US History Semester 1 Final Exam Review

US History Final Exam Study Guide

The Middle Passage

  • Goods Transported During the Middle Passage:

    • Gold

    • Rum

    • Enslaved people

European Exploration Motivations

  • Main Motives for Making Voyages of Exploration:

    • Growing their wealth

    • Spreading Christianity

Key Historical Figures

  • Olaudah Equiano:

    • Remembered for writing a book about his life and contributing to the efforts to end the slave trade.

  • Amerigo Vespucci:

    • Famous for the Americas being named after him.

Indentured Servitude

  • Definition of an Indentured Servant:

    • A person who agreed to work for 4-7 years in exchange for passage to the New World.

Settlement of the New World

  • New England Colonies:

    • Settled by the Puritans due to their desire for religious freedom.

  • Pennsylvania Region Settlement:

    • Mostly settled by the Quakers.

  • Plymouth Colony Founding:

    • Established by the Pilgrims in search of religious freedom.

Early Governance in the Colonies

  • First Representative Government in Jamestown:

    • Known as the House of Burgesses.

  • Mayflower Compact:

    • A document signed by men aboard the Mayflower, intended as an agreement for a democratic set of laws.

Taxation and Colonial Response

  • Britain's Increase in Taxes Post-French and Indian War:

    • Occurred because Britain was in debt and needed financial resources.

  • The Stamp Act:

    • A law imposing taxes on all paper and printed materials.

  • The Tea Act:

    • A law that imposed increased taxes on any tea products sold in the colonies.

  • Proclamation of 1763:

    • A law that stated colonists could not settle west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Ideologies in the Colonies

  • Belief of Patriots:

    • Valued freedom and believed that resisting British authority was justified.

  • Belief of Loyalists:

    • Valued loyalty and believed in following British rule.

Key Events Leading to Independence

  • Boston Massacre:

    • An event where a group of British soldiers shot and killed 5 American colonists during a protest that turned violent.

  • Continental Army Command:

    • Commanded by George Washington.

Taxation Principle

  • Meaning of "No Taxation Without Representation":

    • This phrase means that people should have the right to refuse to pay taxes if they do not have representation in government.