Early American History Lecture Review

These flashcards cover major themes from the lecture, including economic systems, colonial protests, landmark wars, constitutional developments, Native American alliances, and transformative events leading up to early U.S. nationhood.

How did the Columbian Exchange transform global economies and diets?

It introduced New World crops such as corn and potatoes to Europe, greatly boosting population and economic growth.

What was the Middle Passage?

The brutal transatlantic journey that transported enslaved Africans to the Americas.

What was the primary motive behind mercantilism in colonial policy?

To enrich the mother country by tightly controlling colonial trade and accumulating wealth.

Why was the Stamp Act Congress of 1765 significant?

It united several colonies in opposition to Britain’s first internal tax, asserting that only colonial assemblies could tax colonists.

Which tactics were used by the Sons of Liberty?

Direct protest, boycotts, intimidation, and occasional violence against British policies.

What was the purpose of the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts of 1774?

To punish Boston for the Tea Party and force colonial obedience to British authority.

Why was the Glorious Revolution of 1688 important to the English colonies?

It established parliamentary supremacy over the monarchy, reinforcing ideas of limited government that influenced colonial politics.

Which colonial structures did the Great Awakening undermine?

Traditional religious and political hierarchies by promoting individual spiritual experience.

What did the Navigation Acts restrict?

Colonial trade, requiring that most goods travel on English ships and pass through English ports to benefit England.

Who was Queen Elizabeth I in relation to American colonization?

An English monarch who encouraged privateering and supported early colonial ventures such as Roanoke.

What was the main focus of Franciscan monks in New Spain?

Converting Indigenous peoples to Catholicism.

What did the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina attempt to create?

A rigid, land-based aristocratic hierarchy with hereditary nobility.

What did Bacon’s Rebellion (1676) reveal about early colonial society?

Deep tensions between frontier settlers and the colonial elite over land, protection, and governance.

Why was the Stamp Act (1765) controversial for colonists?

It was the first direct internal tax imposed on them without their consent.

Why was the Great Awakening viewed as a challenge to authority?

It emphasized personal faith and questioned established churches, reducing institutional control.

How were the Wendat (Huron) peoples affected by European contact?

They suffered dramatic population decline from disease and warfare linked to the fur trade.

Why is the Bering Strait significant to early American history?

It served as the migration route for peoples moving from Asia into North America during the last Ice Age.

What distinguished Mesoamerican civilizations before European arrival?

Advanced writing systems, astronomy, and large urban centers such as Tenochtitlán.

What does the Pangea theory explain?

The ancient supercontinent that once connected all current landmasses before continental drift.

Which belief system dominated Puritan New England?

Calvinist Protestantism emphasizing predestination.

How did the Daughters of Liberty aid the resistance movement?

By organizing boycotts and producing handmade goods to replace British imports.

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

British victory, gaining territory east of the Mississippi River and straining Britain’s finances.

Why were the Articles of Confederation considered weak?

Congress lacked power to tax or regulate interstate and foreign trade, making national governance ineffective.

Which colonial protest did the Tea Act (1773) spark?

The Boston Tea Party, where colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.

Why was the Louisiana Purchase (1803) significant?

It doubled U.S. territory and secured control of the Mississippi River for $15 million from France.

What was the purpose of the Proclamation of 1763?

To halt colonial expansion west of the Appalachians and reduce conflict with Native Americans.

The Navigation Acts were an expression of which economic system?

Mercantilism—using regulation to ensure the colonies benefited the mother country economically.

Why was the Battle of Saratoga (1777) a turning point in the American Revolution?

The American victory convinced France to join the war as an ally against Britain.

What did Britain’s ‘Salutary Neglect’ policy allow?

Loose enforcement of trade regulations, permitting colonies a degree of self-government and economic freedom.

What was the goal of The Federalist Papers (1787–1788)?

To argue for ratification of the U.S. Constitution and a stronger federal government.

Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution in 1791?

To protect individual liberties and limit federal power, securing support for ratification.

Why was the Sugar Act (1764) unpopular in the colonies?

It raised duties on molasses and enforced strict anti-smuggling measures, hurting colonial merchants.

Why is Jamestown (1607) important?

It was the first permanent English settlement in North America.

What was the Iroquois League?

A powerful confederation of Native nations in the Northeast that played key diplomatic roles with Europeans.

What did the Treaty of Alliance (1778) accomplish?

Secured French military and financial support for the United States during the Revolution.

What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 establish?

A process for territories to become states equal to the original thirteen and banned slavery north of the Ohio River.

What was achieved at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787?

Delegates drafted the U.S. Constitution, replacing the Articles of Confederation.

What lesson did Shay’s Rebellion (1786–87) highlight?

The need for a stronger national government to maintain order and address economic distress.

Why was the Boston Tea Party carried out?

To protest the Tea Act, which gave the British East India Company a monopoly and symbolized taxation without representation.

How did the policy of Salutary Neglect benefit colonial self-rule?

By allowing colonial assemblies to manage local affairs with minimal British interference.

Mayans

civilization built large step pyramids and developed a complex calendar system

Spanish Conquistadores

the Spanish explorers and conquerors in the Americas

Which colonial leader founded Pennsylvania and promoted religious tolerance?

William Penn, a Quaker, established Pennsylvania as a refuge for religious freedom and coexisted peacefully with Native Americans.

event in colonial Massachusetts that led to trials accusing people of witchcraft

Salem Witch

Which two monarchs funded Christopher Columbus’s voyages and united Spain?

Ferdinand and Isabella

Who was the Portuguese prince that sponsored exploration along Africa’s coast?

Henry the Navigator

The South Atlantic System was primarily associated with the trade of:

sugar, slaves, and goods

Continental Congress

What was the meeting of American colonies during the Revolution to coordinate resistance?

Which term describes the system of extending a country's power by colonizing?

Colonialism

John Locke’s political philosophy heavily influenced which idea?

the principle of natural rights.

What term describes colonies focused mainly on growing tobacco for export?

Tobacco Colonies

What was the colonial labor system where people worked in exchange for passage to America?

Indentured servitude

Who was an early Rhode Island founder advocating for separation of church and state?

Roger Williams

Which group of people were Native American mound builders located near present-day St. Louis?

Cahokia

Who was the skilled orator and founding father known for supporting the British during the Seven Years’ War?

William Pitt the Elder

Second President of the United States:

John Adams

Law under John Adams limiting criticism of the government:

The Alien and Sedition Acts

Supreme Court case establishing judicial review

Marbury v. Madison.

Expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory:

The Corps of Discovery led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

Third President and author of the Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson

First Secretary of the Treasury

Alexander Hamilton

Native American uprising against British rule after the French and Indian War:

Pontiac's Rebellion

Pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocating independence:

Common Sense

The supreme law of the United States:

The Constitution

Religious movement stressing personal devotion and piety:

Pietism

American inventor, statesman, and diplomat:

Ben Franklin

Religious dissenter and early feminist banished from Massachusetts:

Anne Huthinson

Proprietor who founded Maryland:

Baltimore

Worker trained in a specific trade such as carpentry or blacksmithing

skilled craftsman

“Revolution” of 1800

peaceful transfer of power in the US presidential election of 1800

Spanish colonial territory in the Americas:

New Spain

Republicanism

Political system where power rests with elected representative

The Enlightenment

Intellectual movement emphasizing reason and individual rights

Jacques Marquette

French missionary and explorer who mapped the Mississippi River

Absolutism

Political system where monarchs have total control

Restoration Colonies

Colonies established after the English monarchy was restored

Valley Forge

famous harsh winter camp for Continental Army during Revolutionary War

Pueblo Peoples

Native American groups in the southwestern US known for adobe homes

Continental Congress

Which body represented the American colonies during the Revolution