American History: Colonial Era and Imperialism

Ethnocentrism

• Ethnocentric people believe their culture is superior to others.

St. Augustine

• St. Augustine, Florida, was established as a Spanish military outpost to defend against European rivals.

Columbian Exchange

• The Columbian Exchange led to the transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Old and New Worlds.

Puritans in Massachusetts Bay

• The Puritans settled in Massachusetts Bay for religious freedom and to establish a society based on their own religious principles.

Natural Laws and Distant God

• Deism is the belief in a distant God who created the universe and set natural laws in motion.

European Powers in the 18th Century

• European powers primarily sought wealth, territory, trade, and influence in the 18th century.

Proclamation Line of 1763

• The Proclamation Line of 1763 was established to prevent westward expansion by colonists and reduce conflict with Native Americans.

Sons of Liberty

• The Sons of Liberty played a significant role in protests against British policies, such as the Stamp Act.

Battle of Saratoga

• The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the American Revolution, convincing France to officially ally with the United States.

Three-Fifths Clause

• The Three-Fifths Clause in the US Constitution counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes and taxation.

American Colonization Society

• The American Colonization Society aimed to transport free Black people to Africa, believing they would be better off outside of the United States.

Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854

• The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 reignited the debate over slavery in the territories, leading to violence and political conflict.

Fugitive Slave Law of 1850

• The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 required citizens to help capture and return runaway slaves.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe was pivotal in raising awareness of the brutality of slavery and stirring abolitionist sentiment.

Manifest Destiny

• Manifest Destiny was a belief that the United States was destined to expand westward across the North American continent.

John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry

• John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry aimed to spark a slave rebellion and end slavery in the United States.

Plessy v. Ferguson

• The Plessy v. Ferguson case upheld the doctrine of "separate but equal," which legalized segregation in the South for decades.

Haymarket Affair

• The Haymarket Affair led to a decline in public support for labor unions and workers' rights movements.

Anaconda Plan

• The Anaconda Plan aimed to blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River, strangling the Confederacy's economy and resources.

Battle of Sharpsburg/Antietam

• The Battle of Sharpsburg/Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. It also led to President Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

American Expeditionary Force in World War I

• John J. Pershing led the American Expeditionary Force in World War I.

Sinking of the Lusitania

• The sinking of the Lusitania turned public opinion against Germany and contributed to the United States entering World War I.

Versailles Conference

• The Versailles Conference aimed to create a lasting peace in Europe following World War I, leading to the Treaty of Versailles.

Teapot Dome Scandal

• The Teapot Dome Scandal involved the illegal leasing of government oil reserves, damaging public trust in the government.

Stock Market Crash of 1929

• The stock market crash of 1929 marked the beginning of the Great Depression, devastating the US economy and leading to widespread poverty.

First US Orbital Rocket-Powered Flight

• John Glenn made the first orbital rocket-powered flight by a US astronaut in 1962.

1954 Conference Dividing Vietnam

• The 1954 Geneva Conference divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel, creating North and South Vietnam.

Communist Leader in South Vietnam

• Ho Chi Minh led the Viet Minh in the fight against French colonialism and later the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.

Bombing Campaign in Vietnam

• Operation Rolling Thunder was the bombing campaign conducted by the United States against North Vietnam beginning in 1965.

News Anchor and Vietnam War Stalemate

• Walter Cronkite famously stated that the Vietnam War would end in a stalemate.

Marshall Plan

• The Marshall Plan aimed to rebuild Western European economies following World War II to prevent the spread of communism.

Jungle Paths in Vietnam

• The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a network of jungle paths used by North Vietnam to supply the Viet Cong.

Nixon's Policy to Reduce Cold War Tensions

• Richard Nixon's policy of détente aimed to reduce Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Brown v. Board of Education

• The Brown v. Board of Education case overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine, declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Truman Doctrine

• The Truman Doctrine provided economic and military aid to countries threatened by communism, leading to the US engaging in the Cold War.

Nixon's Strategy to End Vietnam War

• President Nixon's strategy for ending US involvement in the Vietnam War was called "Vietnamization."

Vietnam War Conscription

• The Selective Service System was used for military conscription during the Vietnam War.

Berlin Airlift

• The Berlin Airlift delivered food and supplies to West Berlin during a Soviet blockade to prevent communist control of the city.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

• The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed attempt by US-backed Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro.

1968 Independent Presidential Candidate

• George Wallace was the American independent candidate for the 1968 election who supported segregation.

Second Red Scare

• The Second Red Scare was fueled by fear of communism and Soviet influence, leading to investigations, blacklists, and McCarthyism.

Kennedy-Nixon Debates

• The Kennedy-Nixon Debates were the first televised presidential debates, significantly impacting voter perceptions and the outcome of the election.

New Deal Programs

• The New Deal programs, implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, aimed to provide relief, recovery, and reform in response to the Great Depression.

Iron Curtain

• The Iron Curtain was a symbolic barrier that separated communist Eastern Europe from Western Europe during the Cold War.

Cuban Missile Crisis

• The Cuban Missile Crisis was a standoff between the United States and the Soviet Union over Soviet nuclear missiles deployed in Cuba. It nearly led to nuclear war.

Democratic Presidential Candidate in 1972

• George McGovern was the Democratic presidential candidate in 1972.

Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

• The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) proposed by President Reagan aimed to develop a space-based missile defense system to protect the United States from a nuclear attack.

First Woman Elected to Congress from NY

• Elected in 1969, Bella Abzug was the first woman elected to Congress from New York.

1972 Presidential Election Outcome

• Richard Nixon won the 1972 presidential election in a landslide victory.

Iran-Contra Affair

• The Iran-Contra Affair involved the secret sale of US weapons to Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages, using the profits to illegally fund Nicaraguan Contras.

Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee in 1984

• Geraldine Ferraro was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1984.

SALT Negotiations

• The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) between the US and the USSR aimed to limit the number of nuclear weapons each country possessed.

President During Iran Hostage Crisis

• Jimmy Carter was the President of the United States during the Iran Hostage Crisis.

Reaganomics

• Reaganomics refers to the economic policies implemented by President Ronald Reagan, based on supply-side economics, tax cuts, and deregulation.

Richard Nixon's Pardon

• President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon of all crimes he may have committed in connection with the Watergate scandal.

Test your knowledge of the colonial era in America, including the fur trade, European powers, and the impact of mercantilism and the Proclamation Line of 1763 on Native American tribes.