APUSH 2nd Semester Benchmark #2 Study Guide

Existence of Advanced Societies Before European Arrival

  • Aztec, Incas, and Mayans
    • Indicative of advanced societies that developed independently of Europe and Africa.
    • Sophisticated civilizations located in Central & South America.
    • Contrast with North America, which lacked large civilizations, leading Europeans to perceive Native Americans as uncivilized.

Decline of Native American Population

  • Causes
    • Introduction of diseases by Europeans, notably smallpox.
    • Resulted in a drastic decline of approximately 90% of the Native population.

European Population Growth and Land Shift

  • Direction of Shift
    • Population moved westward.
  • Impact on Native Americans
    • Native populations were forcefully displaced from their lands.

The Encomienda System

  • Overview
    • Created by Spain for the purpose of enslaving Native Americans to work under the pretense of converting them to Christianity.

Pueblo Revolt (Pope’s Rebellion)

  • Causes
    • Poor treatment of Pueblo people under the encomienda system and Spanish rule.
  • Effects
    • Led to a significant decline of the encomienda system.
    • Spanish were expelled from the Southwest for 12 years, leading to improved treatment upon their return.

Settlements and Relationships of European Powers

  • **English:

    • Location**: Established Thirteen colonies along the eastern seaboard.
    • Reasons for Settlement: Religious freedom, economic gain, natural resources, establishment of colonies.
    • Relationship with Natives: Complicated; Puritans had one of the worst, while Pilgrims (MA) and Quakers (Penn.) fostered better relationships.

  • Spanish:

    • Location: Settle in Central & South America, Florida, and Southwestern U.S.
    • Reasons for Settlement: God, Glory, Gold.
    • Relationship with Natives: Poor, due to the implementation of the encomienda system.

  • French:

    • Location: Settled in Quebec, Canada, and along the Mississippi River (Ohio Valley & Louisiana).
    • Reasons for Settlement: Fur trade.
    • Relationship with Natives: Best among European powers.

Mayflower Compact

  • Definition
    • The first social contract in the colonies, establishing self-governance.

Voting Rights in Colonial America

  • Most Areas
    • Restricted to white men who owned land.
  • Puritan Massachusetts
    • Only white men who were full members of the Church could vote (theocracy).

Self-Government Examples

  • Mayflower Compact (MA): First social contract.
  • Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (CT): First written constitution in the colonies.
  • House of Burgesses (VA): First legislative body in the colonies.
  • NY Assembly & Town Meetings (MA): Significant in local governance.
  • Puritan Theocracy: Strong governance structure in Massachusetts Bay.

Colonists' Discontent with Salutary Neglect

  • Definition
    • Period before the American Revolution when Great Britain largely ignored the colonies.
  • Change After French and Indian War
    • Britain began to impose taxes to cover war expenses, leading to protests, boycotts, and self-sufficiency efforts among colonists.

Purpose of Common Sense

  • Written by Thomas Paine,
    • Intended to clarify that it was unreasonable for Britain to regulate American trade, specifically tea prices.
    • Encouraged colonists to support independence.

Fundamental Differences between Federalists and Anti-Federalists

  • Federalists:

    • Advocated for a strong central government and loose interpretation of the Constitution.
    • Notable Figure: Alexander Hamilton.

  • Anti-Federalists:

    • Advocated for weak government and strong states’ rights with a strict interpretation.
    • Notable Figure: Thomas Jefferson.

Alexander Hamilton’s Financial Plan

  • Overview
    • Included government assumption of state debts.
    • Encouraged large states to cede Western land to the federal government.
    • Proposed the establishment of a national bank and a national currency, expecting public investment.
  • Controversy
    • Not all states had Western land, and debt-free states opposed taking on liabilities of indebted states.
    • Increased federal power and expanded government size.

Key Rebellions

  • Whiskey Rebellion:
    • Demonstrated federal strength under the Constitution, supported by Washington's deployment of 30,000 troops.
  • Nat Turner's Rebellion:
    • Notable slave rebellion.
  • Shay’s Rebellion:
    • Demonstrated the weakness of government under the Articles of Confederation.
  • Bacon’s Rebellion:
    • Class conflict between former indentured servants and wealthy landowners, leading to the burning of Jamestown and the decline of indentured servitude.

Problems with the Articles of Confederation

  • Weaknesses
    • Central government with a single legislative branch.
    • Federal government lacked power, unable to tax or stop revolts (e.g., Shay’s Rebellion).
    • Difficulty in raising funds and maintaining a military.
    • Inability to print currency, necessitating different currencies across states.

The Market Revolution

  • Definition and Impact
    • Transition from home-based production to factory-based manufacturing, impacting women who began working in textile mills, like the Lowell girls.
  • Shift from agrarian economy to industrialization.

Movement of Settlers Post-American Revolution

  • Direction of Movement
    • Settlers moved west, driven by expansionist ideology.

Missouri Compromise

  • Details
    • Missouri admitted as a slave state, Maine as a free state.
    • Established the Missouri Compromise line at the 36°30' parallel.
    • Proposed by Henry Clay.

Manifest Destiny

  • Definition
    • Belief in the divine right to expand westward across North America.
  • Impact
    • Justified American expansion and the displacement of Native populations.

Matthew Perry’s Trip to Japan (1850s)

  • Significance
    • Opened trade relations with Japan, leading to rapid industrialization.

Shift from Isolationism to Imperialism

  • Timeframe
    • Late 1800s.
  • New Ideology
    • Transition from isolationism based on Manifest Destiny to Imperialism.

Land Gains from the Spanish-American War

  • Territories Acquired
    • Guam, Puerto Rico, Philippines, and Cuba (gained independence).
  • War Year
    • 1898, noted for being a short conflict.

Filipino Response to U.S. Control Post-War

  • Reaction
    • Filipino people were discontent, expecting freedom similar to Cuba, leading to conflict against U.S. authority until repression.

Dred Scott v. Sandford Court Ruling

  • Key Decisions
    • Ruled that slaves did not gain freedom upon entering free states and were not considered citizens capable of suing.
  • Struck down the Missouri Compromise as unconstitutional.

Republican Party of Lincoln

  • Core Beliefs
    • Aimed to preserve the Union and curb the expansion of slavery into new territories, eventually evolving towards abolition.

Constitutional Amendments

  • 13th Amendment:

    • Abolished slavery.

  • 14th Amendment:

    • Granted citizenship.

  • 15th Amendment:

    • Gave all MEN the right to vote.

Plessy v. Ferguson Ruling (1896)

  • Court Decision
    • Established the “separate but equal” doctrine.

Brown v. Board of Education Ruling (1954)

  • Court Decision
    • Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, declaring that separate facilities are inherently unequal, leading to school integration.

Mexican American War

  • Timeframe
    • 1846-1848.
  • Territorial Gains
    • U.S. acquired lands including Arizona, New Mexico, and Southern California from Mexico.

Homestead Act of 1862

  • Overview
    • Provided land to settlers, encouraging westward migration and settlement.

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

  • Relation to Ideology (similar to #19).

Treatment of Native Americans During Westward Expansion

  • Consequences
    • Native peoples were displaced from their lands.
  • Justification
    • Manifest Destiny; many treaties signed were broken or misunderstood by the Native population.

Dawes Act of 1887

  • Purpose
    • Broke up Native American reservations, aimed at reducing their power by allotting land to households for assimilation.

National Division by the Mid-1800s

  • Central Issue
    • Primarily centered around slavery.

Sharecropping

  • Definition
    • System where many former slaves worked land they did not own in exchange for housing and a portion of the crop.
  • Economic Reality
    • Often led to perpetual debt among sharecroppers with hopes of eventually buying land.

Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad

  • Significance
    • Connected East and West, enhancing travel speed and communication efficiency.

Challenges Faced by Farmers in the Late 1800s

  • Issues
    • High railroad profits at farmers' expense, leading to widespread debt.
  • Collective Action
    • Emergence of the Populist Party advocating for farmers’ rights and government intervention.

Emergence of the Populist Party

  • Reasons Behind Formation
    • Farmers sought government regulation of the railroad and a bimetallism monetary policy.
  • Alternate Name
    • The People’s Party, led by William Jennings Bryan.

Federal Government Involvement in Economics

  • Populist Support
    • Advocated for federal regulation of big businesses, particularly railroads.

Immigration Restrictions in 1882

  • Targeted Group
    • Chinese immigrants barred from entering the U.S. due to the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Shift to Imperialism

  • Overview
    • Similar transition to that noted in #21, from isolationism to assertive imperialist policies.

Jane Addams and the Progressive Era

  • Contributions
    • Founded Hull House in Chicago to assist immigrants’ adaptation through education and various support services.

Terms Definitions

  • Progressivism:

    • Movement aimed at reforming societal issues from the Gilded Age.

  • Conservatism:

    • Political ideology favoring traditional values.

  • Expansionism:

    • Desire to extend territorial boundaries.

  • States’ Rights:

    • Advocating for state governance over Federal authority.

Know-Nothing Party

  • Description
    • Nativist party opposing immigration and fearing changes to American identity due to it.

Political Machines

  • Definition
    • Organizations that controlled governance through corruption and bribes to secure political support.
  • Notable Figure
    • Boss Tweed controlled Tammany Hall in NYC during the late 1800s.

Gilded Age Characteristics

  • Overview
    • Era appearing prosperous outwardly yet rife with corruption and economic manipulation.
  • Economic Control
    • Dominance of Big Business and stark class divides.
  • Philanthropy
    • Andrew Carnegie’s advocacy for giving back through the “Gospel of Wealth.”

Laissez-faire Economic Policies

  • Definition
    • Government non-interference in the economy.
  • Administrations Involved
    • Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover.
  • Long-Term Effects
    • Led to risky investments, credit misuse, and overproduction issues post-WWI.

The Great Migration

  • Movement Overview
    • Migration of African Americans from the South to Northern urban areas seeking industrial employment.
  • Cultural Impact
    • Resulted in a vibrant cultural renaissance, known as the Harlem Renaissance.

Women's Voices in Reform Movements

  • Timeframe
    • Began in the 1840s during the Antebellum period.
  • Focus
    • Women prioritized Civil Rights and anti-slavery efforts over immediate suffrage goals.
  • Key Event
    • Seneca Falls Convention where Elizabeth Cady Stanton presented the “Declaration of Sentiments.”

Immigration Waves in the 1840s and 1880s

  • Major Groups
    • Irish and Germans were the largest immigrant populations in the 1840s.
  • Late 1800s New Immigrants
    • Proliferation of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe.