APUSH Anchors (1-3)

Columbus

Spanish-sponsored explorer (1492) whose voyages led to contact with the Americas and began the Columbian Exchange.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of crops, animals, people, and diseases between the Old World and the Americas beginning with Columbus’s voyages.

Encomienda System

Spanish labor system exploiting Native Americans; contributed to harsh conditions and later criticisms (Black Legend).

De las Casas

Spanish priest who opposed encomienda, argued Natives were fully human; early advocate for African slavery (later regretted).

John Smith

Jamestown leader who enforced discipline; famous for the saying “he who does not work, shall not eat.”

Jamestown

First permanent English settlement in North America (1607), sustained by tobacco.

John Winthrop

Puritan leader and governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; envisioned it as a “city upon a hill.”

Roger Williams

Banished from Massachusetts; founded Rhode Island with separation of church and state and religious toleration.

Anne Hutchinson

Religious dissenter in Massachusetts; promoted Antinomianism; banished to Rhode Island.

Benjamin Franklin

Founding Father and Enlightenment figure; involved in Albany Plan, ‘Join or Die,’ Stamp Act repeal, diplomacy, Declaration signer, Treaty of Paris, and Constitution.

George Washington

Commander of the Continental Army; president of the Constitutional Convention; 1st U.S. president; cited as “First in war, first in peace.”

Thomas Paine

Author of Common Sense (1776), advocating independence and republican government over monarchy.

John Adams

Advocate for independence; Washington’s vice president; 2nd U.S. president; involved in XYZ Affair and Alien & Sedition Acts.

1492

Year of Columbus’s voyages; beginning of the Columbian Exchange.

1607

Founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in North America; sustained by tobacco.

1763

(Treaty of Paris ends F&I War) Treaty ending the French and Indian War; Britain victorious and empire expanded.

1763

(Proclamation Line) Proclamation restricting colonial expansion beyond the Appalachians; intended to stabilize frontier relations with Native Americans but caused colonial discontent.

July 4th, 1776

Declaration of Independence adopted by the Continental Congress, asserting natural rights and independence from Britain.

1783

Treaty of Paris ends the American Revolutionary War; Britain recognizes U.S. independence and defines borders.

Maize Cultivation

Corn farming that supported permanent villages and complex societies, especially in the Southwest.

Joint-Stock Companies

Investor-funded colonial ventures (e.g., Virginia Company) enabling large-scale colonization.

Encomienda System

Spanish labor system exploiting Native Americans; contributed to the “Black Legend.”

God, Gold, Glory

Motivations for European exploration: religious aims, wealth, and national prestige.

Spanish Caste System

Racial hierarchy in Spanish colonies; Spaniards on top, Africans and Natives at bottom.

Dutch Colonization

Focus on fur trade and commerce; founded New Netherland (later New York).

English Colonization

Permanent settlements across the Atlantic seaboard driven by religion, land, and profit.

French Colonization

Fur trading emphasis; alliances with Native Americans; settlements along the St. Lawrence and Mississippi.

Pueblo Revolt

1680 uprising in Santa Fe by Pueblo people against Spanish colonization and missions.

The Chesapeake

Region of Virginia and Maryland; tobacco as cash crop; heavy use of enslaved labor.

New England Colonies

Massachusetts, Rhode Island; Puritan roots; subsistence farming, fishing, shipbuilding, trade; religious intolerance at times.

Transatlantic Trade / Triangular Trade

Europe to Africa (goods), Africa to the Americas (slaves), Americas to Europe (raw materials).

Middle Colonies

New York and Pennsylvania; ethnically and religiously diverse; tolerant; “Bread Basket.”

Southern Colonies

Carolina and Georgia; rice and indigo plantations; reliant on enslaved labor.

West Indies

Islands like Barbados; sugar as dominant cash crop; heavy reliance on enslaved Africans.

House of Burgesses

First representative assembly in English colonies (Virginia, 1619).

Indentured Servants

Poor Europeans who worked 5–7 years for passage to the Americas in exchange for labor.

Mayflower Compact

1620 agreement by Pilgrims for self-government; precursor to constitutional government.

Mercantilism

Economic policy to enrich the mother country via colonies and a favorable trade balance.

Bacon’s Rebellion

1676 Virginia rebellion showing frontier-elites tensions and accelerating shift from indentured servitude to slavery.

King Philip’s War

1675–76 Metacom’s war; deadliest per capita colonial war; ended Native resistance in New England.

Middle Passage

Transatlantic voyage transporting enslaved Africans to the Americas; millions moved; high death toll.

Chattel Slavery

Enslaved people treated as property; lifelong, hereditary status.

Great Awakening

Religious revival (1730s–40s) led by Edwards and Whitefield; emphasized personal faith and unity.

Seven Years’ War

Global conflict (1754–63); in North America called the French and Indian War; debt led to taxation.

Stamp Act

1765 tax on printed materials; provoked boycott and protests; repealed 1766.

No Taxation Without Representation

Colonial slogan against taxation without colonial input in Parliament.

Enlightenment

Intellectual movement emphasizing reason, science, and natural rights; influenced revolution.

Sons of Liberty

Radical protest group organizing boycotts; associated with Liberty Tree and sometimes violence.

Boston Massacre

1770 confrontation; five colonists killed; used to fuel revolutionary sentiment.

Intolerable Acts

Coercive acts (1774) in response to Boston Tea Party; closed Boston Harbor and restricted meetings.

Lexington and Concord

First battles of the Revolutionary War; “the shot heard ’round the world.”

Battle of Saratoga

1777 turning point; American victory that secured French alliance.

Loyalists

Colonists loyal to Britain who opposed independence.

Patriots

Colonists who supported independence from Britain.

Declaration of Independence

Document drafted by Thomas Jefferson declaring independence; based on natural rights and Enlightenment ideas.

Alexander Hamilton

He was the primary writer of the ‘Federalist Papers” that attempted to convince people to vote for ratification of the Constitution. He was the first Secretary of Treasury under Washington's presidency. His fiscal plan was to create a National Bank and to pay off state debts so the credit of the nation would improve. He was a leader of the Federalist Party that relied on the “necessary and proper clause/ elastic clause" to strengthen the powers of the Federal government over the States. He was killed by Aaron Burr in a dual.

James Madison

The fourth president of the United States, from the Democratic-Republican Party,. He was most known for getting America involved in the War of 1812 against the British.

Patrick Henry

A prominent Anti-Federalist from Virginia, famous for his "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech. He opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, fearing it created a central government that was too powerful and endangered individual liberties.

Thomas Jefferson

He was the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence. He was the first Secretary of State under Washington, and he became the 3rd president of the USA. As Secretary of State, he was leader of the Democratic Republican party and was a "Strict Constructionist” who believed the Federal Government should only do things that were specifically enumerated in the Constitution. He did not support the idea of implied powers through the “necessary and proper” clause. He did not support the creation of a National Bank. He became the third president of the United States, elected in 1800. From the Democratic-Republican Party. He changed his strict constructionist view of the Constitution in support of the “necessary and proper” clause in order to double the size of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase.

Henry Clay

leader of the Whigs, he was an architect of the American System that emphasized internal improvements, a protective tariff, and the 2nd National Bank. He was known as the Great Compromiser and played a role in the Missouri Compromise, the compromise that ended the Nullification Crises, and the Compromise of 1850.

James Monroe

The fifth president of the United States and a Democratic-Republican. He is best known for the Monroe Doctrine which told Europe to stay out of the Western Hemisphere

John Marshall

The fourth Supreme Court Chief Justice of the United States, Marshall expanded the powers of the Federal Government and cemented the separation of powers with cases like Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, and Gibbons v. Ogden.

Eli Whitney

He is credited with the concept of Interchangeable parts and the invention of the Cotton Gin

Samuel Slater

Known as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution," he was an English immigrant who illegally brought British textile technology to the United States. He established the first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, sparking the factory system in America.

Andrew Jackson

The 7th president of the United States, he was elected in 1828 and represented the Democratic Party. His time period was known as “The Age of Jackson". He was known as a president of the “common man”. He vetoed the 2nd National Bank, ignored the court case, “Worcester v. Georgia” and instigated the “Trail of Tears”. His vice president, John C. Calhoun, stepped down due to the “Tariff of Abominations” and caused the Nullification Crisis.

John C. Calhoun

An ardent supporter of southern state's rights, he was once Vice-President for Andrew Jackson but resigned over the “Tariff of Abominations”. He opposed any limitations on slavery.

Henry David Thoreau

A leading writer of the Transcendentalist movement (part of the American Romantic movement. He is best known for writing “Walden” which glorified naturalist living.

William Lloyd Garrison

A leading abolitionist, he published the anti-slavery newspaper, "The Liberator". He advocated for the immediate liberation of slaves.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

She was a leading advocate for women's rights. She was a founder of the Senecan Falls Convention of 1848 and was the primary writer of the Declaration of Sentiments” where she called for women's rights, especially the right to vote.

1787: The Constitutional Convention

After Shay's Rebellion, it was determined that the Articles of Confederation created a government that was too weak to deal with its problems. So a new Constitution was written in Philadelphia.

1800: The Election of Thomas Jefferson

1820: The Missouri Compromise

1828: The Election of Jackson

1848: The Seneca Falls Convention

The Articles of Confederation

Our first constitution that was too weak and needed to be revised.

The Northwest Ordinance

Enacted in 1787 under the Articles of Confederation, it established a system for setting up governments in the western territories so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original 13 states. It also prohibited slavery in these territories and included a bill of rights.

Shay's Rebellion

This rebellion showed that the government created by the Articles of Confederation was too weak and unable to deal with the nation's problems.

The Great Compromise

This compromise dealt with the problem of how states should be represented in Congress at the Constitutional Convention. It was a combination of the Virginia and Jersey Plans and resulted in a bicameral legislature that had a House determined by the population of the state and a Senate with an equal amount of senators (2 per state)

Federalism

The system of having 2 governments at the same time: A National government (Federal) and a State government.

Separation of Powers

A system developed by Montesquieu that called for separate branches of government ( Legislative, Executive, Judicial) that kept each other in check through a system of Checks and Balances.

3/5th Clause

A compromise to designate slaves as 3/5ths of a person for the purposes of counting representatives in congress.

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

Federalists were those who supported ratification of the constitution. Led by Alexander Hamilton who was one of the primary writers of the Federalist Papers. Anti-Federalists were those who thought the Constitution gave too much power to the government and were only satisfied when a Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments, these protect the peoples Civil Liberties.

Federalists vs. Republicans

These were the first two political parties that emerged during Washington's Presidency. Alexander Hamilton led the Federalists who wanted a strong national government supported by a banking/manufacturing elite. They believed in implied powers given to the government by the necessary and proper clause including the creation of a National Bank. The Republicans led by Thomas Jefferson preferred strong state governments and were strict constructionists who believed the government should stick to enumerated powers. They were opposed to the creation of a National bank for fear it would only favor the weak.

The Whiskey Rebellion

This rebellion proved that the new government created with the Constitution was strong enough to deal with internal challenges. Washington himself led the military as he rode to put down the rebellion.

Washington's Farewell Address

In his final address to the nation, President Washington warned against the dangers of political parties (factions) and advised the country to maintain a policy of neutrality by avoiding permanent alliances with foreign nations.

Alien and Sedition Acts

These controversial acts were enacted during John Adams presidency and attempted to silence those who were speaking out against government policies. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions attempted to nullify the acts.

Louisiana Purchase

Bought by Jefferson from France for approximately 15 million. This nearly doubled the size of America and made Jefferson change his strict constructionist view of the Constitution. Lewis and Clark explored the land as they searched for the non-existent Northwest Passage.

Marbury v. Madison

John Marshall's decision that established the policy of "judicial review" that gives the Supreme Court the right to declare laws written by congress to be unconstitutional.

Impressment

The British practice of seizing sailors from American ships and forcing them to serve in the British navy. This was a major cause of tension between the U.S. and Britain and a primary reason for the War of 1812.

The War of 1812

Often called the second American Revolutionary War. We fought Britain to end impressment and to try and gain land from Canada. Although America is credited as the "winner” of this war, we really achieved no territorial gains nor the promise from Britain that impressment would end. This initiated an “Era of Good Feelings” as American nationalism grew.

The Erie Canal

The brain child of New York governor Dewitt Clinton, the canal connects Lake Erie to the Hudson River. This connected New York City to the western states and played a big role in the market revolution by dropping the cost of goods and making NYC an economic powerhouse.

The American System

An economic program devised by henry Clay to bolster the economic system of America. It was a three part plan to build the nations infrastructure like canals and roads, increase protective tariffs, and support the second Bank of the United States.

Sectionalism

Loyalty to one's own region or section of the country, rather than to the country as a whole. This grew stronger in the early 1800s over issues like slavery, tariffs, and the national bank, dividing the North, South, and West.

Nationalism

A strong feeling of pride, loyalty, and devotion to one's country. A surge of American nationalism, known as the "Era of Good Feelings," followed the War of 1812.

Monroe Doctrine

The proclamation by President Monroe that Europe needs to stay out ot the Western Hemisphere.

The Missouri Compromise

An attempt in 1820 to keep slave states and free states balanced. Missouri came in slave while Maine came in free. The 36-30 line was created to divide the rest of the land of the Louisiana Territory that land north would be free and land south would be slave.

The Market Revolution

The process by which America became a market based economy. The factory driven Northeast became connected to the agricultural and rural West.

The Lowell System

A labor and production model employed in the textile mills of Lowell, Massachusetts during the early 19th century. It primarily used young, unmarried women (known as "Lowell Mill Girls") as laborers, housing them in supervised dormitories and providing them with educational and cultural opportunities.

The Cotton Gin

Invented by Eli Whitney, it sped up the process of removing seeds from the cotton fiber making it quicker to process cotton making it far more profitable. It increased the use of slavery in the South and tied that South to the Northern textile factories.