Midterm study guide - HIS 231 PDF

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HIS 231 Midterm Study Guide Fall 2020 Be able to completely answer the following questions: Chapter 1: 1. How did the Olmec, Aztec, Inca, Maya, and North American Indians differ in their ways of life and cultural achievements? How did their circumstances—geography, history, or the accomplishments of the societies that had preceded them, for example—serve to shape their particular traditions and cultures? The Olmec lived on the Gulf Coast of Mexico and thrived from 1200 to 400 BCE. They are known for their giant head sculptures, pottery, and other art. The Mayans came after the decline of the Olmec. They had strong ties to the city Teotihuacan, a large center for trade and home to more than 100,000 people at their height in 500 CE. They perfected the calendar and a written language that the Olmecs first begun. Poor soil and drought for two centuries caused their decline. The Aztec were war-like people who lived in Tenochtitlan, home to more than 200,000 inhabitants. They were very well planned, clean, orderly, and bathed daily. The Aztec performed ritual human sacrifices. The Inca were highly developed and complex. They had a well-kept road system and they communicated with a system of colored strings and knots. They rarely practiced human sacrifice but when they did, children were used. Lastly, the North American Indians were much more widely dispersed with smaller populations than the other 4 groups. Their ways of life consisted of farming, fishing, and hunting. 2. Was race identified with slavery before the era of European exploration? Why or why not? How did slavery’s association with race change the institution’s character? No, race was not identified with slavery before the era of European exploration. Most civilizations around the world practiced slavery. There was the serf system on Europe which was a form of slavery. Many other ethnicities practiced slavery too so that means not just one race was identified with slavery. When the Europeans started bringing Africans over to the Americas for slavery, this kind of changed the idea that slavery was not bound to one race. Chapter 2: 1. The interaction of the Europeans and Native Americans has been called “The Collision of Cultures.” In what ways is this phrase an accurate assessment of the early relationship between the Old World and the New World? Give at least two examples. One example would be regarding property and territory. The Native Americans never set any boundaries when it came to land. No one owned the land, they just kind of roamed free on it. When the Europeans came over, they were used to people owning a certain amount of land and there being boundaries. This posed an issue between the two cultures because the Europeans would encroach on the Natives and push them further and further west. One other reason the two didn’t get allow was the introduction of new diseases. When the Europeans several of new illnesses which affected the Natives, killing many people. 2. What were the various goals of the colonial European powers in the expansion of their empires? To what extent were they able to achieve these goals? Where did they fail? Great Britain wanted to be better than their rival countries. They were able to expand their territory to the New World and eventually defeat the French to claim more. France wanted to spread Catholicism. Spain wanted to expand territory as well and take advantage of their rivals,

Portugal. They were able to do this by gaining ownership of most of the land in the New World, not something Portugal was able to do. The Dutch were only interested in trading and commerce. Chapter 3: 1. Compare and contrast life in the Spanish, French, Dutch, and English colonies, differentiating between the Chesapeake Bay and New England colonies. Who were the colonizers? What were their purposes in being there? How did they interact with their environments and the native inhabitants of the lands on which they settled? Chapter 4: 1. Discuss at least two ways in which domestic political affairs in Britain affected colonization in the New World. One reason people colonized to the New World was to pursue religious independence. They wanted to be free practicing their own religion and not have to be bound to the only accepted religion in Great Britain, Christianity. Another reason why people colonized to the New World was to escape economical and political conflicts in Great Britain. 2. What shared experiences, intellectual currents, and cultural elements drew together British subjects on both sides of the Atlantic during this period? How did these experiences, ideas, and goods serve to strengthen those bonds? Two examples would be the Great Awakening and Enlightment. These Chapter 5: 1. History is filled with unintended consequences. How do the British government’s attempts to control and regulate the colonies during this tumultuous era provide a case in point? How did the aims of the British measure up against the results of their actions? 2. What evidence indicates that colonists continued to think of themselves as British subjects throughout this era? What evidence suggests that colonists were beginning to forge a separate, collective “American” identity? How would you explain this shift? Chapter 6: 1. How did the Revolutionary War provide both new opportunities and new challenges for slaves and free blacks in America? Give specific examples for both. The war allowed blacks to potentially escape slavery by joining the British on their side. The Brits free thousands of slaves this way, giving them a chance at a new life. Many blacks, free and escaped slaves, moved to England or Canada to escape racial persecution, something major following the war. 2. Describe the backgrounds and philosophies of Patriots and Loyalists. Why did colonists with such diverse individual interests unite in support of their respective causes? What might different groups of Patriots and Loyalists, depending upon their circumstances, have hoped to achieve by winning the war? Before the Revolutionary War began, American separated into two groups: The Patriots and the Loyalists. The Patriots were sick of being treated badly by Great Britain, who still owned them at the time, and wanted to declare independence from them. The Loyalists did not mind what Britain was doing and wanted to remain “loyal” to them. Colonists united because everyone was being affected by Great Britain’s actions and they all believed that either they should declare independence or remain loyal to them. It was something every colonist had in common. Chapter 7: 1. Describe popular attitudes toward African Americans, women, and Indians in the wake of the Revolution. In what ways did the established social and political order depend upon keeping members of these groups in their circumscribed roles? If those roles were to change, how would American society and politics have had to adjust?

African Americans were nothing more than slaves in the wake of the Revolution. Indians were also seen as inferior in the eyes of whites. They treated both Indians and Blacks terribly. They were much less than white men. Women in the wake of the Revolution were expected to take on many responsibilities. This was mainly because the men were away at war, so the women had to do double the workload. All three of these social groups depend completely on the white male social group. They ran our country and if these three groups were not doing their usual jobs/ responsibilities, white men would have to step in possibly which would have completely changed America at the time. 2. Discuss the conflict between Federalists and anti-Federalists in the writing and ratification of the Constitution. What did each side want? What were they not willing to compromise on and why? The Federalists wanted a strong central government, the Anti-Federalists wanted a weaker central government and more power in the states. The Federalists also wanted a strong executive branch, unlike the Anti-Federalists. The Anti-Federalists also feared that Congress could have too much power. They believe it did not protect individual rights. The Anti-Federalists were not willing to compromise the Bill of Rights included in the Constitution. The Federalists at first were strongly against the Bill of Rights, saying it would limit the rights of people but they eventually compromised with the Anti-Federalists...