US History 1 Final Exam Reviews

Causes of the American Revolution

Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War) – A war between Britain and France that left Britain in debt, leading it to tax the colonies.

Founding Principles of the U.S. – Ideas such as liberty, equality, democracy, and natural rights that influenced the creation of the United States.

Tyranny – Unfair or oppressive rule by a government. Colonists believed Britain was acting tyrannically.

Territorial Disputes – Conflicts over land, especially after Britain limited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Westward Expansion

Louisiana Purchase – The 1803 purchase of territory from France that doubled the size of the United States.

Manifest Destiny – The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America.

Treatment of Native Groups – Native Americans were often forced from their lands, relocated, or placed on reservations as settlers moved west.

Causes of the Civil War

Missouri Compromise (1820) – Allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state while limiting slavery in certain territories.

Compromise of 1850 – A set of laws meant to ease tensions between free and slave states.

Fugitive Slave Act (1850) – Required escaped enslaved people to be returned to their enslavers, even if they reached free states.

Abolitionist Movements – Groups and individuals who worked to end slavery in the United States.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848) – The first major women's rights convention, which called for greater equality and voting rights for women.

Reconstruction Era

Freedmen's Bureau – A government agency that helped formerly enslaved people by providing education, food, and legal assistance.

Black Codes – Laws passed in Southern states that restricted the rights and freedoms of African Americans.

Jim Crow – Laws and practices that enforced racial segregation in the South.

Discriminatory Voting Practices – Methods such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses used to prevent African Americans from voting.

13th Amendment – Abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment – Granted citizenship and equal protection under the law.

15th Amendment – Gave African American men the right to vote.

Gilded Age + Progressives

Labor Unions – Organizations of workers formed to improve wages, working conditions, and hours.

Immigration – Large numbers of people came to the U.S. seeking jobs and opportunities, especially during the late 1800s.

Reforms – Efforts to improve society by addressing problems such as corruption, unsafe working conditions, and poverty.

Political Machines – Groups that controlled local politics by exchanging jobs and services for votes.

Andrew Carnegie – Steel industry leader who became one of the richest men in America.

John D. Rockefeller – Founder of Standard Oil and a dominant figure in the oil industry.

Jane Addams – Progressive reformer who founded Hull House to help immigrants and the poor.

19th Amendment – Granted women the right to vote in 1920.

Imperialism

Anti-Imperialist League – Organization that opposed U.S. expansion into overseas territories.

Monroe Doctrine – Policy warning European nations not to interfere in the Americas.

Intervention / Isolationism – Intervention means becoming involved in other nations' affairs; isolationism means avoiding foreign conflicts and alliances.

Nationalism / Exceptionalism – Nationalism is strong pride in one's country; exceptionalism is the belief that the U.S. has a unique role or mission in the world.

Military, Economic, Political, Social Impacts – Imperialism increased U.S. military power, expanded trade, influenced foreign governments, and affected cultures around the world.

Spanish–American War (Outcomes/Impacts) – The U.S. defeated Spain and gained control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, becoming a major world power.

Dollar Diplomacy – Using economic investments and business influence to advance U.S. interests abroad.

Moral Diplomacy – Foreign policy focused on promoting democracy and moral principles.

Big Stick Diplomacy – Policy associated with Theodore Roosevelt that relied on military strength to achieve foreign policy goals.