2024 Final Exam Study Guide: U.S. History Topics

XYZ Affair

Conflict between France and U.S. over ship attacks.

Quasi-War

Undeclared naval conflict between U.S. and France.

Alien Act

Law restricting citizenship and allowing deportation.

Sedition Act

Law limiting freedom of speech against government.

Louisiana Purchase

Land acquisition doubling U.S. territory in 1803.

Embargo Act

Prohibited U.S. trade with foreign nations.

Cotton Gin

Machine that rapidly separates cotton fibers from seeds.

Eli Whitney

Inventor of the cotton gin, revolutionizing cotton production.

Demand for Slaves

Increased due to cotton gin's efficiency in production.

Election of 1824

Jackson wins popular vote but loses electoral majority.

Henry Clay

Politician who influenced House to elect Adams.

Indian Removal Act

Law facilitating Native American relocation westward.

Trail of Tears

Forced march of Native Americans to Oklahoma.

Supreme Court Ruling

Court sided with Cherokee against forced removal.

Mexican-American War

Conflict over territorial disputes between U.S. and Mexico.

Annexation of Texas

Texas joined U.S. in December 1845.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Ended war, ceded northern Mexican territory to U.S.

Northern Economy

Industrialization led to urban growth and manufacturing.

Southern Economy

Relied on agriculture, especially cotton production.

Spoils System

Practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs.

National and State Banks

Financial institutions managing currency and credit.

Boundary Dispute

Texas boundary recognized as Rio Grande by US.

Mexican Cession

Over 500,000 square miles ceded to US.

Manifest Destiny

Belief in American entitlement to North America.

Gadsden Purchase

1853 agreement settling boundary disputes with Mexico.

Abolitionists

Individuals advocating for the end of slavery.

Harriet Tubman

Conductor on the Underground Railroad, escaped slave.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Author of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' against slavery.

John Brown

Led raid on Harper's Ferry, anti-slavery activist.

Fugitive Slave Act

1850 law enforcing return of runaway slaves.

Impact on North

Increased cotton supply boosted Northern textile mills.

Impact on South

Slave labor provided profit for Southern plantations.

Missouri Compromise

1820 agreement balancing slave and free states.

Compromise of 1850

California entered as free state, Texas border settled.

Popular Sovereignty

Residents decide on slavery in new territories.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Repealed Missouri Compromise, allowed slavery in North.

Latitude 36°30'

Compromise line banning slavery north of this line.

Slave State

State permitting the institution of slavery.

Free State

State prohibiting the institution of slavery.

Cotton Production

Increased due to slave labor in Southern plantations.

Slave Labor

Unpaid workforce used primarily in agriculture.

Bloody Kansas

Violence over slavery in Kansas, 200 killed.

Dred Scott Case

Supreme Court ruled Scott was property, not citizen.

Chief Justice Roger Taney

Delivered the Dred Scott decision, supporting slavery.

Pottawatomie Massacre

Brown killed 5 pro-slavery settlers in Kansas.

Harpers Ferry Raid

Brown attempted to initiate a slave uprising.

Underground Railroad

Network aiding slaves' escape to free states.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Novel that fueled anti-slavery sentiment in North.

Northern Reaction to Stowe

Outrage over slavery increased among Northerners.

Southern Reaction to Stowe

Anger over perceived unfair portrayal of slavery.

Civil War Strengths of North

Industrial power, wealth, and large population.

Civil War Weaknesses of North

Lincoln's inexperience and ineffective generals.

Civil War Strengths of South

Military experience and loyal officers.

Civil War Weaknesses of South

Limited industry and fewer railroads.

Battle of Gettysburg

Turning point battle, Union victory in 1863.

Pickett's Charge

Failed Confederate assault leading to heavy losses.

Gen. Robert E. Lee

Confederate general at Gettysburg, refused to retreat.

Gen. George Meade

Union general who led forces at Gettysburg.

Retreat of Confederate Troops

Lee's forces retreated after defeat on July 4.

Sectionalism

Increased division between North and South over slavery.

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln's 1862 decree freeing slaves in rebellion states.

Border State

Slave states remaining loyal to the Union.

Anaconda Plan

Union strategy to blockade and divide Confederacy.

Cotton Diplomacy

South's reliance on cotton trade for foreign support.

Thirteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment abolishing slavery in the U.S.

Fourteenth Amendment

Grants citizenship and equal protection under law.

Fifteenth Amendment

Prohibits denying voting rights based on race.

Ten Percent Plan

Lincoln's plan for state re-admittance after 10% allegiance.

Radical Republicans

Group advocating for harsh Reconstruction measures.

Civil Rights Act

Legislation granting citizenship to African Americans.

Ku Klux Klan

Secret society opposing Reconstruction and black rights.

Jim Crow Laws

State laws enforcing racial segregation in the South.

Poll Taxes

Fees required to vote, limiting black voter access.

Literacy Tests

Assessments used to restrict voting rights for blacks.

Missouri

Border state with strong Confederate sympathies.

Kentucky

Border state providing strategic access during the war.

West Virginia

Border state formed during the Civil War.

Maryland

Border state crucial for Union access to D.C.

Delaware

Border state with limited Confederate support.

Freedmen's Bureau

Agency aiding freed slaves and poor whites.

Proclamation of Amnesty

Johnson's plan for restoring Southern states' rights.

High Ranking Confederate Leaders

Individuals needing special pardons under Johnson's plan.

Reconstruction Policies

Measures aimed at rebuilding the South post-war.