Honors American History

Everyone is born with life, liberty, and estate (property), which are known as __________.

Natural rights.

The __________ is the idea that people give up some freedom to a government in exchange for safety and order.

Social contract.

A system where power is shared between the national government and state governments. it balances power neither the states nor the national government has too much control

Federalism.

The movement opposing the US Constitution because of fears of a strong central government. they wanted a smaller federal government to protect states and individual freedom

Anti-federalism.

The idea that the government gets its power from the people. it is the foundation of democracy in the US, where citizens vote to choose their leaders and make decisions.

Popular sovereignty.

The separation of the government into three branches - legislative, executive, and judicial. it was included in the constitution to prevent tyranny and ensure a system of check and balances

Separation of power.

Each branch of government can limit the power of the others in a system. it stops any branch from abusing its power. ex, the president can veto laws, but congress can override the veto

Checks and balances.

The first plan for the US government that gave most power to the states. it was replaced because it made the national government too weak to solve problems like raising money or enforcing laws

Articles of Confederation.

The __________ is the document that sets up the US government and its rules and is the highest law in the country.

Constitution.

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, which protect individual freedoms, are known as the __________.

Bill of Rights.

The process to change or add to the Constitution requires a proposal by 2/3 of Congress or state legislatures and approval by 3/4 of the states.

amendment process

The belief that the U.S. was meant to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Manifest destiny.

The law forcing Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi River.

Indian Removal Act (1830).

the forced journey of native american tribes, especially the Cherokee, to lands west of the Mississippi River. thousands of native ameriAcan died from hunger, disease, and harsh conditions

Trail of Tears.

The railroad was completed in 1869 and connected the eastern US to the western US. it made travel and trade across the country faster and easier, encouraged westward settlement, and boosted the economy

Transcontinental Railroad.

________ refers to loyalty to a specific region rather than the whole country, leading to tensions between the North and South.

sectionalism

The movement to end slavery in the US is known as __________.

Abolitionism.

The __________ of 1820 allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state while banning slavery in certain territories. it temporarily eased tensions over slavery but didn’t solve the larger issue

Missouri Compromise.

The Supreme Court ruling in 1857 that stated African Americans were not citizens was known as the __________.

Dred Scott decision.

The document issued by President Lincoln declaring all slaves in Confederate states to be free is called the __________.

Emancipation Proclamation.

The network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom was known as the __________.

Underground Railroad.

This group of politicians who aimed to protect Americans' rights during Reconstruction were called __________.

Radical Republicans.

The federal agency created in 1865 to help freed slaves was called the __________.

Freedmen’s Bureau.

13th, 14th, 15th

abolished slavery, gave citizenships to everyone born or naturalized in the US, gave african american men the right to vote

a time of fast technological and industrial growth in the late 1800s. the us shifted from farming to factories and new technologies like railroads, steel, and electricity. cities grew, and the economy boomed, but workers faced challenges like poor conditions and low wages.

Industrial Revolution.

a law to break up monopolies and trusts and encourage fair competition. it was the first major law regulating big businesses, but it wasn’t enforced well at first

Sherman Antitrust Act.

journalists who exposed corruption, bad working conditions, and unfair practices. they helped bring change by making people ware of problems. ex. upton sinclair’s the jungle and the ida tarbell

muckrakers

The movement to give women the right to vote culminated in the __________ amendment in 1920.

19th.

Breaking up monopolies to make business fairer and protect consumers. leaders like Theodore Roosevelt worked to regulate big businesses during this era

Trust-busting.

louisiana purchase

the US purchased the Louisiana territory from France, doubling the size of the country. this purchase provided land for western expansion and set the stage for manifest destiny.

Andrew Jackson

he strongly supported western expansion and signed the indian removal act, which led to the trail of tears, where thousands of native americans died

fugitive slave act

a law that required slaves to be returned to their owners, even if they were in free states. it angered northerners and increased support for the abolitionist movement

uncle tom’s cabin

it was a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and published in 1852. it was important because it exposed the harsh realities of slavery and fueled the abolitionist movement

kansas-nebraska act

a law passed in 1857 allowed settlers in kansas and nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery. it led to violent conflicts (“bleeding kansas”) and increased tensions between north and south

andrew johnson

the 17th US president after lincoln’s assassination. he wanted to quickly reunite the country after the Civil War and was lenient toward the South. This angered radical Republicans, who wanted to protect African Americans rights. he allowed southern states to pass black codes, restricting freed slaves’ freedoms

sharecropping

a farming system where freed slaves worked the land for a share of the crops. many stayed poor because landowners charged high fees for tools and supplies

compromise of 1877

this ended reconstruction when federal troops left the south, so Rutherford B.Hayes could become president. after this, southern democrats took control, and african american lost many rights.

urbanization

cities grew as people moved from farms to work in factories. cities became overcrowded with poor living conditions, but they also created new jobs and cultural opportunities

social darwinism

The belief that the strongest succeed in business and society. rich industrialists used this idea to justify wealth inequality, claiming the poor were responsible for their struggles

monopolies and trusts

monopolies happen when one company controls an industry. trusts are agreements between companies to limit competition. both hurt small businesses, kept prices high, and treated workers and consumers unfairly.

labor union

groups of workers fighting for better pay, shorter hours, and safer working conditions. unions like the knights of labor and american federation of labor grew during this time

strike

workers protested by refusing to work to demand better pay, hours, or conditions. strikes were key to labor reforms but often faced violence and strong opposition

plessy vs. ferguson

supreme court case that said racial segregation was legal as long as facilities were “separate but equal”

settlement houses

community centers in cities helped immigrants and poor with education, healthcare, childcare, and jobs.

labor reforms

laws should be passed to improve working conditions, limit child labor, set an 8 hour workday, and create a min wage. these changes protected workers from exploitation

women’s suffrage

the movement to give women the right to vote. it promoted gender equality and got more women involved in politics

prohibition

the 18th amendment banned alcohol to reduce crime and improve behavior.