cset 2 us history

Geography of the United States

Physical features and climate patterns shaped settlement, economy, and regional differences

Gulf Stream

Warm Atlantic current that moderates temperatures along the eastern coast

Southeastern Coastal Plain

Flat fertile land from New Jersey to Texas that supported farming and settlement

Appalachian Mountains

Natural barrier that slowed westward expansion

Continental Divide

Rocky Mountain crest dividing river flow toward Atlantic or Pacific

Great Plains

Flat interior lands ideal for farming and settlement

Great Basin

Dry land between the Rockies and Sierra Nevada

Sierra Nevada Mountains

Western mountain range bordering California’s Central Valley

Central Valley

Fertile agricultural region shaped by surrounding mountains

Age of Exploration

European desire for Asian trade routes led to global exploration

Spanish Exploration

Spain led early exploration seeking wealth and territory

English Colonies

Developed traditions of self-government and individual rights

House of Burgesses

First representative assembly in the colonies

Mayflower Compact

Established government based on consent of the governed

Colonial Population Growth

Immigration and large families led to rapid population growth

Slavery in Colonies

Forced African labor shaped colonial economy and society

Regional Colonial Economies

Geography determined economic specialization

New England Economy

Shipbuilding and commerce

Middle Colonies Economy

Farming and trade

Southern Colonies Economy

Plantation agriculture and slavery

French and Indian War

British victory removed French threat but increased British debt

British War Debt

Led Britain to tax colonies to raise revenue

Mercantilism

British policy restricted colonial trade and economic freedom

Proclamation Act of 1763

Limited westward settlement and angered colonists

Stamp Act

First direct tax caused colonial protests and boycotts

Declaratory Act

Asserted Parliament’s power over colonies

Townshend Acts

Taxes increased colonial resistance

Boston Massacre

British soldiers killed colonists, increasing anti-British sentiment

Tea Act

Gave monopoly to British East India Company

Boston Tea Party

Colonial protest against British taxation

Intolerable Acts

Punished Massachusetts and united the colonies

First Continental Congress

Coordinated colonial resistance to Britain

Lexington and Concord

First armed conflict of the Revolution

George Washington

Appointed commander of Continental Army

French Alliance

Provided money, troops, and supplies to colonies

Battle of Yorktown

Final major victory securing independence

Declaration of Independence

Justified separation from Britain based on natural rights

American Revolution

War fought to gain independence from Britain

Articles of Confederation

First U.S. government with weak central authority

Weaknesses of Articles

No taxing power, no executive, no national currency

Northwest Ordinance

Created process for new states and banned slavery in region

Constitution

Created stronger federal government

Separation of Powers

Divided government into three branches

Checks and Balances

Prevented any branch from becoming too powerful

Federalism

Shared power between national and state governments

Great Compromise

Balanced large and small states with bicameral legislature

Bill of Rights

Protected individual liberties

Federalists

Supported strong national government and loose interpretation

Democratic Republicans

Favored states’ rights and strict interpretation

Hamilton’s Financial Plan

Stabilized economy and created national bank

Louisiana Purchase

Doubled U.S. size and promoted westward expansion

War of 1812

Fought over impressment and neutrality violations

Results of War of 1812

Increased nationalism and foreign respect

Monroe Doctrine

Declared Western Hemisphere closed to European colonization

Jacksonian Democracy

Expanded political power to common white men

Spoils System

Rewarded political supporters with government jobs

Trail of Tears

Forced relocation of Native Americans

Manifest Destiny

Belief that U.S. was destined to expand west

Mexican-American War

U.S. victory gained California and Southwest

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Mexico ceded western territories to U.S.

Causes of Civil War

Sectionalism, slavery, economic differences

Southern Economy

Depended on slavery and cotton

Northern Economy

Industrial and based on free labor

Missouri Compromise

Limited slavery expansion

Compromise of 1850

Temporarily delayed conflict

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Popular sovereignty led to violence

Dred Scott Decision

Ruled slaves not citizens

Election of Lincoln

Triggered Southern secession

Civil War

Fought to preserve the Union and end slavery

Union Advantages

Industry, manpower, resources

Confederate Advantages

Military leadership and home terrain

Gettysburg

Turning point of the war

Vicksburg

Gave Union control of Mississippi River

Appomattox

Confederate surrender ended war

Reconstruction

Attempt to reunite nation and rebuild South

Presidential Reconstruction

Lenient approach toward South

Radical Reconstruction

Military rule and civil rights enforcement

14th Amendment

Granted citizenship and equal protection

15th Amendment

Protected voting rights

End of Reconstruction

Led to Jim Crow laws and segregation

Industrialization

Shift to factory-based economy after Civil War

Homestead Act

Encouraged western settlement

Transcontinental Railroad

Linked East and West

Industrial Innovations

Increased productivity and economic growth

Labor Unions

Formed to protect workers’ rights

Government Regulation

Addressed abuses of industrial capitalism