us history regents

Proclamation Line of 1763

Border established by Great Britain in order to avoid conflicts between American colonists and Native Americans.

Great Plains

The relatively flat, grassy region of the U.S. between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains.

Triangular Trade

A three way system of trade during 1600-1800s Africa sent slaves to America, America sent Raw Materials to Europe, and Europe sent Guns and Rum to Africa

British Mercantilism

Economic policy used by the British in which the American Colonies served as a source of raw materials and a market to sell goods. British buy raw materials from the colonies and sell them finished products. Limited manufacturing in America. Limited colonies' trade with other nations. This policy would eventually become one of the reasons for the American Revolution.

Salutary Neglect

Period of time when the British ignored the colonies because they only wanted to benefit from the economic prosperity of the colonies. Led to the development of independent colonial trade practices.

French and Indian War

Caused by disputed land claims in the Ohio River valley between the French and the British (The French and Indians were on the same side). War led to end of the period of Salutary Neglect, because of the British need to tax the American colonists in order to pay for the war. This increase in taxes became on of the major causes of the Revolutionary War (war for American independence from Great Britain)

Albany Plan of Union (1754)

Plan proposed by Benjamin Franklin that sought to unite the 13 colonies for trade, military, and other purposes; the plan was turned down by the colonies & the Crown.

social contract

The fundamental purpose of government is to secure the natural rights of the people. If a government denies its people certain basic rights, the government can be overthrown.

Thomas Paine

Published Common Sense which was influential in persuading American colonists to support colonial independence from Britain.

Sugar and Stamp Acts

Tax foreign molasses and printed material.

Quartering Act

1765 - Required the colonials to provide food, lodging, and supplies for the British troops in the colonies.

Townshend Acts

A tax that the British Parliament passed in 1767 that was placed on leads, glass, paint and tea

Boston Massacre

The first bloodshed of the American Revolution (1770), as British guards at the Boston Customs House opened fire on a crowd killing five Americans

Declaration of Independence

1776 statement, issued by the Second Continental Congress, explaining why the colonies wanted independence from Britain.

Articles of Confederation

First form of government used by U.S. after independence from Britain. First plan of union for the 13 states; was a weak constitution

Constitutional Convention

1787; major American delegates meet in Philadelphia to revise the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation; central government needed additional power

Shays's Rebellion (1786)

Armed uprising of western Massachusetts debtors seeking lower taxes and an end to property foreclosures. Though quickly put down, the insurrection inspired fears of "mob rule" among leading Revolutionaries; emphasized the need for a stronger national government

Great Compromise

Plan to create a bicameral legislature (two houses that write and vote on laws); one would be based on population (House of Representatives) and the other house would have equal representation for all states (Senate)

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th amendment)

Federalists

Group that supported the ratification (made into law) of the U.S. Constitution. Wanted a strong national government to provide order.

Anti-Federalists

Group that was against the ratification of the Constitution; believed it would threaten the rights of individual citizens.

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments of the U.S. Constitution; main purpose to protect the civil liberties of people from government abuse

Freedom of Speech

1st amendment. Protects right to communicate ideas, concepts, thoughts, beliefs, and artistic expression

John Peter Zenger

Arrested by governor of New York (1733) for printing an article that criticized the governor. Was found to be not guilty because the article was based on fact. Led to a strengthening of freedom of press.

U.S. Constitution

A document that embodies the fundamental laws and principles by which the United States is governed.

Democracy

A government for the people by the people.

Republican Government

System of government in which power is held by the voters and is exercised by elected representatives responsible for promoting the common welfare.

Federalism

A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments

Reserved Powers

Powers given to the state government alone; for ex: public education

Delegated Powers

Powers only granted to the Federal Government; for ex: power to declare war

Concurrent Powers

Powers shared by federal and state governments; for ex: power to tax

Legislative Branch

Congress (House of Representatives and Senate); makes the laws

Executive Branch

President of the U.S. and his cabinet.

Judicial Branch

Federal Courts and Supreme Court

Marbury v. Madison

This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review. First time a Federal Law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Checks and Balances

Each of the three branches of government checks the other to ensure that no branch has too much power.

Electoral College

President of the U.S. is elected by winning electoral votes from each state, not popular vote; number of electoral votes a state receives is based on size of its population

George Washington

1st President of the United States; commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1732-1799)

Whiskey Rebellion

In 1794, farmers in Pennsylvania rebelled against Hamilton's excise tax on whiskey, and several federal officers were killed in the riots caused by their attempts to serve arrest warrants on the offenders. In October, 1794, the army, led by Washington, put down the rebellion. The incident showed that the new government under the Constitution could react swiftly and effectively to such a problem, in contrast to the inability of the government under the Articles of Confederation to deal with Shay's Rebellion.

Farewell Address

1796 speech by Washington urging US to maintain neutrality and avoid permanent alliances with European nations

Alexander Hamilton

1789-1795; First Secretary of the Treasury. He advocated creation of a national bank, assumption of state debts by the federal government, and a tariff system to pay off the national debt.

Louisina Purchase

the us bought the lousianna territory from france

John Marshall

American jurist and politician who served as the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1801-1835) and helped establish the practice of judicial review.

War of 1812

A war (1812-1814) between the United States and England which was trying to interfere with American trade with France.

Treaty of Ghent

December 24, 1814 - Ended the War of 1812 and restored the status quo. For the most part, territory captured in the war was returned to the original owner. It also set up a commission to determine the disputed Canada/U.S. border.

Monroe Doctrine

an American foreign policy opposing interference in the Western hemisphere from outside powers

spoils system

A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.

Worcester V. Georgia

Supreme Court Decision - Cherokee Indians were entitled to federal protection from the actions of state governments which would infringe on the tribe's sovereignty - Jackson ignored it

Whig party

An American political party formed in the 1830s to oppose President Andrew Jackson and the Democrats, stood for protective tariffs, national banking, and federal aid for internal improvements

Political Machines

Corrupt organized groups that controlled political parties in the cities. A boss leads the machine and attempts to grab more votes for his party.

Erie Canal

A waterway connecting Lake Erie to the Hudson River that aided the economic development of the U.S. by lowering the cost of shipping goods from Midwest to the Atlantic coast. .

Gold Rush of 1849

Mass migration to California following the discovery of gold in 1848

Homestead Act of 1862

Promoted development of western lands by providing free land to settlers. Demonstrated the

federal government's commitment to the settlement of western territories. Most directly affected the Great Plains.

Pacific Railway Act (1862)

A series of laws that promoted the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad authorizing the issuance of government bonds and the grants of land to railroad companies.

Manifest Destiny

1800s belief that Americans had the right to spread across the continent.

Popular Sovereignty

Rule by the people

Dred Scott V. Stanford of 1857

Supreme Court decision that extended federal protection to slavery by ruling that Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery in any territory. Also declared that slaves, as property, were not citizens of the United States.

Bleeding Kansas

(1856) a series of violent fights between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in Kansas who had moved to Kansas to try to influence the decision of whether or not Kansas would a slave state or a free state.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

written by harriet beecher stowe in 1853 that highly influenced england's view on the American Deep South and slavery. a novel promoting abolition. intensified sectional conflict.

Underground Railroad

a secret network that aided slaves in escaping slave-owners and reaching free states.

habeas corpus

a writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person's release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention.

Emancipation Proclamation

Proclamation issued by Lincoln, freeing all slaves in areas still at war with the Union.

Reconstruction Era

The time after the Civil War between 1866 and 1877 when the institutions and infrastructure of the South were rebuilt.

Radical Republicans

After the Civil War, a group that believed the South should be harshly punished and thought that Lincoln was sometimes too compassionate towards the South.

Solid South

A term used to describe the tendency of the southern states to vote Democratic after the Civil War.

13th Amendment

abolished slavery

14th Amendment

Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws

15th Amendment

Citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude

Jim Crow Laws

Laws designed to enforce segregation of blacks from whites

Plessy v. Ferguson

a 1896 Supreme Court decision which legalized state ordered segregation so long as the facilities for blacks and whites were equal

Black Codes Ku Klux Klan

Attempted to restrict the rights of former slaves and limit the effectiveness of the 14th and 15th amendments.

Sharecropping

A system used on southern farms after the Civil War in which farmers worked land owned by someone else in return for a small portion of the crops.

New South

After the Civil War, southerners promoted a new vision for a self-sufficient southern economy built on modern capitalist values, industrial growth, and improved transportation. Henry Grady played an important role.

Carpetbaggers

northern whites who moved to the south and served as republican leaders during reconstruction

Tariff

A tax on imported goods

Social Darwinism

Theory which believed that the growth of large business at the expense of others was merely survival of the fittest

Laissez-faire Capitalism

an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit with minimal or no government interference

Robber Baron

Term used during the Gilded Age to characterize leaders of big business who used ruthless tactics when dealing with competitors

Gilded Age

1870s - 1890s; time period looked good on the outside, despite the corrupt politics & growing gap between the rich & poor

Urbanization

An increase in the percentage and in the number of people living in urban settlements.

How the Other Half Lives

A book by John Riis that told the public about the lives of the immigrants and those who live in the tenements

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Limited the amount of Chinese immigrants entering the U.S. An example of Nativisim.

Nativism

A policy of favoring native-born individuals over foreign-born ones

Monopoly

A company that dominates an industry in order to eliminate competition and control prices.

Pools/Trusts

Created by industrialists during the late 1800's to increase profits by minimizing competition

Interstate Commerce Act of 1887

Law that was designed to regulate the railroad industry; created the Interstate Commerce Commission to railroads and ensure that they complied with the new regulations.

Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890

First federal action against monopolies, it was signed into law by Harrison and was extensively used by Theodore Roosevelt for trust-busting. However, it was initially misused against labor unions

Clayton Antitrust Act

1914 act designed to strengthen the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890; certain activities previously committed by big businesses, such as not allowing unions in factories and not allowing strikes, were declared illegal.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Supreme Court case that allowed Federal Government to regulate interstate commerce (business and trading between different states).

Wabash V. Illinois

Limited the power of big business

Federal Reserve System

Established by the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 which was intended to provide a stable supply of money and credit.

Graduated/Progressive Income Tax

Authorized by the 16th amendment (1913). Based on the idea that people with higher incomes should pay a greater percentage of their income in taxes (taxes are based on the ability to pay).

Progressive Movement

an early 20th century reform movement seeking to return control of the government to the people, to restore economic opportunities, and to correct injustices in American life

Jane Adams

Social reformer who worked to improve the lives of the working class. In 1889 she founded Hull House in Chicago, the first private social welfare agency in the U.S., to assist the poor, combat juvenile delinquency and help immigrants learn to speak English.

Robert M. LaFollette

Progressive reformer who wanted to start a civil rights movement for African Americans (was unsuccessful).

W.E.B. Du Bois

fought for African American rights. Helped to found Niagra Movement in 1905 to fight for and establish equal rights. This movement later led to the establishment of the NAACP

Booker T. Washington

African American progressive who supported segregation and demanded that African American better themselves individually to achieve equality.

17th Amendment

Established the direct election of senators (instead of being chosen by state legislatures). Citizens directly voted on who would represent them in the Senate in order to make the Senate more responsive to the people.

Civil Service Exams

Confucian exam to acquire a position in the Chinese bureaucracy