AP United States History Midyear Review Sheet (2018)

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terms, significant events, and important figures relevant to the AP United States History mid-year review, designed to aid in exam preparation.

What was the purpose of the KKK during the Reconstruction era?

The KKK, or Ku Klux Klan, aimed to preserve white supremacy and reverse the gains of Reconstruction for African Americans.

What was the Wade-Davis Bill?

A proposal for Reconstruction that required a majority of white males in a Southern state to take a loyalty oath before that state could be readmitted to the Union.

What was the significance of the 3/5 Compromise?

It allowed Southern states to count three-fifths of their slave populations for representation in Congress.

What was the Treaty of Ghent (1815) and its outcome?

It ended the War of 1812 and restored the status quo ante bellum between the United States and Britain.

What led to the creation of the American Colonization Society?

The American Colonization Society was founded to address the problem of slavery by promoting the migration of free African Americans to Africa.

Why was the Constitution created?

It was created to provide a stronger federal government than what was established under the Articles of Confederation.

What caused the Boston Tea Party?

The Boston Tea Party was a protest against British taxation, particularly the Tea Act, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea at lower prices.

What were the Civil War Amendments?

The Civil War Amendments are the 13th (abolishing slavery), 14th (granting citizenship and equal protection under the law), and 15th (granting voting rights regardless of race) Amendments.

What was the significance of Common Sense?

Common Sense was a pamphlet by Thomas Paine that argued for American independence from Britain and inspired colonists to seek freedom.

What was the impact of the War of 1812 on American nationalism?

The War of 1812 fostered a sense of nationalism among Americans and contributed to the 'Era of Good Feelings.'

How were civil liberties restricted by the Adams administration?

The Adams administration restricted civil liberties through the Alien and Sedition Acts, which limited free speech and targeted immigrants.

What was the Emancipation Proclamation?

An executive order by Abraham Lincoln that freed enslaved people in Confederate-held territory.

Why was the Election of 1800 considered 'revolutionary'?

It marked the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties in the U.S. and established a precedent for future elections.

What was the Nullification Crisis?

A confrontation between South Carolina and the federal government over tariff laws, highlighting tensions between state and federal authority.

What caused the Mexican War?

The U.S. annexation of Texas and disputes over its southern border with Mexico led to the Mexican War.

What role did Andrew Jackson play in American politics?

Andrew Jackson was a populist president who championed the rights of the 'common man' and expanded executive power.

What was the purpose of the Freedmen's Bureau?

The Freedmen's Bureau was established to assist freed slaves with education, healthcare, and employment after the Civil War.

What was the significance of Worcester v. Georgia?

The Supreme Court ruled that the state of Georgia could not impose its laws on Cherokee tribal land, affirming Native American sovereignty.

What did Uncle Tom's Cabin address?

Uncle Tom's Cabin highlighted the brutal realities of slavery and fueled abolitionist sentiment in the North.

How did the Marshall Court expand the power of the national government?

Through landmark decisions, the Marshall Court established the supremacy of federal laws over state laws and reinforced federal authority.

Nat turner’s rebellion

nat turner (slave) leads uprising against white slaveholders and their families. (they were quickly caught + hanged). caused stricter slave codes and fear for slave owners along with increased abolition in the north

Amistad (U.S. v. The Amistad)

(1839) ship carrying slaves into cuba is attacked and controlled by the slaves. the case was brought to the supreme court but the slaves were declared innocent

Yeoman Farmers

Small scale farmers with no slaves, were supported by Jefferson, had little political influence in comparison to elite planters, encouraged individualism and democracy

White supremacy

all classes of white people are superior and slavery is seen as a good and moral thing

Calhoun

Doctrine of Nullification (against tariff of 1828 and 1832), VP for quincy adams and jackson, was pro-slavery

William Lloyd Garrison

Wanted moral abolition, wrote The Liberator, helped to organize american anti-slavery society

Grimke Sisters

Among first white women to fight for abolition, also wanted equality for gender and race

American Colonization Society

Transported freed slaves back to africa (even if they weren’t from there), was supposed to benefit the slaves to be away from slavery and removed the “threat” of african americans in the us

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

Georgia tries to enact laws on the cherokee, they say they are sovereign and take it to the supreme court, the case is dismissed and the cherokee are considered a domestic nation in the united states

Marbury v. Madison

Created judicial review (meaning the supreme court could dismiss laws passed by congress if they are unconstitutional), this developed the checks and balances system

articles of succession

drafts from confederate states saying why they succeeded (slavery or states rights), from the succession confrences

fort sumter

union fort on confederate land, lincoln gave it supplies, jefferson davis attacks it, allows lincoln to declare war

Ulysees S. Grant

union general, siege of vicksburg, battle of gettysburg, cut off south’s escape route

Robert E Lee

Confederate General, surrenders at Appromatix Courthouse

Draft dodgers

weathly people who avoided the draft, were arrested under lincolns new rules

habeas corpus

telling people the reason for their arrest, lincoln ended it, led to fast arrests of mobs and draft dodgers, angers irish citizens

new york city draft riots 1863

irish citizens attack black citizens, because they faced nativism and were against the gettysburg address, and they were not drafted dodgers so lincolns rule angered them

scorched earth strategy

ulysees s grant, burned the confederate land, made it hard to use railroads

shermans march to the sea

effect of total war, led men across georgia to burn food supplies and railroads

appromatix courthouse

where lee surrendered to ulysees s grant

emancipation proclamation

during the war, freed some of the slaves except for those in the union, was a military tactict, disliked by irish

gettysburg address

dedicated to soldiers who fought, changed the point of the war from restoring the union to ending slavery, democracy and liberty and equality

10 percent plan

lincolns plan for reconstruction, the confederate states had to have 10% of their 1860 voters to pledge loyalty and they had to ratify the 13th amendment to rejoin the union, he couldnt enact the plan but andrew johnson carried it out

Black Codes

restricted the freedom of black citizens and lowered their wages

Radical republicans

wanted the south to pay for their damage, wanted civil rights, passed the 14th and 15th amendments, implemented the reconstruction acts of 1867, and impeached andrew johnson, overturned his ruling regarding the civil rights act of 1866

reconstruction acts of 1867

enforced laws in the south with military blockade, made it harder for them to rejoin the union by adding universal male voting rights and ratifying the 14th amendment

freedmens bureau

helped the recently freed slaves, established schools, provided food and shelter, was an agency

civil rights act of 1866

helped to get citizenship and protection for freed black people

tenure of office act

president can not fire a cabinet member, johnson ignored this and he got impeached for it

15th amendment

equal voting rights for black citizens, liked by american women’s suffrage association, disliked by national women’s suffrage association because they also wanted to vote

sharecropping

worked on landowners plots and payed it back in part of the crop, caused poor workers and african americans to go into debt

klu klux klan

organization aimed at attacking and lynching african americans

black codes (later)

made it so african americans couldnt buy land and couldnt testify against white people in court, led to jim crow laws

election of 1876

samuel tilden vs rutherford b hays, led to the end of reconstruction, compromise of 1877 where the democrats allow republicans to win if they remoced the troops

1st battle of bull run

convinces lincoln they need good generals (grant)

siege of vicksburg

grant, union wins and gets missippi river and cuts the confederacy in half, led to the surrender

bread riots

revolt of confederate. citizens because their leaders didnt supply them with food instead giving it to soldiers

civil rights case (1883)

allowed individuals to segregate (like private buisnesses) and didnt allow african americans to enter public venues (movie theaters, transport) against the civil rights of 1875

slaughterhouse cases

one slaughterhouse monopoly had power over all others, they argued it went against 14th amendment, but they said that involved us citizenship not state citizenship

gold rush (1848-)

gold found in california, people move for economic wealth/mineral wealth, gold also found in colorado, the dakotas, and nevada

preemption acts (30s-40s)

land is available to homesteaders or people wanting farmland in the west, mostly applied to middle class

Battle of San Jacinto

captured the mexican general and forced him to sign a treaty to grant texas independence

Nueces River and Rio Grande

Mexico said the south border was nueces, but america said it was the rio grande

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

After america wins mexican american war, Rio grande is declared as southern border, and mexico cedes california and nm to america, mexican citizens in the new territories are us citizens

Mexico cession

mexico cedes new mexico and california to america

Gadsden Purchase (1853)

More land bought from mexico, defined the southern border of US

Wilmot Proviso (1846)

any land in new territories is off limits to slavery, was turned down by the senate, was the first step leading to the civil war, showed regional tensions

Free Soil

idea that slavery should not be expanded into new territories but not for abolitionist reasons just for economic freedom for settlers (whigs and democrats)

Popular Sovereignty

People have their own choice to decide the debate on slavery, people didn’t like this because they felt the rules on this were already decided (missouri compromise), increased tensions

Compromise of 1850

proposed by henry clay, created popular sovereignty and divided the mexican-cession regions to utah and new mexico, california is a free state but also inacted a strict fugitive slave law

Fugitive Slave Law (compromise of 1850)

stated that runaway slaves could be captured and sent back to their plantations, northerners did not like this

battle of the alamo (1836)

texans attempt to attack the alamo in resistance to harsh mexican laws, mexico ends up defeating and killing all of the texan fighters

Cultural enclaves

areas where immigrants lived and expressed their cultures

nativist

ideology against immigrants, mostly anti-catholic

the liberator

anti slavery newspaper by william lloyd garrison

uncle tom’s cabin

antislavery book by harriet beecher stowe

underground railroad

system that fugitive slaves used to escape to areas like canada

the raid of harper’s ferry

john brown, armed slave revolt against slaveholders, was unsuccessful but greatly increased tensions

kansas-nebraska act

states are above the compromsie line, they got popular sovereignty, increased tensions especially in kansas as they became divided through “bleeding kansas”, fraudulent votes in kansas from missouri

dred scott decision

enslaved man taken to illinois/wisconsin (free states), he brings it to supreme court, they deny it because he was a slave and they couldnt take away property, led to people taking slaves into free states

election if 1860

abraham lincoln elected, southerners thought it was their demise (bc he was republican)

cotton whigs

whigs in support of slavery

conscience whigs

whigs against slavery

republican party

consisted if know-nothings, free-soils, and abolitionists

Romanticism

Shift from rational ideals to emotional ones, led to changes in architecture, literature art transdentalism and utopias.

focus on individuals and morals

2nd great awakening

religious revival for protestants, led to temperance movement

hudson river school

arts school, focused on emotional art and nature. also pointed out issues like encroachment

transcendentalism

focus on the beauty and power of nature. humans are seen as powerful individuals

thoreau

studied philosophy and studied life and humanity

utopias

built to satisfy a need for a better society (shakers, oneida)

shakers

utopia community, wanted to separate men and women

oneida

utopia society, had extreme equality in social and property

camp meetings

cause of 2nd great awakening, preachers gave emotional speeches

first great awakening

salvation was achieved in the hands of god not the individual

charles grandison finney

gave emotional speeches, wanted a moral change for society

3 causes of awakening

less church attendance, moral reform, emotional over rational thinking

joseph smith

created mormonism, was said to be a prophet for god, spread the book of mormon