-
Period: Jan 1, 1491 to
APUSH Politics and Power
refgq4t -
Apr 23, 1500
Aztecs Develop Government
Thier form of government was usually based on the leadership of poerful warriors and religious ideals. They sacrificed people indebted to the country (war prisoners, etc) for sacrifice. This is significant becuase thier worship of idols made it easier for the Spainards to rule and justfiy their harsh actions towards them. THey told the crown back home they they were helping improve and clture them. -
Apr 23, 1530
Encomienda
This was when Spanish conquisadors and other settlers exploted natives living in SOuth America by obtaining a grant from the royal crown that said they they were able to use them as labor as long as they converted them to Christianity. This is important becuase is shows how the Spainards thought they were superior to the natives and how they thought that consultation from their form of government was enough. This aslo shows how strict the control was in Spanish colonies. They had to ask. -
Apr 23, 1550
Huron Confederacy
This was a group of four native groups that made a political link. This is importnat becuase after encountering French settlers, they showed how many Natives dies. Also, they sided with the French during the French and Indian war. -
Apr 24, 1560
Incas
This farming based group along the Andes mountains had a central governmnt with four departments. This is significant because it shows that the Natives beforehand had the full capacity to rule themselves and expand immensely. -
Powhatan Confederacy
This was a collection of various NAtive American groups that lived in the Virginia area. This is importnt becuase is shows exactly how natives reacted when English settlers came in. Forst there were serveral desputes, but when Jamestown colony needed aid, they created an alliance that gave the JAmestown people food. -
Spainards Government
The Spanish were heavily reliant upon the crown and heavily controlled. To prevent people appointed from getting too much power, they made audiencias that could maintain them. This is important becuase it shows how drastically differnt they were comared to colonists. -
House of Burgesses
This was the first legelavive group made in Jamestown. Thsi is important becuase it showed the start of self representation by English colonies. -
Mayflower Compact
This was the first written form of governemnt in the americas. This is important becuase is shows that from the start, colonists were hoping to stary away from British rules and make their own rules and get away from religious persecusion. -
Navigation Act of 1660 and 63
This stated that certian things from colonies could only be shipped to Britain. Also, all goods going to colonies must go through England. This is important becuase it showed the even in a period of salutary neglect, the British were willing to impose of the colonists in order to help them. -
Dominion of New England
This control ocurred when the New England Colony disobeyed the British's command of The Navigation Acts. The charter of the colony was declared invalid, and the colony was placed under direct British control. This is important becuase it showed the the British were willing to become strict on the colonies. Even so, it ended the next year. -
Stamp Act
This was when Birtish crown made it so that a stamp had to be pruchased for all printed material in the colonies. This was the most agrivating this for the colonists. This was important becuase becuase it allowed for groups such as the Sons of Liberty to arise showing direct hatred of the British. -
First Continetal Congress
This is where most colonies sent delgates to discuss British opposition. They compromised that they would not object to Brits interefring with external commerce, but it would not be accepted internally. This was imortant becuase it showed attempts of colonists to group as one to decide their furture together. -
Declaration of Independence
This was a document made by Thomad Jefferson that said that people had certin rights. This is importnat becuase it directly showed how enlightenment ideadls affected America. -
3/5ths Compromise
This ended the debate between Virginia and New Jersey and stated that 3/5ths of all slaves would be counted in the House of Representatives' numbers. This was importnat becuase it showed how easily the problem could be solved under the new government (with a stronger central government). -
Jay's Treaty
This was a treaty stating that the British would not stop restircting America's free sea rights, but it did say that British would remove some of their troops from America. This was importanct becua e it showed the first time America had to diplomatically deal with an issue without leading it to a fight. Also, some were convinced that America was seen as weak becuase of the healf-heartnedness of the deal. -
Marbury vs Madison
This was the court case that ruled that the Surpreme COurt had the right to review whether or not a rule was consitutional which was named judicial review. This was importnat becuae it made each branch of the government equal with each other. -
Creation of the American System
This was a proposion by Henry Clay and other NAtionalists in COngress after the War of 1812. The idea was to make American depend on Britian less economically which would require a Second National Bank. -
Missouri Compromise
This temporarily settled the issue of slavery by making Maine enter teh States as a free state, Missouri as a slave state, and a 36 36 line seperating the free and slave states. This was important becuase it showed American's willingness to avoid the issue of slavery as long as they could. -
Monroe Doctrine
This stated that only America could intervene in South American Affairs. This is important becuase it was the start of when America starte dto belive it could become a major political figure. -
Removal Act of 1830
This was an act that stated that all tribes could be removed from Mississippi. This was importance becuae if legally situated America as a power over Natives, even when involving land that was already theirs. -
Creation of the Whig Party
After the rein of Andrew Jackson, WHig opposed the Democratic-Republicans by bleiving in more government intervention in commercial activitives and wanted a national bank. This is important because it showed America develop in political parties and depart from Federalist vs Anti-Federalists. -
Creation of the Free-Soliers Party
This was a group that opposed slavery in new areas of the US, not areas that already had them. This was improtant becuase it was the view of ABraham Lincoln and showed another faction of Americans that were in between in the matter of slavery. -
Compromise of 1850
Thsi was passed due to dispute over slave and free states over what to do with the states gotten from the Mexican American War. This is where slave trade (not slavery) ended in D.C and strengthened the fugitive slave law and gained a new free state-california. -
Fugitive Slave Act
Thsi was a sectionof the COmpromise of 1850 that stated that those in the North would turn in escaped slaves to teh law. This is important becuase it shows how, even though the north was seen as a place for free slave, there was no safe place for even them. Also, judges go t more money by saing the perosn was a slave, so the idea of the north was skewed. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Based on the positions of these states, lslevery was supposed to be banned from here, but instead it was decided that those in the state could decide to vote for it. This is importnat becuase it lead to violence and the making of the Republican Party (whigs, free soliers, and former democrats made up of it) that replaced the Know Nothings. -
Homestead Act
Thsi act was made in order to encourage people to move to the West and start farms and communities by the government giving the 160 acres of land for $10 as long as they would live there fir 5 years. Then teh land was theirs. This was important becuase this actually worked. The idea of Manifest Destiny was put to work, kicking people out and starting anew. -
Emancipation Proclamation
This was a document made in teh 3rd year of the CIvil War that stated that all slaves in teh Confederacy that they were free. This is importnat becuase it gave the North a hope to keep fighting for even though it lead to the freedom of few slaves. -
Ten Percent Plan
This was a plan that stated that civillians of teh former Confederacy could pledge alliagence to the USA to earn forgivness and this was only required to occur by 10% of voters in order for the states to be forgiven and have their own state governemnt. This was important becuase it showed the "battle" between Radical Republicans (who wanted to punish them) and Lincoln and his followers. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
This was an act stating that all freedmen had had total free rights and that these rights would even be held onto in court; otherwise,federal troops would be sent in. This was important becuase it shows a point in history when the government was optomistic, but in reality, these statemnts were not withheld. But, it did lead to the 13th and 14th Amendment. -
Political Machines
These were political organizations that were created in order to keep people in power by bribing poorer people of the cities to give their vote to them. This was important becuase it showed how the voting majority werent even casting their own opinions. It was this was that democracy was deterred. -
Dawes Act
This act was made to "civilize" Native Americans by pushing them out of their fertile land and giving each head of family a plot of land in unfarmable places. They were also able to attain citizinship if they lived there for a certian number of years. This was important becuase it showed another covered attempt of the government to displace the NAtives. -
Populist Party
This was a party that was interested in increasing money circulation, an income tax, ownership of railroads and systems by the government, and a more representative democracy. Promoted by workers of all types. This was important becuase this group became true contenders in the governmental elections and was supported by many. -
Treaty of Paris
This was the Treaty ( how come there's like three of these with the same name? cant the ygo to Canada or something instead?) that ened the Spanish-American War. This was improtant becuase it lead to the Spnaihs overturning Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam to the US for moeny. America them aimed to become even more of a worold power. -
Platt Amendment
This was an amendment added to the CUban's saying that they count not get into agreements with other countries without the US's approval. this was important becuase this sort of toppled some people's ideas of America being a protector. They were seen as maybe a ruling, oppressive force. -
Roosevelt Corollary
This was an additon to the Monore Doctrine that stated that the US had the ability to get into the buisness of any counrty of the Western Hemisphere. This was important becuase this stregthned the US's power in SOuth America and made America seem more oppresive. -
Seventeenth Amendment
Thsi was an amendment that stated that instead of state legislatures voting for the US senators, the voters would do so instead. This is important becuase this mena that democracy was increased and that people had more power in voting. -
Treaty of Versailles
This was the treaty (finally, a different name!) that ened WW1. This made sure that Germany got a dramatic decrease in power, much to the reluctancy of Wilson who made his famous 13 points that suggested more forgiving ways. This was important becasue it led to the loss of power of Germany (or so they thought) and made the League of Nations which the US never joined. -
Brown vs Board of Education
This was the Supreme Court Case that stated that the decison of "seperate but equal" made under Plessy v Ferguson was unequal. this was important becuase it made the courts decide to immediately integrate the schools despite the resentment of some citizens. -
Civil RIghts Act of 1964
This act said that the outlawed racial segreation in public locations and took away discrimination in the hiring process. This was important becuase it showed that the efforts of blacks were coming through in society after peaceful actions and hundreds of years of waiting. This was a stepping stone to a better future. -
Medicare
This was a program put into action by LBJ under his Great Society program that was made in order to help give insurance and medical fees fir senior citizens. This was important becuase it showed how willing LBJ was to change America's overlooked social structure. -
Policy of Vietnamization
This was a policy of RIchand Nixon that not only included slowy extracting American soldiers from out of the war but also teaching teh South Vietnamese some tactics. This was impritant becuase it started to bring back relief to families that had been hoping for this for several years. Also, it proved that in that long war, the US couldnt really change anything, and the war was useless. -
Southern Stategy
This wa Nixon's Plan to win over the voters in the South. He tried his best to win them over by elongating the process of desregration in public schools by busing. This was improtant becuase i showed that after a string of civil-rights promoting presidents, Nixon came along promoting segreation just for the sake of votes. Also, it made it so that the Supreme COurt became more conservative. -
Realpolitik
This was a method tat Henry Kissinger, Nixon's advisor, favored that steated tha America should become mroe friendly with COmmunist China becuase they would never change. This is important becuase it shows how America chnaged from bung "Red Amware" to more willing to make good buisness than worry about such matters. -
Watergate Affair
This was a scandal that involved Nixon's paranoia for his competators, so he sent people to break into the Democratic Convention site and steal information. Nixon's biggest failure was that he was cuaght lying under oath. This was important becuase it altered the way Americans thought about the trustworthiness of governemnt officials. -
New Federalism
This was a plan made by Ronald Reagan that made it so that federal moeny, inseatd of being decided upon by the federal goevnement, would be in the hands of the state goevrnemnt. Thsi was improtant beucase it lead to a betteremnt of the economy taht was in a poor state of stagflation. -
Tax Refrom Act of 1986
This act greatly reduced feredal tax rate. This is impriotant becuase inflation and unemplyment decreased. -
Homeland Security Act of 2002
This was a reorganizatiuon of America's intelligence agencies so that tehy could work together and more effeicently after the occurrance of 9/11. This was improtant becuase this lead to an identificationof the culprit and teh subdued kind f secirty of Americans.
