Early Exploration
Who was the first European to reach North America (besides Vikings)?
Christopher Columbus
What was the first successful English colony?
Jamestown
Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
What is the highest law in the U.S.?
The Constitution
Which land deal doubled the size of the U.S. in 1803?
The Louisiana Purchase
What was the hoped-for route to Asia?
The Northwest Passage
What crop helped Jamestown survive?
Tobacco
What year did the American Revolution begin?
1775
What do we call the first ten amendments?
Bill of Rights
Who explored the Louisiana Territory?
Lewis and Clark
Which country sponsored Columbus’s 1492 voyage?
Spain
Who settled Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts?
Pilgrims, Plymouth Colony
What was the turning-point battle of the Revolution?
Battle of Saratoga
What’s the purpose of checks and balances?
To prevent any branch from becoming too powerful
What was the belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across the continent?
Manifest Destiny
What name is given to the transfer of goods, ideas, and diseases between Old and New Worlds?
The Columbian Exchange
What was the agreement to form self-government among Pilgrims?
Mayflower Compact
What treaty ended the American Revolution?
Treaty of Paris (1783)
What are the Three branches of government?
legislative, executive, and judicial branches
Name the family who explored westward and got trapped in blizzard. Afters months, they had to resort to Cannibalism.
The Donnor Party
Name one positive and one negative effect of European exploration on Native Americans.
new crops/animals; Negative: disease, land loss
What were the three colonial regions?
New England, Middle, Southern
Name one advantage colonists had.
Home‑field advantage, leadership, motivation
What was the Great Compromise?
Two‑house legislature (Senate & House)
Name one group negatively affected by westward expansion.
Native Americans (or others like Mexicans, environmental damage)