Early American History - Themes and Key Events

Crash Course- Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, events, and ideas from the lecture notes.

Diversity of Native American Civilizations

North America hosted a wide variety of indigenous cultures, social structures, and environmental adaptations.

Absence of Classical Civilizations in North America

No North American equivalents of Aztec or Inca empires; complex societies existed (e.g., Zuni, Hopi) but without monumental empires.

Eurocentric Misconceptions about Native Americans

European observers often misunderstood or undervalued Native societies and contributions.

Spanish Brutality and Encomienda

Spanish colonization involved brutal conquest and forced labor under systems like encomienda.

Native American Technologies & Social Structures

Indigenous peoples lacked certain technologies, but had farming, complex social/political systems, and widespread trade.

Devastating Impact of Disease

European microbes caused massive depopulation; estimates suggest around an 80% population decline.

Conceptions of Property among Native Americans

Land viewed as a common resource allocated for use, not privately owned.

Pueblo Revolt (1680)

Led by Popé; 2,000 warriors killed about 400 Spanish; briefly expelled them and spurred policy change.

The Black Legend

Narrative portraying Spanish cruelty used to justify later English settlements.

Bias in Historical Records

Few Native perspectives survive; most surviving accounts come from colonizers or settlers.

Jamestown (1607)

First successful English colony; established by the Virginia Company; early struggles with mortality and farming.

Headright System (1618)

50 acres of land granted for each person a settler brought to the colony.

Introduction of African Slaves (1619)

First shipment of enslaved Africans to Virginia, signaling a shift to slave labor.

Tobacco's Economic Impact

Profitable cash crop that spurred plantations and a male-dominated, aristocratic planter class.

Plymouth and the Mayflower Compact

Plymouth settlement; Mayflower Compact established self-governance through consent and just laws.

Squanto and Native Aid to the Pilgrims

Squanto helped the Pilgrims survive by teaching agriculture and aiding in meals, aiding the early Thanksgiving narrative.

Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629)

Puritan settlement aiming for a model Christian community; voting limited to visible saints.

Religious Intolerance: Williams & Hutchinson

Roger Williams and Ann Hutchinson were banished for advocating religious freedom and dissent.

Pequot War (1637)

Colonial forces and allied tribes massacred many Pequots, expanding English settlement opportunities.

King Philip's War (1675)

Metacom led major Native resistance; the conflict threatened NE English settlements.

Bacon's Rebellion (1676)

Virginia uprising against Governor Berkeley; influenced shift from indentured servitude to slave labor.

Penn’s Pennsylvania (Quaker Haven)

William Penn founded Pennsylvania as a haven for Quakers with tolerance and Indian respect; Walking Purchase later controversial.

Mercantilism

Economic theory: colonies exist for raw materials and markets; government regulates for national power.

Seven Years' War / French and Indian War

Global conflict disputes over Ohio Valley; British victory culminated in the Treaty of Paris (1763) and altered territorial claims.

Republicanism

Political philosophy advocating government without a monarchy and virtue among property-owning citizens.

Liberalism

Philosophy stressing natural rights and a social contract to protect life, liberty, and property.

Great Awakening

Religious revival that emphasized personal faith and challenged church hierarchies, fueling questions about authority.

Proclamation Line of 1763

Prohibited settlement west of the Appalachians to protect Indigenous lands; colonists largely ignored it.

Pontiac's Rebellion

Native American uprising against British expansion after the war, prompting the Proclamation Line.

Sugar Act (1764)

Tax on sugar and molasses with stronger enforcement and moved trials to British courts.

Stamp Act (1765)

Taxes on printed materials; sparked anger among printers and lawyers and unified colonial opposition.

Stamp Act Congress

First colonial-wide assembly coordinating boycotts and petitions against Britain.

Townshend Acts (1767)

New taxes on goods and a new board of customs; intensified smuggling crackdowns and boycotts.

Daughters of Liberty

Women organized to support resistance and boycott efforts.

Boston Massacre (1770)

Five colonists killed by British troops; highlighted colonial grievances and propaganda potential.

Tea Act (1773)

Company monopoly on tea with lower prices; principle of taxation angered colonists.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Colonial protest in which tea was dumped into Boston Harbor; led to punitive measures.

Intolerable Acts (1774)

Coercive acts including MA Government Act, Quartering Act, and Quebec Act aimed at punishing Massachusetts.

First Continental Congress (1774)

Delegates from 12 colonies met to coordinate resistance; established Continental Association.

Common Sense (1776)

Paired pamphlet arguing for independence and American exceptionalism; sold widely.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Formal declaration of independence asserting natural rights and equality.

Trenton (1776)

Washington's surprise victory boosting morale early in the war.

Saratoga (1777)

American victory that secured French alliance and shifted momentum of the war.

Yorktown (1781)

British surrender effectively ending major hostilities in the American Revolution.

Loyalists

Colonists who supported Britain; some enslaved joined with promises of freedom, e.g., 5,000 awaited Dunmore's offer.

Native Americans in the Revolution

Many aligned with Britain or remained neutral; Indigenous rights were not guaranteed after the war.

Republican Motherhood

Idea that women should be educated to raise virtuous citizens for the republic.

Articles of Confederation

First US government; a weak central authority described as a firm league of friendship.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Created five new states from the Northwest Territory; banned slavery in those states; recognized Indian land claims.

Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787)

Debt-ridden farmers' uprising in Massachusetts; highlighted structural weaknesses of the Articles.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

Philadelphia meeting that produced a new framework for a stronger national government.

Great Compromise

Two-house Congress: House by population, Senate with two members per state.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Slaves counted as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation.

Fugitive Slave Clause

Escaped slaves were to be returned to their owners.

Separation of Powers

Division of government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches with checks and balances.

Federalism

Division of power between national and state governments.

Electoral College

System for electing the president designed to balance popular will with informed choice.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution advocating a strong national government (e.g., Hamilton, Madison, Jay).

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution fearing centralized tyranny; favored stronger state governments.

Hamilton's Vision (Federalists)

Mercantile/manufacturing economy with a strong federal government, national debt plan, Bank, tariffs.

Jefferson's Vision (Democratic-Republicans)

Agrarian, small government, strict constitutional interpretation, pro-French.

Washington's Presidency

Set precedents (two-term limit), supported Hamilton's plan, quelled the Whiskey Rebellion.

Jay Treaty

Agreement with Britain improving trade but not addressing impressment.

Citizen Genêt Affair

French envoy Genêt recruited American ships to attack Britain, challenging neutrality.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Adams-era laws extending naturalization and criminalizing criticism of the government; sparked push for nullification.

Nullification

Idea that states could nullify federal laws they deemed unconstitutional.

Unsettled Politics (Early Republic)

Era marked by debates over the nature of government, policy, and rights.