Key Events and Concepts in Early American History

Mayflower Compact

Early self-governance agreement among Pilgrims.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Founded for religious freedom and purity.

Southern Colonies & Agriculture

Depended on enslaved labor.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

Fueled European economic growth and reinforced racial ideologies.

Salutary Neglect

Britain allowed colonies self-governance with minimal interference.

Boston Tea Party

Reaction to British taxes on tea.

Common Sense (Thomas Paine)

Argued for independence from Britain.

Declaration of Independence

Emphasized natural rights and the government's role to protect them.

Articles of Confederation

Weak central government; inability to tax or raise militias effectively.

Constitutional Compromises

Great Compromise, Three-Fifths Compromise.

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

Debated power distribution and Bill of Rights necessity.

Elastic Clause

Allowed federal government flexibility to adapt to new challenges.

Alexander Hamilton's National Bank

Manage finances and stabilize the economy.

Whiskey Rebellion

Tested federal authority; Washington's response affirmed federal power.

Washington's Farewell Address

Warned against political parties and foreign alliances.

Marbury v. Madison

Established judicial review, strengthening the Supreme Court.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Asserted federal supremacy over states in economic matters.

Monroe Doctrine

Warned European nations against colonizing the Americas.

Middle Passage

The forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean.

The Intolerable Acts

Laws passed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.

Shays's Rebellion

Armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers protesting economic injustices.

The Connecticut Plan/Great Compromise

Agreement for a two-house legislature, blending Virginia and New Jersey Plans.

Necessary and Proper Clause/Elastic Clause

Grants Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper.

Impressment

British practice of seizing American sailors and forcing them into the navy.

Pet Banks

State banks where Andrew Jackson placed federal funds after dismantling the National Bank.

Missouri Compromise

Legislation that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

Nullification Crisis

Conflict over states' rights to nullify federal law, centered around tariffs.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws targeting immigrants and restricting speech critical of the government.

Trail of Tears

Forced relocation of Native Americans under the Indian Removal Act, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Anti-Federalists

They felt it did not include sufficient protections for individual rights.

War of 1812 Outcome

The borders between the United States and Canada remained largely unchanged.