History: Pre-Columbus to Civil Era — Study Guide

Flashcards covering key concepts, people, events, and policies from Pre-Columbus to the Civil Era, based on lecture notes.

Who was Edmund Andros

Edmund Andros was a colonial governor of New York and the Dominion of New England, known for implementing unpopular policies that centralized government authority and limited local self-government.

Define Mercantilism.

An economic theory where wealth equals gold/silver, and colonies exist to benefit the mother country.

How did Europeans and Native peoples differ in their attitudes toward land?

Europeans saw land as a commodity to own, fence, and profit from, while Native peoples viewed land communally.

What major event did Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyages initiate?

They opened contact between Europe and the Americas.

What was the Bering land bridge significant for?

It was the route for early migrations from Asia into the Americas.

What was the Columbian Exchange?

The transfer of crops, animals, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds.

What does 'Hegemony' refer to in the context of early colonization?

European dominance over indigenous cultures via technology, disease, and alliances.

What was the significance of Jamestown (1607)?

It was the first permanent English settlement, saved by John Smith's leadership and a tobacco economy.

Why was the Maryland Colony founded?

It was founded by Lord Baltimore as a refuge for Catholics.

What was the 'city upon a hill' concept associated with?

It was William Bradford's vision for the Puritan settlements of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay, aiming to be a moral example.

Who was Anne Hutchinson?

A figure who challenged Puritan orthodoxy and was subsequently banished.

What was the Triangular Trade?

A system of trade involving: Africa (slaves) Americas (raw materials) Europe (manufactured goods), including the brutal Middle Passage for enslaved Africans.

What were the Navigation Acts (1660s) designed to do?

To restrict colonial trade to benefit England according to mercantilist principles.

What was the outcome of the French & Indian War (1754–1763)?

British victory, France losing most North American territory, leading to British debt and new taxes on the colonies.

What was the Proclamation of 1763?

A British policy that banned settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, angering colonists.

What was the significance of the Sugar Act (1764) and Stamp Act (1765)?

They were early acts of taxation without representation, leading to colonial protests.

What act punished the colonies for the Boston Tea Party?

The Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts, which united the colonies in opposition.

What event marked the 'first shots' of the Revolutionary War?

The battles of Lexington & Concord in 1775.

What is Presentism in historical thinking?

Judging the past by modern standards.

What is Historicism?

Understanding the past in its own context.

What was the Glorious Revolution (1688)?

The event where William and Mary replaced James II, establishing a constitutional monarchy and setting a precedent for colonial resistance to arbitrary rule.

What was the Boston Tea Party

A political protest in 1773 where American colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor to oppose British taxation without representation.

English Reformation 

The movement in the 16th century that resulted in the Church of England breaking away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, leading to significant religious and political changes.

Pueblo Indian Revolt

 The 1680 uprising of Pueblo Indians against Spanish colonial rule in present-day New Mexico, aimed at reclaiming their land and culture.

Samuel Champlain

French explorer known as the "Father of New France," who founded Quebec in 1608 and established trade relations with the Indigenous peoples.