Review for Mid Term # 1

Terms

Columbian Exchange- The Columbian Exchange refers to the exchange of diseases, ideas,
food, crops, and populations between the New World and the Old World following the voyage to
the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1492.

Colony- a country or area under the full or partial political control of another country, typically a
distant one, and occupied by settlers from that country.

Middle Passage- the sea journey undertaken by slave ships from West Africa to the West
Indies.

Indentured Servant- a person who signs and is bound by indentures to work for another for a
specified time especially in return for payment of travel expenses and maintenance

Plantation farming- the production of one or more usually cash crops on a large swathe of land.

Crops from the south- cotton, tobacco, rice, and indigo

Monarchy- a form of government in which it is ruled by a king, queen or emperor

Dictatorship- s an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group

of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no limitations

Democracy- a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a
state, typically through elected representatives.

Republic- a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected
representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.

Declaration of Independence- an official act taken by all 13 American colonies in declaring

independence from British rule.

Constitution- a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a

state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.

Separation of Powers- an act of vesting the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of
government in separate bodies

Checks and balances- a system in which the different parts of an organization (such as a
government) have powers that affect and control the other parts so that no part can become too
powerful.
Repeal- the action of revoking or annulling a law or congressional act.

Appeal- apply to a higher court for a reversal of the decision of a lower court.

Treaty- a formally concluded and ratified agreement between countries

Electoral College- (in the US) a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally
cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.

Veto- a constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a law-making body.

Bill of Rights- a formal declaration of the legal and civil rights of the citizens of any state,
country, federation, etc.

Ratification- the action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement,
making it officially valid.

3/5ths amendment- any person who was not free would be counted as three-fifths of a free
individual for the purposes of determining congressional representation

Impeach- (especially in the US) charge (the holder of a public office) with misconduct.

Writ of Habeas Corpus- a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful
and indefinite imprisonment.

Bill of Attainder- legislation that imposes punishment on a specific person or group of people
without a judicial trial.

Federalism (this will be 1 essay) need to use in today’s news- the division and sharing of power
between the national and state governments.

Amend- to make a change by adding, subtracting, or substituting.

Poll Tax- a tax levied on every adult, without reference to income or resources.

Suffrage- the right to vote in political elections.

Prohibition- the action of forbidding something, especially by law.

Economy- the wealth and resources of a country or region, especially in terms of the production
and consumption of goods and services.

Political Party- a committee or organization whose nominated or selected candidates for federal
office appear on the ballot as the party's candidates.
Capitalism- an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are
controlled by private owners for profit.

Communism- a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a
society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to
their abilities and needs.

Socialism- a political and economic system in which property and the means of production are
owned in common, typically controlled by the state or government.

Manifest Destiny- the idea that white Americans were divinely ordained to settle the entire
continent of North America.

Tariff- tax or duty to be paid on a particular class of imports or exports

Tax- a compulsory contribution to state revenue, levied by the government on workers' income
and business profits, or added to the cost of some goods, services, and transactions.

Income tax- tax levied by a government directly on income, especially an annual tax on personal
income.

Christopher Columbus- An Italian explorer responsible for the European discovery of America in
1492.

Conquistador- a person who is out to conquer new territory.

Content and concepts

Who peopled the Americas prior to colonization
- Native americans

Culture of Native Americans

- It is crucial to understand that all of life of Native American tribes—celebrations, rituals,
hunting, farming, storytelling—took place within a distinct place or region of land and
was shaped by the land. Tribes were intimately tied to the land they inhabited and
treated Mother Earth with reverence and gratitude.

Spain Funded Columbus’ voyages - where did he land? What was he looking for?
- West Indies
- Gold and spices

Who colonized the 13 colonies

- Britain
Economy of the 13 colonies/sections -
 - New England: fishing, lumbering, and subsistence farming.
- Middle: farming, milling, lumbering, shipbuilding, and production
- Southern: agricultural

Slavery and the plantation system

- The settlements required a large number of laborers to sustain them. Because these
crops required large areas of land, the plantations grew in size, and in turn, more labor
was required to work on the plantations. Plantation labor shifted away from indentured
servitude and more toward slavery by the late 1600s.

Why fought the revolution?

- Great Britain and her 13 colonies

Declaration of Independence - 4 concepts*****

All Men Created Equal
Endowed with unalienable Rights
Government derives its just power from the consent of the governed
It is the right of the people to alter or abolish their government if …

Revolutionary war - fought between who?

- U.S & Britain
Who wins?
U.S

Constitution Established
- 3 branches of gov- legislative, executive, and judicial

- terms of each - Pres, (1)Rep, Senate, SC Justice

- power of each branch- Legislative—Makes laws (Congress, comprised of the House of

Representatives and Senate) Executive—Carries out laws (president, vice president, Cabinet,
most federal agencies) Judicial—Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts).

- 2 senators per state/rep based on population

- powers of Congress- is the only part of the government that can make new laws or change
existing laws.

- how a law is made- The bill has to be voted on by both houses of Congress: the House of
Representatives and the Senate. If they both vote for the bill to become a law, the bill is sent to
the President of the United States. He or she can choose whether or not to sign the bill. If the
President signs the bill, it becomes a law.
- powers of the President- The President is both the head of state and head of government of
the United States of America, and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Under Article II of
the Constitution, the President is responsible for the execution and enforcement of the laws
created by Congress.

- power of the Supreme Court- declare a Legislative or Executive act in violation of the
Constitution

- What does the Supreme court do- interpret the meaning of a law, to decide whether a law is
relevant to a particular set of facts, or to rule on how a law should be applied.

- Supreme Law of the Land- the constitution

- Five freedoms in 1rst Amendment- Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition.

- Need to know all 10 Amendments of Bill of Rights- Fundamental Freedoms,Right to Bear

Arms,Quartering Soldiers,Searches and Seizures,Rights of Persons,Rights in Criminal
Prosecutions,Civil Trial Rights,Cruel and Unusual Punishment,Unenumerated Rights,Rights
Reserved to the States and the People

- 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments- The 13th Amendment abolished slavery. The 14th Amendment
gave citizenship to all people born in the US. The 15th Amendment gave Black Americans the
right to vote.

- First President- George Washinhton

- Formation of Political Parties- Political factions or parties began to form during the struggle
over ratification of the federal Constitution of 1787. Friction between them increased as attention
shifted from the creation of a new federal government to the question of how powerful that
federal government would be.

Path to Civil War - Compromises (2nd Essay)- economic policies and practices, cultural
values, the extent and reach of the Federal government, and, most importantly, the role
of slavery within American society.