First Quarter Review
A) Read each major topic from the 1st Quarter & HIGHLIGHT the key information
(& least 3 key points)
B) Study these key concepts to prepare for the 1st Quarter Assessment (20
Questions)
Three Discoveries of America First Americans (28,000 BC), Vikings (1000 AD),
Christopher Columbus (1492),
Columbus’ discovery was the most important because of the Columbian
Exchange: An exchange of goods, foods, ideas, and disease that dramatically
changed the world.
Mayflower CompactPilgrims and Strangers created the first government in order
to survive in the New World. The laws were equal, good for everyone and all
people agreed to follow the laws.
The Great AwakeningReligious movement in the 1700s; It encouraged liberty,
equality and resistance to authority. It was the foundation of ideas that
lead to the Revolutionary War. Laws are for the common good, you don’t obey a
bad ruler and if a law is bad, it your duty to disobey it.
Magna Carta signed in 1215 it gave Englishman some basic rights: Fair trial,
habeas corpus, don’t have to testify against yourself, can’t take land or
money without Parliament’s permission. The Colonists felt these rights were
being violated.
Differences between North and South Land/geography and climate. North - Harsh
winters, hard rocky soil, led to industrial society (not as reliant on slave
labor)
South - Rich soil, mild winters, led to agricultural society (tobacco, cotton,
indigo) and relied heavily on slave labor.
Steps to War The events that lead to the Revolutionary War. Colonists went
from peaceful subjects of Britain to anger, protest, violence, and finally war
as the British tried to tighten their control of America. The main issue was
taxation without representation (being taxed by people you didn’t elect).
Revolutionary War First time in History a colony separated from its mother
country. Began at Lexington and Concord on April 19th 1775. With the help of
the French, the colonists were able to defeat the most powerful country in the
world. The last battle was at Yorktown in 1781. The Treaty of Paris was
signed in 1783 ending the Revolutionary War. America is now an independent
country.
Declaration of Independence explained to the world why the Colonies were
breaking away from the British. Consists of 3 parts: I) Beliefs about “Good
Government”, II) List of things King George has done wrong, III) Declared
Colonies are “free & independent states”.
Famous Phrases from the Declaration of Independence “All men are created
equal”. “They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,
that among these are Life, Liberty & the pursuit of Happiness” (government
must protect these rights). “Deriving their just powers from the consent of
the governed” (people give the government its power). “It is the right of the
people to alter or abolish it (a bad government must change or be replaced by
a new government).
Women in Colonial America could not vote, married women could not own
property or divorce. They worked very hard (inside & outside the house), but
had more opportunities than European women.
Voting Rights in Colonial America There was no political equality, only
rich, white men could vote in the 1700’s. You had to own land (property
qualification) in order to vote. Poor whites, blacks & women were not allowed
to vote. Poor whites were given the right to vote in the 1820’s, black men in
1870 & women in 1920.
The Articles of Confederation was the first government of the U.S. It failed
because the states weren’t united (they all wanted power) and the national
government was weak (because Americans were afraid of a strong government
taking away their freedom). There was no president & Congress couldn’t tax. It
was replaced by the Constitution in 1787.
Shays’s Rebellion farmers in Massachusetts closed the courts because
property taxes were too high. They tried to capture a federal arsenal (where
guns & ammunition are stored) & take over the state government. People were
afraid because the national government couldn’t protect the people. State
leaders met to write a new constitution.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 the one good thing from the 1st government
of the U.S. It divided the land west of the Appalachian Mountains (& north of
the Ohio River) into 5 territories. When 60,000 people moved into a territory
it became a state. It provided a blueprint for America to grow westward. It
also outlawed slavery (above the Mason – Dixon Line) & established free public
schools in each new town.
Second Quarter Review
A) Read each major topic from the 2nd Quarter & HIGHLIGHT the key information
(& least 3 key points)
B) Study these key concepts to prepare for the 2nd Quarter Assessment (20
Questions)
The Constitutional Convention After Shays’s Rebellion the leaders of America
realized they needed to create a stronger national government so they met at
the Philadelphia State House in the summer of 1787. Their original purpose was
to improve the Articles of Confederation but they soon realized that they
would have to write an entirely new constitution.
The Big 3 George Washington was the most respected man in America. He had to
attend or people wouldn’t believe in the new government. He was chosen as
president of the Convention. Ben Franklin was the oldest delegate & was able
to get the Framers to compromise. James Madison was called the “Father of the
Constitution”. He brought the Virginia Plan, took notes, convinced people to
approve the Constitution & wrote the Bill of Rights
separation of powers ---> The Framers (the 55 men who wrote the Constitution)
decided to divide the government into 3 branches. The legislative branch
(Congress) would make the laws, the executive branch (the president) would
enforce the laws & the judicial branch (the Supreme Court) would interpret the
laws.
How would the legislative branch be organized? The small states (who were
afraid of losing power) wanted every state to get an equal number of
representatives in Congress (the New Jersey Plan). The big states (who felt
this was unfair) wanted representation in Congress based on population (the
Virginia Plan). There seemed to be no answer.
Great Compromise ---> Ben Franklin came up with the solution: Divide Congress
into 2 parts. The House of Representatives would be based on the Virginia Plan
(at least 1 rep per state w/ bigger states getting more) & the Senate uses the
New Jersey Plan (each state gets 2 senators).
How does a bill become a law? Intro by Congressman screened by Committee
House approval Senate approval signed by President
checks & balances ---> In order to keep one branch from dominating the
government (the Framers believed if people got power they would abuse it) they
created a system where all 3 branches had equal power & would have to agree in
order to get things done.
How does checks & balances work? Laws can only be made by Congress, but can
be vetoed by the President. Congress can override a veto by a 2/3 vote. The
Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional, Congress (with states
approval) can amend (change) the Constitution. In addition, Supreme Court
justices are chosen by the President but must be approved by the Senate. The
House can make treaties but only with Senate approval. All of these things
ensure that no branch will be able to dominate the government.
Is the voting for President direct or indirect? Explain. Indirect, because of
the electoral college (person with most popular votes could lose election)
Bill of Rights---> People were still afraid that that the government had too
much power & would take away their rights. They would
only approve the Constitution if it included a Bill of Rights (the first ten
amendments, focus on human rights).
1st ---> Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly
2nd ---> Right to own a gun
4th ---> No Illegal search & seizure
5th ---> Don't have to testify against yourself. No double jeopardy.
6th ---> Speedy trial. Right to a lawyer. Confront witnesses.
8th ---> No cruel & unusual punishment
9th ---> People have more rights than written in Constitution.
Study these key concepts to prepare for Part I of the Final on Tuesday June
3rd {37 multiple choice questions}
Third Quarter Review
A) Read each major topic from the 3rd Quarter & HIGHLIGHT the key information
(& least 3 key points)
B) Study these key concepts to prepare for the 3rd Quarter Assessment (20
Questions)
Washington’s Farewell Address When Washington left office after serving 2
terms he gave America some advice for the future in his Farewell Address. It
boiled down to 2 main ideas: Unity at Home don’t let political parties &
regional differences (North vs. South) tear the country apart AND Neutrality
Abroad don’t form permanent alliances with other countries. Stay out of
other people’s business unless the U.S. is threatened.
“We are all Federalists, We are all Republicans” Jefferson made this
statement in his inaugural address. He had just been elected in a bitter &
divisive campaign against John Adams. He reminded Americans (like Washington
had) that no matter what they believed they were all Americans who want the
same thing: a strong & independent country. They can’t let “differences of
opinion” divide the country
U.S. in 1783 The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War. It set the
boundaries of the United States: The Atlantic Ocean in the east, The
Mississippi River in the west, north of Florida & south of the Great Lakes. In
addition, the British agreed to remove all troops from American territory.
Louisiana Purchase In 1803 Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana
Territory from France for $15 million. It doubled the size of the U.S., gave
us a port in New Orleans, control of the Mississippi River and made the Rocky
Mountains our new western border.
Lewis & Clark Were sent by Jefferson to explore the northern part of the
Louisiana Territory (along with 43 members of the Corps of Discovery). They
were to see if there was a water route to the Pacific (there wasn’t), gather
new plants & animals (they found 100’s of new species) & establish friendly
relations with the Native Americans (they did with over 50 tribes). They
returned after more than 2 years with detailed maps & journals that helped
open the west for settlers.
Manifest Destiny Was the belief that God wanted America to take over the
entire continent, no matter who or what was in the way. Created in 1845, this
idea resulted in the U.S. annexing (adding) Texas in 1845, splitting Oregon in
1846 & declaring war on Mexico in 1848 (which ended with California & New
Mexico being added to America).
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Ended the Mexican – American War in 1848. The
U.S. agreed to pay Mexico $15 million in exchange for taking over the
California & New Mexico territories (called the Mexican Cession). The country
now extended all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Oregon Was controlled by both Great Britain & the U.S. President James Polk
threatened to go to war unless Britain gave up its claim to the Oregon Country
(“54 – 40 or fight”). A compromise was reached in 1846 & Oregon was split in
half at the 49th parallel.
Florida Was acquired from Spain (1819) in the Adams – Onis Treaty. Spain
gave Florida to the U.S. who would pay off $5 million in debts & agree to not
“mess with Texas”.
Gadsden Purchase Was a small strip of land that the U.S. bought for $10
million from Mexico in 1853. It was used to build a railroad across the
country which now stretched “from sea to shining sea.”
Jacksonian Democracy was the name given to the common people who elected
Andrew Jackson president in 1828. Now that all white men could vote (not only
the rich) a “common man” was elected as the 7th President.
Why were slaves African? Slaves were the 3rd & final attempt to solve
America’s need for labor. They were the ideal solution because they were used
to agricultural work (unlike Native Americans), were immune to diseases
(unlike Native Americans) & couldn’t run away (because of their skin color).
In addition, there were millions of Africans who could be brought by force to
America & they would remain slaves their entire lives (unlike white indentured
servants).
Southern Slavery/ Northern Freedom Slavery was isolated in the South because
their economy was based almost entirely on agriculture (farming) {due to rich
soil & warm climate}. The South needed lots of labor for the cotton fields on
their plantations so they used African slaves. Slavery was never really
widespread in the North mainly because the economy was based on trade &
manufacturing (factories).
Cotton Gin Invented by Eli Whitney in 1793 it made it much easier (50 times
faster) to clean the seeds out of cotton. This meant more cotton could be
planted (at a time when it was needed in Northern & British clothing
factories) and more slaves were needed. It made slaves very valuable (just
when it seemed the South’s “peculiar Institution” was dying out).
“King Cotton” After Eli Whitney’s invention, cotton became the most
important crop grown in the South. Many plantations grew almost nothing else
since made them the most profit. By 1860, sales of cotton earned more money
than all other U.S. exports. Whether they owned slaves or not, white
southerners understood their economy depended on cotton.
Harriet Tubman Was the first female conductor on the Underground Railroad (a
secret network of free blacks & whites who provided transportation & “safe
houses” {stations} for runaway slaves). She was nicknamed “Moses” because she
helped over 300 slaves escape to the North.
William Lloyd Garrison Was the most famous abolitionist (a person who wants
to end slavery) because he published the first anti-slavery paper in the U. S.
(“The Liberator”). For 35 years he called for the “immediate & complete
emancipation” of slaves. This angered the South, divided the country &
eventually led to the Civil War.
Frederick Douglass A runaway slave who’s autobiography & speeches at
abolitionist rallies (“I stand before you as a thief”) gave a voice (& a face)
to the evils of slavery. During the Civil War he urged President Lincoln to
end slavery & allow African – Americans to fight for the North.
Denmark Vesey An ex – slave who bought his freedom, he organized a slave
rebellion in 1822 (in Charleston, S.C). After the plot was discovered Vesey &
34 others were hanged. It scared white southerners who passed even stricter
black codes to control blacks
John Brown Was a violent abolitionist who tried to capture the federal
arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Va. in 1859. Although his plan failed miserably, it
terrified & angered Southerners (especially the fact that many Northerners
thought Brown was a hero. His death would further split the country.
Missouri Compromise Missouri wanted to enter the Union as a slave state but
this would upset the balance between slave & free states in the Senate. After
threats of secession a compromise was reached (1820 - mainly work of Henry
Clay). Missouri would be admitted as a slave state, Maine as a free state. In
addition slavery would be banned in the Louisiana Territory north of 36’ 30”.
The Union was saved but few were happy.
Compromise of 1850 Was the final compromise between North & South before
Civil War. California would be admitted as a free state, the Utah & New Mexico
territories would allow slaves. The North agreed to enforce the Fugitive Slave
Act (help capture runaway slaves). This is what angered northerners the most.
Now they were part of enforcing the laws of slavery
Dred Scott Was a slave who sued to get his freedom. The Supreme Court (in
1857) ruled that slaves were property & that even free blacks had “no rights
that whites were bound to respect” (they couldn’t be citizens). In addition,
it said that slavery was legal everywhere (including the North & in the
territories).
Fourth Quarter Review
A) Read each major topic from the 4th Quarter & HIGHLIGHT the key information
(& least 3 key points)
B) Study these key concepts to prepare for the 4th Quarter Assessment (20
Questions)
Election of 1860 4 parties nominated candidates: Republicans - Abraham
Lincoln, Northern Democrats - Stephen Douglas, Southern Democrats - John C.
Breckinridge, Constitutional Unionists - John Bell. Lincoln won the election
even though he didn’t receive a majority of the popular votes. South seceded
after his election.
Southern & Northern reasons for fighting North: Union (no state can secede),
Anti-slavery (didn’t want slavery to expand [not abolitionists]), democracy
(the South was trying to overrule the majority of Americans). South: states
rights (South had joined the Union, they can leave it), slavery (freeing
slaves would mean social & economic chaos), liberty (North was threatening
their way of life). Both sides were so far apart that a compromise seemed
impossible.
Southern Advantages A)Better generals B) Experience with guns“Home field”
advantage C) Lived in country Didn’t have to win
Jefferson Davis 1st (& only) President of the CSA. Presided over secession
from U.S. Ran the Confederacy during the Civil War
Robert E. Lee Commander of the Confederate Army. He turned down Lincoln’s
offer to lead the Union Army. Choosing his home over his country (& making the
war last much longer)
Fort Sumter Where the Civil War begin in Charleston, S.C. on April 12, 1861.
A bloodless opening to the bloodiest war in American history.
Emancipation Proclamation Freed all of the slaves in the Southern states on
January 1, 1863. It could not be enforced but it did give the war “a higher
purpose’ & discouraged France & Britain from helping the South.
54th Massachusetts the first all black regiment. They fought against
discrimination (they were only paid $10, no shoes or uniforms, etc), to free
Southern slaves & to show that they were equal to whites. Lincoln credited the
200,000 black soldiers with helping the North win the war.
Gettysburg Address Lincoln gives new meaning to the war when he says we must
keep fighting or else all these men will have died in vain. The Union is now
fighting for a “New birth of freedom & the belief that “all men are created
equal”.
Total war is when you involve the civilians in the war & destroy everything
in your path. William T. Sherman used it to make “War Hell” by marching from
Atlanta, Georgia to Savannah & destroying everything on a path 60 miles wide.
It was used to successfully break the will of Southerners to continue
fighting. It helped Lincoln get re-elected and led to the surrender of the South
U. S. Grant after starting the war in disgrace he eventually became the
leader of the Union Army. He realized the North should use their population
advantage to engage in huge battles. His tactics led to Lee’s surrender at
Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)
Lincoln’s 2nd Inaugural Address Given a month before the end, he says the
country is being punished for the sins of slavery. When the war is over we
must heal the nation, not punish the South. Reunite the country so another
Civil War never happens. “With malice towards none, with charity to all.”
Radical Reconstruction Northern Republicans objected to Lincoln (& then
President Johnson’s plan to quickly reunite the country. They wanted to punish
the South & make sure equality was given to the freedmen. They helped write
new state constitutions that guaranteed the right to vote for black males &
established the first public schools.
Thirteenth Amendment was passed in the fall of 1865 & outlawed slavery in
the U.S.
Black Codes were laws that were passed in the South after the Civil War to
control their former slaves. Blacks could not serve on juries or vote. Job
opportunities were limited, blacks were not allowed to attend public schools &
segregation was put into effect.
Fourteenth Amendment was designed to protect the rights of African
Americans. Blacks were declared citizens & guaranteed “Equal protection of the
laws”.
Losing Voting Rights Southern blacks were required to pay a poll tax in
order to vote (it was too expensive for most), and were often required to
pass a literacy test to show that they could read (it was so hard most people
were unable to pass). The “grandfather clause” allowed whites to be excluded
from these requirements.
Jim Crow the name given to laws that separated the 2 races in the South.
Everything was segregated including schools, drinking fountains, restaurants,
trains, etc.
Ku Klux Klan a white terrorist organization that was determined to keep
blacks from voting or holding office. Dressed up in white robes & hoods, they
used threats, beatings & even murder to ensure whites controlled the government.
Plessy vs. Ferguson in 1896 the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was
legal as long as the facilities were the same. “Separate but equal” was the
law in the South until segregated schools were ruled unconstitutional in 1954.
Study these key concepts to prepare for Part II of the Final on Wednesday May
27th {30 multiple choice questions}