1st Semester Interim Study Guide

Flashcards created from notes covering economic policies, colonial development, significant wars, acts, and influential figures in early American history.

What economic policy involved European countries creating colonies to acquire resources?

Mercantilism.

What was the primary cash crop that contributed to the success of Jamestown?

Tobacco.

Which colonies were known for their harsh winters and diverse economic activities such as shipbuilding and fishing?

New England colonies.

What economic activity dominated the Middle colonies due to their moderate climate and navigable rivers?

Trade.

What was the Middle Passage?

The journey from Africa to the Americas transporting enslaved Africans.

What policy allowed the American colonies to develop with minimal British interference?

Salutary Neglect.

What was the outcome of the Great Awakening?

Colonists began challenging traditional authority and religious practices.

What significant war was fought between France and England over control of North America?

The French & Indian War.

What was the Proclamation Line of 1763?

A boundary forbidding colonists from settling west of land acquired in the French & Indian War.

What was the first major tax imposed on American colonists?

Stamp Act.

What actions did colonists take in response to the Stamp Act?

Harassed tax collectors and boycotted British goods.

What were the Intolerable Acts?

Laws passed to punish colonists for the Boston Tea Party, including closing Boston Harbor.

Who was the author of 'Common Sense' that urged American independence?

Thomas Paine.

What influential thinker affected the Declaration of Independence with his ideas on natural rights?

John Locke.

What was the purpose of the Land Ordinance of 1785?

To sell new western land and reserve plots for public schools.

What was the first government of the United States?

The Articles of Confederation.