Freshman, History study guide

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French & Indian War

A war between Britain and France in North America that ended with Britain gaining land but also large debts.

Causes of the American Revolution

Colonists were upset over taxation without representation and British control over the colonies.

Various Acts of the British

Laws such as the Stamp Act, Tea Act, Townshend Acts, and Intolerable Acts angered colonists and increased tensions.

Declaration of Independence

A document written mainly by Thomas Jefferson declaring the colonies' independence from Britain.

Boston Tea Party

Colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor, leading Britain to pass the Intolerable Acts as punishment.

Battles of Lexington and Concord

The first battles of the American Revolution fought in April 1775.

Battle of Saratoga

An American victory that convinced France to support the colonies.

Battle of Yorktown

The final major battle of the Revolution where British forces surrendered.

George Washington

Commander of the Continental Army and the first President of the United States.

General Cornwallis

The British general who surrendered at Yorktown.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

The treaty that ended the Revolutionary War and recognized American independence.

Articles of Confederation & its weaknesses

America's first government was weak because it could not tax citizens or enforce laws effectively.

Shays' Rebellion

An uprising by farmers that showed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

The U.S. Constitution

The document that created the federal government and remains the supreme law of the United States.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments added to protect individual freedoms and gain support for the Constitution.

James Madison

Known as the 'Father of the Constitution' for his major role in writing it.

The Great Compromise

An agreement creating a two-house Congress with representation based on population and equal representation for states.

Federalist Papers

Essays written to persuade states to ratify the Constitution.

Checks and Balances

A system that prevents any branch of government from becoming too powerful.

Washington as President

Washington set important precedents such as having a cabinet and serving only two terms.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws that restricted immigration and limited criticism of the government.

Louisiana Purchase

The United States bought land from France in 1803, doubling its size.

Monroe Doctrine

A policy warning European nations not to interfere in the Americas.

Indian Removal Act

A law that forced many Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi River.

Westward Expansion and its Effects

Americans moved west, gaining land but displacing Native American peoples.

War of 1812

A war between the United States and Britain caused by trade disputes and British interference.

Texas War of Independence

Texans fought Mexico and won independence in 1836.

The Industrial Revolution

A period when machines and factories greatly increased production.

Industrialization & its Effects

Industrialization created jobs and goods but also caused crowded cities and poor working conditions.

Difference Between Urban & Rural

Urban areas are cities with dense populations, while rural areas are countryside communities with fewer people.

Cotton Gin & its Effect on Slavery

The cotton gin made cotton production more profitable and increased the demand for enslaved labor.

Difference Between North and South

The North became more industrialized while the South remained focused on agriculture and slavery.

The Reform Movements

Efforts to improve society by addressing issues such as slavery, education, and women's rights.

Temperance Movement

A movement that sought to reduce or ban alcohol consumption.

Abolitionism

The movement to end slavery in the United States.

Frederick Douglass

A formerly enslaved abolitionist who spoke and wrote against slavery.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that helped increase opposition to slavery.

Women's Rights Movement

A movement that fought for greater rights and equality for women.

Seneca Falls Convention

The first major women's rights convention held in 1848.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the United States was destined to expand across North America.

Causes of the Civil War

Disagreements over slavery, states' rights, and political power divided the North and South.

Harpers Ferry

An 1859 raid led by John Brown to start a slave uprising.

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that settlers should vote on whether slavery would be allowed in their territory.

Missouri Compromise of 1820

An agreement that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws meant to ease tensions between free and slave states.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

A law allowing settlers to decide on slavery through popular sovereignty.

The Election of Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln's election in 1860 led several Southern states to secede.

The Attack on Fort Sumter

The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter started the Civil War.

First Battle of Bull Run & its Importance

The first major battle of the Civil War showed that the war would not end quickly.

Battle of Antietam

The bloodiest single day of the war and a strategic Union victory.

Confederate States of America

The eleven Southern states that seceded from the Union.

Union/United States of America

The Northern states that fought to preserve the United States.

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln's order that declared enslaved people in Confederate territory free.

Battle of Gettysburg

A major Union victory that turned the tide of the war.

Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's speech honoring soldiers and reaffirming the nation's ideals.

Merrimack vs. Monitor & its Effect

The battle between ironclad ships changed naval warfare forever.

Surrender at Appomattox

Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the Civil War.

Massachusetts 54th Regiment

One of the first African American Union regiments to fight in the Civil War.

Reconstruction

The period after the Civil War when the South was rebuilt and reintegrated into the Union.

13th, 14th, 15th Amendments

These amendments ended slavery, granted citizenship, and protected voting rights for Black men.

Lincoln and Johnson's Reconstruction Plans

Both favored relatively lenient terms for Southern states to rejoin the Union.

Radical Republicans

A group in Congress that wanted stronger protections for formerly enslaved people and harsher treatment of the South.

Black Codes

Southern laws designed to limit the rights and freedoms of African Americans.

Successes of Reconstruction

The Union was restored and important civil rights amendments were passed.

Failures of Reconstruction

Racism, discrimination, and unequal treatment continued after Reconstruction.

Why did Reconstruction end?

Reconstruction ended in 1877 when federal troops were withdrawn from the South as part of a political compromise.