7th Grade Social Studies Diagnostic Review Sheet Notes

The Study of History

• Archaeology is the study of artifacts and key people.

• Historians learn about the past by studying artifacts, fossils, and other items left behind.

• Primary sources are documents from the time period (e.g., a diary, newspaper). Secondary sources are documents written after the event (e.g., a textbook).

Native Americans

• The first people arrived in America by crossing the Bering Land Bridge, following food and resources.

• The Aztec, Maya, and Inca civilizations are considered advanced because they invented zero, had advanced roads, and structures like terrace farming.

• Geography impacted Native American societies as they followed food and natural resources, settling in different areas and using available resources to survive.

The Age of Exploration

• European nations started voyages of exploration in the late 1400s in search of Gold, God, and Glory.

• Conquistadors were a group of Spaniards who conquered Native Americans (e.g., Pizzaro, Cortez).

• Small groups of conquistadors defeated powerful empires due to guns, weapons, and diseases to which Native Americans were susceptible.

Impact of Columbian Exchange

• The Columbian Exchange involved the exchange of goods and services such as horses, coffee, corn, bananas, and, eventually, slaves.

The 13 Colonies

• Puritans came to America to purify their religion, believing it was corrupt. Many arrived in Massachusetts on the Mayflower.

• The Mayflower Compact was the first official government/rules and regulations created on the Mayflower for the Pilgrims and Puritans, and was signed by the men on the Mayflower.

• The New England Colonies' geography supported whaling, fishing, and shipping.

• The Middle Colonies were considered the breadbasket, providing the most grain and wheat.

• The Southern Colonies based their economy on cash crops such as indigo and cotton, using slaves for labor.

• People became indentured servants to have passage to the New World, working for a set time in exchange for passage to the Colonies.

• Mercantilism is buying and selling goods to make money for the “mother country.”

• The Triangle Trade Network involved trade from Africa and the Colonies to England, exchanging cotton, slaves, and money.

The French & Indian War

• The French & Indian War was caused by US Colonists and French wanting to live in the Ohio River valley because of the fertile soil. They disagreed over who controlled this area. French were attacking Colonists and eventually the French and British army had to step in.

• The Albany Plan of Union was a political cartoon that encouraged the colonists to join against the Corrupt British policies

• The Proclamation of 1763 created an imaginary line that colonists were not supposed to cross after the French and Indian War. The Colonists were not pleased with this line and it is one of the major causes of the American Revolution

The American Revolution

• British policies after the French and Indian War led to increased tensions because the British taxed colonists to pay off the war debt. Colonists felt this was unfair due to “no taxation without representation.”

• The Boston Massacre was when colonists instigated a riot with British soldiers, leading to shots being fired. It united the colonies against the British.

• The British responded to the Boston Tea Party by heavily taxing the colonies with the Intolerable Acts and closing Boston Harbor.

• The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to declare independence from England on July 4th. Inalienable rights are rights that cannot be denied.

• Some colonists remained loyal to England because they felt the British would take care of them, that they were stronger, and were good trade allies.

• Americans won the Revolution using guerilla warfare and dedication, fighting for something they believed in, led by George Washington.

• The American Revolution had a global impact as many colonial rebellions used the Declaration of Independence to declare independence from their colonial leader.

The Articles of Confederation & Constitutional Convention

• The Articles of Confederation failed because the states were given too much power. There was no common currency or federal leaders.

• Shays Rebellion was the impact of highlighting the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

• The Founding Fathers attended a Constitutional Convention to rewrite the Articles of Confederation and create a Constitution.

• The Great Compromise: Small states wanted equal representation, large states said representation should be based on population. Compromise: 2 house legislative- Senate- everyone has same amount (2) House of Reps based on states population

• The ⅗ Compromise: Slaves were to count as 3/5ths a person in the representation

The Constitution

• Roles of the 3 branches of government:

  • Executive (President): Enforces laws.

  • Judicial (Supreme Court): Ensures laws are fair.

  • Legislative: Makes laws.

• Checks and balances ensure no single branch has more power. For example, the President can veto, the Supreme Court must be approved by legislative, and the Legislative can overturn a veto with a \frac{2}{3} majority.

• Federalism is when State and Federal laws work together in the same place

• The purpose of the Bill of Rights is to protect the rights of the individual, such as freedom of speech and religion.

• The Constitution is called a Living Document because the Elastic Clause allows it to grow and change with the times.

A New Nation

• Alexander Hamilton helped create a stable economic system by canceling all states' debt after the American Revolution, creating a tariff on imported goods, creating a National Bank, and taxing Whiskey.

• Important precedents established by George Washington include 2 Term Limits, Neutrality, and No political Parties.

Early Political Parties and Expansion

• The first political parties started when factions broke off about the ideas of the Interpretation of the Constitution- Hamilton vs Jefferson Federalists vs Anti Federalists

• The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 were unpopular because they extended the time it took for Immigrants to become citizens and limited speech by saying you are not allowed to speak poorly about the President. (against the first Amendment)

• The decision to purchase the Louisiana Territory was difficult for President Jefferson because the idea of purchasing land was not listed in the Constitution therefore he was going against his belief of a strict interpretation of the Constitution was.

• Lewis & Clark did explored the Louisiana Purchase

• The causes of the War of 1812: England was Impressing US citizens ( capturing and making them fight)

• The results of the War of 1812: Nothing changed. The United States and England tied, Andrew Jackson came up as a war hero in the battle of New Orleans United States finally seem as a stronger nation

Industrialization & Expansion

• The Industrial Revolution: the country started to move from farming to making items in a factory- water power was an important aspect of the movement.

• Challenges brought by industrialization: Child Labor, Poor Working conditions, pollutinon

• The impact of the invention of the cotton gin because It cleaned out the seeds from cotton, making the process much quicker, wich also meant there needed to be more slaves to keep up with this new pace

• The Monroe Doctrine was important because It prevented the European nations from colonizing the Western Hemisphere

The Jackson Era

• Some people call Andrew Jackson “a man of the people” because he was the first president that was not born wealthy and he had a spoil system and people thought they could relate to himOther people would say he took advantage and used his power to go against the Constitution

• President Jackson reacted to the Supreme Court decision supporting the Cherokees’ rights: He went above the Supreme Court and created the Indian Removal act which forcefully pushed Natives off their land. Known as the trail of tears.

Manifest Destiny

• Define Manifest Destiny.

• The causes and effects of the Mexican War:The US wanted to reach their Manifest Destiny so went to war to acquire the land: Won New Mexico, Utah and eventually Texas would become part of the USA

• The California Gold Rush: Gold discover in California 1849- many many people movd

The Age of Reform

• Historians call the period 1830-1850 The Age of Reform because During that time period people wanted to make changes to better the nation- Abolish Slavery Women's rights to vote End Drinking (Prohibition)

• Abolitionists are Reformers fighting to free the slaves

• Harriet Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad, helped slaves escape to freedom.

• Frederick Douglass: An escaped slave who wrote an autobiography about his life- Abolitionist people

Road to the Civil War

• The women’s rights issues were discussed at the Seneca Falls convention of 1848 included women wanting to have the right to vote- they wrote The Declaration of Sentiments of women.

• The purpose of the Missouri Compromise: To divide the country on the 36/30 parallel so that any new states coming in woul be either free or slave state in order to keep the balance in congress.. Above the line would be free/below would be slave.

• The Dred Scott Supreme Court decision was significant because An enslaved man Dredd Scott- was moved with his family to a free state, when his owner passes away he sues the government saying he was free- The supreme court said slaves have no rights and therefore cannot sue for freedom.

• Sectionalism was the long-term cause of the Civil War: The country was divided into sections based on their economy and way of life- North South West

• The Presidential election of 1860 was the immediate cause of the Civil War because Lincoln was elected and the south was afraid that he would be responsible for freeing their slaves