Territorial Expansion, Military Conquest, Cultural Domination

Flashcards covering topics such as territorial expansion, Manifest Destiny, and the Louisiana Purchase.

Exceptionalism

The idea, originating with the Puritans, that a group is an exception to the rule and has a special mission; later ingrained in American psychology.

Frederick Jackson Turner

An influential historian who wrote 'The Significance of the Frontier in American History,' arguing that the Western frontier was the most important development in 19th-century America.

The Significance of the Frontier in American History

Book written by historian Frederick Jackson Turner, which posited that the Western frontier was the defining factor in the development of American identity and democracy.

Old Northwest

The region comprising present-day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan, characterized by small family farms, free labor, and diversified agriculture.

Northwest Ordinances

Set of laws from 1785 that banned slavery in the Northwest Territories, contributing to the region's tradition of free labor.

Old Southwest

The region consisting of present-day Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky, characterized by yeoman farmers, plantations with slave labor, and cotton production.

Louisiana Purchase

The acquisition of the Louisiana territory from France in 1803 under President Jefferson, which doubled the size of the United States and secured control of the Mississippi River and New Orleans.

Constitutional Crisis (Louisiana Purchase)

President Jefferson, a strict constructionist, used implied powers and the necessary and proper clause to justify the Louisiana Purchase despite the Constitution saying nothing about purchasing foreign lands.

Express Powers

Refer to those powers directly stated in the Constitution and allow for the opportunity to exercise implied powers.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

An expedition commissioned by Jefferson in 1806 to explore the northern part of the Louisiana Territory, leading to an American claim to Oregon.

Sacagawea

A Native American woman, who served as a guide and interpreter for Lewis and Clark after they ditched their original French fur trader guide.

Zebulon Pike

Army captain commissioned by Jefferson to explore the southern part of the Louisiana Territory, contributing to a future US claim to the region north of the Rio Grande.

Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819

An agreement between the United States and Spain, in which Spain ceded Florida to the U.S. in exchange for a firm western boundary of Louisiana.

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century doctrine or belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

John O'Sullivan

Newspaper editor who articulated the concept of Manifest Destiny, arguing that America had a God-given right to expand across the continent.

American Progress

A painting by John Gast, visualizing the concept of manifest destiny with Miss Liberty leading American expansion westward.

Missouri Compromise

An agreement in 1820 that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while also establishing the 36°30′ line to regulate slavery in the Louisiana Territory.