GROWTH & EXPANSION: A NEW NATIONAL IDENTITY

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the notes on growth and expansion, including the Monroe Doctrine, territorial acquisitions, and early American nationalism.

Monroe Doctrine

U.S. policy (1823) that the Western Hemisphere was off-limits to new European colonization; the U.S. would not interfere in European affairs, and European powers should not interfere in the Americas.

Rush-Bagot Agreement

1817 treaty between the United States and Great Britain limiting naval power on the Great Lakes.

Convention of 1818

Treaty with Britain fixing the U.S.–Canada border at 49° N to the Rockies, granting fishing rights off Newfoundland and Labrador, and agreeing to joint occupation of the Northwest to manage fur trade.

Oregon Territory

Region in the Pacific Northwest under joint occupation by the U.S. and Britain per the Convention of 1818; later settled by the United States.

Adams-Onis Treaty (Florida Treaty)

1819 agreement in which Spain ceded East Florida to the U.S.; the U.S. gave up claims to Texas and paid up to $5 million in claims against Spain.

Spanish Cession (1819)

Florida cession from Spain to the United States under the Adams-Onis framework (often listed as the Spanish Cession on maps).

Mexican Cession

Territory ceded by Mexico to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican-American War (including California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico).

Gadsden Purchase

1853 purchase from Mexico for $10 million to acquire land in present-day southern Arizona and New Mexico for railroad routing.

Alaska Purchase

1867 acquisition of Alaska from Russia, expanding U.S. territory.

Hawaii Annexation

1898 incorporation of the Republic of Hawaii into the United States.

Louisiana Purchase

1803 purchase from France that doubled the size of the U.S., extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains for about $15 million.

Texas Annexation

1845 incorporation of the Republic of Texas into the United States as a state.

36°30' Latitude

Boundary line set by the Missouri Compromise, across the Louisiana Purchase territory, separating free and slave territories north of the line.

Missouri Compromise

1820 agreement admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while prohibiting slavery north of 36°30' latitude in the remaining Louisiana Purchase territory.

Era of Good Feelings

1815–1825 period of national peace and unity, with rising federal power as seen in key Supreme Court rulings like McCulloch v. Maryland and Gibbons v. Ogden.

McCulloch v. Maryland

1819 Supreme Court decision affirming federal supremacy and the implied powers of Congress, including the legality of a national bank.

Gibbons v. Ogden

1824 Supreme Court decision affirming Congress's right to regulate interstate commerce; states could not interfere.

American System

Henry Clay’s plan to create a self-sufficient national economy via a national bank, protective tariffs, and internal improvements funded by tariff revenues.

National Bank

Central bank proposed as part of the American System to unify currency and facilitate interstate trade.

Cumberland Road (National Road)

First federally funded highway, connecting the East to the West; construction began in 1811 and fostered westward expansion.

Erie Canal

Canal from Albany to Buffalo (completed 1825) that linked the Great Lakes with the Atlantic, boosting trade and westward growth.

Daniel Boone

Frontier explorer who blazed Warriors’ Path and helped clear the Cumberland Gap, enabling settlement of Kentucky.

Warriors’ Path

Ancient Native American trail through the Appalachians used by settlers; widened by Boone for westward migration.

Corrupt Bargain

Accused deal in the 1824 election where John Quincy Adams was chosen by the House with Henry Clay’s support in exchange for Clay becoming Secretary of State.

Sectionalism

Loyalty to a region (North, South, West) that led to conflicts and threatened national unity.