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HIST 2600: MIDTERM EXAM STUDY GUIDE

HIST 2600: MIDTERM EXAM STUDY GUIDE

Section 1: Key Terms and People

  • Leif Erikson

    • Norse explorer from Iceland, known for being one of the first Europeans to land in North America, around 1000 AD, specifically in a place he called Vinland (now part of Canada).

  • Columbian Exchange

    • Refers to the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and diseases between the Americas and the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa) following the voyages of Christopher Columbus.

  • Christopher Columbus

    • An Italian explorer who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, opening up the Americas to European colonization.

  • Hernan Cortés

    • Spanish conquistador known for his role in the fall of the Aztec Empire and the establishment of Spanish colonial rule in Mexico.

  • Cabeza de Vaca

    • A Spanish explorer of the New World who is known for his extensive travels through the Americas and his accounts of his journey.

  • Treaty of Tordesillas

    • An agreement between Spain and Portugal in 1494 that divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Azores.

  • Powhatan

    • A Native American leader and the father of Pocahontas, associated with the Jamestown colony in Virginia.

  • John Smith

    • An English explorer and soldier, played a crucial role in the establishment of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.

  • Tobacco

    • A major cash crop in colonial America, particularly in Virginia, it was integral to the economy and led to an increase in demand for labor.

  • Puritans

    • A group of English Protestants who sought to purify the Church of England, settling primarily in New England.

  • Jamestown

    • Established in 1607, it was the first permanent English settlement in North America.

  • Whiskey Rebellion

    • A violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during George Washington's presidency.

  • Salem Witchcraft Trials

    • A series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts, most notable in 1692.

  • Battle of New Orleans

    • The final major battle of the War of 1812, fought on January 8, 1815, resulting in a decisive American victory.

  • Pontiac’s War

    • A conflict between Native Americans and British settlers in North America, post-French and Indian War.

  • French and Indian Wars

    • A series of conflicts between European colonial powers in North America, primarily between the French and British, fought between 1689 and 1763.

  • Proclamation Line of 1763

    • An act by the British government that prohibited American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

  • Stamp Act

    • A direct tax imposed by the British Parliament on the colonies in 1765, requiring that many printed materials be produced on stamped paper made in London.

  • Boston Massacre

    • An incident in 1770 in which British soldiers killed five male civilians in Boston, escalating tensions that led to the American Revolution.

  • Boston Tea Party

    • A political protest by the Sons of Liberty in 1773, against the Tea Act, where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

  • Thomas Paine

    • An influential writer and political activist whose pamphlet "Common Sense" helped inspire the American Revolution.

  • Thomas Jefferson

    • The third President of the United States and key author of the Declaration of Independence.

  • Federalists

    • A political group that supported a strong national government and was instrumental in the drafting of the Constitution.

  • Anti-Federalists

    • Opponents of the Federalists who argued against a strong central government and advocated for individual rights.

  • George Washington

    • The first President of the United States and commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

  • Farewell Address

    • Washington’s address at the end of his presidency in 1796, warning against political parties and foreign alliances.

  • Bacon’s Rebellion

    • A 1676 rebellion led by Nathaniel Bacon against the Governor of Virginia, reflecting class tensions and conflicts with Native Americans.

  • Indian Removal Act

    • A law passed in 1830 that authorized the removal of Native American tribes to the west of the Mississippi River.

  • Impressment

    • The act of forcibly recruiting individuals for military service, significant during the War of 1812.

  • Middle Passage

    • The forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas, characterized by horrific conditions.

  • Paternalism

    • The practice of managing or governing individuals in a manner similar to a father-child relationship; relevant in discussions of slavery and colonialism.

  • Amistad

    • A Spanish slave ship whose cargo included Africans who revolted and sought to reclaim their freedom, leading to a landmark Supreme Court case.

  • Nat Turner

    • An enslaved man who led a rebellion in Virginia in 1831, which resulted in strict slave laws being implemented.

  • Frederick Douglass

    • A former enslaved African American who became a prominent activist, author, and speaker for abolition and civil rights.

  • Underground Railroad

    • A network of secret routes and safe houses that helped enslaved African Americans escape to free states and Canada.

  • Fugitive Slave Law

    • Laws that provided for the capture and return of runaway enslaved people within the territory of the United States.

  • Compromise of 1850

    • A package of five separate bills passed by Congress that dealt with the status of slavery in territories acquired during the Mexican-American War.

  • John Brown

    • An abolitionist known for his raid on Harpers Ferry which aimed to initiate a slave uprising.

  • Abe Lincoln

    • The 16th President of the United States, leading the country during the Civil War and issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

  • Fort Sumter

    • The site in Charleston, South Carolina, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861.

  • Dred Scott

    • An enslaved African American man who sued for his freedom, and was denied it in a landmark Supreme Court case that ruled that African Americans could not be considered citizens.

  • Emancipation Proclamation

    • An executive order issued by President Lincoln in 1863 that freed slaves in the Confederate states.

  • Battle of Antietam

    • The bloodiest single-day battle in American history, fought on September 17, 1862, during the Civil War.

Section 2: Short Answer/Essay Questions

  1. New World Empires

    • Compare characteristics and problems among the empires such as Spanish, French, and British territorial claims, their relationships with Native American tribes, economic motivations, and cultural exchanges.

  2. Events Leading to the American Revolution

    • Discuss the key battles, legislative acts (like the Stamp Act), and colonists' growing sense of identity and desire for independence.

  3. Challenges of Early National Period

    • Analyze compromises made by leaders (such as the Great Compromise, Three-Fifths Compromise), struggles with power dynamics post-revolution, and the challenges of westward expansion and foreign relations exemplified by the War of 1812 and the Indian Removal policies.

  4. Slavery in the United States

    • Cover the historical context of slavery, the societal ideologies that justified it, the resistance and abolition movements, the impact on the Civil War era, and the subsequent challenges faced by formerly enslaved people post-emancipation.