Midterm Flashcards
Voyages of Discovery
- a movement in 15th and 16th century Europe to expand its boundaries beyond just Europe. Portugal, Spain, England, and France were big players in this Age. Reasons included collecting ancient works, trade, gaining land, God, gold, and glory. Significance: Without the Age of Discovery, Columbus would have never gotten on a ship in an attempt to reach China by going west, therefore never landing on the West Indies and discovering America.
English motives for exploration (Jamestown)
to promote the twin goals of Protestantism and plunder by seizing Spanish treasure ships and raiding Spanish settlements. Significance: England and Spain thus became enemies, and the journey towards establishing a colony began. Newfoundland and Roanoke failed, and then came Jamestown.
Bacon’s Rebellion
- led by Nathaniel Bacon, a frontier farmer who was fed up with Berkeley’s control in Virginia and the constant attacks by Indians on the frontier. So, he organized a rebellion where he murdered many Indians, chased Berkeley from Jamestown, and put the torch to the capital. Berkeley quickly squashed the rebellion. Significance: This pitted the frontiersmen against the gentry, and even though it was put down, tension remained. Bacon had ignited the anger that all frontiersmen were feeling. Lordly planters did not want these laborers on their farm, so they looked to slaves.
congressional church governments
along with Anglicanism, it was tax-supported by the state it was in. It acted with the government, and was established in New England colonies besides Rhode Island. Significance: Generally, ministers tended to be against Revolution because of the tax-provided bread they got from England. But it was a very influential Church, and usually in colonial America, religion was tolerated.
mercantilism
says that government control of trade is necessary for balance of the military, also want to produce a positive balance of trade. High tariffs and use of English ships is necessary. Significance: Colonists wanted freedom of trade and freedom of the seas. It is one of the many annoyances that caused the colonists to search for independence.
virtual v. direct representation
Britain believed in virtual representation, which meant that all members of Parliament represented all members of England, which includes the colonists. (Colonists were claiming “No taxation w/o representation”). Direct representation is what the colonists wanted and what we have now, where members of Congress represent certain districts. Significance: The colonists also fought for direct representation because they did not feel it was fair for them to be taxed. They fought for this in the war as well.
Benjamin Franklin
Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment. Significance: He seems as though he has done almost anything to do with the US. He was very important in unifying the colonies and in the Declaration and Constitution.
Proclamation of 1763
It prohibited settlement beyond the Appalachians, and this was to combat struggles with the Indians. Significance: Land speculators see this as a violation of our birthright, as it is what we purchased through their blood of war.
George Grenvelle
He was put in charge of the money for the colonies, and chancellor of the exchequer. Had the task of restoring the country’s wealth after the Seven Years’ War. Significance: Became prime minister, and he tried to gain the money that Britain had lost in the Seven Years’ War through taxes.He passed both the Sugar Act and Stamp Act. Both caused talks of alienation between the colonies and Britain. Sugar Act lowered the tax on imported sugar, and the Stamp Act will be covered next.
Stamp Act of 1765
Passed under Grenville; it said that everything printed had to have a stamp on it. It is only a tax for revenue, it isn’t for trade or any other purpose. Significance: It is a violation of our rights as Englishmen (no taxation w/o representation)
Boston Massacre
in 1770, a group of colonists were harassing a single sentry. Other soldiers showed up, fired into the crowd, killing five and wounding eleven. Significance: This provides the belief that Britain cares so little about so we will be shot at their will.
General George Washington
- first President of the US, head of the Continental Army, president of the Congress. Significance: His army tactics were the main reason the Continental Army ended up defeating the British; Helped to lead the country into the 19th century.
George Cornwallis
good commander in charge of the South during the Revolution; Significance: He was defeated in the Georgia and South Carolina, thus clearing most of the South from British troops.
Treaty of Paris 1783
Britain formally recognized American independence, and granted them generous land boundaries for their country. America, in turn, was to no longer persecute Loyalists, return their land, and give back debt to British creditors. Significance: Eventually, all these issues will come up again, as neither country actually follows the treaty.
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
In this, it established subordinate to the federal government. Then, when a territory had 60,000 inhabitants, it could submit a constitution for statehood an have the same rights as the thirteen colonies. Significance: This gave a process for which a territory could become a state in an orderly fashion.
Shay’s Rebellion 1786
- Led by a Massachusetts backcountry farmer Daniel Shays, debtors demanded lighter taxes, paper money, and to suspend property takeovers. Massachusetts responded with drastic force, and raised a small army. Significance: Because of this, debtor-relief laws were passed. It was a nightmarish memory that now looked into the complaints.
powers of the new constitution
This was finally arrived upon as the government that would rule over America, after the Articles of Confederation were abolished. It gives the powers of Congress, establishes three forms of government, and basically anything that is needed for government can be found here. James Madison- Father of the Constitution Significance: Finally, the US has a form of government from which it could get all its laws. It can now be governed in a more precise way, and it created a balance of liberty and order.
Federalist Papers
these were newspaper articles written to explain the Constitution (written by Madison, Washington, Hamilton) Significance: It swayed the vote of New York to vote in favor of the Constitution and get it one step closer to being passed
President George Washington
Washington proved to be a great leader, but he had to deal with post war problems, migrating into a new form of government, control the butting heads of Hamilton and Jefferson, and making laws for the new country. Significance: Washington proved to be a great leader, and without him the country may not have gotten the start it needed.
Hamilton’s Financial Plan
- He says we shall pay back our Articles debt (restore our credibility), get money around through the exchanging of bonds, government to pay off state debts, and to tax a bunch. Also wanted a Bank of the US. Significance: He did all this to restore the credibility of the US and put us on the road to fulfilling his vision for the country. He makes the rich happy so he can get their money.
Jay’s Treaty
Jay wen to London in an attempt to invade war, as Britain was capturing our ships and still on our territory. They promised to evacuate the territory, and stop seizing ships, yet made no promises on Indians or future seizing. Significance: Extremely unpopular, it was basically the same treaty that had been in Paris in 1783. This time, the same thing would happen, and Britain wouldn’t follow the treaty.
Barbary Pirates
They made it a practice of blackmailing and plundering ships that entered the Mediterranean. In 1801, the pasha of Tripoli cut down and burned a US flag. We then attacked, four years of fighting, we get $60,000 in the treaty of Tripoli. Significance: Jefferson did not want to get involved in this war, but he had to, as the burning of our flag is seen as a capital offense and an indirect declaration of war.
war of 1812
Britain had refused to leave our territory and stop arming Indians, Orders in Council, search and seizure they had fired on the Chesapeake in our waters, seen as an act of war. Also, war hawks were in Congress, and wanted to fight. Significance: This is seen as the second war for independence, and it finally gets us the provocations that the Treaty of Paris had actually promised.
Treaty of Ghent
- It was signed in 1814 and seen as an armistice. Both sides simply agreed to stop fighting and restore conquered territory. Significance: It is the end to the war, and no real issue is actually solved. But it is seen as a win for America, and we are pushed into Canada.
Clay’s American System
It would provide for a strong banking system, a high tariff, and revenue from the high tariff would provide a system of roads and canals for transportation. Significance: In this age of nationalism, Clay tried to get together as a country to develop this grand transportation system.
James Madison
fourth president of the US, he was the Father of the Constitution, and wrote much of it. He was president during the War of 1812, vetoed the 1.5 million dollar internal improvements bill, and served two terms
White Supremacy
Slaves were seen as the epitome of population, and whites were believed to have complete control over them. (They were just property) Significance: Slaves had no power, they were a slave for life and could not change their situation.
Jacksonian Democracy
a period in political history dominated by Democrats and democratic agenda. IT brought about the spoils system, brought an end to the tariff of abominations, vetoed the second BUS, and uprooted more than 100,000 Indians.
spoils system
it is the rewarding of political supporters with public office. Significance: Brought in people who were completely unqualified to do their job, yet they were put in because Jackson sought to reward them.
John Calhoun
- VP under Jackson. He wrote the South Carolina Exposition. Significance: The South Carolina Exposition was written in secret in an attempt to nullify the Tariff of Abominations.
nullification
the theory that states have the power to nullify anything they see as unconstitutional. Significance: Covered by Jefferson and Calhoun, they looked to nullify things they saw as unconstitutional. They won both times, power does lie with the state.
