Concise Study Notes for History Exam

  • Test Format:
    • Similar to the first test
    • 50 total questions (multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank)
    • 4 short essay/identification terms (10 points each)
  • Essay Preparation:
    • Focus on bold terms from the study sheet
    • Questions to consider: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and Why important?
    • Provide context; relate terms to historical events
  • Key Historical Topics:
    • American Revolution
    • Battle of Saratoga:
      • Turning point; significant American victory
      • Captured British General John Burgoyne's army (5,000 men)
      • Led to French alliance and aid
    • Yorktown (1781): Decisive American victory, ends the war
      • Treaty of Paris (1783); recognized U.S. independence
      • U.S. gains land up to Mississippi River, Florida returned to Spain
  • Articles of Confederation:
    • Establishes a weak national government with one branch (legislative)
    • Equality for states in Congress; no power to tax or regulate trade
    • Difficulty in amending (unanimous vote required)
  • Constitutional Convention (1787):
    • Calls for changes due to weaknesses of Articles
    • Virginia Plan vs. New Jersey Plan:
    • Virginia Plan: population-based representation
    • New Jersey Plan: equal representation per state
    • Great Compromise:
    • Establishes a bicameral legislature (House of Representatives and Senate)
    • Three-Fifths Compromise: slaves count as 3/5 for representation
  • Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists:
    • Ratification debates; Federalist Papers by Hamilton, Madison, Jay
    • First partisan election (1796) saw rise of parties
  • Jefferson's Presidency:
    • Louisiana Purchase (1803): doubled U.S. territory
    • Conflicted over constitutionality of National Bank
  • War of 1812:
    • Causes: trade restrictions, impressment, Indian alliances with British
    • Major events include the burning of Washington D.C. and Battle of Fort McHenry
    • Treaty of Ghent restored pre-war boundaries
  • Era of Good Feelings:
    • Rise of nationalism, decline of Federalist Party, one-party rule
    • Monroe Doctrine (1823): warned against European colonization in Americas
  • Key Terms to Remember:
    • Alien and Sedition Acts: Restricted immigration and free speech
    • Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions: States' rights arguments against federal overreach
    • Adams-Onis Treaty: Acquisition of Florida
    • Missouri Compromise: Balance of slave/free states