Foundations of America
How did geography shape settlement patterns and economic activity?
Access to rivers, fertile land, and natural resources influenced where people settled and how local economies developed.
Contrast the economic systems of the New England and Southern colonies based on their geography.
New England relied on shipbuilding and fishing due to rocky soil and natural harbors, while the South developed a plantation system based on fertile soil and a long growing season).
Why is the Battle of Saratoga (1777) considered the "turning point" of the American Revolution?
The victory convinced France and Spain to officially ally with and support the American cause.
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson defines "unalienable rights" as those that are natural and possessed at birth. What are the three specific examples he lists?
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
What was the women’s suffrage movement?
sought equality, this reform movement focused specifically on expanding voting rights for women.
What are the reasons for the growth of representative government in the American colonies?
Representative government in the colonies developed because they were far from England, allowed to govern themselves, and influenced by ideas about rights and equality.
How did Eli Whitney’s cotton gin both help and hurt the Southern economy?
While it made removing seeds faster and more efficient, it actually increased the demand for enslaved labor to plant and harvest more cotton
Evaluate the arguments of Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
Which side had stronger reasoning at the time of ratification?
your opinion.
What was Shays’ Rebellion?
This event exposed the inability of the national government under the Articles of Confederation to maintain order.
This 1848 discovery led to a massive population boom—including the arrival of the "49ers" and Asian immigrants—which allowed the territory to skip the standard requirements of the Northwest Ordinance and apply for statehood as a free state by 1850
California Gold Rush
This document used Enlightenment ideas to justify breaking away from Britain by listing grievances and asserting natural rights.
The Declaration of Independence
Describe the "Free Enterprise" system that emerged in the early United States as a response to mercantilism
A system where privately owned businesses operate with little government regulation, and prices are determined by supply and demand).
How did the War of 1812 contribute to the Industrial Revolution in the United States?
The British blockade disrupted foreign trade, forcing Americans to start manufacturing their own goods domestically
The addition of this feature to the Constitution helped secure ratification by protecting individual liberties.
The Bill of Rights
This belief encouraged Americans to expand westward, often leading to conflict with Native Americans and Mexico.
Manifest Destiny
This 1823 foreign policy warned European nations to stay away from the Western Hemisphere, positioning the U.S. as a protector of Latin American countries
Monroe Doctrine
During the Nullification Crisis, South Carolina argued that the 10th Amendment gave them the right to cancel federal tariffs. How did President Jackson respond?
He threatened military action, asserting that federal law was supreme over state "nullification"
Discuss the impact of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848) on the national debate over slavery.
The acquisition of the Mexican Cession intensified the conflict over whether the new territories would allow slavery, leading to compromises like the Compromise of 1850
This religious movement in the early 19th century inspired a wave of reform movements aimed at addressing social problems like slavery, alcohol abuse, and poor prison conditions
Second Great Awakening
Identify the author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and the impact the book had on the abolitionist movement
Harriet Beecher Stowe; her book detailed the hardships of slavery and convinced many to join the cause for abolition
Following the Mexican-American War, the United States acquired this vast territory through the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, which later intensified national debates over the spread of slavery .
Mexican Cession
Explain how mercantilism directly led to the adoption of the Free Enterprise system in the Early Republic
In response to British trade restrictions and regulations, Americans developed a system where privately owned businesses operate with little government interference
Analyze the significance of the Supreme Court case Worcester v. Georgia.
The Court ruled that Georgia had no authority over Cherokee lands, but President Jackson ignored the ruling, leading to the forced relocation known as the Trail of Tears
Believing this institution was unconstitutional and unfairly favored the wealthy elite, Andrew Jackson exercised the constitutional principle of checks and balances by vetoing its charter renewal in 1832, which effectively dissolved i
The National Bank
Define the concept of Transcendentalism and name one of its major leaders
A philosophy valuing individualism and self-reflection to gain knowledge of the world; led by figures like Ralph Waldo Emerson or Henry David Thoreau