American History Survey

Exam 1 Midterm

The factors that set the stage for the voyages of European discovery

ECONOMIC MOTIVES
-trade
-valuable resources: wealth, silver, gold
POLITICAL FACTORS
-nation-states began to rise such as Spain, Portugal, England, and France
-unified territories
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES
-sailing, astrolabe, compass, map-builidng
-military improvements made through firearms

God, glory, gold

The factors and motivations for English colonization

FACTORS
-joint-stock companies: ownership divided into shares
-advances in technology
-defeat of Spanish Armada by English
MOTIVATIONS
-Religious freedom
-Economic gain
-Property rights/land ownership

The emergence of indentured servitude and slavery

IDENTURED SERVITUDE
-labor shortage for things like tobacco
-land incentive: headright system gave landowners more land
-social mobility: servants hopes for freddom dues after their service which offered the change to rise economically
SLAVERY
-decline of indentured servitude
-atlantic slave trade: made the supply of enslaved africans more available and systematized
-profitability: africans were seen as a permanent, inheritable labor force

The factors leading to the development of colonial self-government

VIRGINIA HOUSE OF BURGESSES
-the first elected legislative assembly in the colonies which set a precedent for representative government and gave colonists practice in self-rule
COLONIAL MILITIA
-Eachy colony passed laws mandating that all free white males of military age be required to own firearms and participate in regular military drill
-these militias become the colonies' primary means of defense
BACON'S REBELLION
-a floodtide of immigration to Virginia resulted in settlers encroaching further west onto Indian lands making Virginians angry
-eventually, Bacon and his men attacked and burned Jamestown and surrounding plantations

The factors and events leading to the American Revolution

FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR
-Britain's victory expanded its empire but left in debt as Britain expected colonists to help pay
SUGAR AND STAMP ACT
-Colonies were unhappy in regards to the taxes which caused colonies to protest "no taxation without representation"
BOSTON TEA PARTY
-The Sons of Liberty blocked the off-loading of tea in Boston and the Bostonians boarded the ships and dumped 342 cases of tea into Boston Harbor

The crucial turning points in the War for Independence

BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL
-When Patriot militia fortified positions on Breed's Hill, British commander ordered a direct frontal assault and the early battle showed that colonial militia could stand up for themselves
BATTLE OF TRENTON AND PRINCETON
-Washington attacked New Jersey and the victories over a British force were a great turning point
BATTLE OF SARATOGA
-When British were surrounded by Patriot forces the battles that Benedict Arnold led broke the British defenses and Burgoyne was forced to surrender

The critical aspects of the writing and ratifications of US Constitutions

CHECKS AND BALANCES
-Convention divided the federal government among three branches: legislative, executive, judiciary
BILL OF RIGHTS PROMISE
-Federalists promised to add a Bill of Rights to protect freedoms like speech, religion, press, and due process
FEDERALISTS VS. ANTI-FEDERALISTS OPINIONS
-Federalists: supported the constitution as it argued a stronger but limited central government
-Anti-Federalists: opposed the constitution, fearing it gave too much power to the central government and lacked protection of individual rights