Early American History

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Early American History
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1. What was the first successful British
settlement in America?
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Answer
The first successful settlement was Jamestown,
Virginia.
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2. Who was the first British religious group to
settle in America? What nickname have
we given these people who settled there?
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Answer
The first religious group to settle in America
were the Pilgrims. We have given them the
nickname of Puritans.
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3. What were Loyalists and Patriots during the
American Revolution?
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Answer
The loyalists were individuals who remained loyal
to Britain. The Patriots were those individuals
who chose to stand up against Britain and fight
for American rights.
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4. When Columbus sailed west in 1492, where were
his three ships sailing to?
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Answer
When Christopher Columbus sailed west in 1492, he
was heading to the East Indies to obtain spices.
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5. The first battles of the American Revolution
occurred where and when?
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Answer
The first battles of the American Revolution
occurred in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts
in 1775.
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6. What was the main message of the Declaration
of Independence?
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Answer
The main message of the Declaration of
Independence was to declare freedom from Great
Britain.
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7. Why did the Sons of Liberty form groups in
large American cities in the 1760s?
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Answer
The Sons of Liberty formed groups in large
American cities in order to intimidate and harass
British officials and tax collectors.
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8. Who were some key people, and what were some
key words, associated with Jamestown?
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Answer
Key People Pocahontas, John
Smith Key Words 1607,
First British Settlement
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9. Why did the Pilgrims and Puritans want to
flee Britain in the 1600s?
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Answer
The pilgrims and puritans fled from Britain in
order to escape religious persecution.
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10. What were the main messages of the Treaty of
Paris in 1783?
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Answer
The Treaty of Paris of 1783
ended the American Revolution
gave the Americans new territory
officially separated America from
Britain.
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11. Who was President of the United States
during the American Revolution?
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Answer
There wasnt a president until after the
Constitution was written in 1787. In 1789, George
Washington assumed the office of President.
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12. Where were the Jamestown and Plymouth
settlements located?
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Answer
The Jamestown settlement was located in
Jamestown, Virginia. The Plymouth settlement was
located in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
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13. How did George Washington help the Americans
win the war against the British?
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Answer
George Washington was the General who
charismatically led his men in battle.
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14. Why was the American victory at Saratoga in
1777 so important?
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Answer
The Victory at Saratoga was important because it
was the turning point in favor of the Americans.
The French decided to help the Americans with
more troops, equipment, and finances.
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15. In what two major ways did the American
Revolution lead to the French Revolution?
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Answer
The Americans helped to inspire the French to
fight for their freedom. The French realized what
equality meant and they were tired of being
overtaxed and jailed for debts by their
King and Queen.
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16) What does the term sectionalism mean?
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Answer
The term sectionalism refers to two parts of
the same country that hate each other, therefore
dividing the people.
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17.) Describe sectionalism in America in the
first half of the 1800s?
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Answer
The sectionalism occurred when the North and
South began to distrust one another. It was this
distrust that led to the Civil War.
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Causes of the Civil War
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20.) What was the Industrial Revolution
and how did it affect the Free North and the
Slave South?
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Answer
The Industrial Revolution was a time when the
North had more factories and most of the
countrys wealth. It was a very difficult time
for the South.
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21.) Describe the society of the
Industrial North?
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Answer
The society of the Industrial Revolution
consisted mostly of hired factory workers. Cities
were crowded and urbanized.
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22.) Describe the society of the
agricultural South?
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Answer
The society of the agricultural South during the
Industrial Revolution was rural. Slave labor was
used to run the plantations.
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23.) Why did Northern society want reform?
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Answer
The North felt that slavery was inhumane and
barbaric.
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24.) Why did the South hate the idea of
reform?
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Answer
The South used slave labor to survive. They did
not want the North telling them how to run their
economy.
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• a)
• What type of economy did the North have?

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Answer
The North was a predominantly industrial
society.
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• b)
• What type of economy did the South have?

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The South was predominantly agricultural, growing
crops such as tobacco and cotton.
Answer
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7. a) Why did the South hate a tariff on
British imported goods?
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Answer
The South did not want to pay high taxes.
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8. What was the Missouri Compromise?
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Answer
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 stated that
Missouri would be a slave state, but Maine would
be free.
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10. What was the Compromise of 1850?
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Answer
The Compromise of 1850 stated that California
would become a free state. It also prohibited the
occurrence of slave auctions.
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11. a) Why did anti-slavery
Northerners hate the Compromise of 1850?
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Answer
The anti-slave Northerners hated
the Compromise of 1850 because they were against
the Missouri Compromise of 1820. In order to get
the South to agree to California being a free
state, they had to agree to an Enforced Slave
Fugitive Act. They felt that this was another
evil forced on Northern society by the cruel
racists of the South.
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11. b) Why did some pro-slavery
Southerners hate the Compromise of 1850?
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Answer
Some of the pro-slavery Southerners hated the
Compromise of 1850 because it eliminated the
slave auctions in Washington D.C. where many
purchased new slaves.
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12. a) Which ex-slave was the most famous
of the Underground Railroad conductors?
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Answer
The most famous former ex-slave of the
Underground Railroad conductor was Harriet
Tubman.
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12. b) Which ex-slave thrilled
Northern audiences with his great speaking
abilities and great ideas on abolition?
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Answer
The ex-slave who thrilled audiences with his
speaking abilities was Frederick Douglas.
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13. What was the novel Uncle Toms
Cabin about?
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Answer
Uncle Toms Cabin was written to illustrate the
harsh realities of slavery in the South. It was
written by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
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14. What was Bleeding Kansas?
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Answer
Bleeding Kansas was a mini-civil war that
erupted in Kansas in the mid 1850s. One
anti-slavery supporter, John Brown, killed slave
owners because they were voting illegally in
order to make Kansas a slave state.
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15. What was the outcome of the Dred
Scott Supreme Court case?
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Answer
The Dred Scott case was heard in the Supreme
Court in 1857. The outcome of the decision was
that slaves were property, and therefore did not
have the same rights that white citizens had. The
decision also stated that the African race was
inferior to the white race, and that they should
not expect equal treatment, including the ability
to sue in Federal Court.
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16. What was John Browns raid at
Harpers Ferry all about?
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Answer
In 1859, John Brown organized a raiding party of
white abolitionists and free blacks. They rode to
Harpers Ferry on the northern border of Virginia.
They were planning on giving weapons to the
slaves so that they could lead a slave revolt.
John Brown was captured when the plan failed, and
hanged for treason.
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American Government
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1. What was the British document
during the 1100s where nobles demanded trial by
Jury from King John and a form of representative
government?
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Answer
This document was known as the Magna Carta.
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2. a) What were the first amendments
added to the constitution called?
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Answer
First amendments added to the constitution were
called a Bill of Rights.
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2. b) How many amendments were added
to the Constitution?
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Answer
There were ten at first. Total of (27) amendments
added.
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3. What are the key strengths of the
Constitution?
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Answer
The key strengths of the constitution were the
balances of power between the three branches of
government, so that no single branch has too much
power. The Bill of Rights lists individual
freedoms.
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4. The Constitution solved the dispute
population representation between northern and
southern slave states by doing what?
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Answer
The 3/5ths Compromise allowed slaves to be
counted as 3/5ths of a person for the purpose of
representation in Congress.
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5. What was the period in European
history in the 1700s where thinkers attacked
superstition and old ways of thinking, and wanted
to rebuild society with logic, reason, and new
ideas?
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Answer
This period of time is referred to as the
Renaissance.
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6. a) Who was the main writer of the
Declaration of Independence?
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Answer
The main writer of the Declaration of
Independence was Thomas Jefferson.
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6. b) Who was the main writer of the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights?
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Answer
The main writer of the Constitution and the Bill
of Rights was James Madison.
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7. Which meeting of states leaders
in 1787 cancelled the Articles of Confederation
and created a new written plan for our national
government?
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Answer
This meeting was referred to as the
Constitutional Convention.
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8. What word means when state
governments voted to accept the Constitution
after the Convention?
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Answer
This is referred to as ratification, or to
ratify this means to approve.
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9. a) What was Americas first
written plan for its national government?
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Answer
Americas first written plan for its national
government were the Articles of Confederation.

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9. b) What was Americas second
written plan for its national government?
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Answer
Americas second written plan for its national
government was the Constitution.
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10. What were the main weaknesses of
the Articles of Confederation?
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Answer
The main weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation were 1) a lack of a national leader
(president), 2) the Federal government had no
power to tax, and 3) there was no power to
organize a national army, which left the country
vulnerable.
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11. Americas national government
during the American Revolution was called the
____ _____ and located in the city of ________?
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Answer
During the American Revolution, the national
government was called the Continental Congress.
They were located in Philadelphia.
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12. In the ratification debate to
accept the Constitution, who were the two leaders
of the Federalists who wanted a strong national
government?
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Answer
In the ratification debate to accept the
Constitution, the two leaders of the Federalists
were Alexander Hamilton and John Marshall.
Hamilton
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13. What were the two sides in the
ratification debate, and what were their main
ideas?
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Answer
Federalists want the Constitution the way it is.
They want a strong central government. Anti-feder
alists want a Bill of Rights added to the
Constitution and more rights to the
people/states.
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14. What is a presidential check
against the power of Congress?
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Answer
A presidential check against the power of
congress is referred to as the Right to Veto a
bill.
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15. What is a check used by Congress
against the power of the president?
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Answer
The check used by Congress against the power of
the President is the ability to override vetos
with a 2/3rds vote.
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16. What is a check used by the
Supreme Court against Congress?
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Answer
The check used by the Supreme Court against
Congress is to declare a new law either
Constitutional or unconstitutional.
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17. a) The President is in charge of
which branch?
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Answer
The President is in charge of the Executive
Branch of the government.
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17. b) The Congress is in charge of
which branch?
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Answer
The Congress is in charge of the Legislative
Branch of the government.
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17. c) The Supreme Court is in charge
of which branch?
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Answer
The Supreme Court is in charge of the Judicial
Branch of the Government.
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18. a) What are the six basic
freedoms in the First Amendment?
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Answer
The six basic freedoms in the first amendment
are 1) freedom of speech, 2) freedom of the
press, 3) freedom of religion, 4) right to
peacefully assemble, 5) right to petition the
government for a redress of a grievance, and 6)
no state religion.
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18. b) What is the basic right in
the Second Amendment?
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Answer
The basic right of the second amendment is the
right to bear arms.
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19. What kind of government did
Alexander Hamilton want?
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Answer
Alexander Hamilton was interested in developing a
strong central government.
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20. What kind of government did
Thomas Jefferson want?
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Answer
Thomas Jefferson was interested in developing a
weaker central government with more rights for
individual states.
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21. a) Which person is in charge of
the executive branch of our government?
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Answer
The President is in charge of the Executive
Branch .
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21. b) Which group of representatives
is in charge of the legislative branch?
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Answer
The Congress is in charge of the legislative
branch of government .
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21. c) Which group of justices is in
charge of the judicial branch?
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Answer
The Supreme court justices are in charge of the
judicial branch of government .
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22. a) Which Greek word means when
one person is in charge of a government?
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Answer
The Greek word that refers to one person in
charge of a government is called a monarchy.
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22. b) Which Greek word means when
all citizens vote on laws in a country?
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Answer
The Greek word that refers to all citizens voting
on laws in a country is democracy.
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22. c) Which Greek word means when
no government is in control of a country?
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Answer
The Greek word that refers to when no government
is in control of a country is oligarchy.
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23. Which revolt by veterans and
farmers in Massachusetts caused many Americans to
doubt if the Articles of Confederation could work
for America?
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Answer
The revolt was Shays Rebellion.
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24. Which document ended the
American Revolution and gave lots of new
territory to America from Britain?
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Answer
The document was the Treaty of Paris.
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25. a) What is the job of the
executive branch?
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Answer
The job of the Executive Branch is to enforce the
laws.
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25. b) What is the job of the
legislative branch?
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Answer
The job of the Legislative Branch is to make
laws.
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25. c) What is the job of the
judiciary branch?
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Answer
The job of the Judiciary Branch is to declare
laws constitutional or unconstitutional.
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26. What types of societies did
Jefferson and Hamilton want?
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Answer
Jefferson wanted a farm-based economy, while
Hamilton wanted an industrialized economy.
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27. What types of people did Thomas
Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton think would lead
America to be a great country?
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Answer
Jefferson felt that the common man could make
decisions if he was well informed, while Hamilton
felt that only the elite, well-educated could
lead the country.
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29. What was the Monroe Doctrine?
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Answer
The Monroe Doctrine was written by President
Monroe in order to say to Europe, America is
closed to colonization.
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30. Describe the representation in
the two parts of Congress?
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Answer
The House of Representatives has 435 members. The
higher a states population, the more
representatives that state gets. The Senate has
100 members, two representing each state.
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31. What is a change or addition to
the Constitution called?
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Answer
A change or addition to the constitution is
called an Amendment.
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32. a) What were Americans called who
did not want to accept the Constitution?
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Answer
Americans who didnt want to accept the
Constitution were called Anti-Federalists. They
wanted the Bill of Rights added to the
Constitution.
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32. b) What type of government did
these people want?
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Answer
These anti-federalists wanted more rights defined
for the people, and a weak central government.