Key Events and Themes in American History

Maize Cultivation

Domestication of corn in Mesoamerica around 5000 BCE.

Great Basin Anasazi

Ancestral Puebloans known for cliff dwellings and irrigation.

Spanish Exploration

Focused on colonizing Americas and converting natives.

Portuguese Exploration

Established trade routes in Africa, Asia, and Brazil.

English Exploration

Established permanent settlements, displacing Native Americans.

French Exploration

Engaged in fur trading and cooperated with indigenous peoples.

Encomienda System

Spanish labor system exploiting indigenous people for tribute.

Iroquois Confederacy

Alliance of six Native American nations in Northeast.

Mississippian Valley Mound Builders

Constructed large earthen mounds for ceremonies and burials.

Three Sisters Farming

Corn, beans, and squash grown together for mutual support.

Conquistadors

Spanish conquerors who toppled Aztec and Inca empires.

Black Legend

Narrative depicting Spanish colonizers as uniquely brutal.

Pueblo Revolt

1680 uprising against Spanish rule by Pueblo Indians.

Columbian Exchange

Transatlantic exchange of goods, people, and ideas.

Joint Stock Companies

Investors pooled resources to fund colonial ventures.

Spanish Colonial Class System

Hierarchical structure based on race and birthplace.

Plantation System

Large-scale agriculture relying on enslaved labor for cash crops.

Aztec Civilization

Advanced society known for architecture and mathematics.

Mayan Civilization

Pre-Columbian society noted for astronomical achievements.

Incan Civilization

South American empire known for engineering and agriculture.

Treaty of Tordesillas

1494 agreement dividing lands between Spain and Portugal.

House of Burgesses

First representative assembly in American colonies, established 1619.

Indentured Servants

Workers contracted for years in exchange for passage.

Atlantic Slave Trade

Forced transportation of Africans to work as slaves.

Powhatan Wars

Conflicts between English settlers and Powhatan Confederacy.

New England Confederation

Military alliance of New England colonies formed in 1643.

Puritanism

Religious movement to reform the Church of England.

Headright System

Land grants for settlers to attract colonizers by offering acreage of land in exchange for settling in a colony, particularly in the Southern colonies.

Bacon's Rebellion

1676 uprising in Virginia over class tensions.

Protestant Reformation

16th-century movement challenging Catholic doctrines.

Mayflower Compact

1620 agreement for self-governance by Pilgrims.

Act of Toleration

1649 law granting religious freedom to Christians in Maryland.

Barbados Slave Code

1661 law establishing legal basis for slavery.

Zenger Trial

1735 trial establishing press freedom precedent.

Quakers Culture

Group promoting pacifism and equality, influencing rights.

Tobacco/Cash Crops

First profitable crop driving Chesapeake economic growth.

City on a Hill

Winthrop's vision of Massachusetts as a moral example.

English Civil War

Conflict leading to republican rule in England in the 1640’s.

Glorious Revolution

1688 event establishing constitutional monarchy in England.

Ann Hutchinson

Dissenter challenging Puritan authority and gender roles.

Natural Rights/Enlightenment

Philosophy asserting inherent rights to life and liberty.

Great Awakening

18th-century revivals emphasizing personal faith and diversity.

Mercantilism

Economic theory prioritizing mother country's benefits from colonies.

Navigation Laws

British regulations ensuring colonial trade benefits England.

Salutary Neglect

Period of lax enforcement of colonial regulations.

Proclamation Line of 1763

Decree preventing settlement west of the Appalachians.

Seven Years' War

Global conflict increasing British dominance in North America.

Pontiac's Rebellion

1763 uprising of Native Americans against British policies and involvement following the 7 years war.

Washington's Farewell Address

1796 advice against foreign alliances and political parties.

Thomas Paine's Common Sense

1776 pamphlet advocating for American independence.

Declaration of Independence

1776 document proclaiming separation from Britain.

Articles of Confederation

First U.S. constitution creating a weak central government.

Great Compromise

Agreement establishing a bicameral legislature during the Constitutional Convention in 1787

KY and VA Resolutions

States' assertion to nullify unconstitutional federal laws; kentucky and Virginia stated that they had the power to say no to federal orders pre civil war

Hamilton vs. Jefferson

Political rivalry between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

Federalists

Supported strong central government and industrial economy.

Democratic-Republicans

Advocated for states' rights and agrarian economy.

Revolution of 1800

Peaceful power transfer from Federalists to Democratic-Republicans.

Republican Motherhood

Women's role in educating children on republican values.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Established state admission process and banned slavery in newly established northern states.

Shays' Rebellion

1786-87 uprising revealing weaknesses of the Articles.

Federalist Papers

Essays promoting ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments protecting individual liberties.

Whiskey Rebellion

1794 protest against federal whiskey tax enforcement.

Jay's Treaty

1795 agreement resolving Revolutionary War issues with Britain.

XYZ Affair

1797 incident in which French ships were sinking American ships and America wanted to negotiate but the French demanded a bribe first, leading to anti-French sentiment in the U.S.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws limiting criticism of government and deporting non-citizens.

Marbury v. Madison

1803 case establishing judicial review principle.

Louisiana Purchase

1803 acquisition doubling U.S. territory from France.

Embargo Act of 1807

Banned American exports to protect neutrality.

War Hawks

Young Congress members advocating for war with Britain.

War of 1812

Conflict over trade and territorial disputes with Britain.

Treaty of Ghent

Ended the War of 1812, restoring pre-war boundaries.

Hartford Convention

Federalist meeting opposing War of 1812, leading to decline.

Impressment

British practice of forcing American sailors into service.

Henry Clay's American System

Economic plan promoting banking, tariffs, and improvements.

Missouri Compromise

1820 agreement balancing slave and free states ( maine would be a free state, if missouri would be a slave state)

Monroe Doctrine

1823 policy opposing European colonization in Americas.

Market Revolution

Early 1800s economic transformation through innovation.

Lowell System

Factory system employing young women in textiles.

Jacksonian Democracy

Movement advocating for common man and suffrage.

Nullification Crisis

1830s conflict over states' rights and tariffs.

Indian Removal Act

1830 law relocating Native Americans westward.

Second Great Awakening

19th-century revival promoting individual salvation and reform.

Seneca Falls Convention

First women's rights convention in 1848.

Manifest Destiny

Belief in U.S. expansion across North America.

Mexican-American War

1846-1848 conflict resulting in territorial gains.

Compromise of 1850

Laws easing tensions over slavery and territories.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

1854 law allowing slavery decisions by settlers.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

1857 ruling denying citizenship to enslaved people.

John Brown's Raid

1859 attempt to incite slave rebellion.

Election of 1860

Lincoln's election leading to Southern secession.

Union Advantages

Larger population, industrial base, and navy.

Confederate Advantages

Better military leadership and home-field advantage.

Fort Sumter

Site of first Civil War shots in 1861.

Fugitive Slave Act

Law enforcing return of escaped enslaved people.

Bleeding Kansas

Violence over slavery in Kansas territory.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

1848 treaty ending Mexican-American War and the U.S. recieving California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and most of Arizona and Colorado, as well as parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming.

U.S. Sanitary Commission

Agency supporting soldiers' health, organized by women.

Suspension of Habeas Corpus

Lincoln's suspension of trial rights for security.