Early American History

Front 1

French & Indian War

Back 1

The British crown sent soldiers to help colonists fight off their rivals in the New World...then Britain expected the colonists to PAY for their own defense!

Front 2

Representative democracy

Back 2

The Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact and Virginia House of Burgesses were all steps in the growth of what type of government?

Front 3

John Locke

Back 3

This Enlightenment thinker put forth the idea of natural rights (life, liberty & property) and justified the overthrow of unfair, unjust governments

Front 4

American people

Back 4

John Locke put forth the idea that the government rules through the consent of the governed. In other words, the government's power comes from who???

Front 5

Mayflower Compact

Back 5

The pilgrims signed this document in which they agree

Front 6

Democracy

Back 6

Government in which people participate through voting

Front 7

Mercantilism

Back 7

An economic system where the 'mother country' uses her colonies for economic gain

Front 8

Taxation without representation

Back 8

This is what many American colonists were most angry with in the times leading up to the American Revolution

Front 9

Patriot

Back 9

A person who supported the idea of independence for the American colonists

Front 10

Loyalists

Back 10

A person who sided with the British during the American Revolution

Front 11

Common Sense

Back 11

This pamphlet, written by Thomas Paine encouraged colonists to support the idea of independence

Front 12

Declaration of Independence

Back 12

1. Provides an explanation & justification for the American Revolution

2. Influenced by John Locke & the Enlightenment thinkers

3. Borrows from Locke's notion that a bad government should be overthrown

4. Indicates that the source of governmental power is the people (consent of the governed)

Front 13

Articles of Confederation

Back 13

This 1st attempt at government gave too much power to the state governments and left the National government ineffective

Front 14

Land Ordinance of 1785 & Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Back 14

Although the Articles of Confederation failed in many regards, they did provide guidelines for the admission of new states with these laws...

Front 15

Shay's Rebellion

Back 15

This uprising of farmers led many to realize that the Articles of Confederation were not working; especially when the state militia and NOT the national army had to stop the conflict

Front 16

Alexander Hamilton

Back 16

He was appointed as George Washington's 1st Secretary of the Treasury; he suggested a National Bank and a protective tariff in order to pay off the new nation's large debt

Front 17

Thomas Jefferson

Back 17

George Washington chose him to be his Secretary of State; he was a spokesperson for the common man...

Front 18

Farewell Address

Back 18

During this famous speech, George Washington advised the United States to adopt the policy of neutrality

Front 19

Alien & Sedition Acts

Back 19

These 1798 laws made it more difficult to become a U.S. citizen and made it easier to arrest and deport non-citizens as a 'danger to society'

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Lobbying

Back 20

This is the process whereby people try to influence legislation (laws) and elect people who support a special interest's views

Front 21

Strict interpretation

Back 21

This idea says that the Constitution has to be followed word-for-word.

Front 22

Loose interpretation

Back 22

This idea favors the use of the Constitution as a loose framework of government...

Front 23

Louisiana Purchase

Back 23

1. Doubles the size of the United States

2. Gains U.S. access to the Mississippi River

3. Get port city of New Orleans

4. Allows mid-Western farmers an option for shipping goods to a port city

Front 24

Federalists

Back 24

This early political party represented the wealthy, educated classes and favored industry and trade as a basis for the American economy

Front 25

Monroe Doctrine

Back 25

This 1823 American foreign policy warned European nations to stay out of the Western Hemisphere

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Nativism

Back 26

Anti-immigrant feelings

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Old immigrants

Back 27

Arrived from Northern and Western Europe, typically before the year 1890 and assimilated into American society

Front 28

New immigrants

Back 28

Arrived from Southern and Eastern Europe as well as Asia, typically after the year 1890, often to escape political and economic strife and did not 'blend' as well as other immigrant groups

Front 29

Spoils system

Back 29

Widely used by Andrew Jackson (and MANY other politicians!), this is when government jobs are given to people who helped their political party win an election

Front 30

plantation

Back 30

This was the name of a large farm found in the South and often worked by a number of slave laborers

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North

Back 31

This area of the U.S. was (and is) industrial and did not have the climate to support a system like slavery

Front 32

Sectionalism

Back 32

This is the idea that your region and it's needs are more important than the nation as a whole

Front 33

Trail of Tears

Back 33

This refers to the forced removal of Native Americans from their lands to reservations further in the west

Front 34

Worcester v. Georgia

Back 34

This Supreme Court case said that it was unconstitutional for the National Government to remove the Cherokee Indians from their territory; President Andrew Jackson ignored the court ruling and did it anyway

Front 35

Abolitionist

Back 35

This refers to any individual who wanted to get rid of slavery

Front 36

Underground Railroad

Back 36

This was a series of safe-houses where escaping slaves could rest on their way to the North and into Canada

Front 37

Declaration of Sentiments

Back 37

It starts out "All men and women are created equal..."

Front 38

Seneca Falls

Back 38

This was the location of a famous 1848 women's rights convention organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Lucretia Mott

Front 39

Manifest Destiny

Back 39

The belief that the United States would one day span from east coast to west coast, Atlantic to Pacific...we would have it ALL!

Front 40

Lewis & Clark

Back 40

Once Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory, he sent these men to explore the $15 million purchase

Front 41

Texas

Back 41

This is known as the Lone-Star State because, for a period of time, it was a 'country' that had gained independence from Mexico but was not admitted into the United States (that happened in 1845)