virginia.

c)                In 1718, the French built New Orleans along the Mississippi River.

2.                In 1700s settled started to cross the Appalachian Mountains and move West.

a)                The Cumberland Gap was a pass through the mountains.

b)               In 1775, Wilderness Road was built through the Gap for wagons by Daniel Boone and others.

c)                The road was important because it allowed more settlers to cross the mountains.

D.   A Divided Nation

1.                The North’s economy was made up of small farms, manufacturing, and small businesses.

2.                The South’s economy was based on agriculture.

a)                On plantations cash crops like cotton and rice were grown to sell.

b)               African American slaves did the work on the plantations.

3.                In 1819, Missouri asked to join the US, but that would make more slave states than free states.

4.                Henry Clay came up with the Missouri Compromise which kept the balance between free and slave states.

E.   The Civil War

1.                The Civil War started in 1861 when fighting broke out between the Confederate and Union troops.

2.                One of the reasons the North and South fought was slavery.

3.                In 1865, the Civil War ended

a)                Robert E. Lee, leader of the Confederate army, surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, the leader of the Union army.

b)               The war was over and more than 4 million slaves were freed.

(1)             Many freed slaves rented land to raise crops.

(2)             Some freed slaves moved to cities in the South and the North to find jobs.

F.    Ports of the Southeast

1.                The Southeast is known for its busy ports because it has two long coastlines and many navigable rivers.

2.                Cities grew up around these ports.

a)                Atlantic coast port cities

(1)             Baltimore, Maryland

(2)             Charleston, Maryland

(3)             Savannah, Georgia

b)               A Gulf of Mexico port city is New Orleans, Louisiana.

3.                Ports allow people in the Southeast to sell and buy goods from other countries.

4.                Ships from around the world bring imports or goods made in other countries to Southeast ports.

5.                Ships from our country leave with exports or goods made in our country to sell to other countries.