History Midterm Units 1-7 Flashcards
Differences between Native Americans and European arrivals especially in terms of religion and view and use of land?
Native Americans:
- Arrived on land bridges
- Friendly with the French (via fur trade)
- Farmers/nomadic
Europeans:
- Arrived on boats
- Mostly stationary
- Came to America for religious/economic reasons
New England colonies political systems?
- Direct democracy
- Government built around town meetings and puritan law
- Mayflower compact was an agreement to establish a government based on majority rule
Middle colonies political systems?
- Representative democracy
- Full tolerance (religious and ethnic)
- Equality under the law meant a secular society
- Lawmakers were merchant/artisan class
Southern colonies political systems?
- Aristocracy
- Lawmakers were educated/land owners
- Legislative bodies were created to represent the people (house of burgesses)
Economic relationship between England and the colonies? Who did and didn’t benefit?
- System of mercantilism
- Triangular trade
- Salutary neglect
Benefitted: English, manufacturers, New England, shippers, and the English military
Didn’t benefit: Colonial consumers, colonial entrepreneurs, and colonial planters
System of mercantilism?
wealth is the basis of a country’s power position, mother country must regulate trade and production to limit competition, colonies exist solely to benefit mother country
Triangle trade?
Europe gave Africa manufactured goods, Africa gave America slaves, and America gave Europe raw materials
Salutary neglect?
Britain loosely enforced regulations like tax and trade laws on Americans
Labor systems that were used within the colonies?
Headright system, indentured servants, slavery
What was the Great Awakening and Enlightenment? Impact?
Great Awakening:
- Religious movement
- Uniquely american
- Led by preachers (Jonathan Edwards)
Enlightenment:
- Intellectual movement
- Began in Europe and spread to America
- Led by philosophers (Ben Franklin)
Impact: More freedoms, fuel for revolution, individual over group
Causes/effects of the French and Indian War?
Causes:
- Rivalry between england and france in europe
- Competition intensifies over control of north america
- Colonists wish to expand westward
- French tried to block expansion
Effects:
- Repeated attacks by Pontiac
- Parliament established proclamation line
- British is supreme in north america
- Colonists had high view of their contribution but britain thought the opposite
- Britain is on the verge of bankruptcy so they impose taxes
Stamp act?
Direct tax on all paper products; colonists boycotted the products
Townshend act?
Indirect tax on glass, lead, paper, and tea; colonists boycotted the products
Tea act?
Lowered the price for tea but created a monopoly for the East India Company; led to the Boston Tea Party
Intolerable acts?
Closed ports and issued a quartering act; minutemen were created
Why did Britain impose the taxes/acts?
To help pay for the French and Indian War
Role of George Washington during revolutionary era?
Commander of continental army who used hit and run strategies
Role of Sam Adams during revolutionary era?
Organized the sons of liberty (was responsible for the boston tea party and boycotts)
Role of Thomas Paine during revolutionary era?
Wrote “common sense” which called for complete independence
Role of Thomas Jefferson during revolutionary era?
Wrote the DOI and declared america free from british rule
British strengths and weaknesses during revolutionary war?
Strengths: Strong navy, organized government, well trained army, loyalists
Weakness: Unfamiliar land, over extended supply chain, weak military leadership
Colonists strength and weaknesses during revolutionary war?
Strengths: Motivated by a cause, support from foreign allies, familiar land, good leadership
Weakness: No navy, untrained army, ineffective government, shortages of food/ammunition
Lexington/Concord?
A second Continental Congress met and sent an appeal to the king
Bunker Hill?
First major battle in the revolutionary war
Saratoga?
Major American victory, introduction to new weapons and tactics from America, kept New England in the war, persuaded French to join
Yorktown?
Parliament, led by whigs, withdraw from war
Similarities between the Articles and the Constitution?
- Legislative branch
- Emphasized equality among citizens
Differences between the Articles and the Constitution?
- Taxing power under the Constitution
- Constitution added an executive and judicial branch
- Constitution says federal is supreme over state
Compromises that helped to create the Constitution?
- Great Compromise
- 3/5 Compromise
- Slave Trade Compromise
Great Compromise?
Compromise between the New Jersey and Virginia plan.
The Great Compromise settled the method of representation in the legislative branch. Small states wanted equal representation , and large states wanted representation based on population. Under the compromise, all states were represented equally in the Senate.
3/5 Compromise?
Issue between north and south states debating if slaves should be counted towards representation and be taxed. Resulted in 3 out of every 5 slaves will be counted towards population and will be taxed.
Slave Trade Compromise?
Northern and southern states debated slave trade, what level of government regulated trade, and what to do about runaways. They decided that slave trade would end in 20 years, congress regulates trade, and fugitive slave law must return runaways.
Ratification debate between federalists and anti-federalists? Role of Bill of Rights?
Anti-federalists wanted smaller government, more rights for small states, no national bank, and demanded a Bill of Rights.
Federalists thought that a strong central government was needed and that it would be reigned in with checks and balances.
Without the Bill of Rights, anti-federalists would not have ratified the Constitution.
Key federalists?
Hamilton, Madison, Jay
Key anti-federalists?
George Mason and Patrick Henry
Key documents that helped shape the Bill of Rights?
Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom - Thomas Jefferson
Virginia Declaration of Rights - George Mason
What prompted the Constitutional Convention?
Shay’s Rebellion
Successes of the Articles?
- Raised an army
- Appointed Washington as a commander
- Treaty of Paris
- Alliance with France
Weaknesses of the Articles?
- No chief executive
- Laws needed the approval of 9/13 states
- Congress could not raise an army or navy
- Any amendment changes needed approval from all states
- Congress did not have the power to regulate trade
What precedents did Washington establish as president?
- First cabinet
- First major crisis (financial crisis)
- First foreign policy, creating alliances with Britain and Spain
- First political parties
- First to serve only 2 terms
- First to use federal authority and power to enforce law during the Whiskey Rebellion
What were Washington’s 4 warnings?
- Don’t place regional interests above national welfare
- Avoid large debt
- Avoid political parties
- Avoid alliances with foreign nations
Marbury vs Madison?
Established judicial review (the power to declare a law unconstitutional) and expanded the power of the federal government
McCulloch vs Maryland?
Ruled that states could not tax the Federal government
Gibbons vs Ogden?
Conflict over waterways; proved that federal government is supreme in conflict with the states
Alien and Sedition Act? Jefferson and Madison’s views?
Empowered the president to deport immigrants they believed were dangerous, lengthened the naturalization process, made it illegal to publicly criticize the president.
Jefferson and Madison believed it was unconstitutional, so they drafted the VA/Kentucky Resolution.
Causes of the War of 1812?
- Impressment of sailors
- Desire for free trade with Europe
- Expansion hopes into Canada and Florida
- British encouraging Native attacks
- Election of war hawks
Effects of the War of 1812?
- Recognition of boundary between US and Canada
- Nationalism
- Federalists come to an end
- Native Americans were left to defend their land
What evidence showed growing sectionalism within the country? In term of tariffs and slavery?
North:
- Textile industry
- Restrict expansion of slavery
- Increase tariffs
South:
- Agriculturally based
- Expanding slavery
- Decrease tariffs
Missouri Compromise?
The north wanted Missouri to be a free state but the south wanted it to be a slave state. Missouri became a slave state along with the creation of the 36/30 line.
Henry Clay’s American System?
- Protective tariffs
- Renew a national bank
- Internal improvements
Changes in voting laws and its effects?
More working class people gained the right to vote, because owning land was no longer a requirement. Andrew Jackson benefitted from this because the working class was able to relate to him, so they liked him more than other candidates.
Spoil System?
Andrew Jackson replaced many government officials with people who were loyal to him and his views, rather than hiring qualified candidates.
Jackson’s presidency vs the Federalist Era presidencies?
Voting qualifications (landowners?), general nature (formal or humble?), and qualifications for people in office (loyal to president or truly qualified?)
Tariff crisis?
South Carolina attempted to nullify heavy tariffs placed on their trade
Jackson’s response to the tariff (nullification) crisis?
Force Act (government use of army to compel states to comply with federal law)
Jackson’s response the the rechartering of the national bank?
Jackson vetoed the National bank (unconstitutional) and put money into pet banks. This caused an economic depression.
Indian Removal?
A law signed by Andrew Jackson forcing natives to resettle further west. The court ruled that the government could not force natives to relocate, but Jackson ignored the ruling and let states decide. Trail of Tears was where they relocated but many died.
Manifest destiny? What territories were gained and how?
The idea that the US was destined to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific. We gained Oregon (wo1812 treaty), Texas (revolt led by sam), California (US Mexican war)
US Mexican War reasons? Impacts? Who opposed?
R: Dispute over Texas borders
I: Captured key cities, established texas border, gained NM and CA
O: Native Americans, Abolitionists, Henry David Thoreau
Parts of the Compromise of 1850?
- CA is a free state (N)
- No slave trade in DC (N)
- Slavery allowed in DC (S)
- UT and NM can vote on slave state status (S)
- Stronger fugitive slave law (S)
What balance was trying to be achieved by the Compromise of 1850?
The goal was to balance the North and South in congress with equal slave states and free states
Impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin?
N: Made slavery a moral issue, questioned the FSL, reinvigorated the abolition movement
S: Claimed author was biased, thought North wanted to destroy southern life, wrote pro-slavery literature
Kansas Nebraska Act?
Allowed popular sovereignty on the issue of slavery in their territory. Led to Bleeding Kansas, where anti and pro slavery people met to protest their own beliefs. John Brown led a raid in hopes to seize federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, but was caught.
Why did the Republican party form? What were their beliefs?
Whig, Liberty, and Free Soil Party combined. Formed because north democrats were suspicious against southern power against slavery. They believed they should protect slavery where it exists and to restrict it from spreading west.
Dred Scott Decision?
Slave was taken to a free state and sued for his freedom. North thought that the court was in favor of the South. South decided to get rid of the 36/30 line.
John Brown Raid?
John Brown led a raid in hopes to seize federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, but was caught.
What prompts VA to secede?
Election of Lincoln, Confederacy was formed, Confederates fire on fort sumter
Why were these battles a turning point? Bull run, Antietam, Gettysburg, Vicksburg.
BR: proved that the war would be very long (C victory)
A: Convinced Britain not to recognize confederacy
G: Confederates were forced to retreat (U victory)
V: Cuts of TX, AR, LA. Union controls Mississippi
Influence of the Emancipation Proclamation on the war?
War is now seen as a moral fight and prompted European powers to help the Union, free slaves can fight for the north, kept border states loyal because they were able to keep their slaves, provided Union with a higher cause
Why was the civil war the first “modern war?”
Technology:
- Railroads
- Ironclad Boats
- Telegraph
Union war strategies?
Anaconda plan, naval blockade, capture mississippi, capture confederacy government as richmond
Confederate war strategies?
Foreign aid and recognition, fight a defensive war, threaten north to sue for peace
