American history final

What did early Europeans in the Americas bring that killed many natives?

Diseases such as smallpox and measles.

What is the definition of a plantation?

A large farm that specializes in the production of a single cash crop.

Who was the first European nation to establish colonies in the Americas?

Spain.

What is the definition of colonization?

The process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area.

Who were Francisco Pizarro and Hernando Cortes?

Spanish conquistadors who defeated the Incas and Aztecs, respectively.

What was the 1st English attempt at a colony in the Americas?

Roanoke Colony.

What country did Christopher Columbus sail for?

Spain.

What was Columbus hoping to find on his first voyage?

A westward route to Asia.

Which European country developed using African slaves on plantations?

Portugal.

What was one thing that Native Americans would not trade?

Land.

Name some of the original 13 colonies.

Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland are examples.

Why did the Spanish turn to African slaves in their American colonies?

To replace the declining Native American workforce due to diseases.

What was the 1st successful/permanent English settlement in the Americas?

Jamestown.

What were the goals of the Spanish conquistadors in the Americas?

To find wealth, spread Christianity, and gain glory.

What is a colony under the direct control of the king known as?

A royal colony.

What did John Rolfe do to save Jamestown?

He introduced tobacco as a cash crop.

What are some examples of cash crops from the colonies?

Tobacco, rice, and indigo.

What is the definition of a cash crop?

A crop produced for commercial value.

What was the purpose of the Navigation Acts?

To regulate colonial trade and enable England to collect taxes.

What is the theory of mercantilism?

The economic policy aimed at increasing a nation's wealth through trade.

Why did King Charles II make Massachusetts a royal colony?

To bring it under stricter control.

How did the Puritans get their name?

From their desire to 'purify' the Church of England.

Who held the lands that would later become known as New York before the British seized them?

The Dutch.

What is the 'middle passage'?

The sea journey undertaken by slave ships from West Africa to the Americas.

What was considered the largest city in America during the mid-1700s?

Philadelphia.

What was the Stono Rebellion?

A slave revolt that occurred in South Carolina in 1739.

What was the Proclamation of 1763 and its purpose?

It forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to avoid conflicts with Native Americans.

What were the major industries of the New England and Middle colonies?

Fishing, shipbuilding, and trade.

What was the Sugar Act and why was it put in place?

An act to reduce the tax on molasses while still aiming to collect revenue.

What were the nicknames of those who supported the King and those that supported independence?

Loyalists (supporters of the King) and Patriots (supporters of independence).

Who were the founders of the Sons of Liberty?

Samuel Adams and John Hancock.

What is Benedict Arnold known for during the Revolutionary War?

Betraying the American cause by defecting to the British.

What trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts?

The Salem witch trials.

In what event did the first fighting take place between British redcoats and colonial minutemen?

The Battles of Lexington and Concord.

What was the British response to the Boston Tea Party?

They enacted punitive measures known as the Intolerable Acts.

Why was the Sons of Liberty formed?

In response to British taxation without representation.

Who was the author of the pamphlet Common Sense?

Thomas Paine.

Whose ideas did Thomas Jefferson use when writing the Declaration of Independence?

John Locke.

Which British general surrendered at the final battle of the Revolutionary War?

General Cornwallis.

What document confirmed American Independence and set the new boundaries for the nation?

The Treaty of Paris (1783).

Which founding father began his military career during the French and Indian War?

George Washington.

What was the low point of the Revolutionary War for the continental army?

The winter at Valley Forge.

What was the Continental army’s first victory?

The Battle of Trenton.

Which European country supported and later allied with the Americans during the Revolutionary War?

France.

What battle was the turning point in the Revolutionary War?

The Battle of Saratoga.

What is the month, day, and year of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence?

July 4, 1776.

Under the Articles of Confederation, how was representation of each state in Congress handled?

Each state had one vote regardless of its population.

Who took part in writing The Federalist papers?

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.

How many states were needed to ratify the Constitution?

Nine.

What was the Great Compromise?

An agreement to create a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in one house and equal representation in another.

What is the nickname for those who supported the Constitution?

Federalists.

According to the Constitution, representation in the House of Representatives is based on what?

Population of the state.

How many terms did George Washington serve as President?

Two.

Who was the president that obtained the Louisiana Purchase?

Thomas Jefferson.

How many amendments did the Bill of Rights include?

Ten.

What was the purpose of the Bill of Rights?

To guarantee individual rights and limit government power.

Who proposed the idea to move the capital from New York to Virginia?

Alexander Hamilton.

Why did John Adams’ Alien and Sedition Acts outrage Democratic-Republicans?

They were seen as an infringement on individual rights and freedom of speech.

Why did the United States go to war with Britain in 1812?

Trade restrictions and impressment of American sailors.

Who did the U.S. buy the Louisiana Territory from?

France.

What did the Sedition Act allow the government to do?

To imprison or fine individuals for criticizing the government.

What was the Monroe Doctrine and what was it in response to?

A policy opposing European colonialism in the Americas.

Who was the first Secretary of State and who was the first Secretary of the Treasury in the U.S.?

Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State) and Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of the Treasury).

Who were the first 3 presidents in order?

George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.

Which group was forcibly removed from their lands in the ‘Trail of Tears’?

The Cherokee.

What political party did Andrew Jackson begin?

The Democratic Party.

What invention led to a sharp rise in the number of slaves imported to the U.S.?

The cotton gin.

What is sectionalism?

Loyalty to a region rather than the whole country.

What was the temperance movement?

A social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Who was Nat Turner and what is he known for doing?

An enslaved man known for leading a violent slave rebellion in 1831.

Which president was known as the 'accidental president'?

John Tyler.

What was the Indian Removal Act?

Legislation that authorized the forced removal of Native Americans from their ancestral lands.

Which U.S. president died from pneumonia a month after entering office?

William Henry Harrison.

What was the abolition movement?

A movement to end slavery.

What is the difference in treatment of rural slaves versus urban slaves?

Rural slaves typically worked on plantations with harsher conditions, while urban slaves often had more skilled jobs with slightly better living conditions.

How did slavery look on small farms as opposed to large plantations?

Small farms often had fewer slaves and less harsh conditions, while large plantations relied heavily on slave labor for cash crops.

What immigrant group often filled in as strikebreakers for low wages?

Irish immigrants.

What demographic group often worked in textile factories in the 1820s?

Young women.

What does emancipation mean?

The process of being freed from slavery.

What does civil disobedience mean?

The active refusal to obey certain laws as a form of protest.

What is a strike?

A work stoppage initiated by employees to protest issues such as pay or working conditions.

What were working conditions like in factories during the early to mid 1800s?

They were often dangerous, with long hours and low pay.

What did preachers term in the 1800s as 'a great national sin'?

Slavery.

What is secession?

The act of withdrawing from an organization or alliance, such as the Union.

Why was the Southern economy dependent on slavery?

Because it relied heavily on cash crops like cotton, which required a large labor force.

What was the first state to secede from the Union?

South Carolina.

What was the topic of the Lincoln-Douglas debates?

The issue of slavery in the territories.

What were the years of the Civil War?

1861 to 1865.

Who was the president of the Confederacy?

Jefferson Davis.

What was the capital of the Confederacy?

Richmond, Virginia.

What fort being attacked began the Civil War?

Fort Sumter.

Who was one of the most active and successful Underground Railroad conductors?

Harriet Tubman.

What is nativism?

The policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants.

Who was made commander of all Union armies by 1864 and later served as president of the U.S.?

Ulysses S. Grant.

Who was the Union commander that burned a path of destruction through Georgia?

William Tecumseh Sherman.

What is the single bloodiest single-day battle in American history?

The Battle of Antietam.

What battle is considered the turning point in the Civil War?

The Battle of Gettysburg.

Who is responsible for assassinating Lincoln?

John Wilkes Booth.