7th Grade Final Exam Review

Topic 1: Social Sciences, Geography, & the First Americans

1)What is Social Studies?

  • It is the study of a combination of social sciences such as: archaeology, anthropology, economics, geography, history, psychology, philosophy, political science, and sociology
  • Information is gathered from two major sources:

Primary Source: an eyewitness account such a diary or journal

Secondary Source: Created after the event took place, such as a textbook

  • An important theme is culture, understanding the way of life of a group of people.

2)What are important American geographical features to know?

East to West:

Atlantic OceanAppalachianMtsMississippi RiverGreat PlainsRocky MtsPacific Ocean

3)Who were the first Americans and what were they like?

  • The first Americans migrated crossing, Beringia,

a land bridge between Asia and North America

in pursuit of food. The first Americans were hunters.

  • Native Americans adapted to their environment:

Iroquois lived in Eastern Woodlands and used trees for longhouses and canoes

Great Plainstribes lived a nomadic life following herds of buffalo and living in teepees

Southwestern Tribes adapted to the deserts creating irrigation systems and mud brick adobes

Topic 2: European Exploration-

1) What were the causes of European exploration of the New World?

  1. SpanishConquistadors came in pursuit of God, Gold, and Glory
  2. France and England sought the Northwest Passage to Asia

2) What were the effects of European exploration of the New World?

  1. Spain:
  • Columbian Exchange: Transfer of plants, animals and diseases between the old world (Europe) and the new world (North and South America).
  • Spain enslaved many natives, forcing them to do hard manual labor.
  • Many natives also died from European diseases like Small pox.
  1. France:
  2. Fur trappers and fishermen had friendly trade with Natives along the St. Lawrence River and Mississippi River Valleys
  1. England:
  • 13 Colonies were started along the Atlantic Coast for wealth and/ or religious freedom

Topic 3: Early English Colonial Settlement- Why were the 13 English Colonies settled?

  1. Jamestown:1607, First permanent English settlement. Used indentured servants and planted tobacco.
  1. Plymouth: Established in Plymouth Massachusetts,
  1. by pilgrims seeking religious freedom.
  1. Settlers signed the Mayflower Compact establishing democracy and working

together for survival and the common good.

  1. Mercantilism: Economic belief that colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country by providing raw materials and a market for finished products.

Topic 4: Colonial Life- What was it like living in the Colonies?

  1. New England:
  1. Economy based on fishing, shipbuilding and trade.
  1. Education for all children to learn to read the bible
  1. Involved in Triangular Trade with Africa and the West Indies trading slave for Molasses for rum. Slaves were transported from Africa to the West Indies on the Middle Passage.
  1. Middle: Nicknamed the Breadbasket Colonies. Known for religious tolerance.
  1. Southern: Large plantations using slave labor grew cash crops such as tobacco andcotton.

Topic 5: The French and Indian War – What was important about this war?

  1. Albany Plan of Union: Idea presentedby Ben Franklin that colonist must unite to defend themselves. “Join or Die”
  1. Treaty of Paris, 1763, France lost control of land in North America
  1. Proclamation of 1763: Colonists forbidden to settle west of Appalachian Mountains
  1. To pay for the war, Britain levied taxes on the colonists

Topic 6: Causes of the American Revolution-

  1. British Taxes (Stamp Act, Sugars Act, Townshend Act, Tea Act) colonists found these taxes unfair because they had no representation in Parliament. “No taxationwithout representation”
  1. Boston Massacre: Colonists used propaganda to portray British negatively
  1. Boston Tea Party: Patriot Group, Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams, threw tea in Boston Harbor to protest tax.
  1. Colonial Resistance: Colonists boycotted (refused to buy) products from England.

Topic 7: The American Revolution

  1. Patriots(colonists who wished to be independent)vs. Loyalists(those wishing to remain with England)
  1. Declaration of Independence: drafted by Thomas Jefferson, colonists stated why they were separating from England and that they had a right to overthrow an unfair government.
  1. Battle of Saratoga: Turning Point, France sentsoldiers and aid to the US.
  1. Treaty of Paris: 1783, ended revolution and Great Britain recognized US Independence

Topic 8: The US Constitution

  1. Articles of Confederation: America’s first form of government, was too weak, not giving enough power to the National government
  1. Constitutional Convention: 1787, Philadelphia attended by 55 delegates
  1. Federalists(supported strong federal government) vs. Anti-federalists (supported strong state government and wanted individual rights protected with a Bill of Rights)
  2. Great Compromise: Created a bi-cameral (2 house Congress) with an upper house, Senate of equal representation and a lower house, House of Representatives, based on population.
  1. Separation of Powers: Created 3 branches of government
  1. Legislative (Congress) makes the laws.
  1. Executive (President, Vice President, and Cabinet) enforces the laws and acts as Commander in Chief of military.
  1. Judicial (Supreme Court) judges and interprets the laws.
  1. Federalism: Power is shared between state and national governments

  1. National Government can coin money, declare war and establish post offices)
  1. State Government: Control education, marriage and driving laws
  1. Shared Powers: Both can collect taxes, borrow money, and establish courts
  1. Checks and Balances: Each branch watches over the other two so no one branch gets too powerful
  1. Legislative Branch: Can override a president’s veto
  2. Executive Branch: Can veto a law passed by Congress
  3. Judicial Branch: Can declare a law unconstitutional (Judicial Review)

Topic 9: The Federalist Era

  1. George Washington: Set precedents (examples) for others to follow. Example: only served 2 terms, created a cabinet of advisors.
  2. Whiskey Rebellion: Proved that the government was able to enforce the laws.
  1. Hamilton’s Financial Plan:
  1. Pay back all debt to gain respect of foreign nations
  2. Place high tariffs on foreign goods to encourage American industry by making foreign goods more expensive.
  3. Creation of a National Bank
  1. Proclamation of Neutrality: Washington urged the young nation to avoid getting involved in foreign affairs.
  1. John Adams: Washington’s Vice President become the 2nd President
  1. XYZ-Affair: Attempt by France to bribe the US. Adams refused and war was avoided
  2. Creation of political parties: Different beliefs and goals in government led to Federalist and Democrat Republican Parties.

Topic 10: Jefferson and the War of 1812

  1. Louisiana Purchase: Doubled the size off the US, gave US control of the Mississippi River and New Orleans, more natural resources, explored and mapped by Lewis and Clark with guidance of Native American, Sacajawea.
  1. War of 1812: America’s Second War for Independence
  1. Impressment: England kidnapped American

sailors and forced them into the British navy

  1. Blockade: England prevented America from trading with France
  2. British refused to remove troops from NW territory
  3. Hawks supported War and invading Canada
  4. Battle of Fort McHenry: inspired Frances Scott Key to write The Star Spangled Banner

Topic 11: Era of Good Feelings

  1. Nationalism: Sense of pride in one’s country
  1. Monroe Doctrine: Warned European Nations to stay out of the Western Hemisphere
  1. Erie Canal: Connected Great Lakes to the Hudson River. Increased commerce and population in New York State. Canals were cheaper and faster than travel by wagon.
  1. Industrial Revolution: Machine made products replace hand made good. Factories expand in Northeast causing cities to grow.

Topic 12: Sectionalism

  1. Eli Whitney & Cotton Gin: Invention to remove seeds from cotton leads to increased demand for slavery.
  1. Missouri Compromise: Plan created by Henry Clay to admit Missouri (slave state) and Maine (free state) at the same time and also forbid slavery north of 36’30 latitude
  1. Andrew Jackson
  1. Trail of Tears: Forced migration of Cherokee from their land in Georgia to territory west of the Mississippi River. 25% died on the march.
  1. Spoils System: Gave government jobs to friends and supporters
  1. Era of the Common Man: “Old Hickory” was the first president who didn’t come from a wealthy background” and expanded democracy to include the less wealthy.

Topic 13: Manifest Destiny

  1. Belief that America should expand to the Pacific Ocean
  1. Mexican War: Fight over boundaries gave the US Mexican Cession
  1. Pioneers: Settlers who moved west for adventure, cheap land, and religious freedom
  1. California Gold Rush: 49ers fled to California looking for gold. Few became rich, but many stayed increasing California’s population.

Topic 14: The Era of Reform

  1. Women’s Rights: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott held women’s rights convention in NY seeking equal education, job opportunities, and social equality
  1. Abolition:Movement to end slavery. Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Sojourner Truth wrote articles and gave speeches describing the evils of slavery
  1. Mentally ill:Dorothea Dix sought improved hospitals for rehabilitation
  1. Public Education:Horace Mann called public education The Great Equalizer

Topic 15: Road to War-

1)What were the actions of Abolitionists?

  1. Underground Railroad: Secret escape route that took slaves from south to freedom in the north. Conductor, Harriet Tubman helped over 400 slaves to freedom
  1. Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe made many northerners aware of the realities of slavery.

2)What were causes of the Civil War? What caused problems between the North and south?

  1. John Brown: Radical abolitionist led raid on Harper’s Ferry, VA to provide slaves with guns. Later executed the north called him a hero, the south saw this as an act of terrorism

B.Dred Scott: Former slave sued for his freedom and the Supreme Court established that slaves were property, not citizens

  1. Election of 1860: Abraham Lincoln in elected. Although Lincoln ran with the platform that slavery should not be allowed to spread, he believed it was impossible for US to remain divided, half slave and half free.

D. Slavery expanding into the Western Territories –

E. Secession: South Carolina, followed by other southern states, formed Confederate States of America, fearing that Lincoln would abolish slavery.

Topic 16: The Civil War

A.Northern Advantages (The Union)

  1. Manufacturing/ Trains and Greater Population

B.Southern Advantages (The Confederacy)

  1. Better military leaders (Robert E. Lee) and Knowledge of land/ motivation to fight

C.Emancipation Proclamation:Stated that all slaves in rebelling states were free

D.Gettysburg: Turning Point battle in PA made it impossible for the Confederacy to win. Lincoln delivered famous speech saying that the soldier’s lives would not be lost in vain.

E.Gettysburg Address: Lincoln’s Speech dedicating a National Cemetery to the soldiers who died there. It became a motivation for the rest of the US to make sure that the war is won and that the United States remains a United Republic.

F.Total War: Northern strategy used to destroy everything in their path and undermine the South’s ability to win.

G. Important Battles: Beginning – Fort Sumter

Turning Point- Gettysburg,

Surrender – 1865 Appomattox Court House, Virginia

Good luck!