final Flashcards
What was the Columbian Exchange?
The transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas, Europe, and Africa following Columbus’s voyages.
What was the “Headright” system?
A land grant program that gave settlers land for paying their own or another’s passage to the American colonies.
What were the cash crops of the various colonies?
Tobacco (Virginia, Maryland), rice and indigo (Carolinas), sugar (West Indies), and cotton (later in the South).
What were the Puritans’ motivations for colonization?
To escape religious persecution and establish a society based on their religious principles.
What was the Great Awakening?
A religious revival movement in the 18th century that emphasized emotional faith and individual connection to God.
What is mercantilism?
An economic theory where colonies provided raw materials to the mother country, which in turn sold finished goods back to the colonies.
What were the causes and effects of the French & Indian War?
Causes: competition over land in North America between Britain and France. Effects: British debt led to colonial taxation; France lost most of its North American territories.
What was the Proclamation of 1763?
A British decree forbidding colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent conflict with Native Americans.
What was Pontiac’s Rebellion?
A Native American uprising in 1763 led by Pontiac against British policies and expansion after the French & Indian War.
What were the causes and effects of the American Revolution?
Causes: taxation without representation, British policies, colonial unity. Effects: U.S. independence, creation of a new government, and global inspiration for revolutions.
What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
An agreement that counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation.
What was Shays’ Rebellion?
A 1786-87 revolt by Massachusetts farmers protesting high taxes and debt, highlighting weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.
What was James Madison’s role in creating the Constitution?
Known as the ‘Father of the Constitution,’ he played a key role in drafting it and promoting the Bill of Rights.
What were major aspects of James Madison’s presidency?
The War of 1812, the strengthening of American nationalism, and support for economic independence.
What was the significance of Marbury v. Madison?
It established judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional.
What was impressment?
The British practice of forcing American sailors into the Royal Navy, a cause of the War of 1812.
What was the Trail of Tears?
The forced relocation of Cherokee and other Native tribes from their lands to Indian Territory, resulting in thousands of deaths.
What were the causes and effects of the Texas Revolution?
Cause: Mexican laws restricting American settlers in Texas. Effect: Texas gained independence and later joined the United States.
What was the Spoils System under Andrew Jackson?
The practice of giving government jobs to political supporters as a reward for loyalty.
What is Manifest Destiny?
The 19th-century belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across the continent.
What were the causes and effects of the Mexican-American War?
Cause: U.S. annexation of Texas and border disputes. Effect: U.S. gained vast territories in the West (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo).
What is popular sovereignty?
The idea that residents of a territory should decide for themselves whether to allow slavery.
Who was John Brown?
An abolitionist who led violent efforts against slavery, including the raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859.
What were the causes and effects of the Civil War?
Causes: slavery, states’ rights, and sectional tensions. Effects: abolition of slavery, loss of life, and Reconstruction.
