The growth of the USA 1789-1838 Flashcards
(25 cards)
When did the USA fight for independence from Great Britain?
-Between 1776 and 1783.
Between 1776 and 1783.
- Only a few years old - it had just fought for independence from Great Britain between 1776 and 1783.
What type of government system was the USA?
-The USA was a democratic republic that followed a set of rules set down in a document called the Constitution.
Who had voting rights in the early USA (1789-1838)?
-Only white, property-owning (usually land-owning) men could vote. The USA was a democracy, but only for white, male, property-owning Americans
What made the USA a “democratic republic”?
-It was a system where people vote for their leaders, but it was a republic (no king or queen) that followed rules set down in the Constitution.
What type of country was the USA in terms of government structure?
-The USA was a federal country, meaning that each of the thirteen original states also had its own powers.
How were states organized within the USA?
-The USA was made up of states (smaller political units which are part of the country). Each state had its own government led by a state governor.
What powers did state governments have?
-State governments could make their own laws, but they could not go against the rules set down in the Constitution.
How could the Constitution be changed?
-The Constitution could be amended (changed) if Congress and enough states agreed.
How were states represented in the federal government?
-Each state in the USA sent representatives (politicians) to Congress where they would help to make laws for the whole country.
How often was the president elected and by whom?
- Each state helped to elect a president (the head of state) every four years. The President could suggest laws, but Congress had to agree to them.
What were territories and how were they different from states?
-Territories were areas with too few people to have their own state government. They were controlled directly by Congress and run by a territorial governor.
How many states did the USA have in 1790?
- In 1790, the United States of America had only thirteen states.
By how much did the USA expand between 1790 and 1838?
-Between 1790 and 1838, the number of states in the USA doubled to 26 as the USA expanded.
What happened to the rest of the land that wasn’t part of the original thirteen states?
-The rest of the land which now makes up the United States was lived in by American Indians, or claimed by European powers.
Name all thirteen original states.?
-Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Name the first President and what he did regarding expansion.
-George Washington, the first President, fought wars with American Indians in the Northwest and took their lands.
What did other early Presidents like Thomas Jefferson do for expansion?
- Other early Presidents like Thomas Jefferson opened the Northwest and Southwest territories for settlement.
How did the Louisiana Purchase contribute to expansion?
-The US government arranged the Louisiana Purchase (530 million acres of land bought from France) in 1803.
Why did slaveholders want expansion?
-Slaveholders wanted to expand their plantation businesses, especially in the warm South.
What role did slavery play in the USA’s rapid expansion?
-The USA grew rapidly in the northwest between 1789-1838, partly thanks to the expansion of slavery.
What major division existed between White Americans and American Indians?
-Many of the lands taken over by the US government were already occupied by American Indian tribes. Thousands of Indians were forced to move further west to escape the growing USA.
What conflict existed between White Northerners and White Southerners?
- Northern business owners thought that slavery was unfair competition for their factories. They also saw slavery as old-fashioned.
How did White Southerners view White Northerners?
-Many people in the South thought Northern business owners were greedy and morally corrupt. They saw a powerful North as a threat to their way of life.
