AP US History Midterm

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and culture between the Old and New Worlds following European exploration.

Encomienda System

A labor system established by Spain that granted Spanish settlers the right to use Native American labor in exchange for protection.

European Colonization

The process by which European nations established territories and settled in North America, interacting with Native Americans in various ways.

Reasons for European Exploration

Driven by the search for new trade routes and wealth, leading to the discovery of the Americas.

Virginia House of Burgesses

The first representative government in the American colonies, allowing local control over laws.

Economy of the New England Colonies

Characterized by trade, fishing, shipbuilding, and a strict Puritan lifestyle.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A 1676 uprising led by Nathaniel Bacon against Virginia's governor, reflecting tensions between poor farmers and wealthy landowners.

Middle Passage

The forced transport of millions of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas, often under brutal conditions.

Religion in Colonial America

Diverse religious beliefs existed in the colonies, influenced by groups seeking freedom from Europe.

French and Indian War

A conflict between Britain and France (1754-1763) over land in North America, leading to increased tensions and taxes on American colonists.

Reconstruction Act of 1867

Legislation that divided the South into military districts to enforce new laws after the Civil War.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order issued by Lincoln in 1863 declaring all slaves in Confederate states free.

Dred Scott Decision

A 1857 Supreme Court ruling that stated slaves were not citizens and could not sue for their freedom.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

A 1854 law allowing popular sovereignty to decide the issue of slavery in new territories.

Compromise of 1850

Legislation that allowed California to enter as a free state and established a Fugitive Slave Act.

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century belief that the expansion of the U.S. across the American continents was justified and inevitable.

Columbian Exchange Effects

Europe gained new foods, Native Americans faced disease, and slavery expanded as a result of the exchange.

Encomienda System Effects

Native Americans faced harsh conditions, and the system eventually transitioned to African slavery.

European Countries’ Effects on Natives

Spanish enslaved them, the French traded with them, and the English took their land, leading to future conflicts.

Virginia House of Burgesses Significance

It represented the first steps towards self-government in the United States.

Bacon’s Rebellion Significance

It highlighted class divisions and increased reliance on African slavery.

Middle Passage Significance

It solidified and intensified the systems of slavery in the Americas.

Dred Scott Decision Consequences

It expanded slavery into new territories and increased tensions between the North and South.

French and Indian War Effects

Britain gained land but incurred debt, leading to taxes on colonies and increasing unrest.

Reconstruction Significance

Attempted to protect freedmen but ultimately failed, seeding the racial issues that followed.

Emancipation Proclamation Significance

Marked a turning point in the Civil War by making the abolition of slavery a goal of the war.

Compromise of 1850 Significance

Temporarily quelled tensions between the North and South but laid the groundwork for future conflicts.