Unit 5

AP History Unit 5

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildago

Treaty ending the Mexican-American war and also granting the U.S. the lands known as the Mexican-Cession.

Compromise of 1850

Agreement proposed by Henry Clay designed to alleviate tension growing between the North and the South following the Mexican Cession.

Fugitive Slave Act

Part of the Compromise of 1850 designed to support the South; however it angered the North by requiring them to return escaped slaves or face penalty.

Popular Sovereignty

Idea within the Compromise of 1850, which would allow territories to choose whether or not they wished to allow slavery in their borders.  Later, popular sovereignty will lead to Bleeding Kansas when it is applied to the Louisiana Purchase territory.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Writer of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a novel critical of the practice of slavery and leading to tension between the North and the South over the institution. 

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Law supported by Stephen Douglas advocating for the allowance of popular sovereignty in lands above the 36’30” line of the Louisiana Purchase.  The law will ultimately lead to conflict in Kansas and brutality by both pro-slavery supporters and anti-slavery advocates known as Bleeding Kansas.

John Brown’s Raid

Unsuccessful raid of the Virginia arsenal at Harpers Ferry by abolitionist John Brown that led to his eventual hanging.

Scalawags

White southerners who collaborated with northerners during Reconstruction.

Carpetbaggers

White northerners who came south during Reconstruction to benefit financially from opportunity or to help support the assimilation of slaves into society.

Federalists

Political group that supported a strong central government and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Democratic-Republicans

A political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in opposition to the Federalists, advocating for agrarian interests and states' rights.

Whigs

A political party active in the early to mid-19th century that opposed the Democrats, promoting modernization and economic protectionism.

War of 1812

Conflict between the United States and Britain from 1812 to 1815, driven by issues such as trade restrictions and impressment of American sailors. It ended with the Treaty of Ghent and fostered a sense of American nationalism.

Monroe Doctorine

A U.S. foreign policy statement made by President James Monroe in 1823, declaring that European nations should no longer colonize or interfere in the Americas, asserting that the Western Hemisphere was under U.S. influence.

Market Revolution

A period of rapid economic transformation in the early 19th century characterized by the rise of industrialization, transportation improvements, and changes in agricultural practices, leading to increased market-oriented production.

Second Great Awakening

A religious revival movement in the early 19th century that emphasized personal piety and social reform, significantly influencing American religious life and prompting various reform movements.

When did the Trail of Tears take place

1838-1839

Era of Good Feelings

A period of American history following the War of 1812, characterized by national unity, political stability, and the decline of partisan conflicts.

Mexican Cession

The territory that Mexico ceded to the United States in 1848 following the Mexican–American War.

Panic of 1819

The first major financial crisis in the United States, characterized by widespread economic downturn, bank failures, and high unemployment. This crisis marked a significant turning point in the U.S. economy and revealed the vulnerabilities of a growing nation, impacting politics and regional interests as different areas faced unique challenges.

Panic of 1937

A major financial crisis in the United States that led to a severe economic depression lasting until the mid-1840s. Triggered by a combination of speculative lending practices, falling cotton prices, and a banking crisis, it resulted in widespread bank failures, unemployment, and a significant decline in real estate values, impacting both the economy and political landscape of the nation.

Seneca Falls Convention

The first women's rights convention held in the United States, taking place in July 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. It marked a pivotal moment in the early women's suffrage movement, as it was where activists gathered to discuss social, civil, and religious rights for women, producing the Declaration of Sentiments that called for gender equality.

Aid Yeoman

The various forms of support and assistance provided to small-scale landowners, particularly in the early 19th century, who cultivated their own land and were seen as the backbone of agrarian society.

Alien and Sedition Acts

A series of four laws enacted in 1798 during the presidency of John Adams that aimed to restrict the activities of foreign residents in the United States and limit free speech.

Embargo Act

A law passed by the United States Congress that prohibited American ships from trading with foreign nations, primarily aimed at Britain and France during the Napoleonic Wars.

Worcester v. Georgia

A landmark Supreme Court case decided in 1832 that established tribal sovereignty and recognized the rights of Native American nations to govern themselves independently of state laws.

Aaron Burr

An American politician and lawyer who served as the third Vice President of the United States under Thomas Jefferson from 1801 to 1805

Tenskwatawa

As the Prophet, was a Native American religious leader and the brother of Shawnee chief Tecumseh.

What came out of the Battle of San Jacinto

The Republic of Texas

Dorr Rebellion

A political revolt in Rhode Island in 1842 aimed at expanding voting rights.

Spoils system

A practice in American politics where a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters as a reward for their loyalty.

Peggy Eaton Affair

A political scandal during the 1820s involving the wife of Secretary of War John Eaton, which caused a rift in President Andrew Jackson's cabinet and highlighted issues of social class and gender in American politics.

Webster-Hayne Debate

A series of debates in 1830 between Senator Daniel Webster and Senator Robert Hayne over states' rights versus federal authority, which underscored the growing sectional tensions in the United States.

Nullification Crisis

A confrontation between South Carolina and the federal government during the early 1830s over the state’s attempt to nullify federal tariffs, leading to a significant debate on states’ rights and federal authority.

Trail of Tears

The forced relocation of Native American nations from their ancestral homelands in the southeastern United States to designated Indian Territory, resulting in the death of thousands.

National Bank War

A political struggle in the 1830s over the rechartering of the Second Bank of the United States, primarily between President Andrew Jackson and his opponents, which led to the eventual dissolution of the bank.

Charles River Bridge Case

A landmark Supreme Court case in 1837 that addressed the balance between private property rights and public interest, focusing on the rights of a bridge company versus the state of Massachusetts.

Whig Party

A political party formed in the 1830s in opposition to President Andrew Jackson, advocating for a strong legislative branch and economic modernization.

“The Great Triumvirate”

A term referring to the influential political leaders Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun, who played significant roles in the U.S. Senate during the antebellum period, particularly in shaping national policy and debate.

The Panic of 1873

A financial crisis that triggered a severe economic depression in the United States and Europe, resulting from over-speculation in railroads and the collapse of the banking firm Jay Cooke & Company.

Log Cabin Campaign

A political campaign strategy used by the Whig Party during the 1840 presidential election, emphasizing the image of candidate William Henry Harrison as a man of the people and promoting his log cabin and humble origins.

Romanticism

An artistic and intellectual movement that emerged in the late 18th century, emphasizing emotion, individualism, and nature, often as a reaction against the industrial revolution and Enlightenment rationalism.

Transcendentalism

A philosophical and literary movement that emerged in the early 19th century in America, emphasizing the inherent goodness of people and nature, individual intuition, and self-reliance.

Utopianism

A social and political philosophy that envisions the creation of an ideal society.

Temperance Movement

A social movement aimed at promoting moderation and abstinence from alcohol consumption, advocating for the reduction of alcohol's negative effects on society.

Horace Mann

An educational reformer known as the "Father of the American Public School System," who advocated for universal public education and improved teaching methods.

Dorothia Dix

An American activist who worked to improve conditions for the mentally ill and was instrumental in the establishment of mental health hospitals.

Seneca Falls Convention

The first women's rights convention held in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, which marked the beginning of the women's suffrage movement in the United States.

Chinese Exclusion act

A federal law enacted in 1882 that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States, reflecting widespread anti-Chinese sentiment.

Homestead act

A federal law passed in 1862 that provided 160 acres of public land to any adult citizen who paid a small fee and agreed to improve the land by building a dwelling and cultivating crops.

The 14th Amendment

Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, and guaranteed equal protection under the laws.

Black Codes

Laws enacted in the Southern states after the Civil War to restrict the rights of freed African Americans, aiming to maintain white supremacy and control over the black population.

Reconstruction acts

Legislation passed in 1867 aimed at rebuilding the South and integrating formerly enslaved people into society, which included provisions for military governance in Southern states.

Scalawags

Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party.

Carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War, often perceived as opportunists seeking to exploit the region's post-war turmoil.

The Frontier Thesis

The argument that the American frontier shaped the nation's character and democracy, proposed by historian Frederick Jackson Turner in 1893.

10% Plan

A Reconstruction plan proposed by President Abraham Lincoln that allowed Southern states to rejoin the Union if 10% of their voters pledged allegiance to the Union.

Sharecropping

a system where farmers, often former slaves, worked land owned by someone else in exchange for a share of the crops produced.

Wilmot Proviso

A legislative proposal introduced in 1846 that aimed to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico during the Mexican-American War.

Yellow Journalism

A style of journalism that emphasizes sensationalism and exaggeration to attract readers and influence public opinion, often associated with the reporting of events leading up to the Spanish-American War.

Populism

A political movement that emerged in the late 19th century, advocating for the rights and power of the common people, particularly farmers, against the elite and big businesses.

Settlement houses

Community centers established in urban areas to provide services and support to immigrants and the poor, including education, healthcare, and job training.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

A United States naval officer and historian, best known for his book "The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783," which argued that naval power was key to national greatness and influenced naval strategies worldwide.

Interstate Comerce act

A federal law enacted in 1887 that regulated the railroad industry and established the Interstate Commerce Commission to oversee fair rates and eliminate monopolistic practices.

Political Machines

Corrupt organizations that controlled political parties in cities, often through bribery and manipulation, to maintain power and influence.

Spanish American War

A conflict between Spain and the United States in 1898, resulting in the U.S. gaining territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, and marking a significant moment in the expansion of American imperialism.

Open Door Policy

A diplomatic policy proposed by the United States in 1899, aimed at ensuring equal trading rights for all nations in China and preventing any single power from monopolizing the Chinese market.

W.E.B Dubois

An African American sociologist, historian, and civil rights activist who co-founded the NAACP and advocated for the rights of African Americans and the pursuit of higher education.

Social Gospel

A religious movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that sought to apply Christian ethics to social problems, advocating for social justice, labor rights, and the welfare of the poor.

18th Amendment

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States.

16th Amendment

A constitutional amendment that allowed the federal government to impose and collect income taxes.

Anti Imperialism

A political stance opposing the expansion of a country's power and influence through colonization or military force, advocating for the rights of nations and peoples.