his usa Flashcards
What name did Christopher Columbus give to the indigenous people he encountered in 1492?
Indians
Columbus thought he reached India and called the people he encountered ‘Indians’.
What is another term for Native Americans?
Amerindians
What significant land bridge allowed early human migration from Asia to the Americas?
Beringia
Beringia connected Siberia and Alaska around 40,000 years ago.
Approximately how many tribes existed in the 15th century among Native Americans?
About 2000 tribes
Which Native American group lived in stone houses known as pueblos?
Pueblo Indians
What type of agriculture did Pueblo Indians practice?
Dry farming with a network of canals
What were the living arrangements of the Apache tribes?
Extended families living together in local groups
What type of homes did the Sioux live in?
Teepees
What was the primary lifestyle of the Iroquois?
Skilled farmers and gatherers
What was the capital city of the Aztec Empire?
Tenochtitlan
Who conquered the Aztecs in 1519-1521?
Hernan Cortes
What civilization reached its peak around 250 A.D. in the Yucatan Peninsula?
The Mayas
What was the capital of the Incan civilization?
Cuzco
Who led the Spanish invasion of the Inca Empire?
Francisco Pizarro
What was the significance of Machu Picchu?
Forgotten city of the Incas
Who is believed to have reached Newfoundland around AD 1000?
The Vikings
What was the first European settlement in North America?
L’Anse aux Meadows
What Portuguese explorer sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa?
Bartholomew Diaz
Who completed four voyages between Spain and the Americas from 1492 to 1503?
Christopher Columbus
What is the New World continent named after Amerigo Vespucci?
America
What was the purpose of the Treaty of Tordesillas?
Dividing newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal
Who was the first known explorer for England to explore North America?
John Cabot
What narrative portrayed the Spanish as cruel oppressors of Native Americans?
The Black Legend
What year was the first permanent English colony, Jamestown, established?
1607
What crop became known as Virginia’s gold?
Tobacco
What was the first legislative assembly in America?
The House of Burgesses
What document created by the Pilgrims established self-government?
Mayflower Compact
Who helped the Pilgrims survive their first winter?
Squanto
What colony did Roger Williams establish that promised total religious freedom?
Rhode Island
What year did the English take over New Amsterdam and rename it New York?
1664
Who founded the colony of Pennsylvania?
William Penn
What religious group was known for their belief in equality and pacifism?
The Quakers
What is a proprietary colony?
A colony owned by a single individual or a small group with governing rights granted by the British monarch
Proprietors ruled the colony almost like a private estate.
Who was granted the land of Pennsylvania in 1681?
William Penn
He was a Quaker and promoted values of equality, pacificism, and religious tolerance.
What colony was known as the only Catholic colony?
Maryland
Founded by George Calvert in 1634.
What was the significance of the Carolinas?
Founded in 1663 to honor King Charles II, they became prosperous due to tobacco and lumber industries.
What was the last English colony to be founded in America?
Georgia
Established in 1733.
List the four proprietary colonies.
- Pennsylvania
- Maryland
- Delaware
- New Jersey
What were the crown colonies?
- Virginia
- Carolinas
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New York
- Georgia
These colonies were governed directly by the British crown.
What territories did New France control?
Canada and the Mississippi River region.
Which territories were controlled by New Spain?
Present-day Mexico, Florida, and the Southwest U.S.
What led to the conflicts between European powers in North America?
The competition for land and resources, especially between France and Britain.
What were the Salem Witch Trials?
A series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, resulting in over 200 accusations and 20 executions, mostly of women.
Who was Daniel Boone?
A legendary American pioneer and frontiersman known for his exploration and settlement efforts.
What economic system dominated European colonial policy from the 16th to the 18th centuries?
Mercantilism
It emphasized increasing exports and accumulating precious metals.
What were the Navigation Acts?
British laws designed to control colonial trade by requiring goods to be transported on English ships.
What was the outcome of the French and Indian War?
England defeated France, leading to the Treaty of Paris in 1763, which forced France to cede most of its North American territory.
What was Pontiac’s Rebellion?
A Native American uprising against British rule in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley aimed at resisting British expansion.
What was the Proclamation Line of 1763?
An attempt by King George III to control colonial expansion by prohibiting settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.
What did the term ‘No Taxation without Representation’ imply?
Colonists believed they should not be taxed by Britain without having representation in the British government.
What was the Stamp Act of 1765?
An act that required all official documents to be printed on special paper with an official stamp.
Who were the Sons of Liberty?
A group that protested British policies, often using public demonstrations and boycotts.
What was the Boston Massacre?
A riot in Boston where British soldiers killed five colonists after being provoked by a crowd.
What event did the Boston Tea Party represent?
A protest against the Tea Act where colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.
What were the Coercive Acts of 1774?
Laws passed by Britain to punish Massachusetts, including closing Boston’s harbor and limiting self-government.
What was the significance of the First Continental Congress in 1774?
Colonial leaders met to discuss responses to British actions and claimed loyalty to the king while rejecting British taxation.
What was the Olive Branch Petition?
A final attempt by the Second Continental Congress to avoid war by asking King George III for peace and better treatment.
What was Thomas Paine’s ‘Common Sense’?
A pamphlet advocating for a complete break from Britain with clear arguments and simple language.
What did the Declaration of Independence assert?
That the colonies were free and independent states, listing grievances against King George III.
What was the Battle of Saratoga?
A turning point in the American Revolutionary War where the colonists won and gained French support.
What was the final major battle of the American Revolutionary War?
The Battle of Yorktown, where British General Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces.
What did the Treaty of Paris (1783) accomplish?
It recognized the United States as an independent nation and defined its borders.
What was the North-West Ordinance of 1787?
An act that established a structured process for governing and admitting new states in the Northwest territory.
Who was the first president of the United States?
George Washington
He served from 1789 to 1797.
What was the Whiskey Rebellion?
A revolt by farmers against the whiskey tax introduced to pay off war debts.
What was the significance of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803?
It doubled the size of the United States when Thomas Jefferson purchased Louisiana from France.
Who were Meriwether Lewis and William Clark?
Explorers commissioned by Thomas Jefferson to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory.
What was the War of 1812?
America’s first declared war against Great Britain, primarily over trade restrictions and impressment of American sailors.
What was the outcome of the Battle of New Orleans?
A major victory for Andrew Jackson against the British, making him a national hero.
What was the Treaty of Ghent?
The agreement that ended the War of 1812, restoring pre-war boundaries.
What territories did the U.S. acquire during the 19th century?
- Florida (1819)
- Texas (1845)
- Oregon Country (1846)
- California (1848)
- New Mexico (1848)
What was the Treaty of Ghent?
A treaty that ended the war against the British, making a leader a national hero
The Treaty of Ghent was signed in 1814.
What were two key US territorial purchases in the 19th century?
- 1819: Purchase of Florida (from Spain)
- 1845: Texas Annexation (28th state)
What was the significance of the Mexican-American War?
It was mainly about Texas and led to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
What was Manifest Destiny?
The belief that it was natural for the US territory to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
What was the Oregon Trail?
A major route used by thousands of pioneers heading west.
What was Oregon Fever?
Excitement about Oregon’s fertile land that led many to migrate.
What did the Oregon Treaty of 1846 achieve?
It divided the Oregon territory with Britain along the 49th parallel.
What event triggered the California Gold Rush?
Gold was discovered in California in 1848.
What was the Indian Removal Act of 1830?
A law that forced Native American tribes off their lands.
What was the Trail of Tears?
The forced relocation of thousands of Cherokee and other tribes, causing great suffering and death.
What were the two main sources of money in the West after expansion?
- Meat (especially from cattle owners in Texas)
- Wheat
What were the main sides in the Civil War?
- North (Union)
- South (Confederacy)
What was the 3/5ths Compromise?
It allowed states to count enslaved people as 3/5 of a person for congressional representation.
What was the Fugitive Slave Clause?
It required that escaped enslaved people be returned to their owners, even in free states.
What event marked the official beginning of the Civil War?
The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861.
What was the Emancipation Proclamation?
Issued by Lincoln, it declared that all slaves in Confederate states were to be free.
What was the significance of the Battle of Gettysburg?
It was the biggest and bloodiest battle in the history of the US.
What was the 13th Amendment?
It abolished slavery everywhere in the United States.
What were Black Codes?
Local regulations that restricted the rights of black people in the South after the Civil War.
What was sharecropping?
A system where freed slaves worked on plantations and shared their crops with the owners.
What was the Freedmen’s Bureau?
A federal institution that helped free black people in the South by providing education and land.
What did the 14th Amendment establish?
It granted full rights to black Americans as citizens.
What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854?
A law that allowed territories to decide if they wanted slavery, leading to Bleeding Kansas.
Who was John Brown?
An abolitionist who led a raid on Harper’s Ferry to start a slave revolt.
What was the Dred Scott decision?
The Supreme Court ruled that Scott, a black man, could not sue because he was considered property.
What was the Bargain of 1877?
An agreement that resulted in Rutherford B. Hayes becoming president and ending Reconstruction.
What were Jim Crow Laws?
Regulations that enforced racial segregation and limited the rights of black citizens.
What was the Gilded Age?
A period where the US became the leading industrial power, characterized by economic disparity.
Who were the Captains of Industry?
Tycoons who became wealthy during the industrial revolution.
What did Muckrakers do?
Journalists who exposed poor working conditions and mistreatment of immigrants.
What was the Progressive Movement?
A response to the problems of the Gilded Age that advocated for reforms.
What did Theodore Roosevelt’s ‘Square Deal’ entail?
A promise that everyone should be treated fairly.
What was the significance of the Spanish-American War of 1898?
It marked the beginning of overseas expansion for the US.
What was the slogan associated with the sinking of the USS Maine?
‘Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!’
What event marked the start of overseas expansion for the U.S.?
The Spanish-American War of 1898
What was the motto associated with the explosion of the USS Maine?
‘Remember the Maine, to hell with Spain!’
What territories did the U.S. acquire as a result of the Treaty of Paris?
- Philippines
- Puerto Rico
- Guam
What was built on the Cuban coast under U.S. control?
A naval base at Guantanamo Bay
What was the Philippine War?
A conflict from 1899 to 1903 where the Philippines sought independence from U.S. control
What did Roosevelt’s Corollary of 1904 supplement?
The Monroe Doctrine of 1823
What was the purpose of the Panama Canal?
To facilitate sailing between the east and west coasts of the U.S.
What were the major alliances in World War I?
- Allies (France, GB, Russia)
- Central Powers (Germany, Austria)
What event caused the U.S. to join World War I?
The Zimmerman Telegram
What were Wilson’s Fourteen Points?
- No secret alliances
- Freedom of the seas
- Reduction of trade barriers
- General reduction of armaments
- Independence for Poland
What was the League of Nations?
The first international organization aimed at solving conflicts peacefully
What characterized the ‘Roaring Twenties’ in the U.S.?
A time of economic prosperity and the beginnings of consumer culture
What was the significance of the 19th Amendment?
It granted women the right to vote
What was the Dust Bowl?
A period of severe dust storms damaging agriculture in the Great Plains
What was the New Deal?
Roosevelt’s program of recovery during the Great Depression
What was the main goal of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration?
To pay farmers to produce less to raise crop prices
What event led to the U.S. abandoning isolationism in WWII?
The attack on Pearl Harbor
What was Operation Overlord?
The Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944
What was Project Manhattan?
The secret U.S. project that developed the atomic bomb
Fill in the blank: The U.S. used _______ to justify its intervention in Latin America.
[Roosevelt’s Corollary]
True or False: The U.S. annexed Cuba after the Spanish-American War.
False
What was the impact of the Great Depression on American society?
- High unemployment
- Increased poverty
- Rise of ‘Hoovervilles’
What did the 18th Amendment introduce?
Prohibition of alcohol
Who was Al Capone?
A famous gangster and bootlegger during Prohibition
What did the term ‘Lost Generation’ refer to?
Writers and artists disillusioned by the aftermath of World War I
What year marked a turning point in the war in Europe?
1944
This year saw the launch of Operation Overlord (D-Day), leading to the liberation of Western Europe from German control.
What does the Pacific Arena of the War refer to?
The theater of WWII where the U.S. fought against Japan
Key battles included Midway, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
What was the Project Manhattan?
The secret U.S. project during WWII that developed the atomic bomb.
On what dates were atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
August 6 and 9, 1945.
When did WWII officially end?
September 2, 1945.
What significant event prompted the U.S. entry into WWII?
The attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.
What was the Truman Doctrine?
A policy aimed at containing the spread of communism.
What year did NATO establish?
1949.
What is the ‘Iron Curtain’?
A term coined by Winston Churchill to describe the division of Europe under Soviet influence.
What was the Marshall Plan?
A U.S. initiative to help Europe recover economically after WWII.
What was the ‘Red Scare’?
A period of intense fear of communism in the U.S.
Who was Joseph McCarthy?
A senator known for his claims of communist infiltration in the U.S. government.
What was the Korean War?
A conflict from 1950-1953 where North Korea invaded South Korea.
What was the ‘Domino Theory’?
The belief that if one country fell to communism, neighboring countries would follow.
Who was Douglas MacArthur?
The commander of UN forces during the Korean War.
What was the significance of the Berlin Wall?
It symbolized the division between East and West during the Cold War.
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the USSR over Soviet missiles in Cuba.
Who assassinated President John F. Kennedy?
Lee Harvey Oswald.
What did Lyndon B. Johnson’s ‘Great Society’ aim to achieve?
To create a fair and decent society for all Americans.
What was the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
It aimed to abolish racial segregation and discrimination.
What was the outcome of the Battle of the Little Big Horn?
A victory for the Cheyenne and Sioux against the federal government.
What was the ‘Ghost Dance Movement’?
A peaceful movement among Native Americans hoping for a miracle to return to their traditional ways.
What was the Watergate Affair?
A political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic Party’s headquarters.
Fill in the blank: The U.S. entered WWII after the attack on _______.
Pearl Harbor.
True or False: The Cold War was characterized by direct military conflict between the U.S. and the USSR.
False.
What year did the U.S. first land a man on the moon?
1969.
What was the primary goal of the policy of containment?
To prevent the spread of communism.
Who was the first Catholic president of the U.S.?
John F. Kennedy.
What was the main purpose of the Indian Appropriations Act of 1851?
To create a system of reservations for Native Americans.
Fill in the blank: The _______ Movement was a response to the oppression faced by Native Americans.
Ghost Dance.
What significant event led to the breakdown of segregation outside the South during WWII?
Black soldiers fought in WWII
Their participation highlighted the contradictions of fighting for freedom abroad while facing discrimination at home.
What was the main goal of the Civil Rights Movement?
To abolish racial segregation and discrimination through nonviolent mass protests and civil disobedience
This movement aimed to achieve equality for African Americans in all aspects of life.
What was the outcome of Brown v. Board of Education?
Segregated schools were declared unconstitutional
This landmark Supreme Court case was a significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement.
What was the significance of the Little Rock Nine?
President Eisenhower intervened to support the integration of African American students into a previously all-white school
This event underscored the federal government’s role in enforcing desegregation.
Who started the bus boycott that led to the march on Washington?
Rosa Parks
Her act of defiance was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.
What major legislation was signed into law in 1964?
Civil Rights Act signed by Lyndon B. Johnson
This act prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
What event occurred in 1968 involving Martin Luther King Jr.?
MLK Jr. was murdered in Memphis, Tennessee
His assassination led many to join the Black Power movement, which was more radical than the earlier Civil Rights Movement.
What term refers to the USA’s influence in Latin America?
USA’s ‘back yard’
This term reflects the geopolitical perception of Latin America as an area of American interest and influence.
What was the ‘Good Neighbor Policy’?
A diplomatic policy aimed at improving relations with Latin American countries
This policy emphasized mutual respect and non-intervention.
What was established in 1945 to encourage cooperation among Latin American countries?
Organization of American States (OAS)
The OAS aimed to promote democracy, human rights, and economic cooperation.
What was the purpose of the Alliance for Progress established in 1961?
To help poor people in Latin America
This initiative aimed to foster economic development and political stability in the region.
What was the Peace Corps?
An organization that sent American volunteers to Asia, Africa, and Latin America
Founded under JFK, the Peace Corps aimed to promote world peace and friendship.
