APUSH - Unit 4 vocab

Thomas Jefferson

His presidency is characterized by the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the U.S., the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the new territory, and his commitment to reducing the national debt and military size, while also struggling with contradictions like using the elastic clause for the purchase despite his strict interpretation beliefs

Louisiana Purchase

a 1803 land deal where the United States bought roughly 828,000 square miles of territory from France for $15 million, which nearly doubled the size of the U.S. and was critical for westward expansion.

Aaron Burr

A politician and lawyer who served as Vice President under Thomas Jefferson, known for his duel with Alexander Hamilton.

Lewis and Clark

An expedition commissioned by Thomas Jefferson in 1804 to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and find a route to the Pacific Ocean.

John Marshall

The fourth Chief Justice of the United States, serving from 1801 to 1835, he played a key role in establishing the Supreme Court's authority and influencing the development of constitutional law.

Judicial Review 

The power of the Supreme Court to overturn laws and executive actions deemed unconstitutional, established by the case Marbury v. Madison.

Marbury vs. Madison

A landmark Supreme Court case from 1803 that established the principle of judicial review, affirming the Court's authority to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional.

McCulloch v. Maryland

A Supreme Court case from 1819 that established the federal government's implied powers over the states and affirmed the supremacy of federal law over state law.

Dartmouth College v. Woodward

A Supreme Court case from 1819 that ruled against New Hampshire's attempt to alter Dartmouth College's charter, asserting that the Constitution protects contracts from state interference.

Gibbons v. Ogden

A Supreme Court case from 1824 that affirmed the federal government's authority to regulate interstate commerce, striking down state-granted monopolies.

Era of Good Feelings

a period in U.S. history, roughly from 1815 to 1825, characterized by a sense of national unity and optimism after the War of 1812

James Monroe

associated with the "Era of Good Feelings," which was marked by a surge in nationalism and expansionism.

Henry Clay

Kentucky statesman and orator known as the "Great Compromiser" for his role in major legislative compromises, such as the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, which aimed to resolve sectional tensions over slavery.

American System

an economic plan proposed by Henry Clay in the early 19th century to promote national economic growth and unity.

Second Bank of the U.S.

a national bank, chartered from 1816 to 1836, that served as a central bank to stabilize the U.S. economy.

Panic of 1819

the first major financial crisis in the United States, resulting from extensive land speculation, easy credit from state banks, and a post-war decline in European demand for American goods. 

Missouri Compromise

1820 law that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state to maintain the balance of power between free and slave states in the Senate.

John C. Calhoun

he famously shifted to championing states' rights, limited government, and the defense of slavery, authoring documents like the South Carolina Exposition and Protest to argue for a state's right to nullify federal laws it deemed unconstitutional.

Hartford Convention

a meeting of New England Federalists from December 1814 to January 1815 to discuss grievances against the Democratic-Republican party and the War of 1812, including a proposal to amend the Constitution to limit federal power. 

Tecumseh

a Shawnee chief who formed a Native American confederacy to resist U.S. expansion in the Northwest Territory.

Prophet

a Shawnee religious leader and the brother of chief Tecumseh.

William Henry Harrison

he was the first president to die in office, serving just 32 days before succumbing to pneumonia, and his short tenure brought the issue of presidential succession to the forefront before the 25th Amendment was passed.

Battle of Tippecanoe

a pivotal battle in which U.S. forces, led by William Henry Harrison, defeated a confederacy of Native American tribes led by Tecumseh's brother, Tenskwatawa (the Prophet).

Barbary pirates

North African corsairs from states like Tripoli, Algiers, Tunis, and Morocco who demanded tribute from ships in the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

impressment

the act of forcibly conscripting individuals into naval or military service

Chesapeake-Leopard affair

naval incident where the British warship HMS Leopard attacked the American frigate USS Chesapeake after the American ship refused to be searched for British deserters.

Embargo Act

a U.S. law that banned American ships from trading with all foreign ports, primarily to pressure Britain and France to stop harassing American merchant ships during the Napoleonic Wars.

Nonintercourse Act

a U.S. law that replaced the Embargo Act by prohibiting trade with Great Britain and France while allowing commerce with all other nations.

War of 1812

a conflict between the United States and Great Britain, fueled by American outrage over British impressment of sailors, seizure of American ships, and support for Native American resistance on the frontier.

Battle of New Orleans 

the decisive American victory led by General Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812, fought on January 8, 1815, after the Treaty of Ghent had already been signed but before the news reached America.

Treaty of Ghent

The peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain.

Monroe Doctrine

U.S. foreign policy, declared in 1823, that opposed further European colonization or interference in the Western Hemisphere. It established that the Americas were closed to new European settlement and warned that any such attempts would be seen as a threat to the U.S.

Francis Scott Key

a lawyer and poet who wrote the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner" after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

Erie Canal

a man-made waterway completed in 1825 that connected the Hudson River to Lake Erie, drastically lowering shipping costs and opening the Midwest to eastern markets.

The National Road/Cumberland

the first federally funded highway in the U.S., built from 1811 to 1837 to connect the East and West.

Robert Fulton; steam boats

gretay impacted commerce, there were pivotal in the Transportation Revolution by enabling faster, more efficient river travel.

railroads

transportation systems crucial for industrialization, national unification, and westward expansion in the 19th century.

telegraphs

the 19th-century technology that used electrical signals to send messages over long distances, revolutionized communication.

interchangeable parts

identical components, manufactured to precise standards, that can be substituted for one another in a product without custom fitting. (for mass production) 

factory system

a method of manufacturing that brought workers, machinery, and production under one roof, replacing the older cottage industry

Lowell System; textile mills

a 19th-century labor and production model used in New England textile mills, characterized by the recruitment of young, unmarried women from rural areas who lived in company-owned boardinghouses.

common man

ordinary citizens, particularly white men, whose political power and participation rose in the early 19th century, marking a shift from elitist politics to a more inclusive democracy. 

universal white male suffrage

the expansion of voting rights in the 1820s and 1830s to all adult white males, regardless of property ownership or tax payments.

party nominating convention

formal gathering of a major political party's delegates every four years to nominate its presidential and vice-presidential candidates, ratify the party platform, and unify the party for the general election. (more democratic)

king caucus

American system of political parties nominating presidential candidates through caucuses of their members in Congress, which critics deemed undemocratic. (closed door meetings)

popular election of president

the historical shift in how presidential electors were chosen, moving from selection by state legislatures to being determined by the state's popular vote

Anti-Masonic Party

An American political party that emerged in the 1820s, fueled by public outrage against the secret society of Freemasonry. 

Workingmen’s Party

the early 19th-century "Workies" in cities like Philadelphia and New York who advocated for issues like free public education

popular campaigning

refers to the practice of candidates campaigning directly to the public

spoils system

is a political practice where government jobs are given to supporters of the winning political party as a reward for their loyalty and work, rather than based on merit.

Indian Removal Act

a U.S. law passed in 1830 that authorized the president to negotiate with Native American tribes for their removal from ancestral lands east of the Mississippi River to territory in the west.

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

Supreme Court case that ruled the Cherokee Nation was not a "foreign nation" but a "domestic dependent nation,"

Worcester v. Georgia

a Supreme Court case that upheld the sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation and ruled that Georgia's state laws had no authority within its territory.

Trail of Tears

1838 forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to Indian Territory

Bank of the United States

s a national bank chartered by Congress to handle the new nation's financial needs, proposed by Alexander Hamilton to stabilize the economy, manage government debt, and create a uniform currency.

“pet banks”

state-chartered banks chosen by President Andrew Jackson to hold federal deposits after he vetoed the recharter of the Second Bank of the United States.

Martin Van Bure

eighth U.S. President, the first born as an American citizen, who succeeded Andrew Jackson and was a founder of the Democratic Party. His presidency was defined by the Panic of 1837

John Quincy Adams

his presidency (1825-1829), his key role as Secretary of State under James Monroe, and his subsequent long-term service in the House of Representatives

corrupt bargain

the alleged deal between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay during the 1824 presidential election. Since no candidate won a majority of the electoral votes, the election went to the House of Representatives, which elected Adams president despite Andrew Jackson having more popular and electoral votes.

Revolution of 1828

the 1828 presidential election in which Andrew Jackson defeated John Quincy Adams, symbolizing a shift in American politics toward greater democracy for the common man.

Peggy Eaton affair

a 1829–1831 Washington social and political scandal involving Peggy Eaton, the wife of President Andrew Jackson's Secretary of War, John Eaton.

nullification crisis

a political confrontation in the 1830s between South Carolina and the federal government over the state's right to void federal tariffs, particularly the Tariff of Abominations.

“log cabin and hard cider” campaign

a strategy used by the Whig Party in the 1840 U.S. presidential election to portray their candidate, William Henry Harrison, as a common man from the frontier.

utopia

an experimental, intentional society created to embody an ideal social order, often based on principles like equality, cooperation, and communal living.

John Noyes

an American utopian socialist who founded the Oneida Community in 1848. He is best known for his religiously based communal experiment, which promoted ideals of social and economic equality, communal property, and "complex marriage.

Oneida Community

a utopian, Perfectionist, socio-religious community founded in 1848 by John Humphrey Noyes in Oneida, New York. (heaven on earth) 

antebellum

the period in American history before the Civil War, roughly from 1800 to 1860. This era was defined by rapid industrial, transportation, and market-based economic growth in the North, the expansion of plantation slavery and a reliance on cotton in the South

transcendentalists

a 19th-century American philosophical and literary movement led by thinkers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. It emphasized individualism, self-reliance, and intuition over reason

Ralph Waldo Emerson

the 19th-century American essayist and philosopher who was the leading figure of the Transcendentalist movement.

Henry David Theoreau; Walden; “On Civil Disobedience”

argued that individuals should not blindly follow unjust laws and should instead prioritize their conscience, which became a foundational text for nonviolent protest movements. His own act of civil disobedience was refusing to pay a poll tax to protest slavery and the Mexican-American War

Brook Farm

an 1840s utopian, experimental community in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, founded by transcendentalists led by George Ripley. It aimed to create a harmonious society by blending manual labor with intellectual and spiritual pursuits

George Ripley

a prominent American transcendentalist and social reformer known for founding the utopian community of Brook Farm in 1841. 

Margaret Fuller

a 19th-century American journalist, critic, and women's rights advocate known for her association with the transcendentalist movement

Hudson River School

a 19th-century American art movement of landscape painters, founded by Thomas Cole, that celebrated the natural beauty of the American landscape, particularly the Hudson River Valley. The movement is connected to American nationalism and transcendentalism

Second Great Awakening

a widespread Protestant revival movement in the early 19th century characterized by emotional preaching, personal salvation, and an emphasis on individual free will and moral improvement.

Charles Finney

a prominent preacher during the Second Great Awakening, known for his evangelistic style and emphasis on personal conversion.

Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

a religious movement founded by Joseph Smith during the Second Great Awakening. 

Joseph Smith

the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) who, through claimed divine revelations, translated the Book of Mormon.

Brigham Young

the religious and political leader who succeeded Joseph Smith and led the Mormon exodus to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

American Temperance Society

was a 19th-century organization founded in 1826 that aimed to reduce alcohol consumption through moral suasion and pledges of abstinence, ultimately advocating for total abstinence from alcohol. It was part of the broader Second Great Awakening

Woman’s Christian Temperance Union

was a prominent temperance organization founded in 1874 that advocated for the prohibition of alcohol and broader social reforms.

Dorothea Dix

a 19th-century American social reformer and advocate for the mentally ill who spearheaded the asylum reform movement. 

Horace Mann

an educational reformer and Whig Party member known as the "Father of the Common School Movement". He advocated for free, universal, and non-sectarian public education

McGuffey readers

a series of influential textbooks from the 19th century that are significant for their role in shaping American education by providing a standardized curriculum that combined reading instruction with moral and patriotic lessons.

Seneca Falls Convention

the first women's rights convention in the United States, held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. 

Declaration of Sentiments

was a pivotal document from the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention that outlined grievances against gender inequality and demanded equal rights for women.

Susan B. Anthony

a prominent 19th-century civil rights leader and feminist who was a key figure in the women's suffrage movement.

William Lloyd Garrison

 a prominent American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer known for his radical, uncompromising stance advocating for the immediate emancipation of slaves.

American Anti-Slavery Society

a prominent abolitionist organization founded in 1833 that advocated for the immediate emancipation of all enslaved people in the United States.

The Liberator

an influential abolitionist newspaper published by William Lloyd Garrison from 1831 to 1865 that advocated for the immediate emancipation of enslaved people.

Frederick Douglass 

a key figure in the abolitionist and civil rights movements, known as an escaped slave who became a powerful orator, writer, and statesman.

The North Star

an influential antislavery newspaper founded and edited by escaped slave and prominent abolitionist Frederick Douglass in 1847.

Harriet Tubman

an escaped slave who became a leading abolitionist, famously known as a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, making numerous missions to rescue enslaved people.

Sojourner Truth

defined as a former slave who became a powerful abolitionist and women's rights advocate, known for her famous speeches like "Ain't I a Woman?"

Nat Turner

an enslaved African American and preacher who led a violent slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, in August 1831.

cult of domesticity

a 19th-century ideal that confined middle and upper-class women to the private sphere of the home, emphasizing their roles as pious, pure, submissive, and domestic caregivers for their families.

Sarah Grimke

a prominent American abolitionist and women's rights activist from a wealthy South Carolina slave-owning family. 

Letters on the Equality of the Sexes, and the Condition of Woman

a series of essays by Sarah Grimké published in 1837–1838 that served as a foundational text for the American women's rights movement.

Lucretia Mott

a prominent 19th-century Quaker, abolitionist, and women's rights activist known for co-organizing the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

a leading women's rights activist, suffragist, and abolitionist. She is best known for co-organizing the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention with Lucretia Mott and authoring the Declaration of Sentiments