US History Semester 1 Review: Key Events & Figures

Posted on Aug 16, 2024 in History

US History Semester 1 Review

Key Events and Figures

Early America

  • What gave the states of NM and AZ their present southern borders? The Gadsden Purchase.
  • What Act of Congress said that the people of Utah Territory would have the right to decide if Utah would be a free state or a slave state? The Compromise of 1850.
  • Where were most of the railroads in 1860? The North.
  • What aspect of the Compromise of 1850 angered Northerners? The Fugitive Slave Act.
  • What country in Africa was created specifically as a homeland for former US slaves? Liberia.
  • How did many slaves escape to freedom? The Underground Railroad.
  • Where were slaves concentrated by 1840? The South.
  • A book that had a major impact on the abolition movement’s growth in 1852? Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
  • Introducer of the Kansas-Nebraska Act? Stephen Douglas.
  • How would the slavery issue in those territories be decided? Popular sovereignty.
  • Which is Pro-Slavery? Lecompton, Kansas.
  • Why was the idea of popular sovereignty created? To win Southern votes.
  • What happened in Kansas Territory after being officially formed? Pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces clashed (Bleeding Kansas).
  • Supreme Court case having a major impact on arguments over slavery extension? Dred Scott v. Sandford.
  • These were stated except for? Slaves having the right to sue in federal court.
  • Douglas-Lincoln Debates or Lincoln-Douglas Debates? Lincoln-Douglas Debates.
  • Debate results? Lincoln gained national recognition, Douglas alienated Southern Democrats, and the Republican Party gained strength.
  • Douglas’ admission? Freeport Doctrine.
  • Attack on the Federal Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, VA, in October 1859? John Brown’s Raid.
  • What happened to the person in the above question? He was executed.
  • Whig Party? Dissolved and replaced by the Republican Party.
  • Dominating Party in the South? Democratic Party.
  • Two candidates running for president for the Democratic Party in 1860? Stephen Douglas and John C. Breckinridge.
  • How many candidates for President in 1860? Four.
  • First state to secede? South Carolina.
  • Atlantic Ocean & Mississippi River? 1783 Treaty of Paris.
  • Cotton Gin inventor? Eli Whitney.
  • Mechanical Reaper inventor? Cyrus McCormick.
  • An act of congress? Land Act of 1800.
  • Where Planters from VA, Carolinas, and GA ended up? Alabama and Mississippi.
  • How long did a person have to pay for their new land? Four years.
  • Led to the Trail of Tears? Indian Removal Act of 1830 (Andrew Jackson).
  • Who destroyed Native peoples’ power? William Henry Harrison.
  • Where part of the Mexican Army was defeated after the Battle of the Alamo? San Jacinto.
  • US Annexed Territory in 1845? Texas.
  • River claimed by the US as the border between Mexico and the territory in Question 10? Rio Grande.
  • “American blood has been shed on American Soil” by? President James K. Polk.
  • Mexico’s lost territory becoming states except? Nevada.
  • Explorers on American West Settlement? Lewis & Clark, Zebulon Pike.
  • Trapper company? Rocky Mountain Fur Company.
  • Most famous man who surveyed the American west? John C. Fremont.
  • Settlers going west settled in? All of the above (Oregon, California, Texas).
  • Joint Occupation of Oregon Territory, what nation, claimed by the US? Great Britain.
  • Treaty settling ownership for Oregon Territory? Buchanan-Pakenham Treaty.
  • California became a state quickly? The Gold Rush.
  • Primary means for would-be miners to make it to CA? Trails (Oregon Trail, California Trail).
  • Two ways of getting to CA by water? Panama and Cape Horn (around South America).
  • Asian men majority in the gold fields came from? China.
  • What people did when they couldn’t work in the gold fields? Provided support services (merchants, laundry, restaurants).
  • High-pressure strip mining replaced? Hydraulic mining.
  • Gadsden Purchase between the US &? Mexico.
  • Territory in the Gadsden purchase necessary? Southern transcontinental railroad.
  • Who sent James Gadsden to complete the agreement? President Franklin Pierce.
  • What else did this agreement do, other than providing land? Settled border disputes.
  • Frontier Justice? Settlers took the law into their own hands (vigilantes).
  • Medicine of the 19th century? Limited and often ineffective (e.g., bleeding, amputation, opium).
  • What triggered the crisis that was solved by the Gadsden Purchase? The Mexican government’s eviction of American settlers from the disputed territory.
  • Introducer of the Compromise of 1850? Henry Clay.
  • Purpose of the Compromise of 1850? Admission of California as a free state and to avoid secession of Southern states.
  • South guaranteed by the Compromise of 1850? No federal restrictions on slavery in the territories acquired from Mexico.
  • Texas lost something? Boundary claims in New Mexico.
  • Most controversial aspect of the Compromise of 1850? The Fugitive Slave Act.
  • What happened to CA in the Compromise of 1850? It became the 16th state.
  • Parliament tried to tax colonies in 1765? The Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War).
  • Purpose of the Proclamation of 1763? Prohibition of Colonist movement west of the Appalachian Mountains.
  • British policy for colonies existing for the benefit of the mother country? Mercantilism.
  • Why British Troops had such a hard time getting back to Boston after Lexington & Concord? Colonial militiamen harassed them along the way.
  • Title of Pamphlet by Thomas Paine in Jan. 1776? Common Sense.
  • How Washington’s army escaped from Long Island? By boat, under cover of darkness.
  • Where Washington attacked Christmas night, 1776? Trenton, New Jersey.
  • British General surrendered his army? General Burgoyne.
  • Where Washington’s Army spent the winter of 1777? Valley Forge.
  • Washington’s men not facing shortages of? Illness (they faced shortages of food, clothing, and supplies).
  • Country allied with the US in 1778 and let the US win its independence? France.
  • Why Britain declared war on the Dutch in 1780? Dutch trading with the Americans.
  • Who helped train the American Army in 1778? Baron von Steuben.
  • How was the American Army different when it left winter camp in 1779 than when it entered? Better trained and disciplined.
  • Why the British forced to abandon Philadelphia in 1778? French fleet arrived.
  • What city did Cornwallis capture in 1780? Charleston, South Carolina.
  • Given info about Washington’s tactics to the Brits? Benedict Arnold.
  • Why soldiers from Pennsylvania mutiny in 1781? Lack of pay and poor conditions.
  • Where Cornwallis surrendered to Washington? Yorktown, Virginia.
  • How Washington made history in Dec. 1783? Resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief.
  • Lower House of Congress? House of Representatives.
  • Upper House of Congress? Senate.
  • 2nd Branch of Government? Executive.
  • Why the framers of the Constitution set up the government the way they did? To prevent the concentration of power.
  • 3rd Branch of Government? Judicial.
  • No single branch of the government can become too powerful because of? Checks and Balances.
  • Purpose of the Constitution? To establish a framework for government and protect individual rights.
  • Article of the Constitution establishes the requirements to be a member of the House of Representatives? Article I.
  • Where you would find the age requirement for President? Article II.
  • Article establishes the Supreme Court? Article III.
  • Where you would find procedures for Amending the Constitution? Article V.
  • Full Faith & Credit Article? Article IV.
  • Why the Federal Government is superior to the State governments? Article VI (Supremacy Clause).
  • Article no longer considered to be relevant? Article VII (Ratification).
  • 1st 10 amendments to the Constitution? Bill of Rights.
  • Amendment granted citizenship to former slaves? 14th Amendment.
  • Amendment granted protection from unwarranted search & seizure? 4th Amendment.
  • Amendment eliminating slavery? 13th Amendment.
  • Most controversial of the 1st 10 amendments, from the 2nd amendment? Right to bear arms.
  • When the election of the President & VP became unified? 12th Amendment.
  • Where Lewis and Clark spent their first winter of their Expedition of Discovery? Fort Mandan.
  • How many Americans lived in cities in 1800? Less than 6%.
  • Who compromised most of the population of British Quebec by 1800? French Canadians.
  • Established a colony at Ft. Ross in Spanish CA? Russians.
  • City served as a major trading center for the Ohio River Valley? Cincinnati.
  • What Powered the Southern Economy in 1800? Agriculture (primarily cotton).
  • Made slavery profitable again? The cotton gin.
  • Who pictured the US as a nation of independent farmers, spread across the continent? Thomas Jefferson.
  • Supreme Court Case? Marbury v. Madison.
  • US purchased Louisiana from whom? France.
  • Act of removing forcefully people from one ship, to serve as crew? Impressment.
  • Result of the boycott and Embargo that Congress passed in an attempt to deal with Britain? Economic hardship for the US, increased tensions with Britain, and ultimately led to the War of 1812.
  • Result of US Attempts to deal with the rising tensions between the US & Britain? War of 1812.
  • Led Indian resistance to the US in the War of 1812? Tecumseh.
  • War Hawks? Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun.
  • What year did 1812 start? 1812.
  • Buildings that were burnt down when Washington City is captured? The White House, the Capitol Building, and the Library of Congress.
  • Biggest American victory of the war? The Battle of New Orleans.
  • Treaty ended the war of 1812? Treaty of Ghent.
  • How did Middle-States settlers move west after the War of 1812 ended? Through the National Road and other turnpikes.
  • How did Northern migrants move west following the war of 1812? The Erie Canal.
  • With whom did the Old Northwest share values? Eastern Patriots.
  • Monroe Era? Era of Good Feelings.
  • How did Monroe’s program for the nation differ from Jefferson’s? Adoption of Federalist policies, such as internal improvements and a national bank.
  • Monroe’s Cabinet differ from Jefferson’s? More geographically and politically diverse, including members from different regions and parties.
  • Two major surges in western land sales? 1830s and 1850s.
  • American System did what? Promoted economic development through tariffs, internal improvements, and a national bank.
  • Result of the Adams-Onis Treaty? US acquired Florida from Spain.
  • Cause of the Panic of 1819? Overspeculation in land and a decline in cotton prices.
  • Who formed the Bill that became the Missouri Compromise? Henry Clay.
  • Strict Laws that were passed to control the movements of African Americans? Slave Codes.
  • Made planting and farming of cotton profitable? The cotton gin.
  • Location where Francis Scott Key wrote the song that became the National Anthem? Fort McHenry.
  • Who owned 1,000 acres, and hundreds of slaves? Planters.
  • Deadliest of all the slave uprisings in the American South? Nat Turner’s Rebellion.
  • Any attempt to colonize the Western Hemisphere by a European Nation would be viewed as an act of aggression against the US? Monroe Doctrine.
  • Slave was being taken far away from home/plantation? Sold “down the river.”
  • Term used by the South to show how important agricultural products were? King Cotton.
  • Led to the development of abolitionist feelings in Northerners? The Second Great Awakening.
  • Described the time period from Washington to Monroe? Virginia Dynasty.
  • Who began to consolidate New England Colonies into a single unit in 1686? King James II.
  • Sir Edmund Andros alienated colonists of New England? Restricted town meetings, levied taxes without consent, and enforced the Navigation Acts.
  • Made king of Britain after James II was driven out of the country? William of Orange.
  • Caused panic and mass hysteria in Massachusetts in 1692? Salem Witch Trials.
  • Salem Witch Trials come to an end? When the governor’s wife was accused.
  • Effects the Great Awakening had in the colonies? Increased religious fervor, challenged traditional authority, and fostered a sense of unity among colonists.
  • Other effects of the Great Awakening? Demands for greater religious freedom and self-government.
  • Another name for the French and Indian War? Seven Years’ War.
  • Fought the first skirmish of the 7 years war? George Washington.
  • British General marching his men into an ambush by a smaller French force? General Braddock.
  • British fort forced to surrender when a British general refused to send it assistance? Fort William Henry.
  • French and Indian War turning in favor of the British? William Pitt the Elder.
  • Franklin’s Plan for the colonies? Albany Plan of Union.
  • What ended the French and Indian War? Treaty of Paris (1763).
  • Native American Uprising? Pontiac’s Rebellion.
  • How the British dealt with the above uprising by Native Americans? Distributed blankets infected with smallpox.
  • Period when Britain allowed colonies to govern themselves? Salutary Neglect.
  • Taxing of the Colonists by Parliament? To pay for the French and Indian War debt.
  • How parliament taxed colonists? Stamp Act, Tea Act, and Townshend Acts.
  • Attitude of Colonists as the year 1775 began? Increasingly resistant to British rule and moving towards independence.