The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across the continent.
What was the purpose of the Louisiana Purchase (1803)?
To control the port city of New Orleans, acquire land for westward expansion and secure control of the Mississippi River.
What was the significance of the Erie Canal during the Market Revolution?
It connected the Northeast to the Midwest, boosting trade and migration.
How did Reconstruction end in 1877?
The Compromise of 1877 withdrew federal troops from the South, effectively ending protections for African Americans.
How did Radical Republicans differ from President Andrew Johnson on Reconstruction?
They wanted stricter terms for Southern states and greater protections for African Americans.
Who were the primary supporters of the Know-Nothing Party in the 1850s?
Nativists who opposed immigration, particularly from Ireland and Germany.
What was the primary purpose of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in 1607?
Economic gain through tobacco cultivation.
What changes did the Market Revolution bring to the U.S. economy?
Increased industrialization, transportation (canals, start of railroads), and communication.
What role did the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments play during Reconstruction?
They abolished slavery, granted citizenship to African Americans (birthright), and secured voting rights for African American men.
What was the main cause of the French and Indian War (1754–1763)?
Competition between Britain and France for control of North America.
What was the Columbian Exchange?
The transfer of goods, crops, animals, people, and diseases between the Americas, Europe, and Africa following Columbus's voyages.
What was the significance of Bartolomé de las Casas?
He criticized the treatment of Native Americans under Spanish rule and advocated for their rights.
How did the Dred Scott decision impact sectionalism?
It ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories.
What was the purpose of the Stamp Act (1765), and why did it anger colonists?
It taxed paper goods, angering colonists who argued "no taxation without representation."
What was the purpose of the Homestead Act (1862)?
To encourage westward settlement by offering free land to farmers. Excluded those who took up arms against the United States (Confederates) after the Civil War
What was the significance of the Proclamation of 1763?
It prohibited settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent conflicts with Native Americans.
What was the significance of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)?
It reignited tensions over slavery by allowing popular sovereignty.
What was Abraham Lincoln’s vision for Reconstruction, expressed in his Second Inaugural Address?
A focus on healing the nation with “malice toward none, charity for all.”
How did Andrew Jackson justify the Indian Removal Act (1830)?
He argued it was necessary for westward expansion and economic development.
What did George Washington warn against in his Farewell Address?
Political parties and entangling foreign alliances.
What was the significance of the Election of 1800?
It marked the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties (Federalists to Democratic-Republicans).
What was the impact of Bacon’s Rebellion (1676)?
It exposed tensions between backcountry settlers and the colonial elite, leading to a shift toward African slavery.
What was the result of the Mexican-American War (1846–1848)?
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which gave the U.S. territory within the Mexican Cession.
What was the Monroe Doctrine (1823)?
A policy warning European nations to avoid colonizing or interfering in the Americas.
How did the Compromise of 1850 attempt to ease sectional tensions?
By admitting California as a free state and enforcing a stricter Fugitive Slave Act.
What compromise resolved representation issues at the Constitutional Convention?
The Great Compromise (bicameral legislature with equal representation in the Senate and population-based in the House).
What were the key outcomes of the Treaty of Paris (1783)?
It ended the Revolutionary War and recognized U.S. independence.
What was the significance of the Mayflower Compact (1620)?
It was an early example of self-government in the colonies.
Why was the Battle of Antietam significant?
It led to the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.
What were the motives behind European exploration of the New World?
SIMPLIFIED God (religious conversion), gold (wealth), and glory (competition for power).
What economic system replaced slavery in the South during Reconstruction?
Sharecropping, which trapped African Americans in cycles of poverty and dependency.
What did the War of 1812 demonstrate about the United States?
The nation could defend itself and sparked national pride.
What role did Thomas Paine's Common Sense play in the Revolutionary War?
It encouraged Americans to break from British rule and inspired the independence movement.
What was the significance of the Missouri Compromise (1820)?
It maintained the balance of free and slave states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
What was the impact of the Seneca Falls Convention (1848)?
It launched the women’s rights movement, advocating for suffrage and equality.
What was the encomienda system?
A Spanish labor system that exploited Native Americans for agriculture and mining.
How did the system of indentured servitude shape early colonial labor?
It provided labor for plantations before the widespread use of African slavery.
How did maize cultivation affect Native American societies in the Southwest?
It supported economic development, settlement, and social diversification.
What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
Lack of a strong central government, inability to tax, and no executive or judiciary.
How did the First Great Awakening influence colonial America?
It sparked religious revivals, emphasized individual salvation, and questioned traditional authority.
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