8th Grade 2nd Semester Exam Study Guide Flashcards

Flashcards for 8th Grade 2nd Semester Exam Study Guide

What is a bicameral legislature?

A two-house legislature

What is a republic?

A government in which citizens rule through elected representatives

Name two economic issues associated with the Articles of Confederation.

Inability to regulate trade and issue of national currency, war debt

What military event highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

Shay's Rebellion

What was the Great Compromise about?

Representation in Congress (House based on population, Senate with equal representation)

What did the 3/5ths Compromise address?

Counting slaves for representation and taxation

What is required for the Constitution to be ratified?

Approval by at least nine states

Name two groups that debated over the ratification of the Consitution

Federalists and Anti-Federalists

What was the purpose of the Federalist Papers?

To argue in favor of ratifying the Constitution

What is judicial review?

The power of the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional

What court case established judicial review?

Marbury v. Madison

What is the Elastic Clause?

Grants Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers.

What is the Supremacy Clause?

The Constitution and federal laws are the supreme law of the land.

What are the Bill of Rights?

First ten amendments to the Constitution, protecting individual rights.

What was the Whisky Rebellion?

A protest against a federal tax on whiskey

What policy of neutrality did Washington follow during his presidency?

Remaining neutral in foreign conflicts

Name one major precedent set by Washington.

Two-term presidency, neutrality

What were the Alien and Sedition Acts?

Laws that restricted immigration and limited criticism of the government

What is laissez-faire economics?

A policy of minimal government intervention in the economy.

What was the Louisiana Purchase?

The acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803

Who were Lewis and Clark?

Explorers who charted the Louisiana Purchase

What was the Embargo Act?

A law prohibiting American ships from trading with foreign ports

What treaty ended the War of 1812?

Treaty of Ghent

What is sectionalism?

Loyalty to a particular region of the country

What is the Monroe Doctrine?

A policy opposing European interference in the Americas

What is the difference between a majority and a plurality?

Majority: More than half the votes. Plurality: The most votes, but not necessarily more than half.

What is increased suffrage?

Extended rights to vote

What is the spoils system?

Giving government jobs to political supporters

What was the Nullification Crisis?

A dispute over whether states had the right to nullify federal laws.

What was the Indian Removal Act of 1830?

Authorized the removal of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands

What was the Trail of Tears?

The forced relocation of Cherokee Indians to Oklahoma

What is Manifest Destiny?

The belief that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent.

What was the Battle of Alamo?

A pivotal event in the Texas Revolution

Name two key abolitionists.

Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, William Lloyd Garrison

What was the goal of abolitionists?

To end slavery

What was the Underground Railroad?

A network of secret routes and safe houses used by slaves to escape to freedom.

What did the Missouri Compromise do?

Regulated slavery in western territories

What is popular sovereignty?

The idea that residents of a territory should decide whether to allow slavery.

What did the Compromise of 1850 do?

Addressed slavery issues in newly acquired territories

What was the Fugitive Slave Law?

Required the return of escaped slaves to their owners

What were slave codes?

Laws that controlled the lives of enslaved people

What was the Republican Party?

A political party formed in 1854 with the goal of stopping the spread of slavery.

What was significance of the Lincoln-Douglas debates?

Showcased the different views on slavery and catapulted Lincoln into the national spotlight

What was the goal of the Raid on Harper's Ferry?

Initiate a slave rebellion.

What was the Confederacy?

The Confederate States of America, formed by states that seceded from the Union.

What event initiated the Civil War?

The Firing on Fort Sumter

What are some advantages for the Union during the Civil War?

Larger population, vast industrial capacity, more resources

What was the Anaconda Plan?

A Union military strategy to defeat the Confederacy by blockading southern ports and controlling the Mississippi River.

What was the Emancipation Proclamation?

A declaration by President Lincoln that freed slaves in Confederate-held territory.

What was the purpose of Reconstruction?

To rebuild the South and reintegrate it into the Union.