Key Concepts of Early American History

These flashcards cover key historical concepts, events, and figures from the early history of the United States, focusing on economic theories, revolutionary causes, constitutional principles, and major amendments.

What economic theory practiced by European nations in the 17th and 18th centuries believed that a nation’s wealth was based on gold and silver and required a favorable balance of trade?

Mercantilism

What British laws were designed to fulfill mercantilist goals by restricting colonial trade to English-owned ships?

Navigation Acts

What term describes Britain’s decision not to vigorously enforce the Navigation Acts, allowing colonies more economic freedom?

Salutary Neglect

What were the two primary causes of the Revolutionary War?

Political resentment over taxes without representation and economic resentment towards mercantilism.

Who argued that all humans have three Natural Rights and that government derives power from the consent of the governed?

John Locke

What was the purpose of the Proclamation Act of 1763?

To prevent colonists from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains after the Seven Years War.

What event marked the end of the Revolutionary War and established the western border of the USA at the Mississippi River?

Treaty of Paris 1783

What was the main purpose of the Stamp Act of 1765?

To require colonists to purchase a stamp for legal documents, which was a direct tax.

What was the first explicit attempt by Britain to extract revenue from the colonies and involved an indirect tax on sugar?

Sugar Act 1764

What British laws were passed in response to the Boston Tea Party to punish Massachusetts?

Coercive / Intolerable Acts 1774

What pamphlet authored by Thomas Paine urged the colonies to separate politically from Britain?

Common Sense

What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

Central government could not enforce tax collection, lacked an executive branch, could not regulate interstate trade, and had only a legislative branch.

What important law provided for the survey of the Old Northwest Territory and established townships?

Land Ordinance of 1785

What significant legislation established the procedures for creating government in the western territories and states?

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

What principle, influenced by Montesquieu, divides government into three branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial?

Separation of powers

What principle allows each branch of government to check and limit the authority of the other branches?

Checks and Balances

Which plan proposed a bicameral legislature with seats apportioned by state population, benefiting larger states?

Virginia Plan

Which plan proposed a unicameral legislature with equal apportionment, benefiting smaller states?

New Jersey Plan

Why was the Mississippi River considered important for the early United States, particularly for farmers?

It was a vital artery for trade and transportation, especially for farmers of the Old Northwest Territory.

What were the concerns of Anti-Federalists regarding the U.S. Constitution?

They feared it gave too much authority to the federal government and lacked a Bill of Rights.

What did George Washington warn against in his Farewell Address?

Entangling foreign alliances and the dangers of political factions.

What were the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that protect individual civil liberties?

Bill of Rights

What powers are reserved to the states under Amendment 10 of the U.S. Constitution?

Powers not listed in the Constitution and not granted to Congress, such as public education.

What acquisition more than doubled the size of the U.S. in 1803?

Louisiana Purchase.

What power allows the U.S. Supreme Court to declare laws or Presidential actions unconstitutional?

Judicial Review.

What case validated Congress's authority to legislate based on implied powers, regarding the First Bank of the United States?

McCulloch v. Maryland 1819.

What doctrine, issued in 1823, stated that the Western Hemisphere was closed to European imperialism?

Monroe Doctrine.

What was President Jackson's policy towards Native Americans that involved forced relocation?

Forced removal.

What belief held that Americans had a God-given right to expand across North America?

Manifest Destiny.

Which amendments address suffrage, with Amendment 15 granting rights to African Americans and Amendment 19 to women?

Amendments 15 and 19.

What was President Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction that aimed for a lenient process?

The Ten Percent Plan.

What term describes the violence between abolitionists and pro-slavery supporters in Kansas due to popular sovereignty?

Bleeding Kansas.

What was the secret network used by escaped slaves to reach freedom in Canada?

Underground Railroad.

What laws enforced racial segregation in the Southern states beginning in the late 19th century?

Jim Crow Laws.