American History STAAR Review

Important Dates

1607 – Founding of Jamestown July 4, 1776 – Signing of the Declaration of Independence 1787 – Writing of the Constitution 1803 – Louisiana Purchase 1861 – 1865 – Civil War

Important Early Documents

Magna Carta – limited the power of the King – could not be put in prison without a jury trial

English Bill of Rights – guaranteed basic rights to all Englishmen – king couldn’t cancel laws without approval of Parliament

Mayflower Compact – Pilgrims agreed to follow majority rule 1620

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut – first written constitution in the U.S.

Key Names and Terms Quakers – people who believed all people should live in peace

and harmony Patriots – American colonists who WANTED independence

from Great Britain Loyalists – American colonists who DID NOT WANT

independence from Great Britain Protective tariff – a tax on imported goods – good for

American manufacturers – upset Southerners Interchangeable parts – identical parts – made manufacturing

more efficient (faster and cheaper) Nullification – the theory that a state could nullify or reject a

federal law if it considered the law to be unconstitutional Suffrage – the right to vote Secede – to withdraw from the United States

13 Original Colonies

New Hampshire

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Connecticut

Economy based on fishing, shipbuilding, and trade

Subsistence farmingSouthern Colonies

New England Colonies

Middle Colonies

New York

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

Delaware

“Breadbasket colonies”

Maryland

Virginia

North Carolina

South Carolina

Georgia

Plantation Economy

Cash crops: Tobacco, indigo, and rice

Causes of the Revolution

Proclamation of 1763 – colonists couldn’t settle west of the Appalachian Mountains

“taxation without representation” Quartering of troops

Declaration of Independence

Written by Thomas Jefferson Signed on July 4, 1776 Unalienable rights – cannot be taken away

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Listed grievances against King George III “He” has… Taxation without representation Quartering of troops

American Revolution

Lexington and Concord – first battles – “shot heard ‘round the world”

Saratoga – turning point – French decided to help the Americans

Yorktown – last battle – Lord Cornwallis surrendered

Treaty of Paris of 1783 – ended the Revolution

Important People

George Washington – Commander of Continental Army

Samuel Adams – leader of the Sons of Liberty Thomas Paine – wrote Common Sense – important

pamphlet that convinced Americans to declare independence

King George III – King of England Patrick Henry – “give me liberty or give me death”

New Government

Articles of Confederation First plan for government National government too weak Couldn’t tax or borrow money No president – no executive branch

U.S. Constitution Written in 1787 to replace Articles of Confederation

Constitutional Convention

Virginia Plan – favored large states New Jersey Plan – favored small states Great Compromise – combined both plans – called

for a TWO HOUSE legislative branch House of Representatives chosen based on POPULATION Senate – Each state has 2 Senators

Three-fifths Compromise – 3 out of 5 slaves counted as population

Federalists – wanted to ratify the Constitution Anti-federalists – would not ratify the Constitution

without a Bill of Rights

7 Principles of Government

Federalism – power is SHARED between the state and national governments

Limited government – power of the government is limited by the Constitution – no one is above the law

Individual rights – our rights and freedoms are protected by the Bill of Rights

Popular sovereignty – the PEOPLE have the power

7 Principles of Government

Republicanism – people exercise their power by VOTING for their leaders

Checks and balances – each branch has the power to stop something another branch does

Separation of powers – the government is separated into three branches Legislative – makes the laws Executive – carries out the laws Judicial – interprets the laws – decides whether they are

constitutional

First 11 U.S. Presidents

George Washington John Adams Thomas Jefferson James Madison James Monroe John Quincy Adams Andrew Jackson Martin Van Buren William Henry Harrison John Tyler James Polk

Take a minute to review this map to remember how the U.S. grew!

Reform Movements

Abolition – movement to end slavery Frederick Douglass William Lloyd Garrison Sojourner Truth Harriett Beecher Stowe – Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Womens’ Rights – equal rights for women Elizabeth Cady Stanton Seneca Falls Convention

Temperance – movement to stop excessive drinking of alcohol

Education reform Horace Mann – education is the “great equalizer”

Important Supreme Court Decisions

Marbury v. Madison Established JUDICIAL REVIEW – the power of the

Supreme Court to decide whether a law is constitutional or unconstitutional

Dred Scott v. Sandford Slaves were not citizens Slaves were property Congress couldn’t regulate slavery in territories

Civil War

NORTH – United States of America (USA) vs. SOUTH – Confederate States of America (CSA)

1861 - 1865 Presidents

Abraham Lincoln – USA Jefferson Davis – CSA

Generals Ulysses S. Grant – USA Robert E. Lee – CSA

Civil War

Battles Firing on Fort Sumter – first battle Battle of Gettysburg – turning point – North began to win Surrender at Appomattox Court House – South lost

Important Amendments 1st Amendment

Freedom of speech Freedom of religion Freedom of the press Right to peaceful assembly Right to petition the government

13th Amendment – outlawed slavery 14th Amendment – everyone born in the U.S. is a citizen

– everyone entitled to “equal protection under the law” 15th Amendment – cannot be denied the right to vote

because of race (Freed Citizens Vote)

REMEMBER…

Use the test to help you take the test Pictures, graphs, charts, maps, etc. - all may contain

information that will help you answer other questions found within the test

Watch those dates!