APUSH ultimate review guide

VA company of London

Expedition in Jamestown, 104 men in colony

Rodger williams

1636-puritan dissident who founded providence, Rhode island

Thomas hooker

1636- puritan dissident who founded Hartford, Connecticut

Board of Trade

1696- ensured us colonies were only trading with the British

Nathaniel Bacon

Person who incited bacons rebellion

Bacons rebellion

Bacon’s Rebellion (1676)

• Cause: Poor farmers (many former indentured servants) angry over Gov. Berkeley’s refusal to protect them from Native American attacks.

• Leader: Nathaniel Bacon

• Events: Bacon & followers burned Jamestown; briefly took control before Bacon died of dysentery.

• Effect: Planter elite feared uprisings → Shift from indentured servitude to African slavery.

King Phillips War

• Considered the bloodiest conflict per capita in U.S. history 

• Resulted in the destruction of several English settlements and the decimation of many Native American tribes 

• The war changed the social and cultural landscape of southern New England 

• The English victory allowed for the expansion of colonies into Native American territory 

• Outcome:

  The English colonists won, leading to the decimation of the Wampanoag and their allies. 

Leislers Rebellion

• Cause: Stemmed from tensions between New York’s elite and lower-class merchants and artisans. Triggered by the Glorious Revolution (1688) and the overthrow of King James II.

• Leader: Jacob Leisler, a German-born merchant, led the rebellion against the Dominion of New England’s rule.

• Event: Leisler seized control of New York’s government, claiming to act in the name of the new monarchs, William and Mary.

• Outcome: His rule was short-lived—William and Mary sent troops in 1691, and Leisler was arrested, tried for treason, and executed.

• Significance: Highlighted class tensions in the colonies and set a precedent for colonial resistance to elite rule.

King William’s War (1689-1697)

• Cause: First of the French and Indian Wars, part of the larger Nine Years' War in Europe between England and France.

• Event: Fought in New England and Canada; involved English colonists, the Iroquois, and the French with their Native allies.

• Outcome: Stalemate; ended with the Treaty of Ryswick (1697), restoring pre-war territorial lines.

• Significance: Weakened Iroquois power and increased colonial dependence on Britain for defense.

Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713)

• Cause: Second of the French and Indian Wars, tied to the War of Spanish Succession in Europe.

• Event: British colonists fought the French and Spanish, leading to brutal frontier warfare.

• Outcome: Ended with the Treaty of Utrecht (1713); Britain gained Newfoundland, Acadia (Nova Scotia), and trading rights in Spanish America.

• Significance: Expanded British territory but left lingering colonial tensions with Native tribes and European rivals.

Treaty of Utrecht (1713)

• Event: Ended Queen Anne’s War.

• Outcome: Britain gained Newfoundland, Hudson Bay, and Acadia from France and trading rights in Spanish territories.

• Significance: Marked Britain’s rise as a dominant colonial power in North America.

King George’s War (1744-1748)

• Cause: Third of the French and Indian Wars, part of the War of Austrian Succession in Europe.

• Event: British colonists captured Louisbourg, a key French fortress, but it was returned to France in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748).

• Outcome: Colonists felt betrayed when Britain returned Louisbourg to France.

• Significance: Increased resentment toward British policies and reinforced colonial military confidence.

John Peter Zenger Trial (1735)

• Event: Zenger, a newspaper printer, was arrested for libel after criticizing the colonial governor.

• Outcome: Acquitted because his criticisms were true, setting a precedent for freedom of the press.

• Significance: Established the principle that newspapers could criticize the government if factual.

George Grenville

• Role: British Prime Minister (1763-1765).

• Policies: Enforced taxation and trade laws to pay off war debt from the French and Indian War.

• Significance: His policies, including the Sugar Act (1764) and Stamp Act (1765), angered colonists and fueled revolutionary sentiment.

Currency Act of 1764

• Event: British law that banned colonies from printing their own paper money.

• Significance: Hurt colonial economies by making it harder to repay debts, increasing resentment toward Britain.

Non-Importation Agreement (1765-1770s)

• Event: Colonial merchants agreed to boycott British goods in protest of taxes like the Stamp and Townshend Acts.

• Significance: Showed growing unity among colonies and hurt British trade.

Declaratory Act (1766)

• Event: Passed after the repeal of the Stamp Act, asserting Britain’s right to tax and legislate for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever.”

• Significance: Reaffirmed British authority over the colonies, escalating tensions.

Townshend Acts (1767)

• Event: Indirect taxes on glass, paper, paint, tea, and other goods. Revenue was used to pay colonial governors.

• Outcome: Increased colonial boycotts and protests, leading to the Boston Massacre (1770).

• Significance: Heightened tensions between Britain and the colonies.

Gaspee Affair (1772)

• Event: British customs ship Gaspee was burned by Rhode Island colonists protesting trade enforcement.

• Outcome: Britain launched investigations and trials in England, angering colonists.

• Significance: One of the first acts of violent resistance against British rule.

Tea Act of 1773

• Event: Gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies.

• Outcome: Led to the Boston Tea Party, where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

• Significance: Fueled revolutionary sentiment and led to Britain passing the Intolerable Acts.

Quebec Act (1774)

• Event: Expanded Quebec’s territory and granted religious freedom to Catholics.

• Significance: Seen as a threat to colonial Protestantism and self-government; grouped with the Intolerable Acts.

Administration of Justice Act (1774)

• Event: Allowed British officials accused of crimes in the colonies to be tried in Britain instead.

• Significance: Part of the Intolerable Acts, seen as giving British officials immunity.

Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (1775)

• Event: Issued by the Second Continental Congress, explaining why the colonies were fighting Britain.

• Significance: Justified colonial resistance but did not declare independence yet.

Lexington and Concord (April 1775)

• Event: First battles of the American Revolution; British troops attempted to seize colonial weapons, but colonial militia resisted.

• Outcome: “Shot heard ‘round the world.” British troops retreated to Boston under colonial fire.

• Significance: Marked the start of the war.

Battle of Bunker Hill (June 1775)

• Event: Colonial militia fortified Breed’s Hill; British launched frontal assaults and took heavy casualties.

• Outcome: British victory, but at a great cost.

• Significance: Showed that colonial forces could stand up to the British Army.

Battle of Saratoga (1777)

• Event: Turning point in the American Revolution; American forces defeated the British at Saratoga, NY.

• Outcome: Convinced France to openly support the American cause.

• Significance: Secured French military and financial aid, helping lead to American victory.

Battle of Yorktown (1781)

• Event: Final major battle of the American Revolution. General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington after being trapped by American and French forces.

• Outcome: British defeat led to peace negotiations.

• Significance: Ended major fighting in the war, securing American independence.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

• Event: Officially ended the American Revolution.

• Outcome: Britain recognized U.S. independence, set boundaries to the Mississippi River, and granted fishing rights off Canada.

• Significance: Established the U.S. as a sovereign nation.

Land Ordinance of 1784

• Event: Proposed by Jefferson, it outlined the process for new western territories to become states.

• Significance: Established self-government in territories and prepared for future statehood.

Land Ordinance of 1785

• Event: Set up a system to survey and sell land in the Northwest Territory.

• Significance: Created the grid system still used today and funded public education through land sales.

Judiciary Act of 1789

• Event: Established the federal court system, including the Supreme Court, district courts, and circuit courts.

• Significance: Laid the foundation for judicial authority in the U.S.

Jay’s Treaty (1794, with Britain)

• Event: Resolved post-war tensions with Britain but did not stop British impressment of sailors.

• Outcome: Britain agreed to vacate forts in the Northwest but refused to end maritime harassment.

• Significance: Unpopular in the U.S., especially among Democratic-Republicans.

Pinckney’s Treaty (1795, with Spain)

• Event: Spain granted the U.S. free navigation of the Mississippi River and access to New Orleans for trade.

• Significance: Boosted western expansion and trade.

Quasi-War (1798-1800)

• Event: Undeclared naval war between the U.S. and France due to French seizure of American ships.

• Outcome: Ended with the Convention of 1800, restoring peace.

• Significance: Led to the expansion of the U.S. Navy.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798-1799)

• Event: Written by Jefferson (KY) and Madison (VA) in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts.

• Significance: Introduced the idea of nullification, where states could ignore unconstitutional federal laws.

Judiciary Act of 1801

• Event: Passed by Federalists to create new federal judge positions before Jefferson took office.

• Significance: Led to Marbury v. Madison (1803) and the principle of judicial review.

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

• Event: U.S. bought Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million.

• Significance: Doubled U.S. size, secured control of New Orleans, and boosted westward expansion.

Essex Junto (1804)

• Event: Group of Federalist extremists who opposed the Louisiana Purchase and considered secession.

• Significance: Exposed tensions between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

Yazoo Land Claims (1805-1810)

• Event: Georgia legislators were bribed to sell land cheaply in the Yazoo Territory (modern Alabama & Mississippi).

• Significance: Led to the Supreme Court case Fletcher v. Peck (1810), reinforcing contract law.

Non-Intercourse Act (1809)

• Event: Replaced the Embargo Act, reopening trade except with Britain and France.

• Significance: Failed to stop tensions, leading to the War of 1812.

Date of Slave Trade End (1808)

• Event: U.S. officially banned the international slave trade as per the Constitution.

• Significance: Slavery continued domestically, but it ended legal imports of enslaved people.

Treaty of Ghent (1814)

• Event: Ended the War of 1812, restoring pre-war boundaries.

• Significance: No territory changed hands, but it marked the end of British influence over Native resistance.

Battle of New Orleans (1815)

• Event: Andrew Jackson led U.S. troops to a decisive victory after the Treaty of Ghent was signed.

• Significance: Made Jackson a national hero and boosted U.S. nationalism.

Hartford Convention (1814-1815)

• Event: Federalists met to protest the War of 1812 and suggested amendments to limit Republican power.

• Significance: Federalist Party collapsed due to accusations of disloyalty.

First Protective Tariff (1816)

• Administration: James Madison

• Significance: Aimed to protect American industry after the War of 1812.

Rush-Bagot Treaty (1817, with Britain)

• Event: Demilitarized the Great Lakes, limiting U.S. and British naval forces.

• Significance: Marked improved U.S.-British relations post-War of 1812.

Bonus Bill (1817)

• Event: Proposed using federal funds for internal improvements (roads, canals).

• Outcome: Vetoed by Madison, who believed in state responsibility for infrastructure.

Convention of 1818 (with Britain)

• Event: Set the 49th parallel as the U.S.-Canada border and allowed joint occupation of Oregon.

• Significance: Settled U.S.-British disputes peacefully

Adams-Onís Treaty (1819, with Spain)

• Event: Spain ceded Florida to the U.S. in exchange for settling border disputes in the Southwest.

• Significance: Expanded U.S. territory.

Fletcher v. Peck (1810)

• Event: First time the Supreme Court struck down a state law as unconstitutional.

• Significance: Strengthened property rights and judicial review over state laws.

Dartmouth v. Woodward (1819)

• Event: Prevented New Hampshire from altering Dartmouth College’s charter.

• Significance: Strengthened contracts and limited state interference in businesses.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

• Event: Struck down state monopolies on steamboat navigation.

• Significance: Strengthened Congress’s control over interstate commerce.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

• Event: Allowed Missouri (slave) and Maine (free) to enter the Union; banned slavery north of 36°30'.

• Significance: Temporarily eased sectional tensions over slavery.

Lowell System (1820s)

• Event: Factory system using young women as workers in textile mills.

• Significance: Early industrial labor model in New England.

Gag Rule (1836-1844)

• Event: Prevented Congress from discussing anti-slavery petitions.

• Significance: Silenced abolitionist debate, increasing sectional tensions.

Troy Female Seminary (1821)

Event: First higher education institution for women, founded by Emma Willard.

Auburn Penitentiary (1820s)

• Event: Introduced solitary confinement and rehabilitation programs for prisoners.

American Colonization Society (1816)

• Event: Proposed sending freed African Americans to Liberia.

• Significance: Failed but reflected early anti-slavery efforts.

William Lloyd Garrison

• Role: Radical abolitionist and founder of The Liberator.

• Significance: Called for immediate emancipation of enslaved people.

Who was Theodore Weld?

An abolitionist known for American Slavery As It Is, which exposed the brutality of slavery.

What was the Liberty Party?

A political party formed in 1840 dedicated to the abolition of slavery.

What was the Lyceum Movement?

A movement promoting public lectures and education in the 19th century.

What was the significance of the McCormick Reaper?

A mechanical harvester that revolutionized agriculture by increasing efficiency.

What did the Webster-Ashburton Treaty accomplish?

Settled U.S.-Canada border disputes with Britain.

Why is Hunt v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts significant?

It legalized labor unions in the U.S.

What was the Wilmot Proviso?

A proposal to ban slavery in lands gained from Mexico; never passed.

What was the Ostend Manifesto?

A secret plan to acquire Cuba for slavery; exposed and abandoned.

What was the purpose of the Reciprocity Treaty?

Established free trade between the U.S. and Canada.

What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act do?

Allowed popular sovereignty to decide slavery, leading to “Bleeding Kansas.”

What caused the Panic of 1857?

Over-speculation in railroads and banks; hit the North harder than the South.

What was the Freeport Doctrine?

Stephen Douglas’s argument that territories could still exclude slavery despite Dred Scott.

What was The Impending Crisis of the South?

A book by Hinton Helper arguing slavery hurt poor whites.

Why is Fort Sumter significant?

First battle of the Civil War; Confederates fired first.

What was the Trent Affair?

U.S. Navy seized Confederate diplomats from a British ship, nearly provoking war with Britain.

What was Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan?

Allowed Southern states to rejoin the Union if 10% of voters swore loyalty.

How did the Wade-Davis Bill differ from the Ten Percent Plan?

Required 50% loyalty oaths and stronger safeguards for freedmen; vetoed by Lincoln.

What did the 13th Amendment do?

Abolished slavery

What did the Civil Rights Act of 1866 guarantee?

Citizenship and legal protections for African Americans.

Why was Alaska called "Seward’s Folly"?

Many saw its purchase from Russia as wasteful, though it later proved valuable.

What did the 14th Amendment establish?

Citizenship and equal protection under the law.

What did the Ex parte Milligan ruling determine?

Military trials of civilians are unconstitutional where civil courts exist.

How did Lincoln keep Maryland in the Union?

Suspended habeas corpus and arrested secessionist leaders.

What did the Military Reconstruction Act do?

Divided the South into military districts under federal control.

What was the Tenure of Office Act?

Restricted the president from removing officials without Senate approval; led to Andrew Johnson’s impeachment.

What was the Patrons of Husbandry?

A farmers’ movement to regulate railroad rates and grain storage fees.

What did the 15th Amendment guarantee?

Voting rights for African American men.

Why is Promontory Point significant?

Location where the transcontinental railroad was completed.

What was the purpose of the Force Act of 1870?

Allowed federal intervention against the Ku Klux Klan.

What was the Union League?

A political organization that promoted African American political participation in the South.

What happened in the Black Friday Scandal?

Jay Gould and James Fisk attempted to corner the gold market, leading to a financial panic.

What was the Credit Mobilier Scandal?

Congress members took bribes from a railroad construction company.

Why was the Salary Grab Act controversial?

Gave Congress a 50% pay raise; public backlash led to repeal.

Why was the Coinage Act called the "Crime of ‘73"?

Stopped the minting of silver, hurting farmers and debtors.

What did the Compromise of 1877 do?

Ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South in exchange for Rutherford B. Hayes becoming president.

What was the main issue between the Stalwarts and Half-Breeds?

Stalwarts supported patronage, while Half-Breeds wanted civil service reform.

What did the Greenback-Labor Party advocate?

Printing more paper money to help farmers and workers.

What did the Bland-Allison Act do?

Required the U.S. Treasury to buy and coin silver, increasing the money supply.

What was the Gospel of Wealth?

Andrew Carnegie’s philosophy that the wealthy should use their riches for social good.

What was the purpose of the Grange Movement?

Organized by farmers to combat railroad monopolies and promote cooperative buying and selling.

Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU, 1874)

Q: What was the WCTU’s goal?

Advocated for prohibition and women's rights, influencing the 18th Amendment.