Benchmark Flashcards
How did Native Americans migrate to North American
Native Americans migrated to the Americas from Asia by walking across Beringia (Bering Strait)
What’s the diversity of Native Americans
Tribes differed because of location, climate, and available resources
What’s the Colombian Exchange
The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and ideas between the Old World (Asia, Europe) and the New World (Americas)
What were the affects of the Colombian Exchange
affected every society on earth, new diseases caused death- new crops were grown all over the world
What’s the significance of Jamestown
Jamestown the first permanent British settlement in the Americans
Why was Jamestown founded
To make money
Why did Puritans and Pilgrims come to America
Came to the Americas for religious freedom
Who fought in the French and Indian War
French vs British
Native Americans fought on both sides
Reason for taxation without representation
Colonists were against taxation because of the principle they had no representation in Parliament so they felt Parliament had no right to tax them
What is Thomas Jefferson’s greatest contribution to the American Revolution
Writing the Declaration of Independence
Battle of Saratoga
It was the turning point battle of the Revolutionary War
Who won the battle of Saratoga and who did they form an alliance with
Colonists won and signed a formal alliance with France
What was the Battle of Yorktown
The last major battle of the Revolutionary War
Who won the battle of yorktown
The colonists won
What is the articles of Confederation
The constitution of the United States
When was the Articles of Confederation created
It was created after the declaration of independence was signed
What is the biggest weakness of Articles
Central government had no power to tax
America had no money o respect no power
Who is the father of the constitution
James Madison
What did Madison do
He kept a record of the secret convention in his diary
Why did Madison do that
He didn’t want interference from the public
What is the biggest feud of the Constitutional Convention
The feud between big States and small states
What did Big States want
They wanted representation based on population
What did the Small States want
They wanted representation to be equal for every state
What is the 3/5 Compromise
Established slaves as 3/5 of a person for population and representation purposes
What is Check and Balances
Power that one branch has over another
Why was Checks and Balances created
So that one branch of government does not gain too much power
Judicial Review
The Supreme Court’s ability to declare a law unconstitutional
Why a Bill of Rights
The constitution had nothing protecting the rights of individual Americans
Precedents of Washington’s presidency
Set behavioral examples for future presidents
How many terms did Washington serve
2
What is the Alien and Sedition Act
Law that restricted freedom of speech and the press
What affair did the Alien and Sedition Acts pass
xyz
What was the Lewis and Clark Expedition
A journey to explore the newly acquired Louisiana territory
What is the Louisiana Purchase
Land purchase from France that doubled the size of the U.S for a very cheap price
What did Lewis and Clark collect
Plants and animal specimens
what did Lewis and Clark do with their collecting’s
Sent them back to President Jefferson
Who fought in the War of 1812
U.S vs. Britain
What is the Missouri Compromise
Eased tensions between free/ slave states
Made Missouri a slave state and established a free/slave line located at the bottom border of Missouri
What were the main issues that caused the war of 1812
Impressment of American sailors
British inciting Indians on the frontier
British forts in American territory
What was the political importance of Andrew Jackson
He spread democracy to the common man white man and got more people involved in politics
What was the Trail of Tears
THe forced march of
What was the Spoils System
The belief that an elected officials should give government jobs to their friends/supporters
Trail of Tears
The forced march of Native Americans from the Southeast to reservations in Oklahoma- soldiers brutalized natives and some consider it ethnic cleansing
What was the Erie Canal
The most important construction project of the Industrial Revolution
What did the Eire Canal do
It boosted the economy of America
What was the second great awakening
A religious movement in the mid 1800s that spread evangelical christianity
What is the significance of the Cotton Gin
The cotton gin allowed farmers to produce more cotton and making it more valuable
It Increased the price of slaves and America’s dependence on slavery- transforms the Southern economy
What did the second great awakening cause
It caused people to reform society (change it for the better)
What was the temperance movement
The movement to encourage people to drink alcohol in moderation or not at all
Irish immigration
The largest group to immigrate to America in the 1840’s and 50s
What happened with the potato famine
Many poor Irish immigrated to the east coast of America
Who else came when the Irish Immigrated
Germans in large numbers
What was the Potato Famine
A disease infected Irish potato crops in 1845 causing many Irish to starve
What was the Seneca falls convention
The first women’s rights convention was held in seneca falls ny in 1848
What was the seneca falls convention known for
The birthplace of the womens rights movement
Abolition movement
The movement to end slavery based on morality (slavery is wrong)
Who participated in the Abolition movement
Rich northern whites free blacks and former slaves participated (both men and women)
What is the significance of Frederick Douglass
A former slave who told people the evils of slavery
Extremely intelligent proved that African Americans were not inferior people
What is the Manifest Destiny
The idea that the United States should extend all the way to the Pacific Ocean
What is the oregon trail
The longest and most traveled western trail
Where did the oregon trail start
Started in independence missouri and ended in the American Northwest
What is the significance of the California Gold Rush
Although many people did not get rich the gold rush was responsible for the American settlement of california
What is the significance of the Alamo
The Alamo was a battle that inspired the Texas army to continue fighting in their revolution against Mexico
What was the rally cry for the Alamo
“Remember the Alamo”
Why was the Mexican war fought
The U.S wanted to acquire western lands that belonged to Mexico
What was the solution to the Mexican War
Draw them into a war and defeat them
What was the result of Mexican War
Treaty of Guadalipe Hidalgo America won a piece of land called the Mexican Cession
What the significance of James K Polk
The president who helped America complete its Manifest Destiny
The U.S went from the Atlantic to the Pacific
