Key Topics

Question 1

The Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War)

Answer 1

A global conflict (1756–1763) where Britain defeated France, gaining control of Canada and lands east of the Mississippi; led to colonial taxes and regulations.

Question 2

“Taxation Without Representation?”

Answer 2

Colonists’ grievance against British taxes imposed without colonial representatives in Parliament; symbolized the demand for autonomy.

Question 3

Highlights of the American Revolution

Answer 3

Key events like Saratoga (1777) and Yorktown (1781) led to American independence, formalized by the Treaty of Paris (1783).

Question 4

The U.S. Constitution

Answer 4

Established federalism, three branches of government, and personal liberties through compromises like the Great and 3/5 Compromises.

Question 5

Hamilton’s Federalists vs. Jefferson’s Anti-Federalists

Answer 5

Federalists supported a strong central government and industry, while Anti-Federalists favored agrarianism and states’ rights.

Question 6

John Adams - An Unfortunate President

Answer 6

Second president whose unpopular Alien and Sedition Acts and XYZ Affair defined his presidency and limited his success.

Question 7

The Revolution of 1800

Answer 7

Peaceful power transfer to Jefferson’s presidency, marking the start of the Virginia Dynasty and agrarian-focused governance.

Question 8

The War of 1812

Answer 8

Conflict over trade restrictions and impressment; ended in a stalemate but fostered U.S. nationalism after the Treaty of Ghent (1814).

Question 9

Market Revolution and Clay’s American System

Answer 9

Economic growth fueled by a National Bank, infrastructure projects, and innovations in transportation and communication.

Question 10

The Missouri Compromise

Answer 10

Admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state; prohibited slavery north of 36°30’ latitude.

Question 11

The Rise of the Cotton Kingdom

Answer 11

Cotton production exploded due to the cotton gin, intensifying reliance on slavery and driving global trade.

Question 12

Antebellum U.S. Foreign Policy

Answer 12

Policies like the Monroe Doctrine promoted expansion, Manifest Destiny, and dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

Question 13

The Age of Jackson

Answer 13

Era of expanded suffrage for white men, opposition to the National Bank, and controversial policies like the Indian Removal Act.

Question 14

The Second Party System

Answer 14

Political rivalry between Jacksonian Democrats (pro-agrarian) and Clay’s Whigs (pro-industry and federal power).

Question 15

Second Great Awakening and Antebellum Reform

Answer 15

Religious revival inspired abolitionism, temperance, and transcendentalism, advocating individual and social reform.

Question 16

The Mexican-American War

Answer 16

U.S. gained Texas, California, and the Southwest after defeating Mexico (1846–1848) and signing the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Question 17

The Compromise of 1850

Answer 17

Admitted California as a free state, enacted a stricter Fugitive Slave Act, and temporarily eased sectional tensions.

Question 18

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Answer 18

Allowed popular sovereignty to decide slavery, leading to violent conflicts in “Bleeding Kansas.”

Question 19

Dred Scott and John Brown’s Raid

Answer 19

Dred Scott case denied citizenship to African Americans; John Brown’s raid attempted to incite a slave rebellion.

Question 20

The Rise of Lincoln and the Election of 1860

Answer 20

Lincoln’s anti-slavery platform led to his election and Southern states’ secession, sparking the Civil War.

Question 21

Emancipation Proclamation

Answer 21

Issued by Lincoln in 1863; declared freedom for slaves in Confederate states and redefined the war’s purpose.

Question 22

An Empire of Liberty

Answer 22

Jeffersonian ideal of U.S. expansion to spread democracy, though it excluded many groups like Native Americans and African Americans.