Common Final Exam Study Guide

Reasons for European Exploration

God, gold, glory (spread religion, get money, become famous).

Spanish Colonization Areas

Spain explored the Caribbean, Florida, Mexico, South America, and the Southwest, finding silver and gold.

French Colonization Areas

France focused on Canada and the Northeast for fishing and fur trapping, maintaining friendly relations with natives.

Impact on Native Americans

Natives were treated poorly; their land was taken, and populations were infected with disease or killed.

Triangular Trade

A trade route connecting North America, Europe, and Africa that brought slaves to the colonies.

Mercantilism

The economic theory that controlling trade benefits the country, exemplified by British practices and the triangle trade.

Proclamation Line of 1763

Established by the king, it forbade colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Stamp Act

A tax imposed on paper used in the colonies.

Boston Tea Party

Protest by the Sons of Liberty against the Tea Act where tea was dumped into Boston Harbor.

Intolerable Acts

Series of punitive laws passed after the Boston Tea Party, restricting meetings and more.

Lexington and Concord

The first shots of the Revolutionary War, where Paul Revere famously stated, 'The British are coming!'

Patriot vs Loyalist

Patriots sought independence from Britain, while Loyalists wanted to remain loyal to the crown.

Declaration of Independence

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, it declared the colonies' break from Britain.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution for the USA, revealed weaknesses like inability to tax and lack of a national army.

Shays' Rebellion

A revolt by farmers in Massachusetts showing the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that slaves would count as three-fifths of a person for taxation and representation purposes.

Federalism

A system where power is divided between the national and state governments.

Checks & Balances

The principle that each branch of government can limit the powers of the others to prevent abuse.

George Washington's Precedents

Established norms for presidential behavior such as two terms, forming a cabinet, and avoiding foreign alliances.

Louisiana Purchase

Acquisition of territory from France, doubling the size of the USA.

War of 1812

Conflict between Britain and the USA over impressment of American sailors and territorial disputes.

Manifest Destiny

Belief that the USA was destined to expand across North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Trail of Tears

Forced relocation of Native American tribes, resulting in many deaths during the journey.

Industrialization

The development of manufacturing and factory work, primarily in the northern states.

Missouri Compromise

Legislation that maintained the balance between slave and free states in Congress.

Compromise of 1850

Allowed California to enter as a free state and enacted a stricter Fugitive Slave Act.

Dred Scott Decision

Supreme Court ruling that declared Dred Scott a slave and not a citizen, legitimizing slavery nationwide.

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln's order that freed slaves in the Confederate states.

Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's famous speech commemorating the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg.

Ulysses S. Grant vs Robert E. Lee

Grant was the Union general who won the Civil War, while Lee was the Confederate general who lost.