AZ/US History Unit 1 PART 1 + 2: Revolution and New Nation Study Guide

Test layout: 20 vocabulary (matching), 26 multiple choice, 2 short response, 10 matching of terms/concepts, 1 written response

The land bridge across the Bering Strait allowed the first people to migrate from where?

From Asia, specifically southern Siberia, into America

Native American cultures developed based on what two things?

Environment/climate and available resources

Define the Columbian Exchange and explain the effects it had on the Native Americans.

Definition: The Columbian Exchange was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, people, technology, and diseases between the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia after Christopher Columbus's voyages.

Effects on Native Americans: It introduced new crops and animals but also brought diseases like smallpox, which caused massive population declines, disrupting their societies and ways of life.

Why was Jamestown established?

Jamestown was established in 1607 by the Virginia Company to make a profit through trade, agriculture, and finding gold, as well as to find a water route to Asia. It was the first permanent English settlement in America.

Who is considered the savior of Jamestown?

Captain John Smith

Name three colonies that were founded to escape religious persecution.

1. Massachusetts (Pilgrims and Puritans)

2. Pennsylvania (Quakers)

3. Maryland (Catholics)

Explain the PEGS (Political, Economic, Geography, and Social factors) of the New England colonies.

New England Colonies PEGS

• Political: Town meetings and self-government.

• Economic: Fishing, shipbuilding, and small-scale farming.

• Geography: Rocky soil, cold winters, short growing season.

• Social: Focused on religion, mainly Puritans, and education.

Explain the PEGS (Political, Economic, Geography, and Social factors) of the Middle colonies.

Middle Colonies PEGS

• Political: Representative assemblies.

• Economic: Farming (wheat, corn), trade, and skilled crafts.

• Geography: Fertile soil, moderate climate.

• Social: Diverse population with religious tolerance.

Explain the PEGS (Political, Economic, Geography, and Social factors) of the Southern colonies.

• Political: Wealthy planters held power.

• Economic: Plantations (tobacco, rice, indigo) and slavery.

• Geography: Warm climate, long growing season, fertile soil.

• Social: Hierarchical society with large landowners at the top.

Who dominated politics in early America?

White rich male landowners

Contrast the Puritans and the Quakers.

• Puritans: Strict, focused on religious conformity, and had little tolerance for other beliefs.

• Quakers: Peaceful, believed in equality, and promoted religious tolerance.

Explain cultural diffusion and the impact it had on the Native Americans.

Cultural Diffusion: The spread of ideas, customs, and technologies between cultures.

Impact on Native Americans: They gained new tools, animals, and crops but also faced negative effects like loss of land, forced assimilation, and devastating diseases.

A result of the French and Indian War was an increase in taxes. Explain the British Justification for these taxes.

The British justified the taxes by arguing that the colonies should help pay for the cost of their defense during the French and Indian War, as the war was fought partly to protect them.

Explain the causes and effects of the American Revolution.

Causes:

• British taxes (Stamp Act, Tea Act)

• Lack of representation in Parliament

• British restrictions on colonial trade and land

• Desire for independence and self-government

Effects:

• The colonies gained independence from Britain

• Creation of the United States

• Establishment of a new government with a constitution and bill of rights.

Explain the three main reasons the Americans defeated the British during the Revolution.

• Home-field advantage: The Americans knew the land, making it harder for the British to fight.

• Allied support: France provided military aid, supplies, and troops to help the Americans.

• British challenges: The British were far from home, faced supply issues, and had to fight a large, dispersed army.

Explain how an American victory in the Revolutionary War led to the spread of the idea of liberty at home and abroad.

The American victory in the Revolutionary War inspired the idea of liberty by showing that a people could overthrow an oppressive government. It influenced other nations to seek independence and adopt democratic ideals, spreading the concepts of freedom and self-governance globally.

List and explain the major contributions of George Washington.

1. Commander-in-Chief: Led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolution.

2. First President: Set many precedents for the presidency, including the two-term limit.

3. Whiskey Rebellion: Strengthened federal authority by putting down a rebellion.

4. Neutrality Proclamation: Kept the U.S. out of foreign wars, focusing on internal development.

5. Constitutional Convention: Played a key role in creating the U.S. Constitution.

Explain strict and loose interpretation of the Constitution. Name the political party and an individual who supported each one.

• Strict Interpretation: Believed the Constitution should be followed exactly as written, with no room for implied powers.

  • Party: Federalists

  • Individual: Thomas Jefferson

• Loose Interpretation: Believed the Constitution could be adapted to meet changing needs, allowing implied powers.

  • Party: Democratic-Republicans

  • Individual: Alexander Hamilton

Proclamation of 1763

The Proclamation of 1763 was a British law that restricted colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent conflicts with Native Americans. It angered colonists who wanted to expand westward.

Acts/Taxes of the British

• Sugar Act (1764): Tax on sugar and molasses, aimed at raising revenue for Britain.

• Stamp Act (1765): Tax on printed materials like newspapers and legal documents.

• Townshend Acts (1767): Taxed goods like glass, paper, and tea imported to the colonies.

• Tea Act (1773): Allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies, bypassing colonial merchants.

• Coercive/Intolerable Acts (1774): Punitive laws, including closing Boston’s port, in response to the Boston Tea Party.

Important Documents

Declaration of Independence: A 1776 document declaring the American colonies' independence from Britain, outlining grievances against King George III.

Articles of Confederation: The first U.S. constitution (1781-1789), creating a weak central government with limited powers.

Constitution: The 1787 document that established the framework for the U.S. government, creating a stronger federal system with three branches.

Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the Constitution (1791), guaranteeing individual freedoms like speech, religion, and due process.

Treaty of Paris 1783

The Treaty of Paris 1783 officially ended the American Revolution, recognizing the United States' independence. It also set new borders, granting land west to the Mississippi River, north to Canada, and south to Florida.

New Jersey Plan

The New Jersey Plan (1787) proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state, regardless of size. It was designed to protect the interests of smaller states during the Constitutional Convention.

Virginia Plan

The Virginia Plan (1787) proposed a bicameral legislature with representation based on state population, favoring larger states. It also suggested a stronger central government with an executive and judiciary branch.

Great Compromise

The Great Compromise (1787) blended the Virginia and New Jersey Plans, creating a bicameral legislature: the House of Representatives (based on population) and the Senate (with equal representation for each state). This resolved the conflict between large and small states.

Three-fifths Compromise

The Three-Fifths Compromise (1787) was an agreement that counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for both taxation and representation purposes. This helped settle disputes between northern and southern states during the Constitutional Convention.

Battles of the Revolution

Key battles from the American Revolution

• Battle of Lexington and Concord (1775): The first military engagements, starting the war.

• Battle of Bunker Hill (1775): A costly British victory that showed the Americans could fight.

• Battle of Saratoga (1777): A turning point for the war and for morale, leading to France joining the war as an American ally.

• Battle of Yorktown (1781): The final major battle, leading to British surrender and the end of the war.

Federalists v. Anti-Federalists

• Federalists: Supported a strong central government and the ratification of the Constitution. Notable figures include Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.

• Anti-Federalists: Opposed the Constitution, fearing it gave too much power to the federal government and lacked protections for individual rights. Notable figures include Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry.

Capitalism

An economic system where private individuals or businesses own and control the production and distribution of goods and services. It is driven by profit, competition, and market forces, with minimal government interference.

Marbury v. Madison

Marbury v. Madison (1803) was a landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, giving the Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional. It strengthened the judiciary by confirming its role in interpreting the Constitution.