Colonial America to the Cold War: A Historical Overview

What were the key characteristics of Native American cultures before European contact?

They developed unique cultures based on climate and geography, with the Aztecs and Mayas relying on maize cultivation, forming large societies with intricate trade networks, sophisticated calendars, and irrigation systems.

How did the Great Plains tribes adapt to their environment?

They hunted buffalo and lived in teepees.

What was the Columbian Exchange?

The exchange of plants, animals, ideas, peoples, and diseases between the Old World (Europe) and the New World (Americas).

What were the impacts of the Columbian Exchange on Europe and Native Americans?

European nations gained wealth and experienced a population boom due to new food sources, while Native Americans faced devastating population declines due to diseases like smallpox.

What motivated Spanish conquistadors during colonization?

They were motivated by gold, God, and glory.

Who was Hernán Cortés and what did he accomplish?

He brutally conquered the Aztecs.

What was the encomienda system?

A system that enslaved native populations and forced their conversion to Catholicism.

What was the Casta System in Spanish colonies?

A racial hierarchy with Spaniards at the top, Mestizos and mulattos in the middle, and Natives and enslaved Africans at the bottom.

What were the Valladolid Debates about?

Debates between Bartolomé de las Casas, who supported converting natives but opposed the encomienda system's brutality, and Juan Ginés de Sepúlveda, who argued that natives were barbaric and deserved enslavement.

What was the outcome of the Valladolid Debates?

The decline of the encomienda system, which was replaced by the asiento system that involved enslaved Africans.

What characterized French colonization in North America?

They established small settlements like Quebec and New Orleans, maintained friendly relations with natives for fur trading, and focused on peaceful Catholic conversion via Jesuit missionaries.

What was the significance of Jamestown, founded in 1607?

It was established by a joint-stock company for profit and became the first permanent English settlement in America.

What crop became the basis of the economy in the Chesapeake colonies?

Tobacco plantations.

What was the purpose of Maryland's founding?

It served as a refuge for Catholics.

What were the Southern Colonies known for?

They focused on cash crops like rice, indigo, and sugar, with South Carolina having the heaviest concentration of enslaved Africans.

What was the significance of New England colonies?

They were established for religious reasons by Puritans, featuring close-knit towns centered around the church and economies based on fishing, lumbering, and trade.

Who were notable dissenters in the New England colonies?

Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams, the latter founding Rhode Island.

What characterized the Middle Colonies?

They were ethnically and economically diverse, with a focus on grain farming and shipping, and had friendlier relationships with Native Americans.

What was mercantilism?

An economic theory where a country grows wealthy by exporting more than it imports.

What were the Navigation Acts?

Laws aimed at controlling colonial trade.

What was salutary neglect?

A policy of loosely enforced Navigation Acts.

What was the First Great Awakening?

A religious revival in the 1730s led by figures like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, which encouraged questioning of church and British authority.

What was Bacon's Rebellion?

A violent revolt in 1676 led by Nathaniel Bacon against Virginia's Royal Governor William Berkeley, caused by unfair treatment and lack of protection from Native American attacks.

What was the significance of the French and Indian War (1754-1763)?

It altered the relationship between colonists and the British crown and left Britain with a large debt.

What was Pontiac's Rebellion (1763)?

A Native American uprising against British rule.

What did the Proclamation of 1763 accomplish?

It banned settlement past the Appalachian Mountains to prevent further conflicts with Native Americans.

What was the Stamp Act (1765)?

A new tax imposed by Britain that angered colonists and led to protests.

What was the Boston Massacre (1770)?

An event that angered colonists and fueled anti-British sentiments.

What was the Boston Tea Party (1773)?

A protest against British taxation that led to the Intolerable Acts.

What was the purpose of the First Continental Congress?

To attempt to maintain peace between the colonies and Britain.

What was the significance of Thomas Paine's Common Sense?

It convinced colonists that independence was the best route.

What inspired the Declaration of Independence?

Enlightenment ideals such as republicanism and natural rights.

What were the main reasons for the Continental Army's victory in the American Revolution?

George Washington's leadership, guerilla warfare tactics, and support from allies like the French.

What did the Treaty of Paris (1783) accomplish?

It granted America its independence.

What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

It lacked the power to tax or create a national currency and had only a legislative branch.

What did Shay's Rebellion demonstrate?

The federal government's lack of power under the Articles of Confederation.

What was the Great Compromise?

It established a bicameral legislature in the Constitutional Convention.

What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?

It partially counted enslaved people towards representation to appease Southerners.

What were the main principles established in the Constitution?

Separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism.

What was the Federalist position regarding the new government?

They supported a strong central government and published The Federalist Papers to argue for it.

What did the Anti-Federalists fear?

They feared the new government was too strong and pushed for a Bill of Rights.

What precedents did George Washington set during his presidency?

Establishment of the first presidential cabinet, a show of federal power during the Whiskey Rebellion, and the two-term tradition.

What warning did Washington give in his Farewell Address (1796)?

He warned Americans to stay out of European affairs and avoid political parties.

What was the economic focus of the Federalist Party?

An economy based on trade and manufacturing.

What was Thomas Jefferson's stance as a Democratic Republican?

He favored an agrarian nation, opposed the National Bank, and supported a strict interpretation of the Constitution.

What was the significance of the Louisiana Purchase (1803)?

It doubled the size of the United States.

What foreign policy issues did Jefferson focus on during his presidency?

Jefferson focused on the Barbary Pirates, the Chesapeake Leopard Affair, and conflicts between England and France.

What was the purpose of the 1807 Embargo Act?

The Embargo Act aimed to protect American industry and maintain neutrality but ultimately harmed the American economy.

What were the main causes of the War of 1812?

The war was fought over the British impressment of American sailors and the British military presence in Western forts.

Name three key events during the War of 1812.

The burning of the White House, the creation of the Star-Spangled Banner, and the Battle of New Orleans.

What was the Hartford Convention and its significance?

The Hartford Convention was led by Federalists to oppose the War of 1812, and it contributed to the collapse of the Federalist Party.

What treaty ended the War of 1812?

The Treaty of Ghent.

What is the Era of Good Feelings?

The Era of Good Feelings refers to the period of prosperity and national unity during Monroe's presidency, characterized by the dominance of the Democratic-Republican Party.

What did the Monroe Doctrine state?

The Monroe Doctrine warned European powers to stay out of the Western Hemisphere.

What was the Missouri Compromise?

The Missouri Compromise was passed to maintain the balance of free and slave states, establishing the 36°30′ line.

What was the significance of the Corrupt Bargain in 1824?

The Corrupt Bargain refers to the controversial election of John Quincy Adams, which marked the end of the Era of Good Feelings.

What was Jacksonian Democracy?

Jacksonian Democracy involved the expansion of democracy with universal white male suffrage, enabling Andrew Jackson to become the first Common Man president.

How did Jacksonian Democracy differ from Jeffersonian Democracy?

Both supported an agrarian nation and states' rights, but Jackson's presidency was marked by more controversial policies.

What were some controversies during Jackson's presidency?

Controversies included wars with the National Banks, Indian Removal leading to the Trail of Tears, and the Nullification Crisis.

What was the Nullification Crisis?

The Nullification Crisis occurred when South Carolina's John C. Calhoun refused to comply with the 1828 tariff, known as the Tariff of Abominations.

What was the Whig Party and its main beliefs?

The Whig Party was formed in response to Jackson's policies, supporting a strong central government and economic growth through trade and manufacturing.

What was Henry Clay's American System?

The American System promoted a high protective tariff, a Second National Bank, and internal improvements.

What were the key inventions that contributed to the growth of textile mills?

Key inventions included the power loom and the spinning jenny.

Who primarily worked in textile mills like the Lowell Mills?

Textile mills hired unskilled workers such as women, immigrants, and children.

What impact did Eli Whitney's cotton gin have?

Eli Whitney's cotton gin significantly increased cotton production in Southern plantations.

What was the purpose of the steel plow and mechanical reaper?

The steel plow was used by Western farmers to tackle tough soil, while the mechanical reaper was used to harvest crops efficiently.

What advancements were made during the Transportation Revolution?

New steam engines led to the creation of railroads and Robert Fulton's steamboat, connecting regional economies.

What was the Second Great Awakening?

The Second Great Awakening was a religious revival that coincided with industrialization, leading to increased church attendance and new denominations.

What were some social and moral reform movements that emerged during the antebellum period?

The abolition movement, led by figures like Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, and the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) against alcohol.

What event marked the beginning of the women's rights movement in the United States?

The Seneca Falls Convention, where the Declaration of Sentiments was drafted.

Who were the key figures in the women's rights movement during the Seneca Falls Convention?

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott.

What was the concept of Manifest Destiny?

The belief that it was America's god-given duty to expand from coast to coast.

What slogan did James K. Polk use during his campaign related to expansion?

'54°40′ or Fight.'

What was the outcome of the Mexican-American War?

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848, leading to the U.S. gaining present-day Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, and California.

What significant event led to the California Gold Rush?

The discovery of gold in California shortly after the Mexican-American War.

What was the Compromise of 1850?

A series of measures aimed at easing tensions over slavery, including California as a free state and popular sovereignty for Utah and New Mexico.

What did the Compromise of 1850 ban in Washington, D.C.?

The slave trade.

Who was Harriet Tubman and what did she do?

She helped enslaved people escape through the Underground Railroad.

What was the significance of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'?

It raised awareness about the horrors of enslavement.

What did George Fitzhugh defend in his work 'Sociology of the South'?

He defended slavery.

What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allow?

It allowed for popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska, leading to conflict between pro and anti-slavery groups.

What was 'Bleeding Kansas'?

A series of violent confrontations in Kansas between pro and anti-slavery factions.

What was the Dred Scott decision and its impact?

The 1857 ruling that African-Americans were not U.S. citizens and overturned the Missouri Compromise.

What did John Brown attempt to do at Harper's Ferry?

He raided the armory to start an armed slave uprising.

What was the reaction of Southerners to John Brown's raid?

They viewed him as an extremist and feared radical abolition.

What was the significance of the election of 1860?

Abraham Lincoln's election led Southern states to secede from the Union.

What event marked the official start of the Civil War?

The firing on Fort Sumter.

What advantages did the North have in the Civil War?

Money, infrastructure, a higher population, and President Lincoln's leadership.

What actions did Lincoln take during the Civil War?

He instituted a draft, suspended habeas corpus in border states, and issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

What was the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation?

To prevent the South from gaining European support.

What was the Reconstruction Era?

The period after the Civil War aimed at reintegrating former Confederate states into the Union.

What was the main disagreement between President Andrew Johnson and the Radical Republicans during Reconstruction?

They disagreed about the best course of action for Reconstruction, with radicals ultimately controlling the process through military reconstruction.

What was the purpose of the Freedman's Bureau?

The Freedman's Bureau provided necessities like food, shelter, and education to newly freed African-Americans.

What did the 13th Amendment accomplish?

The 13th Amendment abolished slavery.

What rights were defined and guaranteed by the 14th Amendment?

The 14th Amendment defined citizenship and guaranteed equal protection under the law.

What did the 15th Amendment grant?

The 15th Amendment granted all men the right to vote.

Who was Hiram Revels?

Hiram Revels was one of the first African-Americans elected to Congress.

What system replaced slavery and left African-Americans in a cycle of debt?

The sharecropping system replaced slavery.

What methods did Southern states use to disenfranchise black voters?

Southern states used poll taxes and literacy tests to disenfranchise black voters.

What were Black Codes and Jim Crow laws?

Black Codes and Jim Crow laws were discriminatory laws that hindered the progress of African-Americans.