APUSH 2nd Semester Vocab

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the American history lecture, providing a comprehensive review of significant events, figures, and legislation that shaped the nation.

Great American Desert

19th-century name for the Great Plains, believed to be infertile and unsuitable for farming.

Silver Rush

Mass migration to western silver deposits, significantly boosting western settlement and industrial growth.

Stephen Austin

Leader of the first major American settlement in Mexican Texas and supporter of Texan independence.

Santa Anna

Mexican president and general who centralized power and fought against Texan independence.

Sam Houston

Commander of Texan forces who won the Battle of San Jacinto, securing Texas independence.

Alamo

1836 mission fortress in Texas, site of a pivotal battle symbolizing heroic resistance.

Aroostook War

An 1830s bloodless dispute between the U.S. and Britain over timberlands.

Webster–Ashburton Treaty

1842 agreement settling the Maine-Canada boundary and easing U.S.-British tensions.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

1848 treaty that ended the Mexican-American War, recognizing Texas's borders and ceding vast territory to the U.S.

Commodore Matthew C. Perry

U.S. naval officer who opened Japan to Western trade through the Kanagawa Treaty.

John Tyler

10th U.S. president who supported westward expansion and Texas annexation.

“54°40′ or Fight!”

Expansionist slogan demanding U.S. control of the entire Oregon Territory reflecting Manifest Destiny.

James K. Polk

Expansionist president instrumental in the annexation of Texas and victory in the Mexican-American War.

Wilmot Proviso

Proposed ban on slavery in territories gained from Mexico, intensifying sectional conflict.

Franklin Pierce

Democratic president whose policies worsened sectional tensions in the U.S.

Mexican-American War

Conflict between the U.S. and Mexico from 1846 to 1848, leading to significant territorial gains.

Zachary Taylor

General who won key battles in the Mexican-American War and later became president.

Bear Flag Republic

Short-lived revolt in California where settlers declared independence from Mexico.

Mexican Cession

Land ceded by Mexico to the U.S. after the war, expanding U.S. territory significantly.

Gadsden Purchase

1853 acquisition from Mexico of southern Arizona and New Mexico for railroad purposes.

Kanagawa Treaty

1854 agreement that opened Japanese ports to American trade.

Free Soil Movement

Political movement opposing the expansion of slavery into western territories.

Conscience Whigs

Northern Whigs who opposed slavery on moral grounds.

Hunker Democrats

Conservative Democrats in New York aiming for party unity over slavery conflict.

Barnburners

Radical anti-slavery Democrats who opposed slavery expansion and formed the Free Soil Party.

Bleeding Kansas

Violent conflicts between pro- and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas.

Lecompton Constitution

Pro-slavery constitution for Kansas that was ultimately rejected.

Lewis Cass

Politician who promoted the concept of popular sovereignty in determining slavery in territories.

Compromise of 1850

Series of laws aimed at easing sectional tensions by addressing slavery and state admissions.

Stephen A. Douglas

Senator who championed popular sovereignty and wrote the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Millard Fillmore

President who supported and signed the Compromise of 1850.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

1854 law that allowed popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska, igniting conflict.

Crittenden Compromise

Last-ditch effort to preserve slavery south of the 36°30' line, rejected by Congress.

Know-Nothing Party

Nativist political faction opposed to immigration, particularly from Catholics.

James Buchanan

President during the worsening of sectional tensions in America.

Fugitive Slave Law

Law mandating citizens assist in capturing escaped slaves, inciting northern opposition.

Dred Scott v. Sanford

Supreme Court case ruling that denied citizenship to African Americans.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Debates that raised Abraham Lincoln's national profile regarding slavery.

Sumner-Brooks Incident

Violent confrontation highlighting sectional tensions within the Senate.

John Brown & Harpers Ferry

Abolitionist raid to incite slave uprisings, ultimately leading to his execution.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Anti-slavery novel that increased resistance to slavery in the North.

Sociology of the South

Pro-slavery argument suggesting slavery benefited enslaved people.

Border States

Slave states crucial to Lincoln's military strategy during the Civil War.

Confederate States of America

Government formed by southern states that seceded from the Union.

Jefferson Davis

Leader of the Confederate States who struggled to maintain unity.

Second American Revolution

Transformation of U.S. society and government due to the Civil War.

Morrill Land Grant Act

Legislation that funded agricultural colleges through federal land grants.

Homestead Act

1862 law offering free land to settlers who improved it for five years.

Fort Sumter

Site of the first shots fired in the Civil War.

Bull Run / Manassas

First significant battle of the Civil War, indicating a long conflict ahead.

Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan

Union strategy to economically block the South and control vital infrastructure.

Robert E. Lee

Confederate general significant for his leadership and tactical expertise.

Antietam

Battle recognized for the highest single-day casualties in U.S. history.

Ulysses S. Grant

Union general who led key victories leading to the end of the Civil War.

Gettysburg

Turning-point battle where Union forces halted Confederate advances.

Appomattox Court House

Location of Lee's surrender to Grant, marking the war's conclusion.

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln's order freeing slaves in Confederate territory.

Reconstruction Acts

Laws aimed at reorganizing Southern states after Civil War.

54th Massachusetts Regiment

One of the first African American regiments in the Civil War.

Copperheads

Northern Democrats advocating for peace with the Confederacy.

Laird Rams

Ironclad ships built for the Confederacy, whose delivery was stopped by diplomacy.

Civil Rights Act of 1875

Law banning racial discrimination in public accommodations; later found unconstitutional.

Civil Rights Cases

Supreme Court decisions allowing for segregation in private spaces.

Jay Gould

Corrupt railroad speculator known for his scandalous practices.

“Boss” Tweed

Leader of Tammany Hall known for extensive political corruption.

Panic of 1873

Economic depression linked to railroad speculation.

Rutherford B. Hayes

President who ended Reconstruction and attempted civil service reform.

Compromise of 1877

Agreement resolving the disputed election leading to the end of Reconstruction.

Lincoln’s 10% Plan

Reconstruction strategy allowing Southern states to rejoin if 10% of voters pledged loyalty.

Radical Republicans

Congressional faction advocating for harsh Reconstruction measures.

Wade-Davis Bill

Radical Republican proposal demanding loyalty oaths and protections for Black rights.

Freedmen’s Bureau

Agency aiding formerly enslaved people in food, education, and legal rights.

Black Codes

Laws restricting the freedoms of freedpeople after the Civil War.

Tenure of Office Act

Law requiring Senate approval for removal of cabinet officials.

Carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction, often unfairly portrayed.

Scalawags

Southern whites who cooperated with Northern Republicans during Reconstruction.

Hiram Revels

First African American to serve in the U.S. Senate during Reconstruction.

Sharecropping

System where farmers worked land for a share of crops, often leading to debt.

Force Acts

Federal laws designed to protect Black voting rights and combat the KKK.

Amnesty Act of 1872

Restored political rights to many former Confederates.

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Tycoon who consolidated railroads for better efficiency.

Transcontinental Railroad

Railroad that linked the East and West coasts, transforming transportation.

Jay Gould & Watering Stock

Practice of inflating stock values to benefit financially.

Rebates

Discounts given by railroads to large shippers, disadvantaging smaller customers.

Pools

Agreements among railroads to fix prices and limit competition.

Andrew Carnegie

Industrialist known for his role in the steel industry and vertical integration.

Vertical Integration

Ownership of the entire production process, from raw materials to sales.

J.D. Rockefeller & Standard Oil Company

Oil magnate who secured monopoly through horizontal integration.

Horizontal Integration

Acquisition of competing companies to gain control of an industry.

Interlocking Directorates

Practice allowing financiers to manage multiple companies.

J.P. Morgan

Banker who stabilized the economy during financial crises.

Sherman Silver Purchase Act

Law increasing government silver purchases, affecting monetary stability.

Bessemer Process

Innovative steel-making technique that lowered production costs.

Alexander Graham Bell

Inventor of the telephone, revolutionizing communication.

Thomas Edison

Inventor known for numerous innovations including the light bulb.

Interstate Commerce Act

First federal law regulating railroad practices.

Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)

Agency enforcing federal regulations on railroads.

Sherman Anti-Trust Act

First law aimed at prohibiting monopolies.

Railroad Strike of 1877

Major strike that highlighted labor issues and led to increased union activity.

Haymarket Bombing

Violent labor rally that led to backlash against labor movements.