APUSH AP ExamVocab

Incas

built an intricate network of roads that stretched for miles and miles as a result of the mountain terrain they lived in

Mayans

known for their accurate calendars

The Aztecs

known for their big cities

Ferdinand and Isabella

king and queen of Spain that sponsored Columbus, formed the most powerful matrimony in Europe at the time

The Conquistadores

age known for its brutality and greed that conquered most of the natives that were already living in the Americas

Hernando Cortes

a conquistador that destroyed the Aztec nation because he spread disease as well as physically killing them

The Ordinances of Discovery

issued in 1573 and banned all of the brutal treatment against natives, marked the beginning of Spanish colonization, motivations of this were to become wealthy and spread the word of the God

St. Augustine

the first European settlement in America

The Pueblo Revolt

native uprising against the Spanish in Santa Fe because they were forced to become Christian

The Columbian Exchange

the transfer of people, animals, plants, and diseases between the east and west hemisphere

Christopher Columbus

first European to make contact with the new world in the Caribbean, when he returned there were rumors of wealth that spread across Europe

smallpox

transferred in the Columbian Exchange and exterminated many natives because they weren’t immune to it

Mestizos

mixed race between Spaniards and natives

Casta System

categorized people based on race

1. Spaniards

2. Mestizos

3. African Slaves

4. Native Americans

The Enclosure Movement

kicking farmers off their land and using it to raise sheep and cattle because the wool market was very popular at the time

Mercantilism

stated that wealth was limited and the more gold a country had, the more wealthy it was, economic principle in the 1500’s and 1600’s

Richard Hakluyt

argued that European colonization was good because England will get raw materials to produce goods, gonna create all these new markets to sell the goods, can get rid of the excess population (poor people) that’s dragging England down

Plantation Model

England used this tactic in Ireland by creating their own mini-colony and trying to keep natives out of their land by subjugating them

The French in North America

different from other nations because they were able to befriend the Native Americans

The Defeat of the Spanish Armada

gave England more confidence to settle in the New World

Jamestown

the first permanent English settlement in North America located in east Virginia in 1607

Captain John Smith

brought order to the colonies and organized raids against Native American villages

The Starving Time

many people died because of starvation, disease, violence, drought, and lack of water in the winter of 1609-1610 in Jamestown

Tobacco

the first cash crop of the Americas

Indentured Servitude

a labor contract where an individual will work to repay an indenture or loan over some time, tried to convince people to come over to the new world

House of Burgesses

the first meeting of government in America, held by Virginia in 1619

Bacon’s Rebellion

People on the west side (farmers and former indentured servants) were getting attacked by NA’s and wanted the government to help, government didn’t want to help so leader rose up and led a rebellion to overthrow the government, caused an increase of African slave trade because they wanted servants that weren’t a threat to them

Mayflower Compact

an agreement that bound the signers to obey the government and legal system established in Plymouth Colony, set up a patriarchal society with the men in charge

William Bradford

governor and leader of Plymouth

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Puritans who escaped England in order to pursue their own religion, sent 1000 families which made it easier for the colonies to repopulate

Thomas Hooker

established the Connecticut, adopted a constitution called the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

considered to be the first written constitution of a democratic government, used by Thomas Hooker

Roger Williams

created Rhode Island, called for the separation of church and state

Anne Hutchinson

considered to be the first feminist in America, challenged male authority by preaching to men and women as well as questioning Puritan ideologies

Quakers

religious group of pacifists, led by William Penn who founded Pennsylvania, believed in gender equality and put major emphasis on education, had good relations with natives

Sugar

main British cash crop in the Caribbean, indirectly caused an increase in slave trade because indentured servants didn’t want to work in hot weather conditions

Navigation Acts

British response to the colonies trading with other nations and fundamentally going against mercantilism

1. closed colonial ports to any trade except English ships

2. All goods shipped from Europe to the colonies had to pass through Britain so they could be taxed

3. Because no one was obeying the Acts, England employed custom officers to enforce the acts

increased tensions between Britain and the colonies

The Dominion of New England

gave Britain more control over the colonies and placed Sir Edmund Andros as governor, he was unpopular and strict

The Glorious Revolution

William and Mary replaced King James II as the head of Britain, removed the Dominion of New England and restored the colonial identity, implemented relaxed trading laws

Triangular Trade

trade routes between the colonies, Britain and Africa, helped to restore order in the colonies, facilitated the rise of colonial commerce

The Middle Passage

route from Africa to America, had some of the worst conditions on slave ships

Stono Rebellion

slave revolt in South Carolina where everyone who was involved was put to death, caused slaves to be perceived as barbaric and merciless

Salem Witch Trials

A series of trials, prosecutions and executions of innocent people accused of practicing witchcraft that took place in Colonial Massachusetts in 1692-1693

The First Great Awakening

a revitalization of religious piety that swept through the American colonies, tried to bring people back into the church, used tactics like scaring people back to the church

The Enlightenment

a movement to celebrate the recently discovered scientific discoveries, would use reason and not religion to better the world, believed in the power of man,

The Albany Plan

a plan to unite the colonies under a common defense against the Native Americans and French, however colonies rejected it

French and Indian War

minor war that was a part of the Seven Years War, established Britain as the European authority in North America, catalyzed the beginnings of an American identity, and set the stage for the American Revolution

Treaty of Paris of 1763

ended the French and Indian War, France gave up all its territories in mainland North America, effectively ending any foreign military threat to the British colonies

Effects of the French and Indian War

increased the tensions between the colonies and the British Empire

Effects for Britain

1. greatly increased debt

2. thought colonies needed major reorganization

Effects for Colonies

1. united them against enemy for the first time

2. created socializing experience for those who participated

Proclamation of 1763

British response to colonial conflict with Natives in Ohio Valley, stated that colonists could not explore into land past the Appalachian Mountain Range

George Grenville’s Program

created to decrease the British debt and as a result passed the Stamp Act, Sugar Act, and Currency Act

Sugar Act of 1764

affected mostly merchants by taxing them on foreign rum, sugar, and molasses

Currency Act of 1764

prohibited all of the colonies from creating new currency and allowed current paper money to only be used for public debt.

Stamp Act of 1765

imposed a tax on all papers and official documents in the American colonies, affected everyone in the colonies not just a certain group of people

Virginia Resolves

written by Patrick Henry who declared that American colonists possess the same rights as all British citizens, and as such, have the right to be taxed only by their own representatives in response to the Stamp Act of 1765

Sons and Daughters of Liberty

American colonists who supported the patriot cause who facilitated the Boston Tea Party as well as Tar and feathering

Declaratory Act of 1766

passed by Parliament on the same day the Stamp Act was repealed, stated that Parliament could make laws binding the American colonies in all cases whatsoever

Quartering Act of 1765

A part of the Townshend Program, stated that Great Britain would house its soldiers in American barracks and public houses

Townshend Act of 1767

created new taxes on imports of paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea on the colonists, the colonists responded to this with organized protests

Boston Massacre

occured on March 5, 1770, imports of paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea, caused the colonists to be furious, technically propaganda because it wasn’t really a massacre

Tea Act of 1773

granted the British East India Company a monopoly on the importation and sale of tea in the colonies, angered the colonists who planned to boycott it

Boston Tea Party

occured on December 16, 1773, dumped more than a million dollars worth of tea into the Boston Harbor in response to the Tea Act of 1773

Intolerable Acts of 1774

group of legislation that Parliament passed in response to the Boston Tea Party

1. Boston Port Bill - closed the Boston Harbor and taxed colonists in order to pay for lost tea

2. Massachusetts Government Act - gave more control to the crown

3. New Quartering Act - allowed British soldiers to be housed in private homes

4. Administration of Justice Act - ensured a fair trial for British officers who tried to stop colonial protests

First Continental Congress

made up of 55 delegate from 12 states, agreed to prepare an army and stop all trade with Britain

Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride

rode with William Dawes to warn the minutemen of the British who were planning to ambush them at dawn

Lexington and Concord

first military engagements in the Revolutionary War

Second Continental Congress

wanted complete independence and wrote the Declaration of Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms which explained why the colonies needed to rise up, written by Thomas Jefferson and John Dickinson

Olive Branch Petition

last attempt at peace with Britain, however King George III refused to even look at it

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

pamphlet that made a clear case for independence and insisted that British rule was responsible for nearly every problem in colonial society and could only be fixed by colonial independence

Declaration of Independence

written by Thomas Jefferson and signified that the colonies severed their political connections with Great Britain, summarized the colonial motivations for independence, signed on July 4, 1776

Articles of Confederation

First central government of America, but it was very weak

Battle of Saratoga

major turning point for the colonists in the Revolutionary War

Battle of Yorktown

last major battle in the War and where Britain surrendered

The Paradox of Slavery

America stood for freedom yet it had many slaves, Founding Fathers didn’t know what to do so they neglected the problem in the Constitution

Shay’s Rebellion

revolt in Massachusetts that put a spotlight on how weak the Articles of Confederation really were, catalyst fro the first Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

meeting of state representatives to create a new central government, created a debate between large states and small states

1. Madison’s Virginia Plan - wanted representation based on population

2. Paterson’s New Jersey Plan - wanted equal representation for all states

The Great Compromise

created by Ben Franklin’s Great Committee and stated that there would be a lower house based on population (House of Representatives) and an upper house with equal representation, also stated that slaves would count as 3/5 of a person

The Constitution

written by James Madison, stated that sovereignty goes to the people and prevented tyranny by having a checks and balances system

The Federalist Papers

written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, persuaded the public to support the Constitution

The Bill of Rights

the first ten amendments to the Constitution, created in order to appeal to the Anti-Federalists who were fearful of a strong government

Whiskey Rebellion

rebellion in PA where farmers were mad about a tax on grain, able to showcase the strength of the Constitution because George Washington personally stepped in to solve it

Washington’s Farewell Address

warned the US about sectionalism, political parties, and suggested that the US should practice isolationism

XYZ Affair

a diplomatic incident between French and United States diplomats that resulted in a limited war known as Quasi-War during John Adam’s presidency, created opposition from Anti-Federalists who criticized him for this

The Alien and Sedition Acts

discouraged immigration and allowed the government to persecute those who criticized them, basically an attack on Anti-Federalists

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, argued that the federal government had no authority to exercise power not specifically delegated to it in the Constitution and stated that because the federal government had overstepped it’s boundaries they were null and void

Election of 1800

Adams v. Jefferson, considered to be one of the ugliest elections in history, Jefferson wins and is the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties in history

The Judiciary Act of 1801

John Adams increased the number of federal judges so Federalists could still have one branch of government, he appointed judges and this was called the “Midnight Appointments”

Second Great Awakening

around the early 1800s, focused on people who were unchurched and reaching out to them, resulted in sustained religious beliefs, victimized radical “freethinkers”

Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin

greatly expanded the cotton industry, greatly increased slavery in the South, provided the North with a new way to prosper with the Textile Industry

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Chief Justice John Marshall ruled against himself and stated that the Courts had no power to expand their powers, created the idea of Judicial Review where courts could rules cases to be unconstitutional

John Marshall

Father of the Supreme Court

Impeachment of Justice Samuel Chase

Jefferson tried to target the Federalist Court with impeachment but failed, solidified that impeachment could not be used as a political weapon

Chesapeake-Leopard Incident

British soldiers used impressment to force American soldiers to be apart of their Navy, humiliated the US and is one of the causes of the War of 1812

The Embargo Act of 1807

prohibited American ships from trading in foreign ports, intended to punish Britain and France however ended up damaging the American economy

Battle of New Orleans

occurred during the War of 1812, led by Andrew Jackson and gave him much fame for it, patriotic win for America even though the war was already declared over

War of 1812

America v. Britain, brought the US into the world’s stage, the White house was burned during this time, contributed to the end of the federalists, created neutrality between the two nations

Hartford Convention

meeting between Federalists to discuss the state of the nation because they didn’t approve of it, signified the end of the Federalists

Treaty of Ghent of 1814

ended the War of 1812, created the Rush Bagot Agreement of 1817

Rush Bagot Agreement of 1817

agreement between Britain and America that neither one could be on the Great Lakes

The Era of Good Feelings

period of time after the War of 1821 and ended in 1820, categorized by being known for being a happy period of time for America due to only one political party