AP US History: Topics 1.2 to 2.7 Review Flashcards

Flashcards covering key AP US History topics including Native American cultures, European exploration, Spanish/English/French colonization, regional economic systems, mercantilism, slavery, and the First Great Awakening.

What key features defined Native American societies in the Southwest United States prior to European contact?

They established semi-permanent settlements with advanced irrigation, constructed cave dwellings, and cultivated key crops such as maize (corn) and beans.

How did the economic and subsistence activities of Native Americans in the Great Plains differ from those in the Northeast and Atlantic Seaboard?

Great Plains societies were largely nomadic hunters in a dry climate who mainly hunted buffalo, whereas Northeast and Atlantic Seaboard groups (such as the Algonquin) practiced a mix of hunting-gathering and agriculture, relying on farming, fishing, and timber.

What technological advancements acquired from other cultures facilitated European ocean exploration during the $15\text{th}$ and $16\text{th}$ centuries?

The compass (acquired from Arabs) and gunpowder (acquired from the Chinese).

What is a joint-stock company, and what was its role in early European exploration?

A company where multiple investors buy small shares of ownership (stock) and divide the successes and failures, providing the financial capital required to fund exploration within early capitalism.

What was the Columbian Exchange?

The transatlantic transfer of plants, animals, ideas, and diseases between Europe and the Americas following Christopher Columbus's arrival in $1492$.

What were the primary impacts of the Columbian Exchange on Europe and the Americas?

Europe experienced population growth from new food sources and economic growth transitioning from feudalism to capitalism; the Americas received new agricultural animals and crops but suffered devastating native population loss due to imported diseases.

What was the Spanish encomienda system?

An economic labor system where Spanish conquistadores were rewarded with land and native non-Spanish laborers, who were supposedly provided protection and instruction in Christianity.

How were Peninsulares, Criollos, and Mestizos defined within the Spanish colonial caste system?

Peninsulares were Spaniards born in Spain; Criollos were Spaniards born in the Americas; and Mestizos were individuals of mixed Spaniard and Native American descent.

How did the French approach to interactions with Native Americans differ from the Spanish and English approaches?

The French maintained the highest degree of cooperation, treating Native Americans as potential economic and military allies and building trading posts, whereas the Spanish imposed conquest and forced labor systems, and the English generally lived separately before entering into military conflict.

What was the historical significance of the Virginia House of Burgesses?

Established in Virginia, it was the first representative political institution in the American colonies, though voting and representation were restricted to male property owners.

What democratic principles were established by the Mayflower Compact and New England town meetings?

The Mayflower Compact established representative government bound by the will of the majority, while town meetings served as a direct democracy mechanism for local governance.

Why was the colony of Pennsylvania established by William Penn?

It was founded as a haven for Quakers who faced religious persecution in England, creating a society offering a high degree of religious tolerance for all persecuted peoples.

What was the primary objective of the economic policy of mercantilism pursued by European nations between the $17\text{th}$ and $19\text{th}$ centuries?

To achieve national economic self-sufficiency by maintaining colonies to supply raw materials for home country manufacturing, thereby minimizing imports and maximizing exports.

What were the Navigation Acts, and how did their enforcement affect different colonial regions?

Mercantilist trade laws requiring goods to be carried on English or colonial ships and forcing colonial exports to pass through England; they benefited New England shipbuilding but restricted Chesapeake and Southern agricultural exporters.

What was the outcome of the Pueblo Revolt of $1680$ in present-day New Mexico?

The Pueblo successfully revolted against harsh Spanish colonial rule, leading the Spanish to moderate their governance and incorporate elements of Pueblo village planning.

What characterized the system of chattel slavery in the British American colonies?

Enslaved individuals were classified as legal personal property of the owner, and their children inherited enslaved status at birth.

According to colonial population data from $1750$, how did the proportion of enslaved people compare across the Northern, Upper South, and Lower South regions?

Enslaved people made up 5\text{\textpercent} of the population in the North (out of $603,440$ total residents), 36\text{\textpercent} in the Upper South (out of $477,350$ total residents), and 58\text{\textpercent} in the Lower South (out of $69,200$ total residents).

What was the First Great Awakening of the $1730\text{s}$ and $1740\text{s}$?

A widespread Protestant religious revival across the Thirteen Colonies led by figures like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, emphasizing personal spiritual rebirth and the growth of Evangelicalism.

What were three major long-term impacts of the First Great Awakening on the British colonies?

It widened divisions between traditional Protestant sects and new Evangelical groups, created a shared national identity and experience among colonists, and fostered a willingness to challenge traditional religious authority.

How did the outcome of the John Peter Zenger Case impact colonial culture?

It established a legal precedent encouraging freedom of the press, making newspapers a central source of information across the colonies.