US History - Midterm Study Guide Name _____________
1. SSUSH1: Describe the relationship between English settlers and Native Americans.
The relationship between English settlers and Native Americans was initially cooperative but quickly became
hostile due to conflicts over land, resources, and cultural differences.
2. SSUSH1: Complete the table on Colonial America.
New England Colonies Middle Colonies Southern Colonies
What Colonies Massachusetts, New New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North
were in this region? Hampshire, Rhode Pennsylvania, Delaware Carolina, South Carolina,
Island, Connecticut Georgia
What was the Shipbuilding, fishing, Farming grains Large-scale agriculture
economy based lumber, and trade ("breadbasket"), trade, (cash crops like tobacco,
on? and some manufacturing rice, and indigo)
Describe the social Religiously strict, Religiously diverse and Social hierarchy based on
or religious views. predominantly Puritan tolerant (Quakers, family wealth and
Catholics, etc.) landownership, with the
Anglican Church
dominant
3. SSUSH1: What was the cause of Bacon’s rebellion? Bacon's Rebellion was caused by former indentured
servants and enslaved Africans demanding protection from Native American raids and more access to land
from the colonial government.
4. SSUSH1: Define:
● Colonialism: The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country,
settling it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
● Imperialism: A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force,
often by establishing colonies.
● Mercantilism: An economic theory where a country's power is measured by its wealth, so colonies exist
to enrich the mother country through a favorable balance of trade.
5. SSUSH2: What African influences were introduced and adapted into American culture?
African influences introduced into American culture included agricultural knowledge (like rice
cultivation), distinctive foodways (such as okra and black-eyed peas), music, storytelling, and artisan
skills.
6. SSUSH2: Describe the House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first elected legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in
Virginia in 1619.
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7A. SSUSH2: What is Salutary Neglect?
Salutary Neglect was a British policy in the early 1700s that involved avoiding the strict enforcement of
parliamentary laws in the colonies, as long as they remained loyal and profitable.
7B. What resulted from this policy?
This policy resulted in the American colonies developing a strong sense of self-government and independent
economic activity.
8. SSUSH2: What ideas do the House of Burgesses and the Mayflower Compact have in common?
Both the House of Burgesses and the Mayflower Compact established the ideas of self-government and
representative democracy in the American colonies.
9A. SSUSH2: What was the Great Awakening?
● The Great Awakening was a widespread religious revival movement in the American colonies during
the 1730s and 1740s that emphasized personal faith and emotional preaching.
9B. How did established churches change because of this movement?
● Established churches lost some of their influence and membership as new denominations, like Baptists
and Methodists, grew in popularity.
9C. What effect did this movement have on social norms?
● The movement challenged traditional authority figures and encouraged a sense of equality and
individualism, which helped pave the way for revolutionary ideas.
10. SSUSH3: List key points of the French & Indian War
Side 1 Side 2
Who? Vs. Who? Great Britain France
Causes Conflict over the Ohio River Valley territory
Allies American Colonists, Iroquois Confederacy Various Native American tribes
Colonial Population Larger population Smaller population
Victories Won key battles like the Plains of Abraham Won early battles like Fort
(Quebec) Duquesne
Treaty Conditions France gave up all its territories in mainland
North America via the Treaty of Paris (1763)
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Effects Great Britain incurred massive war debt,
leading to taxes on the colonies, and issued
the Proclamation of 1763
11. SSUSH3: Describe the Proclamation of 1763.
The Proclamation of 1763 was a British law that forbade American colonists from settling west of the
Appalachian Mountains in an attempt to prevent conflicts with Native Americans.
12. SSUSH3: What role did Thomas Paine play in encouraging American Independence?
Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet "Common Sense," which persuasively argued for complete American
independence from Britain and convinced many colonists to support the cause.
13. SSUSH4: What unalienable rights are listed in the Declaration of Independence?
The Declaration of Independence lists the unalienable rights as "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."
14. SSUSH4: What slogan is associated with the American Revolution?
The slogan "No Taxation Without Representation" is associated with the American Revolution.
15. SSUSH4: Describe the key Battles from the Revolutionary War.
Battle of After crossing the Delaware River, George Washington's surprise attack on Hessian
Trenton mercenaries provided a crucial morale boost and encouraged re-enlistments.
Battle of The American victory here convinced France to formally ally with the United States, providing
Saratoga crucial military and financial support, making it the war's turning point.
Battle of The American and French forces trapped General Cornwallis's army on a peninsula, leading to
Yorktown his surrender and effectively ending the major fighting of the war.
16. SSUSH4: What were the results of the Treaty of Paris in 1783?
The Treaty of Paris in 1783 recognized American independence, established U.S. borders from the Atlantic to
the Mississippi River, and required the British to remove their troops from American soil.
17. SSUSH5: Describe the Northwest Ordinance.
The Northwest Ordinance established a process for admitting new states from the Northwest Territory,
guaranteed rights to settlers, and outlawed slavery in the territory.
18. SSUSH5: What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation included a weak central government that could not tax,
regulate trade, or raise an army, and it required all 13 states to approve amendments.
19. SSUSH5: The Founding Fathers supported a strong or weak central (national) government?
After the failures of the Articles of Confederation, the Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution supported a
stronger central government.
20. SSUSH5: List the causes and effects of Shay’s Rebellion.
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Cause Effects
Farmers in Massachusetts, led by Daniel Shays, The rebellion highlighted the weakness of the
rebelled against high taxes and foreclosures on national government under the Articles of
their land. Confederation and convinced many leaders of
the need for a stronger federal government,
leading to the Constitutional Convention.
21. SSUSH5: Complete the chart.
Federalists Anti-Federalists
Who? Supporters of the Constitution, like Opponents of the Constitution, like Patrick
Alexander Hamilton and James Madison Henry and George Mason
What? Advocated for a strong central government Argued for a weaker central government,
and believed the Constitution was sufficient more power to the states, and demanded a
to protect rights Bill of Rights
22. SSUSH5: What was the purpose of the three-fifths compromise?
The purpose of the Three-Fifths Compromise was to determine how enslaved people would be counted for
representation in Congress and for taxation, counting each enslaved individual as three-fifths of a person.
23. SSUSH5: What is a bicameral legislative branch?
A bicameral legislative branch is a lawmaking body with two separate houses or chambers, such as the U.S.
Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
24. SSUSH5: What compromise resulted in the formation of the US legislative branch?
The Great Compromise (or Connecticut Compromise) resulted in the formation of the bicameral U.S. legislative
branch.
25. SSUSH5: How is it structured?
Name of legislative body How is Representation
determined?
House of Representatives Based on the state population
Senate Equal representation (two per
state)
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26. SSUSH6: List in order the first 5 presidents of the United States.
1. George Washington
2. John Adams
3. Thomas Jefferson
4. James Madison
5. James Monroe
27. SSUSH6: What is a precedent?
A precedent is an action or decision that sets an example for others to follow in the future.
28. SSUSH6: What precedents did George Washington set for future presidents to follow?
George Washington set precedents, including the two-term tradition, creating a cabinet of advisors, and
adopting the title "Mr. President."
29. SSUSH6: What did the Alien and Sedition Acts restrict? What was this a violation of?
The Alien and Sedition Acts restricted immigration and made it harder for immigrants to vote, and they
criminalized making "false" statements critical of the federal government, which was a violation of the First
Amendment's freedom of speech and press.
30. SSUSH6: What was the ruling by the Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison?
The Supreme Court's ruling in Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review, giving the Court
the power to declare laws unconstitutional.
31. SSUSH6: What was the Monroe Doctrine?
The Monroe Doctrine was a U.S. foreign policy stating that European powers should not interfere with or
colonize any nation in the Western Hemisphere.
32. SSUSH7: List events involving Native Americans that occurred during and as a result of the
presidency of Andrew Jackson.
● The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was passed.
● The Trail of Tears forced the relocation of Southeastern tribes, leading to thousands of deaths.
● The Supreme Court case Worcester v. Georgia ruled in favor of Cherokee sovereignty, but President
Jackson ignored the ruling.
33A. SSUSH7: Who was Henry Clay?
Henry Clay was a powerful senator known as the "Great Compromiser."
33B. What were key components of the “American System”?
Key components of the American System included a protective tariff, a national bank, and federal funding for
internal improvements like roads and canals.
34. SSUSH7: What changes to social norms were brought on during the Second Great Awakening?
The Second Great Awakening led to social reforms by inspiring movements such as abolitionism, temperance,
and women's rights.
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35. SSUSH7: What effect did the invention of the cotton gin have on the demand for enslaved people?
The invention of the cotton gin dramatically increased the demand for enslaved labor because it made cotton
farming more profitable, leading to the expansion of plantations.
36. SSUSH7: What codes/laws were passed as a direct result of Nat Turner’s Rebellion in 1831?
As a direct result of Nat Turner’s Rebellion, Southern states passed stricter slave codes that further limited the
rights and movements of enslaved and free Black people.
37. SSUSH8: What was the Missouri Compromise of 1820?
The Missouri Compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, and it banned slavery
in the Louisiana Territory north of the 36°30' parallel.
38. SSUSH8: What war did the annexation of Texas lead to?
The annexation of Texas led to the Mexican-American War.
39. SSUSH8: What did the US gain from the victory in the War with Mexico?
The U.S. gained the Mexican Cession, a vast territory that includes present-day California, Nevada, Utah, and
parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.
40. SSUSH8: Complete the timeline with significant events that led to the Civil War.
● 1854 - Kansas-Nebraska Act
● 1857 - Dred Scott Decision
● 1859 - John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry
● 1860 - Election of Abraham Lincoln
41. SSUSH9: Complete the chart with characteristics of each region in the years leading up to the Civil
War.
Population Economy Government Slavery
(Larger or (Manufacturing or Supported (Federal or (Legal or
Smaller) Agricultural) State) illegal)
Northern Larger Manufacturing Federal (stronger Illegal
States national government)
Southern Smaller Agricultural State (states' rights) Legal
States
42. SSUSH9: Fill in the blanks in this excerpt from the “Emancipation Proclamation.”
“That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all
persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in
rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive
Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain
the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts
they may make for their actual freedom.”
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43. SSUSH9: Why was Fort Sumter important in the Civil War?
The Confederate attack on Fort Sumter was important because it marked the official beginning of the American
Civil War.
44. SSUSH9: What significance did the Appomattox Courthouse have during the Civil War?
Appomattox Courthouse is significant as the location where Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to
Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the Civil War.
45. SSUSH9: Label the following: (A, B)
A. Union States: included states that did not secede, such as California, Illinois, and New York, plus the
later-admitted states of Kansas (1861), West Virginia (1863), and Nevada (1864)
B. Confederate States of America: South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas,
Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee
46. SSUSH9: Fill in the missing information from the Battle of Antietam.
● Fought in Sharpsburg, MD, on September 17, 1862.
● Over 23,000 dead, wounded, or missing.
● Bloodiest single day in American history.
● Decisive Union victory.
● Ended Robert E. Lee’s invasion of Maryland.
47. SSUSH9: Why was the Battle of Gettysburg a turning point in the Civil War?
The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point because it was a major Union victory that ended General Lee's
second and final invasion of the North, crippling the Confederate army.
48. SSUSH10: What was the purpose of the Freedmen’s Bureau?
The purpose of the Freedmen’s Bureau was to provide food, shelter, medical aid, and education to freed
African Americans and poor whites in the South after the Civil War.
49. SSUSH10: What were the “Black Codes?”
The Black Codes were laws passed by Southern states after the Civil War to restrict the freedom and rights of
African Americans and force them into labor contracts.
50. SSUSH10: Describe the following Amendments to the Constitution of the United States.
13th: Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United
States.
14th: Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.,
including former slaves, and guaranteed "equal protection under
the laws."
15th: Prohibited the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or
previous condition of servitude.
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51. SSUSH10: What was the goal of these amendments? The goal of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments
was to establish and protect the legal rights and freedoms of newly freed African Americans.
52. SSUSH10: How did Rutherford B. Hayes use the Compromise of 1877 to end Reconstruction?
Rutherford B. Hayes used the Compromise of 1877 by agreeing to remove federal troops from the South in
exchange for Southern political support in the contested presidential election, which effectively ended
Reconstruction.
