Exam 2 Flashcards
The Enlightment
Who, When, Where, What: An intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 18th century.
Why: Ideas undermined the authority of the monarchy and the Church. Paved the way for revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Treaty of Paris 1783 -
When: 1783
Who: Great Britain, United States
Where: Paris
What: ended the American Revolutionary War
Why – Acknowledged the colonies are free, independent, and sovereign. Established the boundaries of the United States.
Battles of Saratoga 1777
When: Sept. – Oct. 1777
What, Where, Who: British invasion from Canada. Surrounded and defeated by American forces in New York.
Why: A turning point in the war because it resulted in foreign assistance for the Americans.
French and Indian War
When: 1754
Who: French, English and their Indian allies
Where: North America
What: Part of the Seven Year War. Great Britain won at a cost of $170 million.
Why: French lost North America colonies. Expanded British Empire. Destroyed the balance of power. British government intervention in colonial affairs.
Articles of Confederation
When: Nov 1777
Ratified 1781
Who: 2nd continental congress
Where: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
What: Created weak centralized government, to preserve the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of the states. No power to tax
Why: Demonstrated that the limitations placed upon the central government rendered it ineffective at governing – a faulty plan of government.
Treaty of Ghent
When: December 1814
Where:
Who, What: Peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the US and Great Britain.
Why: began at least a century of peace between both countries. Celebrated by Americans as restoring American national honor.
Pontiac’s Rebellion
When: 1763
Who: French, English, and their Indian allies
Where: North America
What: loose confederation of American Indian tribes. Dissatisfied with British rule
Why: Restored Middle Ground. Change in British policy – Proclamation of 1763 and troops to enforce
Shays Rebellion
When: 1786-1789
Where: Western Massachusetts
What: New England raised taxes dramatically. Shay organized 1500 discontented farmers.
Why: Dramatized the political fracture over who would benefit from financial settlement of debt: merchant speculator of average person
Hartford Convention
When: Dec 1815 – Jan 1816
Where: Hartford, CT
Who, What: series of meetings by New England Federalists to discuss their grievances concerning the ongoing War of 1812 and the political problems arising from the federal government’s increasing power.
Why: eliminated the federalist party as a significant force in nation politics. Ended First Party System
Proclamation of 1763
When: 1763
Who: George III
What, Where: Purpose is to reduce all hostile interaction between white settlers and Indians. Prohibits all settlement west of a line drawn along the Appalachian Mountains.
Why: British government intervention in colonial affairs. Officially recognized Indian right to land.
Constitutional Convention
When: May 25, 1787 Who: 55 delegates from 12 of 13 states Where: Philadelphia What: Delegates debated creating a constitution replacing the Articles of Confederation to form a stronger federal government Why:
Missouri Compromise
When: 1820
Who, Where: Congress
What: Legislation that provided for the admission of Maine to the United States as a free state along with Missouri as a slave state, thus maintaining the balance of power between North and South states in the US Senate.
Why: Sectional division replaced the Old and New Republican political divisions of the Democratic Republican party.
Stamp Act 1765
When: 1765
Who, What Where: Direct tax on British colonies by Parliament to pay for 10,000 British Troops in North America.
Why: First direct tax on the British Colonies. Legal and extra-legal response by colonists
Bill of Rights
When, Who: Introduced by Madison in 1789
What: First 10 amendments to the US Constitution. It was intended to address the Anti-Federalist concerns.
Why: Guarantees of personal freedoms and rights. Clear limitations on the government’s power. Explicit declarations that all powers not specifically delegated are reserved for the states or the people.
Nullification Crisis
Who: Congress and South Carolina
When, What, Where: 1828 Tariff – National Old Republicans but not equal: Northern manufacturers’ benefit while southern consumers bear the cost.
Why: South Carolina actions created fear of disorder. Other states found rejection of federal law not acceptable. The fight made southerners more conscious of their minority status.
Sons of Liberty
When: 1765
Who, Where: Secret societies – 1st in Boston Middling sort, economically stable, politically active
What: Motto: “No taxation without representation”
Organized the boycott
Why: Created a void in a major market for British goods
Lousiana Purchase
When: 1803
Who: France, United States
What, Where: Acquisition of the territory of Louisiana, 828,000 square miles by the United States from France in 1803 for $15 million.
Why: Extended US sovereignty across the Mississippi River. Nearly doubled the size of the country.
Manifest Destiny
When: 1845
Who: American public
Where: America?
What: Inevitability of American territorial expansion.
Why: Provided the justification for American territorial expansion
Second Continental Congress
When: May 10, 1775
Who: Representatives 12 colonies; Georgia – end of summer.
Where: Philadelphia
What: 15 May – resolved to put the colonies in a state of defense. 14 June – 6 companies of expert riflemen from PA, MD, VA. 15 June – George Washington commander in chief of all Continental forces.
Why: Formed the continental army under centralized authority to defend all of the colonies. Directed war.
War Hawks
When: Early 1800s
Who: Democratic Republican faction
Where: US congress
What: argued and agitated for war with Great Britain
Why – caused a change in national policy that led to war with Britain
War of 1812
When: June 1812 – Feb 1815
Where: North America, Atlantic Ocean
Who, What: conflict fought between the US and Great Britain over neutral rights during the Napoleonic Wars. Nearly a military and political disaster for the US.
Why: Demonstrated the need for reform of the American military system. Andrew Jackson is general in this war.
- What caused the American Revolution? Discuss the issues that produced disputes between American colonists and the British home government. Address how and why these protests escalated into open warfare. Explain the perspectives of both sides in the build-up to war.
Start before the French and Indian War. Stop in around 1776. French and Indian War led to taxes. The Sons (and daughters) of Liberty. There were many acts and everyone was talking about becoming independent. British think they are doing the good. The Americans think they are doing the good. The Stamp Act. The Proclamation of 1763 and the colonists told them about the dividing line. This just pushed the others over the line. In 1760, nobody could dream of becoming independent. One side is trying to tax the others while the other is drawing the line. There were a few things “floating in the air.” These have been around since before the 1760s.
- How did conflicting American visions of government impact the development of the United States after the ratification of the Constitution? Consider government’s role in organizing the economy, providing order, negotiation of treaties and land purchases.
Starts 1788-1789. Start when George Washington became President. Do not need Article of Confederation. Stop around 1812-1815.
- Did the territorial additions to the United States during the 1840’s represent a departure from earlier acquisitions? Consider methods and the intent of territorial acquisition of land west of the Appalachian Mountains, the Louisiana Purchase, Trans-Mississippi West, as well as Texas and the Southwest.
Doesn’t include when the first colonies were created. Start around to the West of the Appalachians. You have to go all the way to 1840.
