Antebellum Test Study Guide

Flashcards for vocabulary review.

Monroe Doctrine

A U.S. foreign policy opposing European colonialism in the Americas.

Non-Colonization Principle

Part of the Monroe Doctrine, asserting that no new European colonies could be established in the Western Hemisphere.

Non-Intervention Principle

The U.S. would not interfere in European wars or colonies and expected Europe not to interfere in the Americas.

Western Hemisphere

Geographical region encompassing North and South America, designated as under U.S. influence in the Monroe Doctrine.

James Monroe

The 5th President of the United States who proclaimed the Monroe Doctrine in 1823.

John Quincy Adams

Secretary of State under Monroe who was the main architect of the Monroe Doctrine.

House of Representatives

Body that decided the 1824 election when no candidate won a majority of electoral votes.

Spoils System

Practice of rewarding political supporters with public office, expanded under Jackson.

Adams-Clay Alliance

Alleged agreement in the 1824 election that gave Adams the presidency and Clay the role of Secretary of State.

Andrew Jackson

Lost the 1824 election despite winning the popular vote; later became president in 1828.

Henry Clay

Speaker of the House in 1824 who supported Adams and became Secretary of State.

Jacksonian Democracy

Movement for greater democracy for the common man, symbolized by Jackson's presidency.

Indian Removal Act

1830 law authorizing the removal of Native American tribes to lands west of the Mississippi.

Bank War

Jackson’s campaign against the Second Bank of the United States, which he viewed as corrupt.

Universal White Male Suffrage

Expansion of voting rights to all white men regardless of property ownership.

Force Bill

Gave Jackson authority to use military force to enforce federal tariffs during the Nullification Crisis.

Trail of Tears

Forced relocation of Cherokee and other tribes, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Nicholas Biddle

President of the Second Bank of the United States and Jackson’s opponent in the Bank War.

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century belief that the U.S. was divinely ordained to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

American Exceptionalism

The idea that the U.S. has a unique mission to transform the world with its values.

Expansionism

A policy of territorial or economic expansion, often tied to Manifest Destiny.

Republic of Texas

Independent nation formed after Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836.

The Alamo

Battle where a small group of Texans held off a much larger Mexican force; all defenders were killed.

Goliad Massacre

Execution of over 300 Texan prisoners by Mexican forces after surrendering.

Battle of San Jacinto

Final battle of the war where Texas forces captured Santa Anna and secured independence.

Sam Houston

Commander of the Texan army and first president of the Republic of Texas.

Stephen F. Austin

Founder of the first American colony in Texas and negotiator with the Mexican government.

Antonio López de Santa Anna

Mexican general and dictator defeated at San Jacinto.

Davy Crockett

Frontiersman and folk hero who died at the Alamo.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

1848 treaty ending the Mexican-American War, ceding large territory to the U.S.

Mexican Cession

Lands ceded to the U.S. in 1848, including California, Arizona, and others.

U.S. Annexation of Texas

1845 admission of Texas into the U.S., provoking conflict with Mexico.

James K. Polk

U.S. President who expanded U.S. territory through the Mexican-American War.

Dorothea Dix

Advocate for the mentally ill who led reform of asylums and helped create mental hospitals.

Horace Mann

Reformer who promoted public education and teacher training (normal schools).

Catherine Beecher

Advocate for women's education and female roles in moral development.

Thomas Gallaudet

Pioneer of education for the deaf, co-founder of the first American school for the deaf.

Dr. Sylvester Graham

Dietary reformer who promoted health and temperance, known for Graham crackers.

Clara Barton

Nurse during the Civil War who later founded the American Red Cross.

Harriet Tubman

Former enslaved woman who helped hundreds escape via the Underground Railroad.