Question | Answer |
Peninsula | area of land surrounded on 3 sides by water (ex: Florida) |
Primary source | original or direct evidence of an event, idea, period, or development (ex: diary, letter, photograph, song) |
Secondary source | an explanation or interpretation of an event, idea, period, or development (ex: textbook, magazines) |
Artifact | a tool or other object made by humans |
Archaeologists | scientists who study the human past by examining the things people left behind |
Free enterprise | the freedom of private business to operate with minimal government regulation |
Economics | the study of how people make and consume goods and services (how they make money) |
Supply and demand | the economic relationship between the amount of goods available and the willingness of people to buy them (generally, if there are a lot of goods, the price goes down – if there are few goods, the price goes up) |
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Bering Land Bridge (Berengia) | first Americans migrated across this land from Asia, formed during Ice Age – now covered by the Bering Sea |
Maya | early Native American civilization located in southern Mexico and Central America – highly developed – astronomy, calendar |
Aztec | early Native American civilization located in central Mexico – highly developed |
Native Americans adapt to their environment | homes and food sources were based on natural resources that were available in each region (ex: Inuit made their homes from ice and ate fish and sea mammals) |
Iroquois Confederation | league formed by Mohawks, Onondagas, Oneidas, Cayugas, and Senecas to promote peace among themselves – became a powerful force |
Longhouse | bark-covered home used by Eastern Woodlands native groups |
Northwest Passage | water route to Asia through North America sought by European explorers – never found |
Effects of European diseases | millions of Native Americans died, some culture groups were totally wiped out |
Mayflower Compact | formal document written in 1620, provided laws for Plymouth colony |
New France | fur-trading post that became the first permanent French settlement in North America |
Triangular Trade | trade route that that exchanged goods between the West Indies, the American colonies, and West Africa |
Navigation Acts | series of laws passed by Parliament, beginning in 1651, to make sure that England made money from its colonies trade |
Mercantilism | economic system in which nations increase their wealth and power by establishing a favorable trade balance |
French and Indian War | conflict in North America from 1754-1763 between France and England – English won French territories in North America |
Albany Plan of Union | first formal proposal to unite the American colonies, written by Ben Franklin during French and Indian War |
Representative government | people are elected to represent their community in government |
“No Taxation without Representation” | American colonists protested the taxes passed by Parliament because they had no one representing them in Parliament (English law guaranteed them the right to representation) |
Boycott | refusal to buy or use certain goods or services - a protest against ideas or policies |
Boston Tea Party | 1773 American colonists (Sons of Liberty) protested against the Tea Act – dumped English tea from ships |
Boston Massacre | 1770 confrontation between Boston colonists and British soldiers – 5 colonists were killed – used as propaganda to promote anti-British feelings |
Declaration of Independence | document written in 1776, in which colonies declared their independence from England, explained to the world the reasons for rebellion |
Manifest destiny | belief that the U.S. was destined to stretch across the continent – justified taking more territory from Native Americans |
Louisiana Purchase | 1803 U.S. purchased Louisiana Territory from France – doubled the size of the nation |
Louis and Clark | hired by President Jefferson to explore Louisiana Territory – wrote detailed diaries about land, people, plants and animals |
Andrew Jackson | President (1829-1837) – many changes in government policy – felt Native Americans should be treated as a conquered people |
Trail of Tears | 1838 tragic journey of Cherokee people from their homeland to Indian Territory – thousands died – result of Andrew Jackson’s policy and Indian Removal Act |
Mexican War | conflict over land – U.S. gained Texas and Mexican Cession (became New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming) |
California Gold Rush | in 1849 thousands of people rushed out west to California to get rich quick – responsible for rapid rise in population growth of the western territories |