Midterm Study Guide Flashcards
What were the reasons for European Exploration?
God, Gold, and Glory
Northwest passage
Columbus
Columbian Exchange
What were the Crusades? How did the Crusades impact trade and exploration
European Christians attempted to capture the Holy Land from the Muslims
Led to an increase in trade: European merchants increased their trade with Asia
Mercantilism
An economic system in which nations increase their wealth and power by obtaining gold and silver and by establishing a favorable balance of trade
Free Enterprise System
Freedom of private business to organize and operate for profit in a competitive system without interference by government beyond regulation necessary to protect public interest and keep the national economy in balance
What do the Mayflower Compact, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, Magna Carta, and Virginia House of Burgesses have in common?
The Mayflower Compact, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, Magna Carta, and Virginia House of Burgesses are all steps in the growth of representative government.
Explain the three parts of triangular trade.
The trading of products and slaves among Europe, Africa, and the Americas, which included the Middle Passage.
Name the 5 Southern colonies.
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
What was the first permanent English settlement? When was it founded? What important crop did John Rolfe bring to Jamestown?
Jamestown: 1st permanent English settlement founded by the Virginia Company (Virginia Company of London).
1607: The year Jamestown was founded
John Rolfe brought tobacco to Jamestown.
What is the significance of the Virginia House of Burgesses?
First elected representative assembly in the colonies
Southern Colonies Climate
Warm climate and longer growing seasons
Southern Colonies Economy
Agriculture/Cash Crops: Tobacco, Rice, Indigo
Indentured servants: Signed a contract to work for 4-7 years for those who paid for their journey to America
Southern Colonies reasons for settlement
VA, NC, SC: Money
GA: Colony for debtors, acted as a buffer between Spanish Florida and the English colonies
MD: Served as a colony for English Catholics
Who founded Georgia? Why?
James Oglethorpe founded Georgia as a colony for debtors and a buffer between Spanish Florida and the English 13 colonies.
Who founded Maryland? Why?
George Calvert founded Maryland as a safe haven for English Catholics
Toleration Act of 1649:
Made it a crime to restrict the religious rights of any Christian
First law supporting religious rights in the colonies (MD)
Name the 4 New England colonies.
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire
Where did the Pilgrims settle?
The Pilgrims settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts
Explain the significance of the Mayflower Compact, which was created by the pilgrims. What year was it created?
The Mayflower Compact was a legal contract in which the passengers on the Mayflower agreed to have fair laws to protect the general good.
Established the idea of majority rule
First attempt at self-government in the New World
The Mayflower Compact was created in 1620.
Where did the Puritans settle? Who led the Puritans and referred to the colony as a “city upon a hill?” What was the center of Puritan communities? Why did Puritan communities emphasize education?
The Puritans settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
John Winthrop led the Puritans and referred to the colony as a “city upon a hill.”
Religion was the center of Puritan communities. Puritan communities also emphasized education because they wanted their children to be able to read the Bible.
New England Way: Strong emphasis on religion, duty, and hard work
New England Colonies Climate
Cold climate, rocky soil
New England Colonies Economy
Fishing, shipbuilding, whaling, skilled craftspeople
Practiced subsistence farming: Farming just enough to live on
New England Colonies reasons for settlement
Religious Freedom
Who founded Connecticut?
Thomas Hooker founded Connecticut.
What is the significance of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut?
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut: First written constitution in the New World
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was a set of laws that were established in 1639 by a Puritan congregation who settled in Connecticut. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut expanded the idea of representative government. For example, they gave non-church members the right to vote.
Describe Anne Hutchinson’s role in Rhode Island.
Anne Hutchinson was kicked out of Massachusetts and settled in Rhode Island. She believed that a person’s relationship with God did not need ministers, the Bible, etc. She is seen as a symbol of the struggle for religious freedom.
Name the 4 Middle Colonies.
New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey
Middle Colonies Climate
Warm summers, cold winters, medium growing season
Middle Colonies Economy
Agriculture: Breadbasket colonies (Staple crops: wheat, rye, grains)
Shipping, harbors, lumber
Middle Colonies Reasons for Settlement
Religious Freedom & Economic Opportunities
Who founded New York?
Duke of York founded New York.
Who founded Pennsylvania? Why? What did Pennsylvania’s government look like?
William Penn founded Pennsylvania for the Quakers.
Pennsylvania’s Government:
Penn limited his own power and established an elected assembly.
He promised religious freedom to all Christians.
Explain the significance of the Magna Carta. What year was it created?
The Magna Carta was written in 1215. It limited the power of the King for the first time and established that the King is not above the law (rule of law or limited government).
English Bill of Rights
This Act reduced the powers of the English Monarch, which protected the rights of the people.
Glorious Revolution
King James II was overthrown and William & Mary become king & queen. William and Mary accepted the English Bill of Rights.
What is the Legislative body in England comprised of two houses, which will serve as a model for the American system?
Parliament is the legislative body in England comprised of two houses, which served as a model for the American system.
ho was John Peter Zenger? What did his case lead to?
John Peter Zenger was a printer/publisher who was put on trial in 1733 for saying negative things about the governor of New York. His case led to the creation and protection of freedom of the press.
Who was John Locke? How does he influence colonial leaders?
John Locke was a philosopher who believed that people had natural rights, such as equality and liberty. His ideas eventually influenced colonial leaders by protecting the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (unalienable rights).
What was the Enlightenment?
A movement that began in Europe in the 1700s as people began examining the natural world, society, and government (emphasis on logic & reason). It is also known as the “Age of Reason.”
What was the First Great Awakening?
A religious movement that became widespread in the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s.
Who proposed the Albany Plan of Union? What did the Plan attempt to do? Was it a success? How did the “Join or Die” cartoon depict the Albany Plan of Union?
Benjamin Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union.
Albany Plan of Union: First formal attempt to unify the colonies. It failed.
The Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended the French & Indian War. What did the Treaty of Paris of 1763 include?
Britain received Canada from France.
Britain gained all French lands east of the Mississippi River, except New Orleans.
Britain received Florida from Spain.
List the effects of the French & Indian War.
Relations between the British and the colonists got worse.
Pontiac’s Rebellion -> Proclamation of 1763
Britain attempted to pay its war debt from the French & Indian War by taxing the colonists
Who issued the Proclamation of 1763, and why? What did the Proclamation of 1763 state/ban? Why did the Proclamation of 1763 upset the colonists?
King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763 as a response to the increasing tensions between the colonists and Native Americans (Pontiac’s Rebellion).
The Proclamation of 1763 banned settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.
The Proclamation of 1763 upset the colonists because they had expected to move onto the newly acquired western lands that they received from France in the Treaty of Paris of 1763.
List the main causes of the American Revolution
French & Indian War (Debt, Proclamation of 1763)
Taxes without representation in Parliament
Salutary neglect
Writs of assistance
Sugar Act
Passed by Parliament in 1765, which set duties on molasses and sugar imported by colonists. The tax was imposed to raise money in the colonies.
Quartering Act
An Act that required the colonists to house and supply British soldiers
Stamp Act
A law passed by Parliament that raised tax money by requiring colonists to pay for an official stamp whenever they bought paper items, such as newspapers, licenses, and legal documents
Declaration Act
Gave the King the authority to create laws “in all cases whatsoever”
Townshend Acts
Placed a tax on glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea
Tea Act
The Tea Act gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea in the colonies.
Intolerable Acts/Coercive Acts
Boston Harbor was closed until the colonists paid for the ruined tea
The charter of Massachusetts was canceled
A new quartering act was put in place
A large amount of land was given to Quebec
General Thomas Gage became the new governor of Massachusetts
Royal officials accused of crimes were sent to England for trial
What were the Committees of Correspondence? Who founded the committees of correspondence?
Committees of Correspondence were groups in each town and colony whose members shared ideas and information about new British laws and ways to challenge them.
Samuel Adams founded the committees of correspondence.
What happened at the Boston Massacre? Who was the one of the most famous casualties at the Boston Massacre?
The Boston Massacre was an incident in which British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists, killing five people, including Crispus Attucks.
Who were the Sons of Liberty? Who founded the Sons of Liberty?
The Sons of Liberty were formed to help organized protests and resistance against British policies. The members sometimes used violence (tarring & feathers, attacking the homes of customs officials).
Samuel Adams founded the Sons of Liberty.
Boycott
To stop buying products from a group as a way to protest
Which Act led to the Boston Tea Party? What happened at the Boston Tea Party? King George III responded by passing the
The Tea Act led to the Boston Tea Party.
Boston Tea Party: A rebellion and protests led by the Sons of Liberty, in which boxes of tea were thrown into the Boston Harbor.
King George III responded by passing the Intolerable/Coercive Acts.
How did the colonists respond to the Intolerable Acts? What did the colonists decide at the First Continental Congress?
The colonists responded to the Intolerable Acts by calling for the First Continental Congress.
At the First Continental Congress, the colonists (all colonies except GA present) met in 1774 and decided to:
Boycott British goods
Begin training troops
Create the Declaration of Rights
Patriots
Colonists who wanted to declare independence from Britain
Loyalists
Colonists who wanted to remain loyal to the King & England
Who wrote Common Sense
Thomas Paine
Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine, included what kind of ideas?
A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that criticized monarchies and convinced many American colonists of the need to break away from Britain & declare independence
Why are the Battles of Lexington and Concord important?
First battles of the American Revolution (“Shot heard ‘round the world”)
Samuel Adams
Patriot and founder of committees of correspondence and the Sons of Liberty
John Adams
Attorney for the British troops accused of murder during the Boston Massacre
First Vice President of the US, Second President of the US
Abigail Adams
Advocated for women’s rights and slave rights Wife of John Adams
Thomas Paine
Author of Common Sense and The American Crisis
King George III
King of England during the Revolutionary period that imposed taxes on the colonists; patriots will accuse him of violating the colonists’ rights by taxing them without their consent
Crispus Attucks
Freed slave and sailor who was killed in the Boston Massacre
James Otis, Jr
Coined the phrase, “No taxation without representation”
Wentworth Cheswell
Warned the patriots that the British were coming before the battles of Lexington & Concord (similar ride as Paul Revere) Grandson of a slave and served as a soldier & patriot leader during the American Revolution
Thomas Jefferson
Main author of the Declaration of Independence
Patrick Henry
Spoke the famous words, “Give me liberty or give me death!” in front of the Virginia House of Burgesses Also an Anti-Federalist
What two things did Washington warn of in his Farewell Address?
Forming political parties
Forming foreign alliances (Encouraged US to remain neutral)
Who was Washington’s Vice President?
John Adams
Who was Washington’s Secretary of State?
Thomas Jefferson
Who was Washington’s Secretary of Treasury?
Alexander Hamilton
Who was Washington’s Secretary of war?
Henry Knox
What was one final attempt to make peace with King George III at the Second Continental Congress?
The Olive Branch Petition was one final attempt to make peace with King George III at the Second Continental Congress.
Explain the significance of the Declaration of Independence. What year was it written? Where? By whom?
The Declaration of Independence was a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to King George III listing the complaints/grievances of the colonists to the King. It declared that the colonies are free and independent from Britain.
July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia, PA: Date & location of the Declaration of Independence
What are unalienable rights? Where did we get these ideas from? What document today protects our unalienable rights?
Rights that cannot be taken away or changed; Jefferson referenced unalienable rights in the Declaration of Independence and they are protected in the Bill of Rights; we took these ideas from John Locke.
What was the last major Battle of the American Revolution? Who surrendered at that Battle?
Battle of Yorktown: Last major battle of the American Revolution, in which the British under General Cornwallis surrender to the Continental Army
What were the three parts to Alexander Hamilton’s financial plan?
- Federal government should pay off war debts (Assume state debts)
- Raise revenues through protective tariffs
Hamilton believed protective tariffs would raise the prices of foreign goods, which would encourage Americans to buy US goods. - Create a national bank
1st Amendment
Freedom of Religion, Assembly, Press, Petition, Speech
2nd Amendment
Right to bear arms
3rd Amendment
No quartering of troops
4th Amendment
Protects against unreasonable search and seizure
5th Amendment
Rights in criminal cases (right to remain silent, protects against double jeopardy)
6th Amendment
Right to a fair & speedy trial
7th Amendment
Rights in civil cases (trial by jury)
8th Amendment
Protects against excessive fines or bail & cruel or unusual punishment
9th Amendment
Rights of the people
10th Amendment
Protects states’ rights
What document protects our unalienable rights?
The Bill of Rights protects our unalienable rights.
Anti-Federalists
AGAINST the Constitution, but SUPPORTED the Bill of Rights; Favored strong state governments with a small national government.
Anti-Federalists People
Patrick Henry, George Mason, Mercy Otis Warren, Samuel Adams
Benjamin Franklin
Ambassador to France during the American Revolution
Enlightenment thinker who contributes to the Declaration of Independence & Constitution
What year was the Constitution written? Where?
The Constitution was written in 1787 in Philadelphia, PA at the Constitutional Convention.
What was the goal of the Constitutional Convention?
The goal of the Constitutional Convention was to revise and improve the Articles of Confederation.
Go study your states
Did you?
Mercy Otis Warren
Known as the “Conscience of the Revolution”
She wrote plays that attacked loyalists & British leaders
Anti-Federalist who argued that a Bill of Rights should be added to the Constitution
Benedict Arnold
Colonial general during the American Revolution, who will become a traitor and switch sides to help the British.
James Armistead
Spy during the American Revolution (Acted as a double agent)
The information that he provided to Washington helped result in Cornwallis’ surrender at Yorktown
Haym Salomon
A Polish-born Jewish immigrant to America who played an important role in financing the American Revolution
Bernardo de Galvez
Governor of Spanish Louisiana
Secured the port of New Orleans during the American Revolution for the American/French/Spanish ships
John Paul Jones
Most famous Continental Naval Captain
Marquis de Lafayette
Young, French general who helped Washington and the Continental Army without pay
George Washington
Leader and commander of the Continental Army
What was the Great Compromise? Who created this Plan?
The Great Compromise, proposed by Roger Sherman, created a bicameral system in which one house (upper house) gave each state two votes and the second house (lower house) gave each state representatives based on the state’s population.
What was the 3/5 Compromise?
The 3/5s Compromise stated that ⅗ of the state’s slave population would count towards taxation and representation.
Amendment
A formal change to the constitution
Amendment Process:
- Must be approved by ⅔ majority of both houses of Congress AND
- Must be ratified (approved) by ¾ of the states
What were a collection of papers written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison that supported the Constitution and a strong federal government?
Federalist Papers: A collection of papers in support of the Constitution and a strong federal government. They were written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison.
Treaty of Paris of 1783:
A peace agreement that officially ended the American Revolution
Great Britain recognizes the independence of the United States
United States is given the land east of the Mississippi River
Florida is returned to Spain
Which Plan, at the Constitutional Convention, created a one house legislature and gave each state 1 vote? Who proposed this Plan?
The New Jersey Plan (small state plan), proposed by William Patterson, created a one house legislature and gave each state 1 vote regardless of the states’ population.
What rebellion showed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, as a group of farmers protested high taxes?
Shays’ Rebellion: An uprising of farmers in Massachusetts, led by Daniel Shays, to protest high taxes, heavy debt, and farm foreclosures.
Showed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Which Ordinance made a plan for how states could become states? What were the requirements to become a state?
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787: Created a plan for how territories can become states. In order for a territory to become a state, a territory must:
Have a population of 60,000
Draft a state constitution
Provide public education
Ban slavery
How does Baron de Montesquieu influence the seven principles of government?
Baron de Montesquieu provides the idea for separation of powers.
Federalists
FOR the Constitution; Favored a strong, central government
Examples of Federalists:
James Madison, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington
How did the Articles of Confederation structure the federal government?
The Articles of Confederation was the constitution of America during the American Revolution. There was 1 branch of the national government, which was the legislative branch (Confederation Congress).
What are the positives and negatives of the winter at Valley Forge?
Positives: The soldiers leave Valley Forge smallpox-free, trained, and loyal to Washington
Negatives: Lack of food & supplies, clothes are tattered & worn, some soldiers don’t have shoes, one of the coldest winters on record, sanitation is problematic, disease (smallpox) is rampant
What Battle is considered the turning point in the American Revolution? Why?
The Battle of Saratoga is considered the turning point of the American Revolution. It was an important victory that convinced France and Spain to join with the Patriots.
Which Ordinance set up a system for surveying and dividing western lands, which could be sold to raise money?
The Land Ordinance of 1785: Set up a system for surveying and dividing western lands, which could be sold to raise money to pay off the debt from the American Revolution
Which Plan, at the Constitutional Convention, created a bicameral system with both houses based on population? Who created this Plan?
The Virginia Plan (large state plan), proposed by Edmond Randolph, created a bicameral system with both houses based on a state’s population.
Francis Marion
Organized a group of guerilla soldiers
What is guerilla warfare? In what part of the US did most of the guerilla warfare occur in?
Guerilla Warfare: Hit-and-run tactics that were used primarily in the south during the American Revolution
Articles of Confederation Strengths
- Can declare war and make treaties
- Can print own money (Also can be a weakness)
- Can establish a post office
Articles of Confederation Weaknesses
- The national government had little power
- Could not regulate trade, draft an army, or collect taxes
- Could not enforce laws
Popular Sovereignty
The people have the power (“We the people…”)
Republicanism
Citizens elect representatives through voting
Federalism
Shared power between the federal and state governments
Separation of Powers
The federal government’s power is divided among 3 branches: Legislative, Executive, & Judicial
Baron de Montesquieu
Checks & Balances
A system in which the 3 branches of government have the power to “check” each other, thus achieving a balance of power
Limited Government
The government has only the power that the Constitution gives it; Everyone is subject to the law
Individual Rights
Protections of people’s individual freedoms
Continental Army Advantages
Fighting for a cause they believed in
Fighting for freedom
Protecting their homes
Familiar with the terrain
Continental Army Disadvantages
Untrained
Low supplies
No Navy/small Navy
British Army Advantages
Well-trained
Well-equipped
Powerful Navy
British Army Disadvantages
Had to cross the Atlantic Ocean
Used mercenaries as soldiers (not a personal fight)
Little knowledge about the terrain
Go study your map with the Appalachian Mountains, Northwest Territory, Mississippi River, Ohio River, Hudson River, & Great Lakes
Did you study?
