Christopher Columbus
Explorer who sailed in 1492, funded by Spanish monarchs, started the search for gold in the Americas and initiated the enslavement of natives.
Columbian Exchange
Exchange of goods between the Old and New Worlds, including diseases like smallpox, new crops, and animals like horses and turkeys.
Encomienda System
System of Native slavery in the Americas.
Middle Passage
Brutal transport of African slaves to the Americas.
Valladolid Debate
Debates between Las Casas and Sepulveda about the treatment of Native Americans in Spanish colonies.
Bacon’s Rebellion
1676 rebellion due to lack of land among poor whites and lack of protection from Native attacks.
Indentured Servants
Poor workers who worked for others for 7-11 years in exchange for passage to the colonies.
Slave Codes
Laws limiting slaves' rights, including restrictions on owning weapons, education, and assembly.
Triangle Trade
Trade route connecting the Americas, Africa, and Europe, involving the Middle Passage and mercantilism.
First Great Awakening
Religious revival in the colonies led by preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, impacting society and questioning authority.
Alexander Hamilton
Federalist; advocate for the Constitution, architect of the nation's financial system, and founder of the first American political party.
Eli Whitney
Inventor of the cotton gin and interchangeable parts.
French and Indian War
Conflict between France and England over the New World, leading to British victory and the Treaty of Paris (1763).
Albany Plan
Ben Franklin's proposal for a unified colonial government for defense during the French and Indian War.
Proclamation of 1763
British decree prohibiting colonists from settling beyond the Appalachian Mountains.
Sons of Liberty
Colonial group opposing British policies, known for boycotts and protests.
Enlightenment
Intellectual movement emphasizing reason and social contract theory, influencing American independence.
Boston Tea Party
Protest against British taxation, leading to the Intolerable Acts.
Articles of Confederation
First U.S. constitution with a weak central government, leading to issues like Shays' Rebellion.
Constitutional Convention
Meeting to revise the Articles, resulting in the U.S. Constitution with federalism and separation of powers.
John Quincy Adams
Sixth president under Monroe, drew up the Adams-Onis Treaty exchanging Florida for dropping claims to Texas, involved in the Monroe Doctrine
Ralph Waldo Emerson
American transcendentalist against slavery, emphasized self-reliance, optimism, and freedom
Henry David Thoreau
Associated with the Second Great Awakening, known for "Civil Disobedience"
Brigham Young
Mormon leader who led followers to Utah
Dorthea Dix
Advocate for improving conditions of the mentally ill, part of antebellum reforms
Susan B Anthony
Early leader of women's suffrage movement, co-founded National Woman's Suffrage Association
Frederick Douglass
African-American social reformer, abolitionist leader, escaped slavery
Harriet Tubman
Conductor on the Underground Railroad, advocate for women's rights
William Lloyd Garrison
Abolitionist, published The Liberator, called for immediate emancipation
Nat Turner
Led Nat Turner's Rebellion, resulted in harsher slave codes
Lucretia Mott
Quaker, organized first women's rights convention in New York with Stanton
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Suffragette, organized the Seneca Falls Convention on women's rights
Horace Mann
Advocate for public education, part of antebellum reforms
Democratic Republicans
Supported agriculture, strict interpretation of the constitution, favored state governments over federal
Federalists
Advocated for a stronger national government, leaned towards Great Britain in European affairs
Revolution of 1800
Highlighted regional political party problems, led to Democratic Republicans controlling presidency and congress
Louisiana Purchase
Negotiated by Jefferson, sent Lewis and Clark to explore, doubled the size of the U.S.
Marbury v Madison
Established judicial review, Supreme Court's power to interpret constitutionality of laws
Monroe Doctrine
Prohibited foreign powers from establishing colonies in the Western Hemisphere
Tariff of 1816
First protective tariff in U.S. history, aimed to protect American manufacturers
Resistance
Most slaves resisted through work slow downs; running away was difficult.
Underground Railroad
Network that helped slaves escape to free states or Canada.
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
Violent slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in Virginia in 1831.
Slave Codes
Laws that restricted the rights of slaves and free blacks after rebellions.
King Cotton
Cotton was the most important economic resource in the South.
The Peculiar Institution
Term referring to the nature of slavery in a nation founded on liberty.
Economic Dependence
Southern economy heavily relied on cotton, leading to a dangerous one-crop economy.
Manifest Destiny
Belief that the US was destined to expand across the continent.
Mexican-American War
Conflict between the US and Mexico over territory, leading to the acquisition of California and New Mexico.
Compromise of 1850
Legislation aimed to settle disputes over slavery, including the Fugitive Slave Law.
CSA
Refers to the Confederate States of America, a collection of Southern states that seceded from the Union in 1860-1861, leading to the American Civil War.
Emancipation Proclamation
Issued by President Lincoln in 1863, it declared all slaves in Confederate-held territory to be free, changing the focus of the war to include the abolition of slavery.
Sherman's March
A military campaign led by General Sherman in 1864, involving a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, characterized by total war tactics.
Reconstruction
The period following the Civil War (1865-1877) focused on rebuilding the South, integrating freed slaves into society, and readmitting Southern states to the Union.
Scalawags and Carpetbaggers
Derogatory terms used to describe Southern whites who supported Reconstruction (scalawags) and Northerners who moved South for economic or political gain (carpetbaggers).
Black Codes
Laws passed in Southern states after the Civil War to restrict the rights of freedmen, including limitations on land ownership and work contracts.
Jim Crow Laws
State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.
Compromise of 1877
Ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South, leading to the removal of protections for African Americans and essentially ending black rights in the region.
Jim Crow Laws
Laws enforcing racial segregation in the southern United States, particularly between African Americans and white Americans.
Plessy v Ferguson
Landmark Supreme Court case that established the "separate but equal" doctrine, allowing racial segregation in public facilities.
Industrial Capitalism
Economic system characterized by the rise of large-scale industrial enterprises, such as railroads and steel production, leading to the growth of cities and consumer culture.
Vertical Integration
Business strategy where a company controls all aspects of production, from raw materials to distribution, exemplified by Carnegie Steel and US Steel.
Social Darwinism
Application of Darwin's theory of natural selection to economics, suggesting that economic success is based on survival of the fittest.
Knights of Labor
Labor union founded in 1869, open to all workers regardless of skill level, gender, or race, advocating for labor rights and reforms.
Immigration in the Gilded Age
Period marked by a significant influx of immigrants, particularly from southern and eastern Europe, seeking opportunities in the United States.
Settlement Houses
Institutions like Hull House, founded by Jane Addams, aimed at improving living conditions and providing education for immigrants in urban areas.
Pendleton Act
Legislation passed in 1881 establishing the Civil Service Commission and implementing competitive exams for government job appointments.
Populists
Political movement advocating for the interests of farmers and workers, pushing for reforms like the unlimited coinage of silver and direct election of senators.
Woodrow Wilson
President from 1913-1921, known for anti-imperialist views and the Fourteen Points framework for world order.
Underwood Tariff
Legislation from 1913 that significantly reduced tariffs.
Federal Reserve System
Established in 1913 to regulate the country's monetary and financial system.
Clayton Antitrust Act
Passed in 1914 to strengthen antitrust laws and prevent monopolies.
Fourteen Points
Wilson's 1917 speech outlining principles for peace after World War I.
William Jennings Bryan
Cross of Gold speech advocate and Democrat who ran for president in 1896.
John Dewey
Philosopher known for "learning by doing" and progressive education.
Ida Tarbell
Muckraker journalist who exposed Standard Oil's practices.
Jacob Riis
Muckraker known for documenting poor living conditions in the early 20th century.
Robert LaFollette
Progressive politician advocating for political reforms like recall elections.
Florence Kelley
FDR's labor secretary and the first female cabinet member.
Upton Sinclair
Author of "The Jungle," leading to food and drug regulation.
Gifford Pinchot
Head of the U.S. Forest Service under Roosevelt, promoting conservation.
Booker T Washington
Educator advocating for black economic advancement over equal rights.
WEB DuBois
Intellectual challenging Washington's ideas, co-founder of the NAACP.
Margaret Sanger
Leader in the birth control movement in the early 1900s.
Henry Cabot Lodge
Republican senator who opposed the Versailles Treaty.
Eugene Debs
Socialist Democratic party organizer jailed under espionage and sedition Acts.
Henry Ford
Founder of Ford Motor Company and pioneer of assembly line production.
Federal Reserve Act (1914)
Established the first central banking system since 1836.
Clayton Antitrust Act (1914)
Known as the "magna carta of labor," aimed to regulate business practices.
Great Migration
Movement of African Americans from the South to Northern cities for industrial jobs.
19th Amendment
Granted women the right to vote in 1920.
Zimmerman Telegram
German message proposing a military alliance with Mexico against the US.
Teapot Dome Scandal
Involved leasing naval oil reserves without competitive bidding, leading to corruption.
Harlem Renaissance
Cultural movement celebrating African American arts and literature in the 1920s.
Hawley-Smoot Tariff
Highest peacetime tariff in history, contributing to the Great Depression.
New Deal
FDR's program for relief, recovery, and reform during the Great Depression.
Wagner Act
Legalized labor unions and protected workers' rights.
Nye Commission
Concluded WWI was a mistake driven by foreign investments; referred to as the “merchants of death.”
Neutrality Acts
Laws in 1935 and 1936 that prohibited arms shipments, forbade Americans from sailing on belligerent ships, and forbade loans to belligerent nations.
America First Committee
Advocated against involvement in European affairs, led by Lindbergh.