United States History I – Midterm Exam Review

These flashcards cover key concepts related to United States History I focusing on significant events, legislation, and individuals relevant to the midterm exam.

Paleo-Indian society

The basic aspects of the early Native American cultures that existed in North America.

Three sisters farming method

An agricultural technique that involved planting maize, beans, and squash together to enhance crop yield.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World.

Cash crops

Crops produced for commercial value rather than for use by the grower, such as tobacco and rice.

Indentured servitude

A labor system where people paid for their passage to America with labor for a number of years.

Slave labor system

An economic system where individuals were owned and forced to work without pay, significantly in agriculture.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement among the Pilgrims to create a simple democratic government following their arrival in America.

House of Burgesses

The first legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia.

Colonial politics

The framework and practices involved in the governance of the American colonies.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement influencing America, emphasizing reason, individualism, and scientific inquiry.

Benign neglect

A policy where the British Crown allowed the colonies considerable freedom in economic matters.

Bacon's Rebellion

A 1676 uprising in Virginia demonstrating discontent with colonial governance and Indian policy.

French and Indian War

A conflict between Britain and France in North America that resulted in British territorial gains.

Proclamation of 1763

An order by the British Crown that prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Sugar Act

A revenue-raising act that imposed duties on sugar and molasses imported into the colonies.

Stamp Act

A direct tax imposed by Britain on the colonies requiring them to use specially stamped paper for documents.

Quartering Act

A law requiring colonies to provide housing and supplies to British troops stationed in America.

Townshend Act

A series of laws that taxed goods imported to the American colonies and provoked widespread protests.

Boston Tea Party

A protest by colonists against British taxation where they dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

Coercive Acts

A series of punitive laws passed in 1774 by the British Parliament to punish the American colonists.

Virtual representation

The British theory that colonists were represented in Parliament despite not having elected seats.

Sons of Liberty

An organization of colonists formed to oppose British policies and tax laws.

Boston Massacre

A deadly confrontation in 1770 where British soldiers killed five colonists, influencing anti-British sentiment.

First Continental Congress

A gathering of colonial representatives in 1774 to coordinate resistance against British policies.

Second Continental Congress

The convention of delegates that managed the colonial war effort and moved incrementally towards independence.

Common Sense

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine advocating for American independence from Britain.

Declaration of Independence

A document asserting the independence of the colonies from British rule, primarily blaming King George III.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States that established a weak federal government.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Legislation that established a framework for governance in the Northwest Territory and outlined the process for admitting new states.

Shay's Rebellion

An armed uprising in 1786-87 that highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Virginia Plan

A proposal for a bicameral legislative branch with representation based on population.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal for a unicameral legislative branch with equal representation for each state.

Great Compromise

An agreement that created a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

Three-fifths compromise

An agreement that counted three-fifths of the slave population for taxation and representation purposes.

Democracy versus republicanism

Democracy emphasizes direct participation; republicanism emphasizes elected representatives.

Checks and balances

A system that ensures no one branch of government becomes too powerful by allowing each branch to limit the others.

Federalists

Supporters of the proposed Constitution who advocated for a strong central government.

Anti-federalists

Opponents of the proposed Constitution who favored stronger state governments.

Federalist Papers

A series of writings by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay promoting the ratification of the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing individual rights and liberties.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 protest against the federal excise tax on whiskey, demonstrating the strength of the new government.

Jay Treaty

An agreement aimed at resolving issues between the U.S. and Great Britain following the Revolutionary War.

XYZ Affair

A diplomatic incident that led to an undeclared war between the United States and France.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws passed in 1798 that restricted immigration and curtailed criticism of the government.

Jefferson's Republican vision

A political philosophy advocating for agrarianism, states' rights, and a limited federal government.

Marbury v. Madison

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review.

Louisiana Purchase

A land acquisition in 1803 that doubled the size of the United States, allowing westward expansion.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

An expedition tasked with exploring the newly acquired land of the Louisiana Purchase.

1807 Embargo Act

A law that prohibited American ships from trading with foreign ports, leading to economic distress.

Non-Intercourse Act

A law that lifted the embargo on trade with all nations except Britain and France.

War Hawks

Members of Congress who pushed for war with Britain in the lead-up to the War of 1812.

Burning of Washington, DC

An event during the War of 1812 where British troops burned the Capitol and the White House.

Fort McHenry

The site of a battle during the War of 1812, famously inspiring the U.S. national anthem.

War of 1812

A conflict fought between the United States and Great Britain that was indecisive militarily but fostered American nationalism.

Monroe Doctrine

A U.S. foreign policy statement warning European powers against colonization in the Americas.

Adams-Onis Treaty

An 1819 agreement in which Spain ceded Florida to the United States.

Panic of 1819

The first major financial crisis in the United States, leading to widespread economic hardship.

Missouri Compromise

A legislative decision that balanced the admission of Missouri as a slave state with Maine as a free state.

Marshall Court

The Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall, known for establishing principles of federalism and judicial power.