My Ms Cards

What was Europe experiencing by the 1490s?

A curiosity about the world

Which European superpowers searched for glory, gold, and silver?

Spain, England, France, and Portugal

What religious motivations influenced exploration?

Catholicism and Protestantism

Who impressed Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain with his voyages?

Columbus

Why did Spain fear Portugal during exploration?

Portugal had a strong army, navy, and favorable geographic position

What treaty divided land between Spain and Portugal?

Treaty of Tordesillas

When was the Treaty of Tordesillas signed?

1494

Which land did Portugal gain from the Treaty of Tordesillas?

Brazil

Where did Spanish conquistadors mostly work initially?

Caribbean islands

What major impact did European diseases have on Indigenous populations?

Devastated populations with no immunity

Who was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from Panama?

Vasco Núñez de Balboa

When did Vasco Núñez de Balboa see the Pacific Ocean?

1513

Who explored and declared Florida for Spain?

Juan Ponce de León

Which areas did Hernando de Soto explore?

Oklahoma to the Mississippi River

When did Francisco Vázquez de Coronado explore the southwestern US?

1540–1542

Which areas did Francisco Vázquez de Coronado explore?

Mexico, Rio Grande, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas

Did Hernando de Soto or Coronado find rich indigenous civilizations?

No

What was the significance of these expeditions for Spain?

Increased knowledge of North America and asserted territorial claims

What was important to Spanish colonization?

Conversion to Catholicism

Why did Spain import African slaves?

To replace Indigenous labor and cultivate crops for Spain

Who were the Conquistadores?

Spanish adventurers who conquered the Americas

Which nations challenged Spain?

Portugal, France, England, and The Netherlands

Who promoted colonization as the opportunity to spread the gospel?

Richard Hakluyt

When was Jamestown founded?

1607

Which companies founded Jamestown?

Virginia Company of London and Virginia Company of Plymouth

What was France’s gateway to North America?

St. Lawrence River

Who founded Quebec and when?

Samuel de Champlain in 1606

Who did Holland send in 1609 and what did he discover?

Henry Hudson; discovered the Hudson River

Where were Dutch trading posts with the iraquoi (natives)?

New Amsterdam (Manhattan) and Fort Orange (Albany)

What did Puritans believe about social order?

Inequality of wealth and authority was natural

What was central to Puritan life?

Male-led families and children literacy for Bible reading

Why was New England more educated than other colonies?

Puritans valued education, leading to high literacy

What was mercantilism?

A 1650s British policy controlling trade for economic and military strength

What were the Navigation Acts and when?

Trade laws in 1651, 1660, 1663, 1673 to protect English trade

What was the Half-Way Covenant?

Mid-1600s policy allowing partial church membership for children

When was King Philip’s War?

1675

Who led King Philip’s War and why?

Chief King Philip; tensions with Puritans

How many settlers died in King Philip’s War?

About 2,000

When did the Salem Witch Trials occur?

1692

What caused the Salem Witch Trials?

Claims of occult activity by villagers

By the 1700s, what was England in North America?

A great trading empire

Which era was the most powerful and populous in North America?

British America

What caused conflict between the Dutch and English in the 1660s?

Commercial interests leading to war

Where were the 13 colonies primarily located?

In areas controlled by the English, mostly North and Middle colonies

What was the primary challenge for settlers in the New World?

Hard labor in a new land

Who succeeded economically in the colonies?

Those who had slaves or exploited Indigenous labor. Everyone successfull relied heavily on slave labor

What became the center of colonial New England society?

The family as a social and vocational institution

Who led the household in colonial New England?

The father

What role did colonial families play in the community?

Cared for the needy, supported the community, and trained children in skills

Did white women have equal rights in British North America?

No, they were restricted in property and legal contracts after marriage

Why did England succeed in creating a lasting empire in North America?

Superior tools, technology, and organization

Which immigrant groups were attracted to America besides the English?

Irish, Scottish, and Germans

What were three significant events of the 18th century?

The Enlightenment, the Great Awakening, and the French and Indian War

What was the Enlightenment?

A European intellectual movement emphasizing reason over faith

How did the Enlightenment influence Americans?

Encouraged rational thought to solve human problems

What was the Great Awakening?

Series of religious revivals in the colonies from the 1720s to 1740s

How did the Great Awakening affect society?

Divided religious communities into old and new believers

Why were colleges founded during the Great Awakening?

To train ministers to spread religious beliefs

What type of education did these early colleges focus on?

Theology and minister training, not liberal arts or engineering

Why did the French and Indian War begin?

Tensions between England and France over Ohio Valley and Western Pennsylvania

Who was sent to ask the French to leave Western Pennsylvania?

George Washington

What was the European name for the wider conflict?

The Seven Years War

Which treaty ended the French and Indian War?

Treaty of Paris, 1763

What did Britain gain from the Treaty of Paris?

Canada and French North American holdings

What effect did the war have on Britain’s colonies?

Britain imposed revenue taxes on North American colonies

How did Americans feel after the war?

They felt loyal and cooperative with Britain, no talk of independence yet

When did British efforts to tighten control over the colonies begin?

1763

What did many colonists believe would solve problems with monarchy?

Establishing a republic with limited government

Who became British Prime Minister in 1763 and sought stronger control?

George Grenville

What was the purpose of the Sugar (Revenue) Act?

To raise revenue by taxing American imports

Why did Americans resent the presence of 10,000 British troops after the war?

They had never been required to support a standing army

When was the Stamp Act passed?

1765

What did the Stamp Act do?

Required revenue stamps on newspapers and legal documents

What slogan summarized colonial resistance to the Stamp Act?

"Taxation without representation is tyranny"

Who led early resistance in Massachusetts to the Stamp Act?

James Otis and Samuel Adams

What organization did Otis and Adams form?

The Sons of Liberty

When did colonies meet to oppose the Stamp Act?

October 1765, at the Stamp Act Congress

How was the Stamp Act repealed?

Colonial boycotts of British goods

When was the Stamp Act repealed?

March 1766

What did the Declaratory Act assert?

Parliament’s right to tax and make laws for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever”

Who introduced new taxes on imported goods in 1767?

Charles Townshend

What was passed in 1767 to tax imported goods in the colonies?

The Townshend Acts

Which colony led resistance to the Townshend Acts?

Massachusetts

What document did Samuel Adams push in 1768 calling for repeal of the Townshend Acts?

The Massachusetts Circular Letter

How did Britain respond to the Circular Letter?

Sent troops to Boston and threatened to dissolve the legislature

What did increasing military presence in Boston lead to?

The Boston Massacre

When did the Second Continental Congress meet in Philadelphia?

May 1775

Who was appointed commander of the Continental Army?

George Washington

What petition attempted to restore peace with Britain in 1775?

The Olive Branch Petition

How did King George III respond to the Olive Branch Petition?

Declared the colonies in rebellion

What act officially declared war on the colonies?

The Prohibitory Act

Who introduced the resolution calling for independence on June 7, 1776?

Richard Henry Lee

Who drafted the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

July 4, 1776

When was the battle of long island (mrca lost hrd)

August 27 1776

Which battle on June 17, 1775, was one of the bloodiest early battles?

Battle of Bunker Hill

When did Washington cross the Delaware River to attack Trenton?

December 25, 1776

What battle was won shortly after Trenton?

Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777

Which country secretly supplied arms to the Americans early in the war?

France

What was the first major turning point of the war?

American victory at Saratoga in 1777