AP US History Unit 1 & Early America Review

Flashcards covering American history concepts from Unit 1 notes including colonial developments, key acts, the Revolutionary War, and early presidency politics.

What was the Columbian Exchange (1492)?

The sharing of plants, animals, diseases, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres as a direct result of Columbus' arrival.

What was the Encomienda system established in 1503?

A system of forced labor where Native Americans were forced to work on Spanish-owned estates, growing cash crops like maize, tobacco, and sugar.

What impact did smallpox have on the Native American population upon European arrival?

It killed over half of the Native American population.

What was the Pueblo Revolt (Popé's Rebellion)?

A conflict where Native Americans fought back against Spanish rule and killed priests, holding Spain at bay for a decade before being overwhelmed by disease and advanced technology.

What primary trade interest did France pursue in the New World?

The fur trade.

What was the first permanent English settlement established in 1607?

Jamestown, Virginia Colony, which was created by the Virginia Company of London.

What was the rule of primogeniture in England?

A rule stating that only the oldest son could receive the inheritance, prompting younger sons to move to the New World for opportunities.

What percentage of people who came to Jamestown died during its early struggles?

$70\%$ of the people died.

Who introduced a hybrid tobacco seed that could survive in Virginia's climate?

John Rolfe.

What was the headright system?

A system designed to convince people to bring more individuals to Jamestown by offering $50$ acres of land for each person brought over.

What was the primary mission and motto of the Separatist Puritans who landed at Plymouth in 1620?

To become a "perfect Christian community" with a mission known as a "City on a hill" from the Sermon on the Mount.

What was the Mayflower Compact (1620)?

An agreement establishing that decision-making in the new colony would be held by anyone who believed in the Puritan religion and was in the Church.

What was the purpose of the Old Deluder Satan Act ("Deceiver laws") in Puritan Massachusetts?

To require public schooling so children could read the Bible and prevent Satan from leading them into ignorance and savagery.

Why was Anne Hutchinson put on trial by the General Court and banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony?

She claimed God spoke to her directly to interpret the Bible and held Bible studies in her home, leading Puritan elders to charge her with antinomianism.

Which colony was established by James Oglethorpe as a haven for debtors and convicts?

Georgia.

What was the Half-way Covenant?

A decision by Puritans to allow more people into church membership without full voting rights in response to declining church attendance and growing secular economic interest.

Who were the two major "New Light" preachers of the Great Awakening mentioned in the notes?

George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards.

What was Bacon's Rebellion (1676)?

An uprising led by Nathaniel Bacon along with planters and indentured servants who burned Jamestown's governor's mansion in protest of economic unfairness and lack of protection from Native American attacks.

What was the outcome of the Amistad incident trial in Massachusetts?

The enslaved individuals who successfully rebelled on the ship were ruled to be set free.

What was the purpose of the Albany Congress in 1754?

To unify the American colonies against French and Native American threats during the French and Indian War, famously represented by Benjamin Franklin's "Join or Die" image.

What did the Proclamation of 1763 declare?

Parliament declared that American colonists were forbidden from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent further conflict with Native Americans.

What were Writs of Assistance?

Generalized search warrants used by the British Navy to pull over and search American ships without probable cause to catch smugglers.

What was the Declaratory Act?

A law passed by Parliament declaring that although the Stamp Act was repealed, Britain retained full authority to pass binding laws on the American colonies.

What event occurred in 1770 when British Redcoats fired into a provocative crowd, killing colonists?

The Boston Massacre, which was depicted in Paul Revere's circulating engraving titled "The Bloody Massacre on King Street."

What four specific provisions made up the Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)?

The Boston Port Act, the Administration of Justice Act, the suspension of the Massachusetts Colonial Legislature, and a harsher Quartering Act.

Where were the first shots of the American Revolutionary War fired in 1775?

Lexington and Concord.

Who wrote the pamphlet Common Sense in plain language to advocate for American independence and civic virtue?

Thomas Paine.

Which battle is considered the turning point of the American Revolution, and why?

The Battle of Saratoga (October 1777), because the American victory convinced France to officially ally with and provide money and naval assistance to the Americans.

What was Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787)?

An armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers led by Daniel Shays against bank land foreclosures, exposing the weakness of the federal government under the Articles of Confederation.

How did the Great Compromise resolve the debate between large and small states at the Constitutional Convention?

It created a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate offering equal representation (two per state).

What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?

An agreement that enslaved individuals would count as $\frac{3}{5}$ of a white person for the purpose of state representation in Congress.

What warnings did George Washington issue in his Farewell Address?

He warned against getting involved in European conflicts and against forming political parties.

What was the XYZ Affair?

An incident where French officials demanded a bribe from American delegates before discussing ship harassment, leading to an undeclared naval war.

What legal principle was established by Chief Justice John Marshall in Marbury v. Madison (1803)?

Judicial review, the power of the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.