Studied by 53 people
Christopher Columbus Arrival
Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492, marking the beginning of the Contact Period between Europe and the Americas.
Bering Land Bridge
Connected Eurasia and North America, allowing the first people to inhabit the Americas to cross from Siberia to Alaska.
Native American Societies
North America was home to diverse tribes and societies with complex cultures, including permanent settlements and nomadic hunting tribes.
European Exploration
European explorers like Columbus sailed to the New World in search of wealth, resources, and to spread Christianity.
Columbian Exchange
Period of exchange between the Old World and the New World, introducing new plants, animals, and diseases to both continents.
Labor in Spanish Colonies
Enslaved Africans were increasingly used for labor in the American colonies due to challenges with enslaving Native Americans.
Cultural Interactions
Interactions between Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans led to the birth of a new society with conflicts, adaptations, and the spread of religions.
Jamestown
First successful English colony in the New World, funded by the Virginia Company, focused on searching for gold and planting tobacco.
John Rolfe
Jamestown settler known for marrying Pocahontas, introducing tobacco as a cash crop, and aiding in the colony's economic success.
Plantation Slavery
Emerged in Virginia due to the need for labor in cultivating tobacco, leading to the exploitation of enslaved Africans.
Headright system
Introduced by the Virginia Company to attract settlers by granting land, usually 50 acres, to those who migrated to the region.
House of Burgesses
Established in 1619 in Virginia, allowed property-holding white males to vote, but decisions required approval from the Virginia Company.
French Colonization
French settlers in North America focused on fur trade, intermarried with natives, and had a lighter impact on native peoples compared to the Spanish and English.
Mayflower Compact
Legal agreement signed by the Pilgrims upon landing in Plymouth, establishing a government based on the consent of the governed.
Great Puritan Migration
Movement of Puritans to the New World between 1629-1642, led by Governor John Winthrop, shaping the development of Massachusetts Bay.
Mercantilism
Economic theory during the colonial period emphasizing a favorable balance of trade and control of specie, influencing British colonial policies.
Navigation Acts
Series of laws passed between 1651-1673 by Britain to regulate colonial trade, restrict manufacturing in the colonies, and ensure economic benefits for England.
New Netherland
Captured by Charles II of England in 1664, leading to the establishment of New York as a royal colony.
Pennsylvania
Colony received by William Penn from King Charles II, known for its liberal policies towards religious freedom and civil liberties.
Slavery in the Colonies
Existed since 1619 in Virginia, with the arrival of settlers from Barbados marking the beginning of the slave era in the colonies.
Stono Uprising
Successful slave rebellion in 1739 near Charleston, South Carolina, leading to more restrictive laws governing enslaved people.
Salem Witch Trials
Occurred in 1692, with mass hysteria leading to the accusation of over 130 individuals, mostly women, on charges of witchcraft.
Benjamin Franklin
Self-made man embodying Enlightenment ideals, known for his inventions, Poor Richard's Almanack, and diplomatic efforts during the Revolutionary War.
Seven Years' War
Fought between the British and the French, resulting in England becoming the dominant colonial power in North America after gaining control of Canada and the Mississippi Valley.
Albany Plan of Union
Proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754, aimed at creating an intercolonial government and a defense system, but was rejected by the colonies.
Stamp Act
Imposed broad-based tax on legal documents and goods produced within colonies, leading to protests and opposition.
No taxation without representation
Argument by James Otis against taxes, demanding representation in Parliament or self-government for colonies.
Townshend Acts
Taxed goods imported from Britain, established vice-admiralty courts, and suspended New York legislature, leading to colonial opposition.
Boston Massacre
Conflict in 1770 where British soldiers fired on colonists, leading to propaganda campaign and legal defense by John Adams.
Olive Branch Petition
Attempt by John Dickinson for reconciliation with Britain, adopted by Continental Congress in 1775.
Common Sense
Pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocating for colonial independence, widely read and influential in swaying support for revolution.
Declaration of Independence
Document written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, asserting colonies' grievances and principles of individual liberty.
Battle of Yorktown
Symbolic end of American Revolution in 1781, where British general Cornwallis surrendered to French navy and American troops.
Articles of Confederation
First national constitution of the US, limited central government powers, leading to drafting of the US Constitution.
Constitutional Convention
1787 meeting to revise Articles of Confederation, resulting in the drafting of the US Constitution with checks and balances.
Anti-Federalists
Opponents who portrayed the federal government as an all-powerful beast and were particularly concerned about the absence of a bill of rights.
Federalist Papers
Persuasive essays authored by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, critical in swaying opinion in favor of the Constitution.
Washington's Presidency
George Washington's tenure marked by careful exercise of authority, delegation of responsibilities, and the establishment of a cabinet.
National Bank Debate
Hamilton's proposal for a National Bank to regulate the economy, leading to a debate on the interpretation of the Constitution.
Republican Motherhood
Concept emphasizing women's role in raising virtuous citizens, particularly through private and public virtue, and emerged in the early 1800s.
Alien and Sedition Acts
Laws passed during Adams's presidency allowing expulsion of foreigners and restricting freedom of speech, leading to opposition and the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.
Revolution of 1800
Peaceful transfer of power from Federalists to Democratic-Republicans, marked by Jefferson's election and the significance of the Twelfth Amendment.
Marbury v
Landmark Supreme Court case establishing the principle of judicial review, where the court ruled on the constitutionality of laws.
Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson's acquisition of the Louisiana territory, doubling the size of the U.S., despite facing constitutional dilemmas and opposition from various groups.
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Exploration mission led by Lewis and Clark, including Sacajawea, to investigate the western territories, a result of the Louisiana Purchase.
Westward Expansion
Pioneers turned attention westward for land, riches, and economic opportunities.
War of 1812
Conflict between British and Americans due to trade disputes and impressment of sailors.
Embargo Act of 1807
Shut down American import/export, leading to economic turmoil and smuggling.
Monroe Doctrine
Policy asserting America's right to intervene in its hemisphere and non-interference.
Jacksonian Democracy
Era marked by universal white manhood suffrage and strong presidency.
Indian Removal Act
Policy by Jackson to relocate Native Americans, leading to Trail of Tears.
Nullification Crisis
States' belief in the right to nullify federal laws, sparked by Tariff of 1828.
Whig Party
Formed in opposition to Democrats, believed in government activism and social issues.
Market Economy
Transition from subsistence to market economy in the 19th century.
Transportation Revolution
Innovations like steam engine and telegraph revolutionized travel and communication.
Telegraph
Allowed for immediate long-distance communication, leading to widespread use almost immediately.
Mechanization
Revolutionized farming in the 19th century with machines like plows, reapers, and threshers.
Market Economy
Changed farming as more food was directed to markets.
Manifest Destiny
Belief in the God-given right to expand westward in America.
Louisiana Purchase
Removed a major obstacle to U.S. western settlement.
Republic of Texas
Independent country before being admitted to the Union in 1845.
Oregon Trail
Route used by settlers to travel to the Willamette Valley in the early 1840s.
Industrialization
Led the North to become the nation's commercial center in the 19th century.
Cult of Domesticity
Glorified home life and was supported by popular magazines and novels.
Abolitionism
Movement to end slavery, with moderates and immediatists advocating different approaches.
Slavery Expansion & Debates
Expansion of new territories posed challenges regarding the status of slavery, with the East of Mississippi evenly divided between plantation agriculture suitable lands and those not, while the West was unsuitable for traditional plantation crops.
Popular Sovereignty
Territories deciding through voting whether to allow slavery within their borders, a concept used to open up more areas to slavery.
The Compromise of 1850
Proposed by Henry Clay, it clarified Texas boundaries, banned slavery in the Mexican Cession, and enacted a stringent Fugitive Slave Act, with key players like John Calhoun and Daniel Webster involved.
Antislavery Sentiments
Increased by publications like Uncle Tom's Cabin, awakening millions to the issue, and leading to debates and conflicts like "Bleeding Kansas" due to the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
Dred Scott Decision
A Supreme Court ruling stating enslaved people were property, not citizens, and Congress couldn't regulate slavery in territories, a turning point in the crisis decade.
Emancipation Proclamation
Issued by Lincoln after the Battle of Antietam, declared all slaves in rebellious states free, redefining the war as a struggle for human equality.
Reconstruction
The period of 1865-1877 focused on readmitting southern states, integrating freed Blacks, and rebuilding, with Lincoln's Ten-Percent Plan and Johnson's Reconstruction Plan facing challenges and failures.
Reconstruction
Effort to rebuild the South after the Civil War, aimed at integrating freed slaves into society and readmitting Southern states to the Union.
Enforcement Acts
Laws passed to combat the activities of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups during Reconstruction.
Redeemers
Southern Democrats who sought to regain control of the South from Republicans during Reconstruction.
Compromise of 1877
Agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election, leading to the end of Reconstruction and the withdrawal of federal troops from the South.
Sharecropping
System where freedmen and poor whites rented land from landowners by paying with a share of the crops produced.
Freedman's Bureau
Government agency established to assist freed slaves and poor whites in the South with education, housing, and employment after the Civil War.
Hiram Revels
First African American to serve in the U.S. Senate, representing Mississippi in 1870.
Sherman Antitrust Act
Legislation passed in 1890 to prevent the formation of monopolies and promote fair competition in business.
Knights of Labor
National labor union founded in 1869, advocating for workers' rights and improvements in working conditions.
Jane Addams
Social reformer who founded Hull House in Chicago, providing services to immigrants and advocating for social change.
Populist Movement
Advocated for silver coinage, government ownership of railroads, graduated income tax, direct election of senators, and shorter workdays.
Granger Laws
Regulated railroads in the 1870s and 1880s to address issues of unfair practices.
McKinley Tariff
Raised duties on imported goods by almost 50% in 1890.
Spanish-American War
Conflict between the US and Spain, leading to the cession of the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam to the US.
Open Door Policy
Aimed to gain entry into Asian markets through equal trading rights.
Progressive Movement
Urban, middle-class reformers seeking government intervention for societal improvements.
Roosevelt Corollary
Addition to the Monroe Doctrine, justifying US intervention in Latin America for national security.
Espionage Act and Sedition Act
Laws passed during WWI to curb opposition to US involvement in the war.
Schenck v
Supreme Court case upholding limitations on free speech during wartime.
Great Migration
Movement of Black Southern people to the North for wartime job opportunities.
Decline of Labor Unions
Pro-business atmosphere in the 1920s led to a drop in labor union popularity and membership levels.
Welfare Capitalism
Businesses offered pension plans, profit sharing, and company events to attract workers, known as welfare capitalism.
Automobile Revolution
The 1920s saw the rise of the automobile as a major consumer product, transforming the nation's spirit and lifestyle.
Flapper Image
The flapper emerged as a symbol of the new freedom for women in the Roaring Twenties.
Harlem Renaissance
A major cultural development in the largest Black neighborhood in New York City, marked by growth in theaters, clubs, newspapers, and jazz.
Ku Klux Klan
Grew to over 5 million members in the 1920s, targeting Blacks, Jews, and urbanites, promoting nativism and anti-immigrant sentiments.
Great Depression
Herbert Hoover's presidency marked by the 1929 stock market crash, economic downturn, and failed relief efforts, leading to FDR's election in 1932.
Iron Curtain
The division between Eastern and Western Europe marking the beginning of the Cold War.
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