U.S. History: Early 19th Century Political, Economic, and Social Developments

Election of 1800

Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams; peaceful transfer of power; decline of Federalists; Jefferson reduced government and military size.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Established judicial review; Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional.

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

Jefferson purchased territory from France; doubled U.S. size; gained Mississippi River and New Orleans.

Embargo of 1807

Jefferson banned U.S. trade with foreign nations; intended to pressure Britain/France; hurt U.S. economy.

Tecumseh

Shawnee leader who tried to unite Native tribes to resist U.S. expansion.

Tenskwatawa (The Prophet)

Native religious leader calling for Native cultural and spiritual revival.

Causes of War of 1812

British impressment of sailors; interference with trade; British support for Native resistance.

Inconclusive Conflict (War of 1812)

Neither side gained territory; Treaty of Ghent restored pre-war boundaries.

Results of War of 1812

Surge of nationalism; weakened Native resistance; decline of Federalists; growth of U.S. manufacturing.

Trans-Appalachian West

Massive population growth by 1850; half of Americans lived west of the Appalachians.

National Road (1811)

First federally funded highway; linked East to Midwest; encouraged settlement.

Erie Canal (1825)

Connected Hudson River to Lake Erie; lowered shipping costs; made NYC economic capital; boosted westward expansion.

Steamboats (1807)

Allowed upstream river travel; expanded trade on Mississippi River system.

Railroads (1830s-1850s)

Fast land transportation; connected regional economies into a national market.

American Manufacturing

Growth of factories in Northeast; rise of wage labor and industrial cities.

Working Class

Urban wage laborers employed in factories under regimented conditions.

Foreign Trade

U.S. exported cotton and imported European goods; Southern economy tied to British textile industry.

Irish Immigration (1840s-1850s)

Fled Potato Famine; settled in Northern cities; worked low-wage jobs.

German Immigration (1840s-1850s)

Immigrants escaping political unrest and seeking opportunity; settled in Midwest.

Nativism

Movement favoring native-born Americans; hostile to immigrants, especially Irish Catholics.

Know-Nothing Party

Nativist political party opposing immigration and Catholic influence; supported stricter naturalization laws.

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

Warned Europe not to interfere in Western Hemisphere; U.S. would avoid European conflicts.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Missouri slave, Maine free; banned slavery above 36°30' line in Louisiana Territory.

Universal White Male Suffrage

All adult white men allowed to vote; property requirements removed.

Whig Party

Party opposing Andrew Jackson; supported strong federal government and internal improvements.

American System (Henry Clay)

Plan for protective tariffs, national bank, and federal funding of transportation improvements.

Henry Clay

"Great Compromiser"; key figure behind Missouri Compromise and American System.

Andrew Jackson

7th president; promoted "common man"; destroyed national bank; signed Indian Removal Act.

Martin Van Buren

Jackson's vice president and 8th president; Panic of 1837 damaged his administration.

Indian Removal Act (1830)

Forced tribes east of Mississippi to relocate west; led to Trail of Tears.

Black Hawk

Sauk leader who resisted U.S. removal in the Black Hawk War.

Osceola

Seminole leader who resisted removal in the Second Seminole War.

Tariff of Abominations (1828)

High tariff benefiting North but hurt South; caused protest in South Carolina.

Nullification

Theory that states can reject federal laws; central issue in Nullification Crisis.

Bank of the United States

National bank regulating credit; Jackson opposed and destroyed it during Bank War.

Panic of 1837

Economic depression caused by bank failures and currency instability after Jackson's policies.

Election of 1840

Whigs used mass campaigning ("Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!"); Harrison won presidency.

Second Great Awakening

Religious revival emphasizing personal salvation and moral reform.

Cotton Boom (1830-1860)

Cotton production grew 400%; strengthened slavery; tied South to world markets.

Slave Family Life

Marriage common but legally unrecognized; constant threat of separation; high infant mortality.

Slave Labor

Field labor harsh; skilled slaves had better conditions and bargaining power.

Punishment and Control

Whippings, restrictions, branding, and sexual violence used to enforce control.

Enslaved Resistance

Passive resistance (work slowdowns, tool sabotage) most common.

Harriet Tubman

Escaped enslaved woman; conductor on Underground Railroad; helped over 70 escape.

Nat Turner's Rebellion (1831)

Slave uprising in Virginia; killed ~60 whites; led to harsher slave codes.

Free Blacks in the North

Faced discrimination; many Northerners opposed slavery's spread but not racial equality.