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CSS History of USA Colonial Foundations and Independence Flashcards
51 question-and-answer cards covering Colonial Foundations and Independence as it is examined in CSS History of USA. 24 of them are printed below, taken from across the deck — no signup, no paywall on the preview.
24 sample cards from the Colonial Foundations and Independence deck
Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.
What were the Navigation Acts?
A series of English laws (beginning 1651) requiring colonial trade to be carried on English ships and certain enumerated goods to be shipped only to England, enforcing mercantilist control over colonial commerce.
What was the policy of 'salutary neglect'?
Britain's informal practice of loosely enforcing trade laws in the colonies (especially before 1763), allowing the colonies considerable self-governance and economic freedom.
What was the Great Awakening?
A wave of religious revivals in the 1730s-1740s (preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield) that emphasized personal faith and fostered a shared American identity and democratic spirit.
What war's outcome and debt triggered new British taxes on the colonies?
The French and Indian War (Seven Years' War, 1754-1763); Britain's victory and huge war debt led it to tax the colonies to raise revenue.
What was the Proclamation of 1763?
A British decree forbidding colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to reduce conflict with Native Americans; it angered colonists eager for western land.
What did the Stamp Act (1765) require, and what slogan did it provoke?
It required a tax stamp on printed materials (newspapers, legal documents); it provoked the slogan 'No taxation without representation.'
What was the Boston Massacre (1770)?
An incident in which British soldiers fired on a Boston crowd, killing five colonists; it became propaganda fueling anti-British sentiment.
What was the Boston Tea Party (1773), and what triggered it?
Colonists (Sons of Liberty) disguised as Mohawks dumped British East India Company tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act and the tea monopoly/tax.
What were the Intolerable (Coercive) Acts of 1774?
Punitive British laws responding to the Boston Tea Party - closing Boston's port, restricting Massachusetts self-government, and expanding the Quartering Act - which united the colonies in opposition.
Where were the first battles of the American Revolution fought (1775)?
Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts - the 'shot heard round the world.'
When was the Declaration of Independence adopted, and who was its principal author?
July 4, 1776; principally authored by Thomas Jefferson.
What Enlightenment idea, drawn from John Locke, underpins the Declaration of Independence?
Natural rights - that all are entitled to 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' - and that government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed.
Who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army?
George Washington.
Why was the Battle of Saratoga (1777) a turning point?
The American victory convinced France to enter the war as an ally of the United States, providing crucial military and financial support.
What 1781 battle effectively ended the American War of Independence?
The Siege of Yorktown, where General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington and the French forces.
What treaty ended the American Revolution, and in what year?
The Treaty of Paris in 1783, in which Britain recognized American independence and ceded territory east of the Mississippi River.
What were the Articles of Confederation?
The first constitution of the United States (drafted 1777, ratified 1781), establishing a weak central government in which most power rested with the states.
Name two major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Congress could not levy taxes or regulate interstate/foreign commerce; there was no national executive or judiciary, and amendments required unanimous consent of all states.
What was the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?
A major achievement of the Confederation Congress that set up a process for admitting new states from the Northwest Territory and banned slavery there.
What was Shays' Rebellion (1786-87) and why was it significant?
An armed uprising of indebted Massachusetts farmers; it exposed the weakness of the central government under the Articles and spurred calls for a stronger constitution.
What was the Great (Connecticut) Compromise of 1787?
The agreement at the Constitutional Convention creating a bicameral Congress: a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with equal representation (two senators per state).
Who were the Federalists and Anti-Federalists in the ratification debate?
Federalists (e.g., Hamilton, Madison, Jay) supported the new Constitution and a strong national government; Anti-Federalists opposed it, fearing centralized power and demanding a Bill of Rights.
What was the Bill of Rights, and when was it ratified?
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791, guaranteeing individual liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.
What landmark policy did President Thomas Jefferson achieve in 1803, and from whom?
The Louisiana Purchase - acquiring the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon's France for about $15 million - which doubled the size of the United States and led to the Lewis and Clark expedition.
What this deck covers
The Colonial Foundations and Independence deck follows the CSS History of USA Colonial Foundations and Independence syllabus — 4 chapters and 11 topics — so questions land on material that is genuinely examinable rather than trivia around it. That works out to roughly 12.8 cards per chapter.
Answers are written to be recallable, not just readable — averaging about 149 characters, which is long enough to carry the reasoning and short enough to say out loud.
A deck like this earns its keep on the second and third pass. Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then use the cards to find the specific facts that have not stuck.
Colonial Foundations and Independence flashcards FAQ
How many Colonial Foundations and Independence flashcards are in this CSS History of USA deck?
51 cards. This page previews 24 of them, sampled evenly across the deck so you can judge the difficulty before installing anything.
Are these CSS History of USA flashcards free?
Yes. The preview here is free to read with no signup, and the full 51-card deck is free inside the Examius app.
What do the Colonial Foundations and Independence cards cover?
They follow the CSS History of USA Colonial Foundations and Independence syllabus — 4 chapters and 11 topics — so the questions track what is actually examinable.
How should I use these flashcards?
Read the syllabus first so you know the shape of the subject, then drill the deck. Examius schedules each card with spaced repetition, so cards you keep missing come back sooner and ones you know drift further apart.