US History

• Reasons for Exploration


  • Wealth
  • Religion
  • Expand empires
  • Claim territory
• Spain


  Claimed Florida, Texas, California & built missions
• France


  Claimed land in New World to profit from fur trading
• New England Economy


  • Fishing
  • Lumbering
  • Shipbuilding
  • Harbors
• Religious Toleration


  Roger Williams started religious tolerant Rhode Island
• Southern Colonies Economy


  • Transatlantic Slave Trade
  • Plantations
  • Cash crops
  • Fertile soil
• Quakers


  1st anti-slavery group, lived in Pennsylvania
• Maryland


  A place for Catholics to live peacefully
• Reasons for Growth of Representative/Self Government

  • Distance from Britain
  • Mayflower Compact (social contract)
  • Virginia House of Burgesses
  • Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
• Mercantilism - British controlled colonial trade, angered colonists
• Proclamation of 1763 - law forbid colonists from moving west of Appalachian Mountains, angered colonists
• Consent of Governed


  Belief British should have permission of colonists to pass taxes, main reason for American Revolution
• Intolerable Acts


  The British response to the Boston Tea Party, increased tension between colonists and British
• Unalienable Rights


  Rights all people have from birth; life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness; Declaration of Independence
• Saratoga - turning point of war, France joined with Patriots
• Yorktown - last major battle resulting in British defeat, Britain then signed Treaty of Paris and recognized U.S. independence
• Articles of Confederation


  • Congress can negotiate treaties and declare war
  • No executive branch
• Northwest Ordinance - law establishing a way for admitting new states to the United States, territories govern themselves
• Great Compromise


  Agreement that decided how many representatives large and small states would send to Congress
• 3/5th Compromise


  Agreement over how slaves would count for representation and taxation purposes
• Federalist


  • Supported Constitution, believed it created a more stable Union
  • Alexander Hamilton and James Madison
• Antifederalist


  • Against Constitution, believed it needed a Bill of Rights
  • Patrick Henry and George Mason
• Checks and Balances


  Each branch of government has some power over the other two branches, helps to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful
• Citizen Responsibilities


  • Serve on juries to determine verdict
  • Vote in elections
• 1st Amendment


  • Freedom of religion (church or mosque)
  • Freedom of speech (criticize)
  • Freedom of press (media)
  • Freedom of assembly (peaceful protest)
  • Freedom to petition
• 24th Amendment - no unreasonable search or seizure
• 6th Amendment - right to trial by jury
• 8th Amendment - Freedom from cruel or unusual punishment
• 10th Amendment


  Rights not given to the federal government are rights of the states, this is the principal of federalism
• Hamilton's Financial Plan - 1) establish National Bank 2) pay off war debt 3) pass whiskey tax 4) protective tariff
• Whiskey Rebellion - protest over federal whiskey tax, Washington used domestic force to stop rebellion
• Farewell Address


  Washington warned against having permanent foreign alliances and the creation of political parties
• Federalist Party


  • Wanted 1) more Federal govt. power 2) industrial economy 3) Federal Bank
• Democrat-Republican Party


  • Wanted 1) less Federal govt. 2) Agricultural economy 3) no National Bank
• Alien and Sedition Act - John Adams (2nd President), angered many Americans, violated freedom of speech
• Marbury v. Madison - established judicial review which gave Supreme Court power to declare laws unconstitutional
• Causes of War of 1812

  British impressment of US sailors
• Monroe Doctrine


  Issued by James Monroe, prevented European colonization of land in the Western Hemisphere
• Jacksonian Democracy


  Democratic Party, voting increases
• Nullification Crisis - problem over if the state of South Carolina had the right to nullify (overturn) a Federal law, argument over states' rights vs. federal rights