Copy of Semester I - Final Exam Study Guide - US History

Page 1: Iberian Peninsula and Exploration

  • Portuguese Navigation

    • Motivated by economic desires, desire for new trade routes, and spreading Christianity.

    • Henry the Navigator was instrumental in advancing maritime knowledge.

  • Treaty of Tordesillas

    • Agreement between Spain and Portugal to divide New World lands.

  • West Central Africa (Kongo/Ndongo)

    • Conversion of Kongo to Christianity and acceptance of Portuguese culture.

  • Transatlantic Trade

    • Involves the Middle Passage, transporting enslaved Africans to the Americas.

    • Increased sugar production in the Caribbean influenced trade.

  • Spanish Conquistadores

    • Notable figures: Cortez (conquest of Aztecs), Pizarro (Incan Empire).

    • Motivated by Gold, God, and Glory.

  • Indigenous Cultures

    • Inca and Aztec civilizations; Tenochtitlan (Aztec capital) and Quetzalcoatl (deity).

    • Cahokia known for its mounds; Beringia connection for migration into the Americas.

    • Crops introduced: Corn and Potatoes.

  • Impact of Disease on conquest and Indigenous populations.

    • Significant mortality among Native Americans.

  • Colonial Formation

    • Regions of North America and Moundbuilders of the Mississippi region.

    • Florida’s foundation and establishment of St. Augustine significance.

  • Significant Year: 1619 in Virginia.

  • Colonial Profiles

    • Virginia, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland.

      • Economic, governmental, religious, and labor aspects to understand.

  • Bacon’s Rebellion and aftermath: conflict between wealthy planters and former indentured servants.

  • Comparing Systems

    • Indentured servants vs. enslaved Africans and Stono’s Rebellion as a significant revolt.

    • Act of 1740 in South Carolina motivations.

  • Generational Shifts

    • Charter Generation vs. Plantation Generation.

  • Mercantilism and French Colonization of North America.

  • Immigration Patterns in Colonial America (Puritans vs. Separatists).

  • Columbian Exchange as a vast transfer of goods and ideas.

  • De las Casas: advocate for Native rights.

  • Zenger Trial: freedom of the press, significant landmark.

  • The Great Awakening: religious revival movement.

Page 2: French and Indian War to American Revolution

  • French and Indian War Causes

    • Conflicts over land in Ohio River Valley.

  • Key Figures: George Washington; Gen. Braddock; William Pitt.

  • Fort Duquesne and Fort Necessity played crucial roles.

  • War Tactics: Old World vs New World strategies.

  • Treaty of Paris (1763)

    • Resulted in territorial redistribution; marked end of conflict.

  • Pontiac's Rebellion

    • Native American response against British post-war colonial policies.

  • Proclamation Line of 1763

    • Limited westward expansion of colonists.

  • Colonial Taxation

    • Direct vs indirect taxes (Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts).

    • Stamp Act Congress organized colonial resistance.

  • Boston Tea Party: protest against the Tea Act, pivotal moment leading to Intolerable Acts.

  • Coercive Acts: punitive measures that escalated tensions.

  • Military Organization: Continental Army vs Militias (importance of Ticonderoga).

  • Loyalists vs. Patriots: conflict divided colonies.

  • Declaration of Independence (1776)

    • Authored by Thomas Jefferson influenced by Locke and Enlightenment ideals.

  • Campaigns: North/New England, Middle States, and Southern campaigns.

    • Importance of Battle of Saratoga; Franklin’s diplomacy with France.

  • Yorktown: decisive victory for colonists.

  • Theories on Governance: Alexis de Tocqueville’s observations and Marx’s historical theory.

Page 3: Post-Revolution America

  • Revolution Impact on Slavery across regions.

  • Republican Motherhood: women’s role in nurturing civic virtue.

  • State Constitutions: reflection of Republican values.

    • Discussion of Church and state issues, freedom of religion.

  • Voting Rights and property requirements as barriers.

  • Treaty of Paris (1783)

    • Redefined borders; ceded Florida back to Spain.

  • Articles of Confederation

    • Address strengths and weaknesses in governance.

  • Western Land Claims conflict resolution via Land Ordinance of 1785 and Northwest Ordinance.

  • Differences: Interstate vs Intrastate Commerce highlighted.

  • Shays’ Rebellion: uprising exposing weaknesses of Articles.

  • Constitutional Convention

    • Balancing federalism and local governance, separation of powers, checks and balances.

  • Preamble & Bill of Rights importance.

  • Congressional Powers: debates between 10th Amendment and elastic clause.

  • Impeachment and Amendment Process discussed.

  • Legislative Process overview with "I’m Just a Bill".

  • Competing Plans: Virginia vs New Jersey Plans and the Great Compromise built framework of congress.

  • Washington Administration

    • Hamilton’s Economic Plan: report on public credit and national debt funding.

  • Political Party Formation: Federalists vs Democratic-Republicans.

  • Foreign Affairs: focus on Jay Treaty, Pinckney Treaty, French Impressment and XYZ Affair leading to Quasi War with France.

  • Revolution of 1800 led to political shifts.

  • Haitian Revolution and resultant challenges for America.

  • Alien and Sedition Acts: restrictions on immigrants and implications for civil liberties.

Page 4: The Early 19th Century

  • Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions: responses to Alien and Sedition Acts.

  • Election of 1800: peaceful transition of power.

  • Marbury vs. Madison: established judicial review.

  • Louisiana Purchase: significant territorial expansion, constitutional implications.

  • Lewis and Clark Expedition: exploration and insight into the west.

  • American Foreign Policy: impacted by Napoleonic Wars.

  • Embargo Act and Non-Intercourse Act: responses to European conflicts.

  • Macon’s Bill #2: attempts to regulate trade.

  • Causes of the War of 1812: multiple conflicts with Britain.

  • Washington/Jefferson Native American Policy

    • Assimilation vs. ethnic cleansing.

  • Tecumseh’s efforts: unification of tribes against encroachment.

  • Hartford Convention: reflections on Federalist sentiments during the war.

  • American System: convergence of economic policies post-war.

  • Panic of 1819: economic downturn significance.

  • Missouri Compromise: dealt with slavery and state admission.

  • Monroe Doctrine: foreign policy asserting American interests.

  • Technological Advancements: Roads, canals transforming market strategies.

  • Market Revolution: innovation and growth patterns.

  • Industrial Growth: impact of technology such as steel plow and mechanical reaper.

  • Second Middle Passage: internal slave trade dynamics.

  • Immigration Trends: Irish and German influx and resulting nativism (Know Nothings).

  • Second Great Awakening: rise of religious fervor and reform movements.

  • Elections of 1824 & 1828: political controversies shaping policies and public opinion.

  • Tariff Crisis: Tariff of Abominations sparking sectional tensions.

  • Native American Removal: Five Civilized Tribes experience conflicts of assimilation vs resistance.

  • Jackson’s Bank Policies: affecting state banks and economic stability.

  • Panic of 1837: direct outcomes of Jackson's policies.

  • Reform Movements: Dorothea Dix’s work on prison reform and the temperance movement.

Page 5: Abolition, Expansion, and Conflict

  • Second Great Awakening: influences on abolitionist movements.

  • Abolitionism: differences between white and black advocates.

  • Emancipation Models: contrasting approaches in North (Massachusetts vs. Pennsylvania).

  • American Colonization Society: initiatives for relocated free black populations.

  • William Lloyd Garrison: publisher of The Liberator advocating for immediate emancipation.

  • Frederick Douglass: key figure in abolitionism advocating for rights.

  • Harriet Beecher Stowe: author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, exposes slavery’s brutality.

  • Demographics: Exploring Southern society and class structure.

  • Resistance Forms: Turner’s Rebellion and consequences of slave resistance.

  • Adams-Onis Treaty: securing Florida and defining U.S. borders.

  • Texas Independence: causes leading to conflict with Mexico; details of Texas Annexation.

  • Manifest Destiny: belief driving westward expansion.

  • Mexican-American War: territorial gains for the U.S.

    • Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo: conclusions of the war.

  • California Gold Rush: economic boom impacting migration.

  • Compromise of 1850: attempts to balance slave and free states.

  • Fugitive Slave Law: intensified slavery debates in the North.

  • Republican Party Formation: response to expansion of slavery.

  • Kansas-Nebraska Act: established popular sovereignty, leading to conflict.

  • Dred Scott Decision: significant court ruling affecting slavery.

  • Lincoln-Douglass Debates: pivotal moments leading to the Civil War.

  • John Brown’s Raid: highlighted sectional tensions and fear among Southern slaveholders.

  • Election of 1860: Lincoln’s victory leading to sectional crises.

  • Secession Movement: states’ rights vs. the role of slavery in justifying secession.

  • Fort Sumter: site of the first battle, symbolizing conflict initiation.

  • Comparative Analysis: North vs. South at the conflict's outset, examining resources and strategies.