american history exam review

Polytheism

The belief in or worship of multiple gods.

Incan Law

The legal system and regulations established by the Inca civilization.

Land Stewardship

The responsible management and care of land and natural resources.

Matriarchal Societies

Societies in which women hold primary power and authority.

Aztec

A Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico from the 14th to the 16th centuries.

Mayans

An ancient civilization known for its advanced writing, mathematics, and astronomical systems.

Bishop Diego de Landa

A Spanish Franciscan bishop known for his role in the Spanish conquest of the Yucatán.

Hernan Cortes

A Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire.

Chasquis

Incan messengers who ran long distances to deliver messages.

Pueblo

A term used to describe the Native American peoples in the Southwestern United States.

Codices

Ancient manuscripts or books, particularly those of the Mesoamerican cultures.

Machu Picchu

An ancient Incan city located in the Andes mountains of Peru.

Tenochtitlan

The capital city of the Aztec Empire, located on an island in Lake Texcoco.

Chinampas

Floating gardens used by the Aztecs for agriculture.

Quipu

A system of knotted strings used by the Incas for record-keeping.

Tzompantli

A skull rack used by the Aztecs for displaying the heads of sacrificial victims.

Terraced gardens

Agricultural fields built on the sides of hills or mountains to prevent soil erosion.

Ohio River Valley

A region in the United States that was significant for trade and settlement.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, established in 1607.

Plymouth

The site of the first Pilgrim settlement in America, established in 1620.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

An English settlement established in 1630 that became a significant Puritan community.

Chesapeake Colonies

Colonies located in the Chesapeake Bay area, primarily Virginia and Maryland.

Tobacco

A cash crop that became a major export for the American colonies.

King Philip's War

A conflict between Native American inhabitants and English settlers in New England from 1675 to 1676.

Great Awakening

A series of religious revivals in the American colonies during the 18th century.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition.

Salutary Neglect

An English policy of relaxing the enforcement of regulations in its colonies.

Mercantilism

An economic theory that trade generates wealth and is stimulated by the accumulation of profitable balances.

"City Upon a Hill"

A phrase used by John Winthrop to describe the Puritan colony as a model of Christian charity.

Protestantism

A branch of Christianity that originated with the Reformation, rejecting papal authority.

Thomas Hobbes

An English philosopher known for his political philosophy, particularly in his work 'Leviathan'.

John Locke

An English philosopher whose ideas on government and human rights influenced the American Revolution.

Montesquieu

A French political philosopher known for his theory of the separation of powers.

Benjamin Franklin

An American polymath who was a leading figure in the American Enlightenment.

Jonathan Edwards

A preacher known for his fire-and-brimstone sermons during the Great Awakening.

George Whitefield

An Anglican minister known for his role in the Great Awakening and powerful preaching.

John Winthrop

The first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and a leading figure in Puritanism.

Virginia Company of London

A joint-stock company that established the Jamestown colony in Virginia.

Royal African Company

A company established to engage in the slave trade and trade in West Africa.

West Africa

A region of Africa that was heavily involved in the transatlantic slave trade.

Middle Passage

The sea route used to transport enslaved Africans to the Americas.

Triangular Trade

A system of trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas involving goods and enslaved people.

Agriculture

The practice of cultivating soil, growing crops, and raising animals for food.

Chattel Slavery

A system of slavery where individuals are treated as personal property.

Effects on African nations

The significant social, economic, and political impacts of the slave trade on African societies.

Major George Washington

A military officer who played a key role in the early stages of the French and Indian War.

Joseph Coulon de Jumonville

A French officer whose death sparked the French and Indian War.

King George III

The King of Great Britain during the American Revolution.

Mississippi River

A major river in the United States that was crucial for trade and transportation.

Appalachian Mountains

A mountain range in eastern North America that served as a boundary for colonial expansion.

13 Colonies

The original British colonies established along the Atlantic coast of North America.

New France / Louisiana

The French territories in North America, including parts of Canada and the Mississippi River basin.

Treaty of Paris, 1763

The agreement that ended the Seven Years' War and ceded French territories to Britain.

Growth of the British Empire

The expansion of British territories and influence during the 18th century.

Pontiac's War

A conflict between Native Americans and British colonists after the French and Indian War.

Royal Proclamation of 1763

A decree by King George III that restricted colonial expansion westward.

"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"

A famous quote by Patrick Henry advocating for American independence.

Common Sense

A pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocating for independence from Britain.

"Declaration of Independence"

The document declaring the American colonies' independence from Britain.

Lexington and Concord

The first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War.

General George Washington

The commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution.

Patrick Henry

An American revolutionary known for his declaration 'Give me liberty, or give me death!'

Thomas Paine

An English-American political activist and philosopher who wrote 'Common Sense'.

Thomas Jefferson

The principal author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States.

Patriots

Colonists who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to the British crown during the American Revolution.

General Charles Cornwallis

A British general whose surrender at Yorktown marked the end of the American Revolution.

Tea Act, 1763

A law that granted the British East India Company the right to sell tea directly to the colonies.

Sugar Act, 1764

A law that imposed taxes on sugar and molasses imported into the colonies.

Stamp Act, 1765

A law that required colonists to purchase special stamped paper for legal documents.

Boston Massacre

A confrontation in 1770 where British soldiers killed five colonists.

Boston Tea Party

A protest against the Tea Act where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

Boston Port Act

A law that closed Boston Harbor until damages from the Boston Tea Party were paid.

Quartering Act

A law requiring colonists to provide housing and supplies for British troops.

Battle of Yorktown, 1781

The last major battle of the American Revolutionary War, leading to British surrender.

What is containment?

A U.S. policy to prevent the spread of communism.

What was the Truman Doctrine?

A policy to support countries resisting communism.

What was the Marshall Plan?

A U.S. program providing aid to Western Europe after WWII.

What is McCarthyism?

A campaign against alleged communists in the U.S. during the 1950s.

What was the Bay of Pigs invasion?

A failed U.S. attempt to overthrow the Cuban government in 1961.

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?

A 1962 confrontation between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over missiles in Cuba.

What was the Civil Rights Movement?

A struggle for social justice and equality for African Americans in the 1950s and 1960s.

What was the War on Poverty?

A set of programs launched by President Lyndon B. Johnson to reduce poverty.

What was the Kent State shooting?

A 1970 incident where National Guardsmen shot and killed four students during a protest.

Who was Ho Chi Minh?

The leader of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

What was the My Lai massacre?

A mass killing of Vietnamese civilians by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin incident?

A 1964 event that escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

What were the Pentagon Papers?

A classified report detailing U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam.

What was Watergate?

A political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

What is Reaganomics?

Economic policies promoted by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.

What was the Gulf War?

A conflict in 1990-1991 to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait.

What happened on 9/11?

Terrorist attacks on the U.S. involving hijacked planes in 2001.

What is the Bush Doctrine?

A foreign policy principle advocating preemptive strikes against perceived threats.

What is the Patriot Act?

A law enacted to enhance law enforcement's ability to prevent terrorism.

What are weapons of mass destruction?

Nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons capable of causing large-scale destruction.

What was the invasion of Afghanistan?

The U.S. military action in 2001 to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power.

What is the significance of Watergate?

It was a political scandal in the early 1970s that led to Nixon's resignation and exposed abuses of power.

Who was the first U.S. president to resign?

Richard Nixon

What did Gerald Ford do in 1974?

He took the oath of office as president after Nixon's resignation.

What amendment allows the Vice President to become President?

The 25th Amendment