The American Revolution
What event in 1770 increased tensions between colonists and British soldiers in Boston?
The Boston Massacre.
What was one major weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
No power to tax or enforce laws.
Who was the first president of the United States?
George Washington.
What invention greatly increased cotton production in the South?
The cotton gin.
Who was president of the Confederacy during the Civil War?
Jefferson Davis.
What was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?
To formally state the colonies’ break from Britain and justify it through Enlightenment ideals.
The Great Compromise created what kind of legislature?
Bicameral — Senate (equal representation) and House (population-based).
What precedent did Washington set when he left office?
Serving only two terms.
What was the main goal of the abolitionist movement?
To end slavery in the United States.
What was the primary goal of the Union at the start of the Civil War?
To preserve the Union.
Which battle convinced France to ally with the colonies?
The Battle of Saratoga (1777).
What issue did the Three-Fifths Compromise address?
Counting enslaved people for representation and taxation.
What was the significance of the Louisiana Purchase (1803)?
It doubled U.S. territory and opened western expansion.
How did the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) increase sectional conflict in the United States?
It allowed settlers to decide on slavery through popular sovereignty, leading to violent clashes known as “Bleeding Kansas.”
What was the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation (1863)?
It freed enslaved people in Confederate-held areas and redefined the war as a fight against slavery.
What was one advantage the British army had over the Continental Army?
Superior navy, training, and resources.
Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagreed most strongly over what?
The power of the central government and the need for a Bill of Rights.
What were the main causes of the War of 1812?
British impressment of sailors, trade restrictions, and frontier conflicts.
What was one result of the Mexican-American War (1846–1848)?
The U.S. gained vast territories in the Southwest (Mexican Cession).
What was the purpose of the Freedmen’s Bureau after the war?
To provide aid, education, and legal support to formerly enslaved people.
What treaty ended the Revolutionary War and recognized American independence?
The Treaty of Paris (1783).
What document guaranteed freedoms like speech, religion, and press?
The Bill of Rights.
How did the Missouri Compromise (1820) attempt to maintain national unity?
It kept a balance between free and slave states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
How did the Compromise of 1850 attempt to resolve sectional tension?
It admitted California as a free state, strengthened the Fugitive Slave Law, and left slavery in new territories to popular sovereignty.
Why did Reconstruction ultimately fail to achieve lasting equality?
Ongoing Southern resistance, racial violence, and Northern fatigue led to the rollback of many reforms.