Quarter 1 Midterm Study Set for History

Title is self-explanatory

“Common Sense”

"Common Sense" was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776 that advocated for American independence from Britain. It argued that monarchy was an illegitimate form of government and it helped encourage colonists to break away from British rule.

Stamp Act

A 1765 law set by Britain that required American colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper, such as legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards. It was one of the first direct taxes placed on the colonists, leading to many protests.

Enlightenment

A movement in the 17th and 18th centuries that pushed for reason, individualism, and the questioning of traditional authority. Enlightenment thinkers, like John Locke and Voltaire, helped influenced these democratic ideals and contributed to revolutionary movements.

Townshend Acts

A series of laws set in 1767 by the British Parliament that imposed duties on everyday goods such as tea, glass, and paper. These acts led to protests among the American colonists since they were seen as a violation of their rights.

Boston Tea Party

A protest that took place on December 16, 1773. American colonists wanted to fight against British taxation, so they dumped an entire shipment of tea into Boston Harbor to oppose the Tea Act.

Boston Massacre

On March 5, 1770, British soldiers killed five colonists during a confrontation in Boston. This event ended up growing tensions between Britain and the American colonies, especially since they had gotten fed up with the colonists’ “no taxation without representation.”

Federalism

A political system where power is divided between a central national government and a smaller government, either regional or local governments.

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was the founding document of the United States of America adopted on July 4, 1776. It was signed by 56 delegates, who represented the 13 original colonies.

Intolerable Acts

A series of five laws passed by the British Parliament in order to serve consequences for the Boston Tea Party, and to assert royal authority over the colonists. These laws included the Boston Port Act, Massachusetts Government Act. Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act.

John Locke

John Locke was an English philosopher and and physician who was best known for being one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers.

1st Great Awakening

A Christian religious revival that hit the American and British Colonies during the 1730s and 1740s, which served as a counter reaction to the Enlightenment.

Bill of Rights

The first ten Amendments for the United States’ constitution, which was ratified on December 15, 1791. These amendments helped limit federal power and protect fundamental individual liberties.

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

This debate centered on whether or not should the U.S. Constitution should be ratified and how much power the national government should hold.

Articles of Confederation

The first written Constitution of the United States that was written in 1777, then adopted in 1781. It called for a single-house Congress of Confederation where each state got one vote, and didn’t have judicial or executive branches. It was later replaced by the Constitution in 1789.

Separation of Church and State

A legal and philosophical principle that keeps government and religious institutions separate. It helps people practice their religion without interference from the government, and prevents the government from favoring one faith over the other etc.

Establishment Clause

The First Amendment of the Constitution, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” which means the government can’t make an official or national church.

Free Exercise Clause

Another aspect of the first Amendment, which states that “Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion,” allowing citizens to follow any religion they would like.

Madbury V. Madision

The U.S. Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, or the power of federal courts to declare legislative and executive acts.

Judicial Review

The power of a court to examine the actions of a legislative, executive, and administrative branches of a government and to stop them if they ever violate the constitution.

Monroe Doctrine

A foreign policy statement that was created by President James Monroe that declared the American continents to be closed to any future European colonization.

Differences in the economies of the North and South

The North and the South both had different foundations, labor systems, and infrastructure. The Northern economy was much more industrial and diverse, while the Southern economy was Agrarian and Slave-based.

Causes of the Civil War

The Civil War was mainly caused by the wild differences in the view of slavery. Political, economic, and social divisions all blossomed from these disagreements, and as tensions rose, so did the start of the Civil War.

Popular Sovereignty

The political doctrine that a state and its government derive their legitimacy and authority from the people themselves.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

A famous Supreme Court case that ruled that slaves who were descendants of American slaves were not citizens of the United States.

Emancipation Proclamation

Issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, this declared all slaves in the Confederate States to be legally free.

Gettysburg Address

A relatively short speech given by Abraham Lincoln following the Battle of Gettysburg. It was delivered on November 19, 1893 and was partially dedicated to those lost during the battle.

Andrew Johnson

The 17th president of the United States who earned the role after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was an American abolitionist and writer who was well known for his contributions to the African-American civil rights movement.

Jim Crow Laws

The state and local laws that were implemented in the United States in order to enforce racial segregation and second-class citizenship for African Americans. They were enforced from the 1870s to the mid-1960s.

Reconstruction plans (Lincoln, Republicans, Congressional plan)

These Reconstruction plans were set in order to help reintegrate the Southern States and determine the statues of the newly freed Americans.

13th, 14th, 15th Amendments

The set of Amendments known as the Reconstruction Amendments as they were added to abolish slavery and help rebuild the nation after the Civil War. These amendments ended slavery, gave people citizenship rights and equal protection of the law, and prohibited discrimination in voting rights.