Regents Flashcards
Bartolome de Las Casas
Dominican priest who spoke out against mistreatment of Native Americans
Mayflower Compact
the first agreement for self-government in America.
Virginia House of Burgesses
The first representative assembly in the new world. Created due to distance between Great Britain and the colonies.
13 Colonies- New England
Rocky Soil, Harbors, Abundant Forests MA-NH-RI-CT
13 Colonies- Middle Colonies
Fertile Soil but small farms, Harbors NY-NJ-PA-DE
13 Colonies- Southern Colonies
Very Fertile Soil, Long Growing Season, Plantation Economy MD- VA-NC-SC-GA
Appalachian Mountains
Natural boundary for the 13 colonies, Proclamation Line of 1763
Indentured Servants
Poorer Europeans signed a contract for work in exchange for passage to North America. (appx 7 years)
Mercantilism
Colonies must trade with the mother country
Salutary Neglect
Colonies are given more flexibility and self-government decisions
Middle Passage
African slave forced journey to the Americas
French and Indian War
War fought in the colonies between the English and the French for possession of the Ohio Valley area. The English won.
Stamp Act
law that taxed printed goods, including: playing cards, documents, newspapers, etc.
Intolerable Acts
series of laws passed in 1774 to punish Boston for the Tea Party
Thomas Paine, Common Sense
Common Sense was pamphlet that attacked the British monarchy, calling for American
independence from Britain.
Declaration of Independence
issued by the Second Continental Congress, explaining why the colonies wanted independence from Britain.
Articles of Confederation
1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788 (weaknesses-no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade)
Constitutional Convention
A meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution
Great Compromise
was an agreement between large and small states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, VA plan-large states NJ-small states, CT- Great Compromise
Three-Fifths Compromise
Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment)
Federalists
supporters of the Constitution
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the Constitution
Federalist Papers
Written by Hamilton, Jay, & Madison to support ratification of the U.S. Constitution
Popular Sovereignty
A government in which the people rule by their own consent.
Elastic Clause
the part of the Constitution that permits Congress to make any laws “necessary and proper” to carrying out its powers
Electoral College
A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president
Alexander Hamilton
First Secretary of the Treasury. He advocated creation of a national bank, assumption of state debts by the federal government, and a tariff system to pay off the national debt.
Hamilton’s Financial Plan
Pay off all war debts, raise government revenues, create a national bank
Thomas Jefferson
Wrote the Declaration of Independence, 3rd president; Louisiana Purchase
Whiskey Rebellion
farmers in Pennsylvania rebelled against Hamilton’s excise tax on whiskey
War of 1812
between the United States and England which was trying to interfere with American trade with France.
Impressment
British practice of taking American sailors and forcing them into military service
XYZ Affair
French officials presented American diplomats with a demand for bribes over impressment
Monroe Doctrine
A statement that Europe should not interfere in affairs within the United States
