Midterm Assessment Study Guide, U.S. History

The theory that humans migrated from Asia to North America via a land bridge (Beringia) that existed during the last Ice Age, connecting Siberia and Alaska.

A series of remarkable achievements and contributions made by indigenous societies in the Americas before European contact, encompassing intricate social structures, advanced agricultural techniques, complex belief systems, and impressive architectural accomplishments.

The widespread and transformative exchange of goods, plants, animals, diseases, and ideas between the Eastern and Western hemispheres following Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Americas in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

The motivations behind European exploration of the seas during the 15th and 16th centuries, primarily driven by religious fervor, wealth acquisition, and the desire for political influence and territorial expansion.

The largest pre-Columbian settlement in North America, located in the Mississippi River Valley, notable for its advanced social organization, large-scale construction, and its influence on neighboring cultures.

A complex civilization known for its sophisticated writing system (hieroglyphics), advanced calendar, and urban settlements. They are famous for their ball game and practiced human sacrifices.

The largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas, known for its extensive network of roads, impressive architectural achievements, and a complex social structure. They ruled over a vast region in the Andes Mountains, with their capital located at Machu Picchu.

A term used to describe the negative aspects of Spanish colonization in the Americas, focusing on their brutality and exploitation of indigenous populations.

The successful uprising of Pueblo Native Americans against Spanish rule in 1680, driven by religious intolerance, forced labor, and cultural suppression.

The English colony founded in 1585 in North Carolina, all of its settlers mysteriously vanished, leaving behind only the word "Croatan" carved on a tree.

The first permanent English settlement in North America (1607) established in Virginia, facing hardships like disease, starvation, and conflict with Native tribes, but ultimately thriving due to tobacco cultivation and the formation of a representative government.

The English colony founded in 1620 by Pilgrims seeking religious freedom, known for its peaceful relations with the Wampanoag tribe, leading to the first Thanksgiving.

The first African slaves arrived in British North America in 1619, marking the beginning of a long and tragic period of forced labor in the colonies.

The rebellion led by Nathaniel Bacon in 1676 in Virginia against Governor William Berkeley, protesting economic inequality, frontier conflicts, and a lack of protection against Native American attacks.

The British colonies developed distinct ways of life based on their geography, economics, and social structures, leading to hierarchies and conflicts between different groups.

The final major battle of the American Revolutionary War, resulting in the surrender of British forces under General Cornwallis to American and French forces under General George Washington.

A peace treaty signed in 1783 ending the American Revolutionary War, recognizing the independence of the United States of America and granting Florida to Spain.

A group of farmers in Massachusetts who rebelled against the state government, protesting high taxes and economic hardship after the American Revolutionary War.

Supporters of a strong central government who advocated for the ratification of the US Constitution. They were led by Alexander Hamilton.

Opponents of the US Constitution, fearing the central government would have too much power. They were led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

A political party that emerged during the first years of the US government, favoring a strong central government, loose interpretation of the Constitution, and promotion of commerce and industry.

A political party that emerged during the first years of the US government, advocating for states' rights, strict interpretation of the Constitution, and an agrarian economy.

An uprising of farmers in western Pennsylvania in 1794 that protested a federal tax on whiskey. George Washington responded by sending troops to suppress the rebellion, demonstrating the federal government's power.

The purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803, doubling the size of the United States and securing control of the Mississippi River.

A key trade route in the 19th century connecting the United States to Mexico, primarily used for the transport of goods and supplies.

He was the president of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

A controversial figure who led the abolitionist movement and was executed for his role in the Harpers Ferry raid.

The forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands to designated areas west of the Mississippi River. This resulted in immense suffering and loss of life.

The document signed by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, which declared that slaves in Confederate states were free.

The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre in 1865.

An event where British soldiers fired on a crowd of colonists protesting British taxes, escalating tensions leading to the American Revolution.

A free Black man and mathematician who wrote letters to Thomas Jefferson expressing his views on equality and freedom.

A compromise that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, aiming to maintain balance between slave and free states.

A famous American orator known for his passionate speech, "Give me liberty, or give me death!"

An American frontiersman, explorer, and folk hero known for his role in the opening of the Cumberland Gap.

A woman who challenged religious authority in 17th century Massachusetts, advocating for religious freedom.

A renowned military leader known for his role in the Indian Removal Act, a controversial policy that forced Native American tribes to relocate westward.

A compromise that admitted California as a free state, strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act, and outlawed the slave trade in Washington D.C.

An enslaved woman owned by Thomas Jefferson and believed to have been the mother of several of his children.

A figure known for wearing a kune skin hat who fought in the Texas Revolutionary War and died in the Battle of the Alamo.