The Colonial Era (1492-1763)
$100 - Columbian Exchange - What is the Columbian Exchange?
Answer: The exchange of goods, diseases, plants, animals, and ideas between the Old World (Europe/Africa/Asia) and the New World (Americas) after Columbus's arrival
$100 - French & Indian War - Who won the French and Indian War?
Answer: Britain
$100 - Articles of Confederation - Under the Articles of Confederation, how many branches of government existed?
Answer: One—only Congress (no President, no Supreme Court)
$100 - Structure - Name the three branches of government created by the Constitution.
Answer: Legislative (Congress), Executive (President), Judicial (Supreme Court)
$100 - Louisiana Purchase - From which country did the United States purchase the Louisiana Territory in 1803?
Answer: France
$200 - Jamestown - What was the main economic goal of the Virginia Company in establishing Jamestown in 1607?
Answer: To make a profit for investors by finding valuable resources (like gold and silver) and developing new trade opportunities
$200 - British Taxation - What was the colonial slogan protesting British taxation?
Answer: "No taxation without representation"
$200 - Crisis Under Articles - What was Shays' Rebellion, and why did it convince leaders that a new government was needed?
Answer: Debt-ridden Massachusetts farmers (many were unpaid Revolutionary War veterans) led by Daniel Shays staged an armed rebellion when they were losing their land. The federal government was powerless to help or stop it, showing the Articles created a government too weak to maintain order, convincing leaders America needed a stronger central government.
$200 - Washington's Presidency - What rebellion in 1794 tested federal power under the new Constitution?
Answer: The Whiskey Rebellion
$200 - Louisiana Impact - Approximately how much did the United States pay for the Louisiana Territory, and what did this purchase do to the size of the nation?
Answer: $15 million, and it doubled the size of the United States
$300 - Puritans - What did Puritan leader John Winthrop mean when he called their colony a "City Upon a Hill"?
Answer: He meant their colony should be a model Christian community that the whole world would watch and admire—an example of how a godly society should function
$300 - Colonial Resistance - Describe two forms of colonial resistance to British taxation besides formal petitions.
Answer: (Accept any two) Boycotts of British goods, mob violence and intimidation of tax collectors, destruction of property (like the Boston Tea Party), organizing groups like the Sons of Liberty, tar and feathering officials
$300 - Constitutional Convention - The original purpose of the 1787 Convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation. What did they do instead?
Answer: They wrote a completely new Constitution
$300 - Constitutional Flexibility - How did the debate over the National Bank reveal different interpretations of Constitutional powers?
Answer: Hamilton argued "necessary and proper" meant Congress had implied powers to do anything useful for carrying out enumerated powers (broad interpretation). Jefferson argued "necessary" meant absolutely essential, not just convenient, and the bank wasn't listed in enumerated powers (strict interpretation). This debate established two approaches to Constitutional interpretation.
$300 - Lewis & Clark - What was the name of the expedition team that explored the Louisiana Territory, and who were its two leaders?
Answer: The Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
$400 - Colonial Geography - How did the economic systems of the Northern, Middle, and Southern colonies differ based on geography and climate?
Answer: Northern colonies had small farms, fishing, and trade (rocky soil, cold climate); Middle colonies grew wheat and grains (fertile soil); Southern colonies developed plantation agriculture with tobacco and rice using enslaved labor (warm climate, long growing season, large plantations)
$400 - Breaking Point - What event in 1773 led Britain to pass the Intolerable Acts as punishment?
Answer: The Boston Tea Party
$400 - Ratification Debates - What was the Anti-Federalists' main objection to the proposed Constitution, and what compromise resolved it?
Answer: Anti-Federalists feared the Constitution gave too much power to the federal government and didn't protect individual rights. The compromise was adding the Bill of Rights—the first 10 amendments protecting individual liberties.
$400 - Whiskey Rebellion - How did Washington's response to the Whiskey Rebellion demonstrate the difference between the new Constitution and the Articles of Confederation?
Answer: Washington personally led federal troops to suppress the rebellion, showing the federal government now had power to enforce laws and maintain order. Under the Articles, the government was powerless to stop Shays' Rebellion. This proved the Constitution created a government strong enough to function.
$400 - Marbury v. Madison - What principle did Chief Justice John Marshall establish in Marbury v. Madison (1803)?
Answer: Judicial review—the Supreme Court's power to declare laws unconstitutional
$500 - British Control - Explain how "Salutary Neglect" before the French and Indian War allowed colonies to develop self-governance, and why Britain's attempt to assert control after the war created conflict.
Answer: Under Salutary Neglect, Britain loosely enforced laws, allowing colonies to develop their own assemblies, trade relationships, and economic independence. After the French and Indian War, Britain tried to strictly control colonial trade, taxation, and governance to pay war debts. This contradicted decades of colonial self-rule, making colonists feel their established rights were being violated, leading them toward resistance and revolution.
$500 - Declaration - The Declaration of Independence states "all men are created equal" with "unalienable rights." How did this revolutionary language contradict the reality of American society in 1776?
Answer: While declaring all men equal, the Declaration was written by slaveholders in a society that enslaved Black people, denied women rights, and dispossessed Native Americans. The "all men" language excluded enslaved people, women, Native Americans, and poor white men without property. This contradiction between revolutionary ideals and actual practice would haunt America for centuries.
$500 - Competing Visions - Compare Federalist and Anti-Federalist visions for America. What did each side fear would happen if the other side won?
Answer: Federalists wanted strong central government to maintain order, pay debts, and make America respected. They feared without it, America would collapse into chaos and foreign domination. Anti-Federalists wanted strong state governments and feared a powerful federal government would become tyrannical like Britain, crush individual liberties, and benefit wealthy elites. Each side saw the other's vision as leading to either anarchy or tyranny.
$500 - Political Parties - Despite Washington's Farewell Address warning against permanent political parties, they emerged anyway. Why did this division develop during his presidency?
Answer: Parties formed around Hamilton vs. Jefferson's competing visions. Hamilton's Federalists wanted strong federal government, industrial economy, national bank, and ties with Britain. Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans wanted strong state power, agricultural economy, strict Constitutional interpretation, and sympathy for France. These represented fundamentally different ideas about what America should become: urban/industrial/centralized vs. rural/agricultural/decentralized. Americans couldn't agree on basic questions about power and economy.
$500 - Jefferson's Dilemma - Jefferson believed in strict Constitutional interpretation and states' rights, yet he purchased Louisiana using implied powers. What does this reveal about the tension between political philosophy and practical governance?
Answer: Jefferson believed in strict interpretation but the Constitution didn't explicitly give the President power to purchase territory. To buy Louisiana, he had to use broad Constitutional interpretation—the exact approach he'd opposed with Hamilton's National Bank. This revealed that even leaders with strong philosophical principles must sometimes compromise them for practical benefits, showing the difference between political theory and governing reality.