Exam Two Study Guide: Early American History and Revolution

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering identification items, conceptual frameworks, and core essay topics for Exam Two in early American history.

John Locke

English enlightenment philosopher who believed people gave up certain rights to have others protected which are Natural rights (life, liberty, property), if gov. isn’t serving its people they have the right to rebel

Pagans

religion in europe before christianity, polytheistic, held services outside at night, stonehenge was pagan temple, metal pin in house ward off spirits (cross), fortune tellers, astronomy(astrology), believed in secular magic, many witches were pagans, salem witch trial

Lexington and Concord

first battle in American Revolution, shortly after came Declaration of independence, armies agreed to turn around and not fight until all of the sudden someone shot and everyone started fighting, minute men warned by Paul Revere

Metacom's Rebellion

all tribes in new england rise and rebel, attacked and destroyed 52/92 european settlements, killed 20% of white population, made it 20mi from Boston and almost drove euros out into sea

Triangular Trade

connected europe, america, and africa, america sent raw materials (cotton, tobacco), england manufactured goods, and africa sent slaves

Navigation Acts

everything that colonies wanted to trade could only be traded to england, colonies disliked because england could set price on goods

Mansa Musa

leader of Mali, Muslim, traveled to Mecca + stopped in Cairo, brought so much gold and handed it out to the poor so eventually it became worthless for the next 10 years

Middle Passage

The forced transatlantic voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas, characterized by extreme brutality, disease, and high mortality rates. 2 month long journey, crammed and unhygenic conditions, resulting in significant loss of life and suffering among those transported.

Bacon's Rebellion

begins as war between free indentured servants and Natives over land, servants were getting killed so they went to plantar elite but got refused, started rebelling against elite by killing + taking land, eventually got defeated. showed plantar elite that indentured servants were dangerous as they could rebel (unlike slaves)

Established religion

An official, state-sanctioned church supported by government taxation and legal privilege within a colony or nation.

First Great Awakening

massive religious revival, all throughout colonies begin re-converting to christianity, miniters helf services outdoors and people flocked, 1736-1776 % of people belonging to church increased by 300%

French and Indian War

french built forts in disputed land, Virginia leads army w/G. Washington first to Pittsburg at camp, Natives kill French by scalping and claims tribes need to revolt, cause of Pontiac’s Rebellion

Royal Proclamation Line

border line in America created by English that prevented them from going too far west into what was now Native land

Virtual Representation

The British constitutional argument that members of Parliament represented the interests of all British subjects across the empire, even if colonists had not elected them.

Pontiac's Rebellion

Native tribes rose up against American colonies, destroyed and attacked English forts, eventually stopped by English, last real chance for Natives to defend against colonists

Articles of Confederation

The first written framework of national government for the United States, had no federal courts, law enforcement or FBI, taxes, president, instead speaker of congress was leader, most power resided in states

Deskilling

The economic process of subdividing artisanal trade work into simple, standardized tasks, diminishing the need for skilled craftsmen in favor of wage laborers.

James Madison

A prominent Virginia delegate known as the architect of the Virginia Plan, the 'Father of the Constitution,' co-author of the Federalist Papers, and principal drafter of the Bill of Rights. met at constitutional convention in secrecy since it was technically treason

Virginia Plan

A proposal presented at the 1787 Constitutional Convention calling for a powerful national government with a bicameral legislature apportioned according to population or wealth.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1791 to protect specific individual liberties and state prerogatives from federal overreach.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 armed insurrection by western Pennsylvania farmers resisting a federal excise tax on distilled liquor, which was suppressed by a federalized militia led by George Washington.

Ethiopian Regiment

around 1000 African Americans fought alongside English in revolution in exchange for freedom, some call it “largest slave uprising in history”, Prince whimple was a free black man who fought in the revolution

Benedict Arnold

most famous Loyalist, commander of west point, kept loyalty secret and planned ot hand over west point to England to get revenge against G. Washington, escaped imprisonment and led English troops in battle

Battle of Saratoga

A critical 1777 American victory in upstate New York that proved to be the turning point of the Revolutionary War, division of colonies from English and convinced French to join allies with colonists, French gave supplies like gunpowder and blocked English ships so they would run out of supplies and men

Lord Dunmoore's Proclamation

A 1775 proclamation by the royal governor of Virginia offering emancipation to any enslaved people belonging to rebel colonists who joined the British armed forces.

Treaty of Paris

officially ended revolutionary war, created U.S.A., generous borders (all land until Mississippi river)

Yorktown

when English turned attention to southern colonies in revolution, American and French trapped English in fort + they died over a span of 2 weeks and forced to surrender, marked end of American Revolution and colonies independence

Judicial Review

The doctrine that courts possess the authority to examine executive actions and legislative statutes to determine their constitutionality.

Division of Power

no one person has 100% power (King, parliament, courts), belief of most colonists

Natural Rights

John Locke’s idea, life liberty and property, shaped U.S. constitution

Atlantic World

The historical conceptual framework analyzing the demographic, commercial, cultural, and political interactions linking the peoples of the Americas, Africa, and Europe.

Radical Whig Thought

Definition: An 18th-century British political philosophy that heavily influenced American revolutionary ideology. It warned that concentrated monarchical and ministerial power inherently tended toward corruption and tyranny. It argued that liberty was fragile and under perpetual siege from standing armies, arbitrary taxation, and political patronage, emphasizing that only a vigilant, virtuous citizenry and strict constitutional limits could preserve freedom.

Mercantilism

view of economy before capitalism, understanding of wealth different from capitalism was that there exists a fixed amount of wealth in the world (money=gold+silver which was finite) ways to make money were conquering and expanding

Chattel slavery

A legal system of enslavement treating individuals as personal property that can be bought, sold, and inherited across generations. different from indentured servitude in that slavery is permanent, people are viewed as property, and determined by heredity and race

Race

social construct that emerged during time period of slavery - people at the time thought groups were based off skin color, there were innate biological differences between races, and race affects behavior

Covenant theology

A Puritan religious framework viewing relationships with God, the church, and political society as solemn, binding agreements that guided community organization in New England.

Sentimentalism

middle class culture, expected behavior, families prioritized education, children lived at home longer, self motivation+self control+loving family, high standards caused stress

republicanism

related to radical whig thought, way to guard against anyone taking power for themselves, only give power to those who had public virtue(ability to do whats good for the country even if it hurts you), only rich and well educated had public virtue and the people in power wanted to stay in power

The Common Cause

ideas uniting colonists that wanted to fight in the revolution, propaganda turned colonists to Patriots to fight for freedom, only united white colonists and defined American as white

Logic behind the government the constitution created

The constitutional principle of creating an energetic central authority to protect the nation and commerce while guarding against tyranny through federalism, checks and balances, and separated branches.

Why democracy spread in the Early Republic

The expansion of popular political participation driven by the state-by-state elimination of property and taxpaying qualifications, establishing near-universal white male suffrage. This democratic surge was accelerated by the emergence of organized mass political parties, grassroots campaigning, and the widespread circulation of partisan print media that engaged ordinary citizens. Culturally, Jacksonian democracy fostered an egalitarian ethos celebrating the 'common man' over traditional aristocratic elites, though this expansion of political equality explicitly excluded and further disenfranchised women, free African Americans, and Native Americans.

Reasons why slavery emerged in the American colonies

The combination of economics(made more money for longer period of time), social control(ensured those at top of society remained), and racism(believed biological/behavioral differences in races)

Causes of the American Revolution

issues w/land + relations with Natives, emergence of American nationalism, taxation + representation, radical whig thought, and enlightenment ideas