Key Terms and Concepts from American History Lecture

This set of flashcards covers important terms and concepts from American history, encompassing key events, movements, and figures that shaped the nation.

Cahokia

A pre-Columbian Native American city located near present-day St. Louis, Missouri, known for its large earthen mounds and advanced social structures.

Columbus

An Italian explorer credited with "discovering" the Americas in 1492 while searching for a westward route to Asia.

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of goods, ideas, diseases, and people between the Americas, Europe, and Africa following Columbus’s voyages.

Maize

Corn, a crop native to the Americas, which became a staple food in many parts of the world after the Columbian Exchange.

Lenape

A Native American tribe from the Northeastern Woodlands, originally inhabiting the area now known as New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

Pequot

A Native American tribe from the Northeast, particularly Connecticut; involved in a significant conflict known as the Pequot War (1636-1638).

Iroquois

A powerful confederacy of Native American tribes (Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca) in the Northeast.

Lakota

A Native American tribe of the Great Plains, part of the larger Sioux Nation, known for their warrior culture and resistance to U.S. government policies.

Cherokee

A Native American tribe originally from the southeastern United States (Georgia, North Carolina, etc.), known for their complex society and the forced relocation during the Trail of Tears.

Chinook

A Native American tribe from the Pacific Northwest, known for their fishing, trade, and cultural richness.

Pueblo

Native American peoples from the Southwestern U.S. (e.g., Arizona, New Mexico), known for their adobe dwellings and agricultural skills.

Encomienda

A Spanish labor system where colonists were granted land and Native American laborers to work the land, often exploiting the indigenous population.

Repartimiento

A Spanish colonial system that replaced the encomienda, where indigenous people were required to work for a set period but were supposed to be compensated.

Smallpox

A deadly disease brought by Europeans to the Americas, which decimated Native American populations.

Conquistadores

Spanish explorers and soldiers who led military expeditions in the Americas, often conquering vast territories.

Glory, God, and Gold

The three main motivations for European exploration during the Age of Discovery: seeking fame, spreading Christianity, and acquiring wealth.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, founded in 1607 in Virginia.

Anglican

Relating to the Church of England, a branch of Christianity that arose during the English Reformation, separate from the Catholic Church.

Catholic

A member of the Roman Catholic Church, which was the dominant Christian denomination in Europe before the Protestant Reformation.

House of Burgesses

The first elected legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia in 1619.

Quakers

A Christian religious group known for their belief in pacifism, equality, and simplicity.

Pilgrim

A group of English Separatists who sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 and established the Plymouth Colony in New England.

Puritan

A religious group that sought to purify the Church of England, and many settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony, seeking religious freedom.

Protestants

Christians who broke away from the Catholic Church during the Reformation in the 16th century, including groups like the Puritans.

Separatists

A subset of Puritans who sought to separate completely from the Church of England, forming their own independent congregations.

Congregationalists

Puritans who believed in the autonomy of local congregations, contrasting with the hierarchical structure of the Anglican Church.

Chattel slavery

A system of slavery where enslaved people are treated as personal property, rather than as individuals with rights.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

A Puritan colony founded in 1630, which became a model for later New England colonies.

Virginia Company

A joint-stock company established to fund the establishment of English colonies in North America, most notably Jamestown.

Joint stock companies

Businesses where investors pool their money to fund voyages or colonization efforts, sharing in the profits and losses.

Tobacco

A major cash crop that became essential to the economy of the Chesapeake colonies, especially Virginia.

Triangular trade

The transatlantic trade system where goods and enslaved people were exchanged between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Lumber

A crucial resource from the colonies, particularly New England, used for shipbuilding and construction.

Shipbuilding

A key industry in New England, driven by the abundance of timber and the need for vessels for trade, fishing, and warfare.

Fur

Fur trade was vital to the economy of New France and the French colonies in North America, involving Native Americans in the trade.

Chesapeake colonies

Colonies like Virginia and Maryland, known for their tobacco plantations and reliance on indentured servitude and chattel slavery.

Middle colonies

Colonies like New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, characterized by a more diverse economy and population.

New England colonies

Colonies like Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, focused on trade, fishing, and small- scale farming.

John Winthrop

The first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, known for his 'City on a Hill' sermon that articulated the colony’s mission.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan religious leader who was banished from Massachusetts for her beliefs that challenged Puritan orthodoxy.

Grains

Important crops grown in the Middle Colonies, particularly wheat, corn, and barley, which formed the basis of the region's economy.

City on a Hill

A phrase used by John Winthrop to describe the Massachusetts Bay Colony as an example of Christian charity and a model society.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A 1676 rebellion in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against the colonial government, sparked by frustration with Native American policy and class tensions.

Albany Congress

A 1754 meeting of representatives from several American colonies aimed at discussing common defense during the French and Indian War and fostering colonial unity.

Albany Plan of Union

A proposal by Benjamin Franklin during the Albany Congress to create a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies; it was rejected but foreshadowed later unity.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, ratified in 1781, which created a weak central government that struggled to manage the country’s affairs.

Battle of Fallen Timbers

A 1794 battle between American forces led by General Anthony Wayne and Native American tribes, resulting in American victory and the end of the Northwest Indian War.

Battle of Trenton

A pivotal 1776 battle during the American Revolutionary War in which George Washington’s troops surprised and defeated the Hessian forces, boosting morale.

Battles of Lexington and Concord

The first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War in 1775, marked by the 'shot heard 'round the world.'

Battle of Saratoga

A 1777 turning point in the American Revolutionary War where American forces defeated the British, leading to French support for the American cause.

Boston Massacre

A 1770 incident in which British soldiers killed five colonists during a confrontation, fueling anti-British sentiments and leading to increased calls for rebellion.

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest against the British Tea Act, in which American colonists, disguised as Native Americans, dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.

Common Sense 1776

A pamphlet by Thomas Paine that argued for independence from Britain, influencing public opinion and encouraging revolutionary sentiment.

Constitutional Convention

A 1787 meeting in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation, resulting in the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

Cotton gin

An invention by Eli Whitney in 1793 that revolutionized cotton production by quickly separating cotton fibers from seeds, making cotton a key crop in the South.

Cotton

A major cash crop, especially in the South, whose production surged after the invention of the cotton gin, leading to the expansion of slavery.

Declaratory Act 1766

A British law passed alongside the repeal of the Stamp Act, asserting Britain’s right to tax and make laws for the American colonies.

Declaration of Independence, 1776

A document drafted by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Continental Congress, declaring the colonies' independence from Britain.

Democratic Republicans

A political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, advocating for limited federal government and agrarian interests.

Eli Whitney

An American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin and contributing to the development of interchangeable parts.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement in Europe emphasizing reason, science, and individual rights, which influenced American revolutionary ideas.

French and Indian War

A conflict (1754-1763) between Britain and France in North America, with Native American tribes aligning with both sides; it set the stage for colonial dissatisfaction with British rule.

Franco-American Alliance

A 1778 treaty between the United States and France, in which France agreed to support American independence during the Revolutionary War.

First Continental Congress

A 1774 meeting of colonial delegates in response to the Intolerable Acts, aimed at coordinating resistance against British policies.

Great Awakening

A religious revival movement in the 1730s-40s that emphasized personal salvation and challenged established religious authority, fostering a sense of individual rights.

Intolerable Acts

A series of British laws passed in 1774 to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party, leading to widespread colonial protests.

Jay’s Treaty

A 1794 agreement between the United States and Britain that sought to resolve issues lingering from the Revolutionary War, which was unpopular in the U.S.

Land Ordinance of 1785

A law that established a system for surveying and selling land in the Northwest Territory, promoting westward expansion.

Massachusetts Government Act 1774

Part of the Intolerable Acts, this law severely limited self-government in Massachusetts, increasing colonial resentment.

Navigation Acts

A series of British laws that regulated colonial trade, ensuring that it benefited Britain economically.

Northwest Territory

The territory acquired by the U.S. through the Treaty of Paris (1783), which included land north of the Ohio River, later organized into states.

Northwest Ordinance

A 1787 law that provided a system for admitting new states from the Northwest Territory and set a precedent for the expansion of the U.S.

Non-importation agreements

Colonial boycotts of British goods in protest of British taxes and trade restrictions, helping to unite the colonies.

Olive Branch Petition and Response 1775

A final attempt by the Continental Congress to avoid war with Britain, offering peace, which was rejected by King George III.

Petition to the King 1774

A petition sent by the First Continental Congress to King George III, seeking a redress of colonial grievances, which was also rejected.

Pinckney Treaty

A 1795 treaty between the U.S. and Spain that resolved territorial disputes and granted the U.S. navigation rights on the Mississippi River.

Pontiac’s Rebellion

A 1763 uprising of Native American tribes in the Great Lakes region, prompted by British policies after the French and Indian War.

Proclamation of 1763

A British decree that prohibited American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains, which angered colonists.

Sedition Act

A 1798 law that made it a crime to publish false or malicious writings against the U.S. government, leading to controversy over free speech.

Salutary neglect

A British policy of minimal interference in colonial affairs, which allowed the colonies to develop their own political and economic systems.

Samuel Adams

A leader of the American Revolution, a founder of the Sons of Liberty, and a key figure in organizing resistance to British rule.

Second Continental Congress

A meeting of colonial delegates in 1775 that became the de facto government of the U.S. during the Revolutionary War, leading to the Declaration of Independence.

Shay’s Rebellion

A 1786-1787 uprising in Massachusetts by farmers protesting economic injustices, highlighting the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty

Patriotic groups formed to protest British policies, notably organizing boycotts and protests like the Boston Tea Party.

Stamp Act

A 1765 British law requiring colonists to purchase a government stamp for legal documents, newspapers, and other printed materials.

Stamp Act Congress

A meeting of colonial representatives in 1765 to protest the Stamp Act, leading to a unified response against British taxation.

Sterling/Pounds

The British currency, which was often a point of contention in colonial economic policies.

Thomas Paine

An English-American political activist and author of Common Sense, which strongly advocated for American independence from Britain.

Treaty of Paris

The 1783 treaty that officially ended the Revolutionary War, recognizing American independence and establishing borders for the new nation.

Virginia Resolves

Resolutions passed in Virginia in response to the Stamp Act, asserting that only the colonial assemblies had the right to tax the colonies.

Virtual Representation

The British argument that the colonies were represented in Parliament, even though they had no direct representatives, which was rejected by the colonists.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 rebellion by farmers in western Pennsylvania against a federal tax on whiskey, which demonstrated the strength of the new federal government.

XYZ Affair

A diplomatic incident between the U.S. and France in the late 1790s, in which French officials demanded bribes before negotiating, leading to anti-French sentiment.

Andrew Jackson

The 7th president of the United States (1829-1837), known for his populist appeal, the Indian Removal Act, and his role in the expansion of American democracy.

Annexation of Texas

The 1845 incorporation of the Republic of Texas into the United States, which sparked tensions with Mexico and contributed to the outbreak of the Mexican-American War.

Bank of the United States

A national bank created by Congress in 1791 to stabilize and improve the nation's credit and to manage the government’s finances.

Canal

Artificial waterways constructed to facilitate the transport of goods, such as the Erie Canal, which was completed in 1825 and significantly boosted trade in the Northeast.

Cornelius Vanderbilt

An American industrialist who made a fortune in railroads and shipping, significantly contributing to the expansion of transportation networks in the U.S.

Cult of Domesticity

A 19th-century belief that women should focus on home life, emphasizing values of piety, purity, submission, and domesticity in the household.

Election of 1800

The presidential election between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, which resulted in Jefferson’s victory and a peaceful transfer of power, marking a key moment in American democracy.