AP United States History Comprehensive Practice Flashcards

Exactly 448 practice flashcards based on lecture note summaries across the AP United States History periods.

Pueblo

Native American tribes in the Southwest who lived in sedentary, multi-story adobe houses and practiced advanced irrigation for corn.

Environmental Causation of Pueblo Lifestyle

An arid environment caused the development of complex irrigation systems; this led to a settled lifestyle and a later coordinated revolt against Spanish religious suppression.

Chinook

Sedentary Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest known for social stratification and a salmon-based economy.

Chinook Social Hierarchy Development

Abundant natural resources in the Pacific Northwest caused a stable, non-nomadic lifestyle; this led to the development of complex social hierarchies and the 'potlatch' gift-giving ceremony.

Iroquois

A powerful confederacy of five (later six) tribes in the Northeastern woodlands.

Iroquois Political Organization

Constant inter-tribal warfare caused the formation of a Great League of Peace; this created a formidable military and political force that could effectively trade with and resist European encroachment.

Algonquin

A large group of tribes along the East Coast and Great Lakes sharing a common language family.

Algonquin French Trade Relations

Their location along key waterways caused them to become primary partners in the French fur trade; this led to increased conflict with the Iroquois over hunting territory.

Mestizo

A term for people of mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry.

Casta System Origin

The Spanish colonization process, which primarily involved men and few women, caused widespread intermarriage; this led to a complex racial hierarchy known as the casta system.

Smallpox

A highly contagious Old World disease introduced to the Americas by Europeans.

Smallpox Demographic Impact

The lack of indigenous immunity to European germs caused a demographic collapse (up to $90\%$ death rate); this effect facilitated easier European conquest due to weakened resistance.

Conquistadors

Spanish soldiers and explorers who led the military conquest of the Americas.

Conquistador Motivations

The desire for 'God, Gold, and Glory' caused the systematic overthrow of the Aztec and Inca empires; this led to Spanish global dominance and extraction of silver and gold.

Encomienda System

A Spanish labor system that granted settlers the right to extract forced labor and tribute from Native Americans.

Encomienda Transitions

The Spanish need for labor in mines and on plantations caused the exploitation of Native populations; this led to high mortality rates and the eventual transition to enslaved African labor.

Columbian Exchange

The global transfer of plants, animals, culture, and diseases between the Americas and Afro-Eurasia initiated in $1492$.

Columbian Exchange Population Shifts

The contact caused the meeting of two isolated worlds; this led to a population boom in Europe (via calorie-rich crops like potatoes) and a population crash in the Americas (via disease).

Treaty of Tordesillas

A $1494$ agreement that divided the 'New World' between the Spanish and Portuguese empires.

Treaty of Tordesillas Territorial Result

Competition for exploration rights caused the Pope to interven; this led to Spain securing most of the Americas and Portugal gaining Brazil and territories in Africa/Asia.

Bartolom\u00e9 de Las Casas

A Spanish priest and former encomendero who became a leading critic of the mistreatment of Native Americans.

New Laws of $1542$

Witnessing the atrocities of the Encomienda system caused Las Casas to advocate for Native rights; this led to the 'New Laws' which were largely ignored by settlers.

Sir Walter Raleigh

An English explorer and favorite of Queen Elizabeth I who sponsored the first English attempt at colonization in America.

Roanoke Expeditions Context

The desire to challenge Spanish hegemony and find gold caused the Roanoke expeditions, paving the way for future English investment.

Roanoke

The 'Lost Colony' established in $1587$ off the coast of North Carolina that disappeared without a trace.

Roanoke Failure Implication

Poor planning and strained relations caused the colony to struggle; its failure led to a twenty-year hiatus in English colonization efforts.

Mercantilism

An economic policy where colonies exist to provide raw materials and a market for the 'mother country.'

Navigation Acts and Mercantilism

Global competition for bullion caused England to pass the Navigation Acts; this led to colonial smuggling and eventual political resentment.

Middle Passage

The forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World.

Development of Chattel Slavery

The shift toward plantation agriculture and demand for labor caused the growth of the slave trade; this led to a permanent, racialized chattel slavery system.

Indentured Labor

Laborers who signed a contract to work for $4-7$ years in exchange for passage to America and 'freedom dues.'

Socio-economic impact of Indentured Labor

High labor demands for tobacco and high travel costs caused the rise of this system; it led to a class of landless, frustrated former servants.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, founded in $1607$.

Jamestown Economic Stability

The search for gold caused initial mismanagement and the 'Starving Time'; the discovery of tobacco later led to the colony's stability and expansion.

John Rolfe

A Jamestown settler who successfully cultivated West Indian tobacco and married Pocahontas.

The 'Tobacco Boom'

The lack of a profitable export caused Rolfe to experiment with tobacco; this led to the 'tobacco boom' ensuring Virginia's long-term survival.

House of Burgesses

The first representative legislative assembly in the English colonies, established in $1619$.

House of Burgesses Legacy

The need for local lawmaking and order in Virginia caused its creation; it led to a lasting tradition of representative self-government.

Pilgrims

Separatists who wanted to completely break away from the Church of England and established the Plymouth Colony.

Plymouth Settlement Cause

Religious persecution in England caused them to flee; this led to the Mayflower Compact and a legacy of religious freedom.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement signed in $1620$ to establish a 'civil body politic' and obey laws for the good of the colony.

Mayflower Compact Legal Basis

Landing outside of their intended Virginia jurisdiction caused legal uncertainty; this led to a precedent for government based on the consent of the governed.

Puritans

Religious dissenters who wanted to 'purify' the Church of England and established the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Puritan Great Migration

Persecution by King Charles I caused the 'Great Migration'; this led to the development of a tight-knit, education-focused society in New England.

John Winthrop

The first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a leader of the Puritan migration.

Winthrop Political Control

His deep religious convictions caused him to lead his people; this led to a stable, well-organized colony that dominated the region's politics.

'A City on a Hill'

John Winthrop's vision for Massachusetts to be a model Christian society for the world to see.

Puritan Social Exceptionalism

Puritan religious zeal caused this belief; this led to strict social conformity and the banishment of challengers like Anne Hutchinson.

Great Migration ($1630-1640$)

The movement of about $20,000$ Puritans from England to Massachusetts.

Great Migration Outcomes

Religious and political turmoil in England caused the mass exodus; this led to rapid population growth and social stability in New England.

Roger Williams

A Puritan minister who advocated for religious tolerance and the separation of church and state.

Rhode Island Founding

His 'dangerous' ideas caused his banishment; this led to his founding of Rhode Island as a haven for dissenters.

Pequot War

A $1636$ conflict between Connecticut settlers and the Pequot Indians over trade and land.

Pequot War Consequences

Encroachment on Native lands caused violence; the near-total destruction of the Pequots led to increased English expansion.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan woman who challenged clerical authority and discussed theology in her home.

Antinomianism and Trial

Her belief in 'antinomianism' (grace over law) caused her trial and banishment; she later helped found a settlement in Rhode Island.

Anne Bradstreet

The first notable American poet and the first woman published in the colonies.

Puritan Literary Record

Her education and experiences caused her to write poetry reflecting faith; this led to a unique literary record of colonial female identity.

Metacom / King Philip's War

A massive $1675$ conflict between New Englanders and a coalition of Native American tribes.

End of Indigenous Resistance in New England

English land encroachment caused the uprising; the Native defeat led to the end of significant indigenous resistance in southern New England.

Bacon\u2019s Rebellion

A $1676$ uprising of backcountry farmers and former indentured servants against the Virginia governor's policies.

Shift to African Labor

Lack of protection from Native attacks caused the revolt; this led to a shift away from indentured servants and toward enslaved African labor.

William Penn & Quakers

The founder of Pennsylvania and the Society of Friends, known for pacifism and tolerance.

The 'Holy Experiment'

Persecution of Quakers in England caused the founding of the 'Holy Experiment'; this led to a diverse, democratic colony.

Toleration Act

A $1689$ English law granting freedom of worship to nonconformist Protestants.

Shift to Religious Pluralism

The shifts of the Glorious Revolution caused this policy; it led to greater religious pluralism, though it excluded Catholics and Jews.

Salem Trials

A $1692$ wave of hysteria in Massachusetts that led to the execution of $20$ people for witchcraft.

Decline of Puritan Clergy Power

Social tension and religious anxiety caused the panic; the trials led to a decline in the political power of the Puritan clergy.

Enlightenment

An $18$th-century intellectual movement emphasizing reason, science, and individual rights.

Rise of Republicanism

The Scientific Revolution caused a rethink of authority; this led to the development of democratic ideals in the American colonies.

Great Awakening

A religious revival in the $1730s$ and $1740s$ that emphasized personal emotion and spiritual equality.

Great Awakening and American Identity

A perceived decline in religious fervor caused the movement; this led to a challenge of church hierarchies and a unified American identity.

John Peter Zenger

A New York newspaper printer whose $1735$ trial established an early precedent for freedom of the press.

Zenger Trial Outcome

His criticism of a royal governor caused his arrest for libel; his acquittal led to the idea that truthful criticism is not libelous.

Jonathan Edwards

A key theologian of the Great Awakening known for powerful, emotional sermons.

Edwards' Purpose for Sermons

The desire to wake people from 'spiritual sleep' caused him to preach vivid descriptions of hell; this led to emotional conversions.

'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God'

Jonathan Edwards' most famous sermon, which used intense imagery to warn of divine judgment.

Awakening Style Rhetoric

The goal of sparking awakening caused the use of fear-based rhetoric; it defined the emotional style of the Great Awakening.

Republicanism

An ideology centered on liberty and civic virtue, where government authority comes from the consent of the governed.

Republicanism Adoption

Enlightenment ideas and desire for self-governance caused this ideology; this led to the justification for the American Revolution.

George Washington

The Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States.

Washington's Unifying Role

His military leadership and prestige caused him to be a unifying figure; this led to his unanimous election and established executive precedents.

James Madison

The 'Father of the Constitution' and a key author of the Federalist Papers and Bill of Rights.

Madison's Push for Constitutional Reform

The failure of the Articles of Confederation caused him to push for a stronger central government; this led to the U.S. Constitution.

Alexander Hamilton

The first Secretary of the Treasury and a leading Federalist who advocated for a national bank.

Hamilton's Financial Plan

Post-war debt caused him to develop a financial plan; this led to the First Bank of the United States and the first political party system.

Thomas Jefferson

The primary author of the Declaration of Independence and leader of the Democratic-Republican Party.

Democratic-Republican Party Origin

Philosophical opposition to Hamilton\u2019s power caused Jefferson to advocate for states' rights; this led to his party's formation.

French and Indian War

A global conflict (Seven Years' War) primarily between Britain and France over North American territory.

End of Salutary Neglect

Colonial expansion into French territory caused the conflict; victory led to French removal but created massive war debt ending 'salutary neglect.'

Sugar Act ($1764$)

A British law that placed taxes on foreign sugar and molasses imported into the colonies.

Initial Colonial Protests

Britain\u2019s need to pay off war debt caused the passage of this act; this led to initial protests and increased smuggling.

Stamp Act ($1765$)

The first direct tax on the colonies, requiring a revenue stamp on legal documents and newspapers.

Stamp Act Congress

British debt and revenue needs caused the tax; this led to the formation of the Stamp Act Congress and widespread boycotts.

Townshend Acts ($1767$)

A series of laws placing indirect taxes on imported goods like glass, paint, paper, and tea.

Heightened Boston Military Presence

Continued British revenue needs caused these acts; this led to protest letters and increased military presence in Boston.

Sons of Liberty

A secret organization of colonial patriots who used radical tactics to protest British taxation.

Sons of Liberty Resistance

Anger over the Stamp Act caused their formation; this led to organized resistance, including the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Massacre ($1770$)

A confrontation in which British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists, killing five.

Boston Massacre Aftermath

Tensions over military occupation caused the skirmish; this led to anti-British propaganda and temporary repeal of Townshend duties.