Early Colonization & Westward Expansion
Colonial economies varied by region based on __________.
Colonial economies varied by region based on geography.
1776 social contract meant to guarantee individual (inalienable) rights
Declaration of Independence
What was the Stamp Act?
The Stamp Act was a 1765 British paper tax on colonists to pay off French & Indian War debt (repealed in 1766)
What is the 5th Amendment?
The 5th Amendment protects individuals from self-incrimination (the right to remain silent), double jeopardy (being tried twice for the same crime), and preserves their right to due process of law
What was the Columbian Exchange?
The Columbian Exchange was the widespread transfer of goods, plants, animals, culture, people, diseases, ideas and tech between the Americas, Europe and Africa in the 15-16th centuries.
Where, specifically, did Columbus land in 1492?
Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492.
Washington's Farewell Address gave two pieces of advice that established a precedent. What were they?
Washington's Farewell Address warned:
1. to remain neutral in foreign affairs
2. to avoid political parties (factions, division)
Define the following key terms and explain how they are related: Tea Act & Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act was a British tax on colonists (F&I War debt) that granted the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales there.
This was seen as "taxation without representation" by the colonists and led to the Boston Tea Party in 1773.
The Boston Tea Party was a colonial protest where American colonists, disguised as Native Americans, dumped 342 chests of tea from the British East India Company into the Boston Harbor.
What was the Bill of Rights? Which political party wanted to add it to the Constitution? And for what purpose?
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments of the Constitution. It was added by Anti-Federalists in 1791 to protect individual liberties.
another word for 'the right to vote' is...
suffrage
What was the impact of European contact on Native Americans? Give an example and explain it.
Diseases (like smallpox) ravaged the Native American population because the diseases were foreign and they lacked immunity
What was the VA House of Burgesses?
The VA House of Burgesses was the first elected legislative assembly in the New World established in the colony of Virginia in 1619, as the first example of a democratic political system (granted voting rights to wealthy landowners).
Name the year of the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.
Boston Massacre = 1770
Boston Tea Party = 1773
What is the 3rd Amendment? Also explain the origin of it.
The 3rd Amendment prohibits the quartering of soldiers in private homes without the owner's consent, both in peacetime and in war. (right to privacy)
It was made in direct response to the British Quartering Act which required colonists to let British soldiers stay in their homes in war times.
What was the encomienda system?
The encomienda system was a Spanish system of forced labor system that gave land to Spanish colonial overlords, exchanging “protection” and instruction in the Christian faith for Natives, in exchange for their agricultural slave labor on farms or in mines.
What was the Louisiana Purchase and why was it significant?
The Louisiana Purchase was an 1803 land deal where Jefferson bought 850,000 miles of territory from France for a low price. It was significant because it doubled the size of the US overnight by gaining control of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, and also accelerated westward expansion.
Name and explain two compromises reached at the Constitutional Convention.
The Great Compromise: was a compromise over government representation that established a bicameral legislature (two-house system where representation was population-based in the House and equal in the Senate).
Three-Fifths Compromise: compromise that counted three-fifths of the enslaved population towards government representation.
Define the Boston Massacre and explain its significance in fueling the larger Revolutionary movement.
The Boston Massacre was a 1770 incident in Boston where five protesting colonists were killed by British soldiers.
The story became significant propaganda for the Anti-British/Pro-Revolutionary cause, as it was discussed and depicted all across the media (Paul Revere’s etching).
Define the following key terms and explain how they are related: Articles of Confederation, Shay's Rebellion, & Constitutional Convention
The Articles of Confederation was the first draft of the constitution, which gave all the power to the States.
Shay's Rebellion was a 1786 armed uprising in western MA, by farmers protesting high taxes, debt, and economic hardship following the Revolutionary War, led by Daniel Shays. Shay's Rebellion showed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation because the federal government's had no power to tax, raise an army, and stop the rebellion or provide stability.
This led to the revision of the Articles of Confederation, which led to the drafting of the US Constitution at the Constitutional Convention.
What is a joint-stock company? Give an example and explain it.
A joint-stock company is a company owned jointly by shareholders or investors, meaning its purpose was to make money.
Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement, founded in 1607 in VA is an example of this because it was owned by the Virginia Company, a British joint-stock company.
European treatment of Native Americans varied based on motivation for settlement. Describe the different motivations for French, Spanish, and English settlement, and how they impacted the way each interacted with Native Americans.
Spanish missionaries tried to convert Native Americans to Christianity and also enslave them.
The English, seeking land and permanent settlement, slowly displaced Native American tribes.
French & Dutch settlers had the most (relatively) positive relations with Native Americans that often resulted in intermarriage and cultural exchange. This was because their motivation was limited to the fur trade.
To gain support for ratifying the Constitution Hamilton’s The Federalist Papers argued that...
Hamilton’s The Federalist Papers argued that the federal government would be limited enough in the constitution because of principles like checks and balances.
How were African Americans effected by the Revolutionary War?
African Americans fought for both the Patriots and the British during the Revolutionary War. Their primary motivation was the promise of freedom but this was rarely granted.
1215 English legal document that established legal and personal rights for citizens (rule of law), and would inspire the Constitution & Bill of Rights.
Magna Carta (1215)
Who fought in the French & Indian War?
What is another name for this war?
The war was fought between the French & the British with Native American alliances on both sides.
French & Indian War = 7 Years War