French and Indian War
A conflict between Britain and France for control of territory in North America, lasting from 1754 to 1763
Albany Plan of Union
Proposal by Benjamin Franklin to create one government for the 13 colonies
Militia
Civilians trained as soldiers but not part of the regular army
Proclamation of 1763
Law forbidding English colonists to settle west of the Appalachian mountains
Sugar act
Law passed by the British Parliament setting taxes on molasses and sugar imported by the colonies
Quartering Act
An act passed by the British that allowed British troops to live in the homes of the colonists
Sons of Liberty
A group of colonists who formed a secret society to oppose British policies at the time of the American Revolution
Townshend Acts
A tax that the British Parliament placed on leads, glass, paint and tea
Boston Massacre
The first bloodshed of the Amercan Revolution, as British guards at the Boston Customs House opened fire on a crowd killing five americans
Boston Tea Party
Protest against increased tea prices in which colonists dumped british tea into boston harbor
1st Continental Congress
Representatives from the colonies met together to discuss how to overthrow the British
Lexington and Concord
The first battle of the Revolution in which British general Thomas Gage went after the stockpiled weapons of the colonists in Concord, Massachusetts
Common Sense
A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that claimed the colonies had a right to be an independent nation
Olive Branch Petition
An offer of peace sent by the Second Continental Congress to King George lll
Declaration of Independence
The document approved by representatives of the American colonies in 1776 that stated their grievances against the British monarch and declared their independence
Bunker Hill
Military engagement that led King George III officially to declare the colonists in revolt; first battleof the Revolution
Loyalists
Colonists who were loyal to Britain
Patriots
Colonists who wanted independence from Britain
Hessians (mercenaries)
The Hessians are Germans, 30,000 of them were employed by George III for the army
Battle of Trenton / Princeton
American victory against Hessians in Trenton saves the army and gives Americans hope
Battle of Saratoga
Turning point of the American Revolution
Treaty of Alliance
Treaty where France agreed to help the colonists win their independence from England
Battle of Yorktown
Last major battle; surrender of Cornwallis, led King George III to officially make peace with the colonies
Treaty of Paris 1783
Treaty Between England and the Colonies , formally ended the American Revolutionary War
Articles of Confederation
A weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War
Three Branches
Executive, Legislative, Judicial
Republic
A form of government in which citizens choose their leaders by voting
Democracy
A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
Shay's Rebellion
The uprising of farmers to protest high taxes and heavy debt
James Madison
Father of the constitution; leading federalist; author of the Bill of Rights
Virginia Plan
Proposal to create a strong national government
New Jersey Plan
Favored the small states in proportional representation
Great Compromise
Called for a two-house legislature with representation based on population in one house and equal representation in the other house
Federalism
A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments
Separation of Powers
The division of power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government
Checks and Balances
A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
Electoral College
a group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president
Ratification
Formal approval, final consent to the effectiveness of a constitution, constitutional amendment, or treaty
Federalists
Supporters of the Constitution that were led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. They firmly believed the national government should be strong. They didn't want the Bill of Rights because they felt citizens' rights were already well protected by the Constitution
Anti-Federalist
Opposed to a strong central government; saw undemocratic tendencies in the Constitution and insisted on the inclusion of the Bill of Rights. Included Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and Patrick Henry
Federalist Papers
Written by Hamilton, Jay, & Madison to support ratification of the U.S. Constituiton; 85 essays altogether
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which largely guarantee specific rights and liberties
Washington's Cabinet
Departments designed to help the president lead the nation and make decisions
Hamilton's Financial Program
1) pay off national debt at face value, 2) protect the nation's industries & impose high tariffs on imports, 3) national bank, stable currency
Deal with South for Capital
Virginia would give up some land for the new capital and ratify the constitution; Washington DC
Tariff
A government tax on imports or exports
Strict Construction (Interpretation)
Belief that the Constitution should be followed literally
Loose Construction (Interpretation)
Belief that the Constitution is flexible
Washington's Neutrality Proclamation
Declared that war must be avoided, as the United States was too militarily disjointed to engage in war
Jay's Treaty
Agreement that ended the dispute with Britain over American shipping during the French Revolution
Whiskey Rebeliion
1794 protest against the government's tax on whiskey by back country farmers
Washington's Farewell Address
Warned Americans not to get involved in European affairs, not to make permanent alliances, not to form political parties and to avoid sectionalism
XYZ Affair
A 1797 incident in which French officials demanded a bribe from U.S. diplomats
Alien & Sedition Acts
acts passed by federalists giving the government power to imprison or deport foreign citizens and prosecute critics of the government
VA / KY Resolution
Deemed Alien & Sedition Acts unconstitutional. Demonstrated state's power to override national law
Election of 1800
Adams, Jefferson, and Burr: Adams lost, Jefferson and Burr tied, Hamilton convinced other Federalists to vote for Jefferson to break the tie
Marbury V. Madison
This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review
Judicial Review
The power of the Supreme Court to declare laws and actions of local, state, or national governments unconstitutional
Louisiana Purchase
1803 purchase of the Louisiana territory from France. Made by Jefferson, this doubled the size of the US
Lewis and Clark
Two explorers sent by the president to explore the Louisiana Purchase
Hamilton Vs. Burr Duel
Publish mean things about each other, Burr challenges Hamilton to duel, Burr kills Hamilton (maybe by accident, but he was still trying to injure him), Burr disappears after
Impressment
British practice of taking American sailors and forcing them into military service
Chesapeake Incident
Attack in 1807 by the British ship Leopard on the American ship Chesapeake in American territorial waters
Embargo Act of 1807
An act passed by Congress to stop all foreign trade with the United States
War of 1812
War between the U.S. and Great Britain which lasted until 1814, ending with the Treaty of Ghent and a renewed sense of American nationalism
Battle of Tippecanoe
Decisive victory in the War of 1812 by Harrison over Tecumseh, used in Harrison's campaign for presidency
Burning of D.C.
British burnt D.C in response to Americans burning York
Star-Spangled Banner
Written by Francis Scott Key in Baltimore when the British bombed Ft. McHenry
Hartford Convention
Gathering of antiwar delegates in New England that ended up being accused of treason
Treaty of Ghent
Treaty that ended the War of 1812
Battle of New Orleans
Battle in 1815 between american and british troops for control of New Orleans, ending in an american victory
MO Compromise
Missouri admitted as a slave state, Maine as a free state, slavery prohibited above 36'30" parallel
Industrial Revolution
Change in technology, brought about by improvements in machinery and by use of steam power
Sam Slater
Took ideas from England about effectively producing textile, America's first large industry
Francis Lowell
Established the first factory town and one of the first to hire women to work the factories; idea of specialized work force
Eli Whitney
United States inventor of the mechanical cotton gin (1765-1825)
Interchangeable Parts
Identical components that can be used in place of one another in manufacturing
Cotton Gin
A machine for cleaning the seeds from cotton fibers, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793
Erie Canal
Artificial waterway opened in 1825 linking Lake Erie to the Hudson River
Manufacturing
Combines raw materials and processed goods into finished products
Free Enterprise
The freedom of private businesses to operate competitively for profit with minimal government regulation
Specilization
Devolopment of skills in a specific kind of work
Tenements
Poorly built, overcrowded housing where many immigrants lived
Labor Unions
An organization formed by workers to strive for better wages and working conditions
Strike
Nonviolent refusal to continue to work until a problem is resolved
Nat Turner
United States slave and insurrectionist who in 1831 led a rebellion of slaves in Virginia
Nationalism
A strong feeling of pride in and devotion to one's country
Era of Good Feelings
A name for President Monroe's two terms, a period of strong nationalism, economic growth, and territorial expansion
McCulloch Vs. Maryland
Court ruled that congress did have authority to charter bank, citing the necessary and proper clause; States couldn't tax government property
Gibbons Vs. Ogden
Gave control of interstate commerce to U.S. Congress (1824)
Monroe Doctrine
An American foreign policy opposing interference in the Western hemisphere from outside powers
Election of 1812
Madison still prevailed, even though the country was divided over the issue of war (many Northern states opposed war)
Corrupt Bargain
Supposed deal to swing the Presidential election of 1824 in return for a place on the cabinet
Clay's American System
Establish protective tariff, bring back national bank and sponser development of transportation systems
"Jacksonian Democracy"
The idea of spreading political power to all the people, thereby ensuring majority rule
Spoils System
The practice of giving offices and other favors of government to political supporters and friends
Tariff of 1828
A heavy tax on imports designed to boost american manufacturing
Nullification Crisis
A dispute led by John C. Calhoun that said that states could ignore federal laws if they believed those laws violated the Constitution
Indian Removal Act
Removed indians from southern states and put them on reservations in the midwest
Worcester Vs. Georgia
1832 The court banned Georgia's extension of state law into Cherokee land. Jackson ignored the decision
Trail of Tears
The tragic journey of the Cherokee people from their home land to Indian territory between 1838 and 1839, thousands of Cherokees died
Bank War/ Biddle
Andrew Jackson doesnt like the bank. and he refuses to charter it. Biddle(bank owner) says he has to. and they argue
Pet Banks
State banks where Andrew Jackson placed deposits removed from the federal National Bank
Panic of 1837
As a result of Jackson's economic policies, the United States went through another depression It resulted in the closure of many banks and record unemployment levels
"Tippecanoe and Tyler Too"
Tyler's slogan during his election, using his vicotry during the Battle of Tippecanoe as a "pro" for voting for him
Transcendentalists
Believed that the most important truths in life transcended or went beyond human reason
Henry Thoreau
Author of Walden who practiced ideas of transcendentalism
Temperance Movement
A social reform effort begun in the mid-1800s to encourage people to drink less alcohol
Horace Mann
United States educator who introduced reforms that significantly altered the system of public education (1796-1859)
Segregation
Separation of people based on racial, ethnic, or other differences
Dorothea Dix
Activist who helped improve conditions of mental patients
Utopias
Communities based on a vision of a perfect society
Abolitionist Movement
The movement concentrated on ending slavery in the United States
Emancipation
The freeing of enslaved people
Fredrick Douglass
American abolitionist and writer, he escaped slavery and became a leading African American spokesman and writer
Underground Railroad
A system of secret routes used by escaping slaves to reach freedom in the North or in Canada
Harriet Tubman
Former slave who helped slaves escape on the Underground Railroad
Sojourner Truth
Former slave who became an abolitionist and women's rights activist
Seneca Falls Convention
Women's rights convention that results in a declaration of sentiments but not much else
Suffrage Movement
Movement dedicated to achieving women's right to vote
Irish Immigration
One of the largest groups of individuals to emigrant to the United States; Main reason was the potato famine
German Immigration
Heavy drinkers, labor force, bad economies in Europe - (potato) - Germans set US moral character
Second Great Awakening
Religious movements, traveling "meetings," rise of Baptist and Methodist ministries; Charles G. Finney
Adams - Onis Treaty
Spain ceded Florida to the United States and gave up its claims to the Oregon Territory
Manifest Destiny
The belief that the United States was destined to stretch across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean; domestic security achieved
Oregon / Santa Fe Trails
Most traveled overland routes to the west; dangerous and extremely popular
California Gold Rush
Migration of thousands of people to California (in 1849) after gold was discovered there
Great Plains
A mostly flat and grassy region of western North America
Stephen Austin
Original settler of Texas, granted land from Mexico on condition of no slaves, convert to Roman Catholic, and learn Spanish
Sam Houston
Commander of the Texas army at the battle of San Jacinto; later elected president of the Republic of Texas
Texas War for Independence
Successful revolt by Texans against Mexican rule in 1835-1836
Battle of the Alamo/Goliad
Texans were greatly outnumbered and many were killed by the Mexicans. However, Texans were then inspired to seek revenge
Santa Anna
Mexican general and dictator whose large army failed to defeat the Texans
Annexation of Texas
After the battle at the Alamo, Texas gains its independence, only to be annexed by the US shortly after. Leading to a land grab for California
Mexican War
War lasting from 1846 to 1848 in which the US defeated Mexico and gained Mexican territory
Bear Flag Republic
Nickname for California after it declared independence form Mexico in 1846
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Treaty that ended the Mexican War, granting the U.S. control of Texas, New Mexico, and California in exchange for $15 million
Gadsden Purchase
Purchase of land from mexico in 1853 that established the present U.S.-mexico boundary
Wilmot Proviso
Law passed in 1846 that banned slavery in any territories won by the United States from Mexico
Sectionalism
Loyalty to one's own region of the country, rather than to the nation as a whole
Uncle Tom's Cabin
An 1852 novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe written to show the evils of slavery and the injustice of the Fugitive Slave Act
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Author of the antislavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin
MO Compromise
Missouri admitted as a slave state, Maine as a free state, slavery prohibited above 36'30" parallel
Compromise of 1850
Agreement over slavery by which California joined the Union as a free state and a strict fugitive slave law was passed
Fugitive Slave Act
Law that provided for harsh treatment for escaped slaves and for those who helped them
John C. Calhoun
South Carolina Senator - advocate for state's rights, limited government, and nullification
Know Nothings/Nativism
This political party was a Anti-immigrant group of people who believed in a policy that protected interest of native born against immigrants
KS-NE Act
Called for popular sovereignty to settle the issue of slavery in the territories
Popular Sovereignty
The concept that the people of the state should vote whether to be a slave state or free
Republican Party
Political party that believed in the non-expansion of slavery and comprised of Whigs, Northern Democrats, and Free-Soilers, in defiance to the Slave Powers
Free Soilers
People who opposed expansion of slavery into western territories
"Bleeding Kansas"
Term referring to bloodshed over popular sovereignty in a particular western territory
Dred Scott Vs. Sandford
Established that slaves were property, not people (1854)
Lecompton Constitution
Pro-slave constitution that got voted in for Kansas after anti-slavery people boycotted the election
Lincoln- Douglas Debates
The 1858 series of slavery debates between Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln preceding the election of 1860
John Brown's Raid
A plan to provide weapons to slaves to start a revolt on slavery. It failed and John Brown was hung for treason
Election of 1860
Lincoln was elected, NO states in the south elected him, he won because he got northern votes, and the other votes were split