Learn: American History: Jefferson to Reform

What was the Revolution of 1800?

Jefferson defeated Adams, and power peacefully changed from Federalists to Democratic-Republicans.

What happened in the election of 1800?

Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied with 73 electoral votes. The House chose Jefferson.

Who were the Midnight Judges?

Federalist judges appointed by John Adams at the end of his presidency to keep Federalists powerful in the courts.

What was Marbury v. Madison (1803)?

A Supreme Court case that established judicial review, allowing courts to declare laws unconstitutional.

Who were the Barbary Pirates?

North African pirates who attacked American ships. Jefferson sent the U.S. Navy to fight them.

What was the Louisiana Purchase (1803)?

Jefferson bought land from France for $15 million, doubling the size of the United States.

Why did Napoleon sell Louisiana?

He needed money for war and could not rebuild a French empire in the Americas.

What was the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

Lewis and Clark explored western lands from 1804-1806. Sacagawea helped guide them.

What were the goals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

Map the West, find a route to the Pacific, study nature, and meet Native American nations.

What was the Embargo Act of 1807?

Jefferson stopped most overseas trade to pressure Britain and France. It hurt American merchants.

Why were Britain and France interfering with American trade?

Both restricted American trade during their wars. Britain also forced American sailors into its navy.

What was Macon's Bill No. 2 (1810)?

It reopened trade with Britain and France. The U.S. would punish whichever country continued violating its neutrality.

Who was James Madison?

The fourth president (1809-1817), who led the United States during the War of 1812.

What caused the War of 1812?

British impressment, trade restrictions, British support for Native resistance, and American expansion.

Who were the War Hawks?

Young congressmen, including Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, who pushed for war with Britain.

Where did many War Hawks come from, and what did they want?

The South and West. They wanted to defend American honor and expand U.S. territory.

What happened at the Battle of Tippecanoe (1811)?

William Henry Harrison fought Tecumseh's followers in Indiana Territory, weakening Native resistance to U.S. expansion.

What was the Hartford Convention (1814-1815)?

New England Federalists met in Connecticut to protest the War of 1812. The meeting hurt their party's reputation.

What was the Battle of New Orleans (1815)?

Andrew Jackson defeated the British near New Orleans, making him a national hero.

What was the Treaty of Ghent (1814)?

The treaty that ended the War of 1812 and restored prewar boundaries.

What was the Era of Good Feelings?

A period under Monroe when national unity seemed stronger and the Federalist Party declined.

Who was James Monroe?

The fifth president (1817-1825), known for nationalism and westward expansion.

What was the Rush-Bagot Agreement (1817)?

A U.S.-British agreement limiting warships on the Great Lakes and encouraging peace.

What was the Convention of 1818?

A U.S.-British agreement setting part of the Canadian border at the 49th parallel and allowing joint occupation of Oregon Country.

What was the Adams-Onís Treaty (1819)?

Spain gave Florida to the United States, and both countries settled their borders.

What was the Missouri Compromise (1820)?

Missouri became a slave state and Maine a free state. Slavery was banned north of 36°30' in the remaining Louisiana Purchase territory.

Why was Missouri's admission controversial?

It threatened the balance between free and slave states in the Senate.

What was the Monroe Doctrine (1823)?

Monroe warned European countries not to colonize or interfere in the Americas.

What were the major John Marshall Court cases?

Marbury, McCulloch, Dartmouth College, Gibbons, and Worcester. They shaped federal power, contracts, trade, and Native American rights.

What was McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?

The Court upheld the national bank and ruled states could not tax it, strengthening federal power.

What was Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819)?

The Court protected Dartmouth College's charter from state interference, protecting contracts.

What was Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)?

The Court ruled that Congress could regulate trade between states.

What was Worcester v. Georgia (1832)?

The Court ruled Georgia could not control Cherokee territory and recognized Cherokee sovereignty.

What was the corrupt bargain of 1824?

The House chose John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson. Jackson's supporters accused Adams and Henry Clay of making a deal.

Who was John Quincy Adams?

The sixth president (1825-1829), who supported national economic development but faced strong opposition.

What happened in the election of 1828?

Andrew Jackson defeated Adams and strengthened the Democratic Party.

What was the Nullification Crisis?

South Carolina tried to reject federal tariffs. Jackson opposed this, and a compromise tariff ended the crisis in 1833.

Who was John C. Calhoun?

A South Carolina politician who supported states' rights and the idea that states could reject unconstitutional federal laws.

What was the spoils system?

Jackson gave government jobs to political supporters, which critics said encouraged favoritism.

What was the Peggy Eaton scandal?

A social conflict involving Peggy Eaton that divided Jackson's cabinet. Jackson defended her, causing political tension.

What was Nat Turner's Rebellion (1831)?

Nat Turner led an uprising of enslaved people in Virginia. Southern states responded with stricter laws against Black people.

What was the Bank War?

Jackson fought the national bank, vetoed its recharter, and moved federal money into state banks.

What was the Specie Circular (1836)?

Jackson required gold or silver for most federal land purchases to limit land speculation.

What was Indian removal policy?

The government forced Native American nations to leave southeastern lands and move west.

What was the Trail of Tears?

The forced removal of the Cherokee to Indian Territory in 1838-1839. Thousands died during the journey.

What was the Panic of 1837?

A financial crisis that caused bank failures, business closures, and unemployment during Van Buren's presidency.

What were the main U.S.-Canada disputes?

The U.S. and Britain disagreed over their border and tensions involving Canadian rebellions.

What was the Caroline Incident?

British Canadian forces burned the Caroline, a ship supporting Canadian rebels, increasing tensions with the U.S.

What was the Aroostook War (1838-1839)?

A mostly bloodless dispute between Maine and New Brunswick over their border.

What was the Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842)?

A treaty between the U.S. and Britain that settled much of the Maine-Canada border dispute.

What was the Whig Party?

A political party formed to oppose Jackson. It supported Congress and economic development.

What happened in the election of 1840?

Whig William Henry Harrison defeated Martin Van Buren using the "Log Cabin and Hard Cider" campaign.

What did "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" mean?

It was Harrison and John Tyler's campaign slogan, highlighting Harrison's military reputation and promoting their ticket.

What was the Tyler precedent?

After Harrison died in 1841, Tyler became president and claimed the full powers of the presidency.

What was the Second Great Awakening?

A religious revival that encouraged personal faith and inspired reforms such as abolition and temperance.

Who was Charles Grandison Finney?

A revivalist who preached in New York and encouraged religious and moral reform, including abolition.

What was Oberlin College known for?

An Ohio college known for coeducation, admitting Black students, and supporting abolition.

Who was Joseph Smith?

The founder of the Latter-day Saint movement, who organized the Mormon church in New York in 1830.

What was the Mormon migration?

Mormons led by Brigham Young traveled west to present-day Utah in 1846-1847 to escape persecution.

What was the Seneca Falls Convention (1848)?

A women's rights meeting in New York that demanded greater equality for women.

Who was Lucretia Mott?

An abolitionist and women's rights activist who helped organize the Seneca Falls Convention.

Who was Elizabeth Cady Stanton?

A women's rights leader who helped organize Seneca Falls and wrote the Declaration of Sentiments.

What was the Declaration of Sentiments?

A document declaring women and men equal and demanding women's rights, including voting rights.

Who was Catherine Beecher?

An educator who supported women's education and teaching but opposed women's suffrage.

What was Transcendentalism?

A movement that valued nature, individual freedom, intuition, and self-reliance.

Who was Ralph Waldo Emerson?

A Transcendentalist writer who encouraged individualism and self-reliance.

Who was Henry David Thoreau?

A writer who valued nature and simple living. His essay "Civil Disobedience" opposed obeying unjust laws.

Who was Margaret Fuller?

A Transcendentalist writer and women's rights advocate who supported greater equality for women.

What was Brook Farm?

A Massachusetts community founded in 1841 that tried to combine cooperative living with Transcendentalist ideas.