AP United States History — Complete Study Guide

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts for the AP United States History exam.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of goods, ideas, diseases between hemispheres after 1492.

Encomienda

Spanish system granting conquistadors Native labor.

Mestizo

Person of mixed European and Native ancestry.

Iroquois Confederacy

Alliance of 5 (later 6) Haudenosaunee nations.

Salutary Neglect

Britain loosely enforced colonial laws → colonies developed self-governance.

Mayflower Compact

Self-governance by consent.

Zenger Trial

Established the precedent for freedom of the press.

Declaration of Independence

Document asserting the right of the colonies to be free from British rule; based on Locke's natural rights.

13th Amendment

Abolishes slavery.

14th Amendment

Grants equal protection and citizenship to Black Americans.

15th Amendment

Grants Black male suffrage.

Plessy v. Ferguson

Established the 'separate but equal' doctrine that legalized segregation.

Brown v. Board of Education

Overturned Plessy; declared that 'separate is inherently unequal' in education.

New Deal

FDR's plan to provide relief, recovery, and reform in response to the Great Depression.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Banned discrimination in public accommodations and employment.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned literacy tests and other barriers to voting for Black Americans.

War on Terror

U.S. military campaigns against terrorist groups following the September 11 attacks.