NES History Unit 1-6

Columbian Exchange

Columbian Exchange

The exchange of goods between the Old World and the New World, introducing new crops to Europe and transforming indigenous societies with European animals.

Causes of European Exploration

Factors like seeking new trade routes, wealth of monarchies, technological advances, Renaissance curiosity, and geographical advantages led to European exploration.

Spanish Conquest

Spanish explorers like Cortés and Pizarro conquered Aztec and Inca civilizations, leading to colonization in regions like Mexico and South America.

French Exploration

French explorers like Champlain established trading posts, explored the interior, and formed alliances with indigenous groups.

English Colonization

English explorers like John Smith established Jamestown and the Pilgrims settled in Plymouth, contributing to early English settlements.

Impact on Indigenous Populations

Exploration and colonization brought diseases, land loss, cultural upheaval, conflicts, and attempts to convert Native Americans to Christianity.

Spanish Mission System

Spanish priests established missions to convert Native Americans to Christianity, leading to conflicts and eventual abandonment of the plan.

Establishment of the Colonial System

Events like the Mayflower Compact, Virginia House of Burgesses, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, and labor practices shaped colonial governance and society.

Colonial Identity

By 1700, colonists started identifying more as Americans, leading to grievances against exploitation by England and a growing sense of independence.

Search for Religious Freedom

Figures like Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, William Penn, and John Winthrop advocated for religious freedom, tolerance, and democratic principles in the colonies.

Great Awakening

A religious revival movement in the American colonies during the 1730s and 1740s emphasizing individual piety, emotional preaching, and a personal relationship with God.

Triangular Trade

A trade system connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas during the colonial era, involving the exchange of manufactured goods for slaves in Africa, who were then sold in the Americas to produce raw materials for Europe.

Declaration of Independence

A document adopted on July 4, 1776, declaring the American colonies' independence from Great Britain, setting forth principles such as equality, unalienable rights, and the right to alter or abolish destructive governments.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, in effect from 1777 to 1787, establishing a weak central government with states retaining most powers, leading to its failure due to issues like lack of federal authority and financial instability.

Shays' Rebellion

An uprising in 1786-1787 by debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers led by Daniel Shays, protesting high taxes and foreclosures, highlighting the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and prompting calls for a stronger federal government.

Northwest Ordinance

Enacted in 1787, it provided a framework for governing western territories, outlining the process for creating new states, establishing territorial governance, and prohibiting slavery in the new territories.

Civil Liberties

Legal rights guaranteed to residents, such as trial by jury and religious freedom, reflecting principles of due process.

Philadelphia Convention

Gathering of delegates in 1787 to draft a new constitution due to issues with the Articles of Confederation.

Great Compromise

Established a bicameral Congress with representation based on population in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement to count 3/5 of the slave population for representation in the House.

Electoral College

System where white male property owners vote for representatives who select the president.

Popular Sovereignty

Concept placing power with the people, though decision-making is by a select group.

Republicanism

Form of government where people elect representatives to act in their interest, protecting minority rights.

Separation of Powers

Division of government powers into three branches to prevent tyranny.

Checks and Balances

System to prevent one branch from gaining too much power by sharing powers across branches.

Federalism

Division of power between national and state governments to create a unified nation.

Separation of Church and State

Principle prohibiting government establishment of religion or interference with religious practice.

Individual Rights

Protection of individual liberties through the Bill of Rights, ensuring ratification of the Constitution.

State Constitutions

Frameworks outlining state government powers and limitations, tailored to state needs.

Judicial Review

Power of the Supreme Court to interpret and enforce the Constitution, established in Marbury v Madison.

War of 1812

Conflict between the US and Great Britain from 1812 to 1815 over issues like impressment and territorial expansion.

Panic of 1819

Financial crisis in the US affecting agriculture and western states, leading to economic depression.

Monroe Doctrine

US foreign policy stance against European colonization in the Western Hemisphere, declared in 1823.

Age of Jackson

Era marked by Andrew Jackson's presidency, known for Jacksonian Democracy and emergence of new political parties.

McCulloch v Maryland

Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that Congress had the power to create a National Bank under the Necessary and Proper Clause, and Maryland lacked the power to tax the bank.

Indian Removal Act

Authorized the forced removal of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands to lands west of the Mississippi River, driven by the desire for white settlement and cotton cultivation.

Nullification Proclamation

President Jackson declared that states and municipalities were forbidden to nullify federal laws, asserting federal supremacy and willingness to use military force.

Expanded Suffrage

Jackson extended voting rights to all white men, eliminating property ownership and poll tax requirements.

Westward Expansion

Settlers moving westward faced conflicts with Native Americans, harsh conditions, and lack of infrastructure, driven by the promise of cheap land and a better life.

Manifest Destiny

Coined in 1845, it represented the belief that the U.S. was destined to spread its core beliefs to new lands in the West.

Sectionalism

Economic differences between North and South led to feelings of separate American identities, a key cause of the Civil War.

African American Culture

Enslaved Africans adapted and synthesized their cultural traditions into music, language, and religion, shaping a distinctive African American culture.

Fort Sumter

The location of the first battle of the Civil War in 1861, where Confederate troops fired on federal troops, leading to the start of the war.

Emancipation Proclamation

Issued by President Lincoln in 1863, it freed all slaves in America and encouraged freed slaves in the North to join the Union army.

Sherman's March to the Sea

General Sherman's campaign from Atlanta to Savannah in 1864, aimed at cutting off Confederate supply lines and weakening their ability to wage war.

Reconstruction

The period from 1865 to 1877 focused on reintegrating Southern states and newly freed people into the Union after the Civil War.

Carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction for economic opportunities or exploitation of the situation.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist group established after the Civil War, promoting racial discrimination and violence against African Americans.

Captains of Industry

Industrial leaders like Rockefeller, Morgan, Swift, Carnegie, and Harriman who dominated industries during the Gilded Age.

Social Darwinism

The belief in survival of the fittest applied to society, justifying the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of monopolies.

Gospel of Wealth

The belief that the wealthy were chosen by God and deserved their riches, popular during the Gilded Age.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Passed in 1882, it prohibited Chinese Americans from obtaining citizenship and halted immigration from China.

Urbanization

The process of people moving from rural areas to large urban centers, leading to the growth of industrial cities.

Tenements

Overcrowded, unsanitary, and unsafe housing where the poor lived in urban areas during the industrialization period.

Skyscrapers

Tall buildings that started to be built in cities like Chicago and New York in the late 1880s, symbolizing urban growth.

Transcontinental Railroad

A railway system that connected the East and West coasts of the United States, revolutionizing transportation and trade.

Sitting Bull

A prominent Native American leader who resisted European settlers and played a key role in the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.

American Renaissance

A cultural and literary movement in the mid-19th century that emphasized American creativity and literary excellence.

Imperialism

The expansion of a country's influence beyond its borders, as seen in the United States' actions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Spanish-American War

A conflict in 1898 between the United States and Spain, resulting in the acquisition of territories like the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

Annexation

The process of incorporating territories into a country, as seen with Hawaii becoming a U.S. territory in 1900 and Alaska in 1867.

Progressive Era

A period of social, political, and economic reforms in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, addressing issues like child labor, education, and labor reform.

Tenement Reform

The 1901 reform aimed to enhance conditions in city tenements, focusing on ventilation, waste removal, and fire safety.

Hull House Settlement House

Established by Jane Addams to provide basic care to impoverished city dwellers.

Monopolies

American conglomerates forming monopolies, leading to antitrust legislation by Congress.

Sherman Act of 1890

Outlawed monopolies like Sandford Oil, breaking them up.

Clayton Act of 1914

Prohibited discriminatory prices.

Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914

Banned unfair competition methods.

Texas Antitrust Law (1888)

Passed by Governor Hogg to prevent monopolies in oil and railroad industries.

Political Machines

Tammany Hall controlled election nominations.

Direct Primaries

Americans advocated for direct primaries.

Referendum & Recall

Championed by Robert LaFollette.

17th Amendment

Allowed direct election of senators.

Prohibition

Supported by the Temperance Movement and led to the 18th Amendment.

Women's Suffrage

National American Women’s Suffrage Association fought for women's voting rights.

Seneca Falls Convention

1848 convention advocating for women's rights.

Frances Wright

Advocate for women's suffrage and equal pay.

Madam C

First self-made female African American millionaire with hair care products.

Immigration Act of 1924

Established immigrant quotas.

Municipal Reform

Improved town infrastructure with town commissions and business-like city governments.

Progressive Era Innovations

Innovations by Henry Ford, Alexander Graham Bell, Albert Einstein, and the Wright Brothers.

U.S

Impact of U.S. entry in WWI, including mobilization of public opinion and the Treaty of Versailles.

Great Migration

Movement of African Americans from the South to the North for better opportunities.

Harlem Renaissance

Cultural movement in the 1920s and 1930s centered in Harlem, New York.

Warren G

Presidential administration during the Roaring 20s.

Calvin Coolidge

Presidential administration during the Roaring 20s.

Herbert Hoover

32nd President of the United States who focused on returning to "normalcy" after World War I and the Progressive Era.

Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act

Legislation that raised tariffs on imported goods to protect American industry.

Budget and Accounting Act

Established the Bureau of the Budget and streamlined the federal budget process.

Teapot Dome scandal

Involved government officials accepting bribes for oil drilling leases on public lands.

Immigration Act of 1921

Passed to restrict immigration into the United States.

Great Depression

Largest economic disaster in history, characterized by high unemployment and economic turmoil.

Red Scare

Period of intense fear and suspicion of communism and radicalism in the United States.

Ku Klux Klan (KKK) Resurgence

KKK's significant growth in the 1920s targeting various groups.

New Deal

Franklin D. Roosevelt's policies to address the economic crisis during the Great Depression.

Eleanor Roosevelt

First Lady who advocated for social justice, civil rights, and women's rights during the Great Depression.

Baby Boomers

Generation born in the United States following World War II, characterized by a significant increase in the birth rate.

G.I

Servicemen’s Adjustment Act passed by Congress in 1944, providing veterans with grants for college tuition, low-interest mortgages, job training, and other benefits.

Interstate Highway System

National Interstate and Defense Highways Act passed in 1956 by President Eisenhower to create a network of highways, changing community development and promoting interstate commerce and suburbanization.

Détente

Foreign policy approach in the 1970s between the US and the Soviet Union aimed at reducing tensions, promoting cooperation, arms control, and cultural exchanges.