APUSH Unit 4

Thomas Jefferson

3rd U.S. President, important author of Declaration of Independence, with Demo-Repub views. Went through with Louisiana Purchase, and sent soldiers out for Lewis and Clark Expedition. Wanted to create limited central gov

Louisiana Purchase

Most important achievement of Jefferson’s administration was this gain of vast western lands, mainly because of the port of New Orleans. French owned territory from Spain’s was sold for 15mil because Napoleon lost interest for plans of restoration

Lewis and Clark

Jefferson’s persuasion of congress to fund scientific exploration from St. Louis to Pacific Ocean, led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark from 1804 to 1806

(Benefits included: greater geographic and scientific knowledge, better relations with Natives, and more accurate maps and land routes)

Aaron Burr

VP of Thomas Jefferson’s first term, who later tried to create a nation of New England states after attempting to become the governor of NY (and lost) to create a group to secede from nation (leading to his arrest). Hamilton and federalists disliked Burr, which contributed to Burr’s loss in NY election and led to the duel that killed Hamilton.

John Marshall

Federalist Chief Justice of supreme court for 34 years, who was appointed in final months of John Adams Presidency. Consistently made decision that favored central gov and rights of property against the advocates of states rights, in case like Marbury v. Madison and Mcculloch v. Maryland

Judicial Review

The power of the courts, established by Supreme Court case, Marbury v. Madison, to declare a low or executive action unconstitutional 

Marbury v. Madison

When Adams lost election, he appointed numerous Federalist judges to maintain influence, but there commissions were not formally delivered before Jefferson took office. Jefferson blocked these appointments, and an appointee, William Marbury, sued for his commision. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall favored Madison, and Marbury wasn’t appointed because of established principle of Judicial Review, giving SCOTUS the power to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional

Dartmouth College v. Woodward

SCOTUS case involved a law of New Hampshire that changed Dartmouth College from a private to a public institution, where Supreme Court Justice John Marshall struck down state law as unconstitutional, arguing that a contract for a private cooperation could not be altered by the state

McCulloch v. Maryland

SCOTUS case where Maryland attempted to tax the 2nd Bank of the U.S., a federal institution, just located in Maryland. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall ruled that a state can’t tax a federal institution, and federal laws are supreme over state laws

Gibbons v. Ogden

SCOTUS case where NY tried to grant a monopoly to a steamboat company even though this action would conflict with a charter authorized by Congress. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall ruled that the NY monopoly was unconstitutional, establishing the federal gov’s broad control of interstate commerce

The Era of Good Feelings

Used to describe James Monroe’s 2 terms in office, seen as a time of nationalism, optimism, and goodwill. Csn be misleading, though, because of minor conflicts like the national bank issues, internal improvements, public land sales, and slavery

James Monroe

5th President of the U.S., author of Monroe Doctrine. He ran as a Demo-Republican, and won with the popular vote. Under his rule, U.S. acquired Florida, agreed on Missouri Compromise, and adopted Monroe Doctrine

Henry Clay

House of Representatives leader from Kentucky, and creator of the proposal for the American System. Known as a powerful war hawk in the War of 1812 

American System

Henry Clay’s comprehensive method for advancing the nation’s economic growth, consisting of 3 parts:

• Protective Tariffs

• National Bank (Support)

• Internal Improvements

Second Bank of the U.S.

The nation’s 2nd federally authorized national bank, established to stabilize the economy after the War of 1812

The Panic of 1819

The first major financial panic since the creation of the constitution, occurring after the 2nd U.S. Bank tightened credit in effort to control inflation. Hit the West the hardest, leading to many state banks closing, unemployment, bankruptcies, and increased imprisonment for debt (1819-1821)

Missouri Compromise

When Missouri bid for statehood as a slave state, this alarmed the north, as if they were accepted as a state there would be an imbalance of slave to free states in the senate, favoring the south. Henry Clay created this compromise for this situation, proposing 3 bills:

• Admit Missouri as a slave state

• Admit Maine as a free state

• Establish geographical boundary for the rest of Louisiana territory north of the 36’ 30° line

Barbary Pirates

First major challenge to Thomas Jefferson’s foreign policy from piracy on the North African Coast. These pirates attacked merchant ships demanding them to pay tribute fee to the Barbary govs to protect themselves

Chesapeake-Leopard Affair

In 1807 off of Virginia Coast, British warship Leopard fired on U.S. warship Chesapeake, killing 3 Americans and taking 4 captive into British Navy. Many Americans demanded war, but Jefferson stayed calm

Embargo Act (1807)

U.S. law Jefferson created that prohibited American merchant ships from sailing to any foreign port (aimed to affect Britain).

(Ending up backfiring due to British having many trading partners, brought greater economic hardship to U.S.)

James Madison

4th U.S. President, founder of Demo-Republican party, led nation through war of 1812

Nonintercourse Act of 1809

Law created by James Madison to clean up Embargo Act by providing that America could now trade with all nations except Britain and France

Macon’s Bill No. 2 (1820)

Bill introduced by Nathaniel Macon, a member of Congress. Bill restored trade with Britain and France, but if either of them formally agree to respect U.S. nuetral rights at sea, U.S. would prohibit trade with that nations enemy

Napoleon Bonaparte

French military leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and other associated wars/purchases (Louisiana)

War of 1812

A conflict between the U.S. and Great Britain from 1812-1815, driven by issues like British impressment of sailors, trade restrictions, and support of Native Resistance on the Western Frontier. Ended with Treaty of Ghent

(Shaped national identity, reinforced American sovereignty, and fueled the development of political parties)

Tecumseh

A Shawnee warrior and chief who led a Native Confederacy in the Battle of Tippecanoe to resist American expansion, into the Northwest territory as they fought with the British

William Henry Harrison

Governor of Indiana Territory who was known for his aggressive take in leading forces against natives in the Battle of Tippecanoe, gaining the overall victory

Battle of Tippecanoe

1811 Battle between American forces led by William Henry Harrison (Indiana Governor) and Native American warriors led by Tecumseh because Americans wanted to expand onto Western frontier but were blocked by natives. Americans took victory, with heightened tensions towards Britain because of their assistance to the natives. 

(Turning point for War of 1812 to start)

John C. Calhoun

Significant Demo-Republican leader of War Hawks (eager for Britain war) with great influence in the HoR at the time before the war

Impressment

The act of forcibly forcing individuals into military service, most notably the British practice of forcing American sailors into Royal Navy

Francis Scott Key

Best known as a poet who wrote the lyrics to the “Star Spangled Banner,” inspired by the American Flag still flying after Fort McHenry’s bombing, as he had been detained on a British ship

Andrew Jackson

Know for his promotion of “common man” and expanded suffrage for white males, was the 7th president, and led the Battle of New Orleans

Battle of New Orleans

Last major battle of conflict in War of 1812, led by Andrew Jackson who took the American victory against the superior British force

The Treaty of Ghent

American peace commissioners sent to Ghent, Belgium to discuss peace terms with Britain. Christmas Eve, 1814, agreement was made.Terms halted fighting, returned all conquered territory (preventing prewar claims), and recognized prewar boundary between U.S. and Canada

The Hartford Convention

A series of meetings in 1814-15 where colonists that were New England Federalists gathered to discuss grievances against the War of 1812 and the Demo-Republican controlled gov, proposing constitutional amendments (like 2/3 majority for war declaration) to protect regional interests

Monroe Doctrine

Joint Declaration between Britain and U.S. that warned European powers against further colonization/intervention in the western hemisphere, establishing:

• If U.S. acted alone, Britain could be counted upon to stand behind U.S. policy

• No European power would risk going to war in southern american,, and if it did, British Navy would surely defeat aggresor

Erie Canal

A major man-made accomplishment of a waterway that was completed in 1825, connecting the economies of the eastern markets to the Midwest

Steam Boats

Revolutionary creation of a new way to transport goods, as watercraft propelled by a steam engine that uses paddles/propellers to move on water

Robert Fulton

American engineer and inventor known for developing a successful commercial steamboat, creating more reliable travel for goods

Railroads

Rapid and efficient links of transportation between cities, developing the areas around these tracks with the industrial/market revolution

Telegraphs

Created by Samuel F. B. Morse, demonstrating his invention, which transmitted messages along wires almost instantaneously, no matter the distance (Gov officials could communicate easier than ever with other leaders)

Eli Whitney/Interchangeable Parts

Eli, developer of cotton gin in 1793, developed the interchangeable parts, a system for making rifle parts at a mass production level, using these parts to create guns

Factory System

Manufacturing methods derived from Britain, helped establish new market industry with the mass production of machinery and brough new workers

Lowell System/Textile Mills

The process of textile mills, or factories that convert raw divers into finished textiles (cloth, grain, fabrics), in Lowell Massachusetts recruiting young farm women to work in these textiles in exchange for housing in company dorms

Unions

Commonly organized in major cities, emerging during market revolution to advocate for more self-sufficient workers who had to be forced into factories (shoemakers, weavers)

Cotton Gin

Eli Whitney’s invention, used to separate cotton fiber from the seeds

Market Revolution

Time in early 19th century when U.S. economy shifted from subsistence based, agrarian society to mainly commercial and industrial based

Industrial Revolution

A burst of major inventions, farming techniques, and economic expansion from roughly 1790-1860 that was based on water and steam power and machine technology (Economy shifts from agricultural based to industrial)

Ten-Hour Workday

A 1840 movement that was a labor cause aimed to reduce the workdays from 12-14 hour shifts to 10 hour shifts

(Key victory in fight for better working conditions and early labor ideas)

Common Man

Refers to the rise of ordinary, white male citizens in politics, particularly during the Jacksonian era (1820-1830)

Universal White Male Suffrage

19th century movement to remove property tax qualifications for voting, allowing all free white males to vote regardless of their social standing or economic status (heavily tied to Jacksonian Democracy and shifted power to common man)

Party Nominating Conventions

Party politicians and voters would gather in large meeting hall to nominate party’s candidates, as a more democratic activity due to the method of popular participation

“King Caucus”

A closed door meeting of political parties leaders in Congress, where common citizens had no opportunities to participate

Popular Election of President

A mainly democratic concept/opportunity states adopted that allowed voters to directly cast a ballot for a presidential candidate

Workingmen’s Party

Third party that reached out to groups of people who previously had shown little interest in politics, attempting to unite artisans and skilled laborers into a political organization

Popular Campaigning

When candidates would direct their campaigns to the interests and prejudices of the common people, as a tactic to gain direct voter engagement with campaigns (Ex: Floats, Marching Bands, Large Rallies, etc)

Spoils System

Commonly used by Andrew Jackson, a political practice where winning political parties gave gov jobs to loyal supporters, friends, and allies as a reward for their support, often with little regard for their qualifications. Any leftovers in gov of opposing parties were usually fired and quickly replaced

John Quincy Adams

6th U.S. President, who won the controversial “corrupt bargain” election of 1824 and advocated for a strong fed system to promote economic growth

“Corrupt Bargain”

Refers to 1824 presidential election where Jacksonian supporters claimed John Quincy Adams made a deal with Henry Clay because of his influential position in the HoR, allowing for Adams to win the presidency

Revolution of 1828

Actions Jacksonians took to prevent Adams reelection in 1828, by hosting not only barbecues and party’s by smearing President Adams and his wife’s reputation for being born out of wedlock. Adams clapped back, accusing Jackson’s wife of adultery, but in the end, Jackson won with his popularity in the West as a common man carrying him to victory

Martin Van Buren

VP for Jackson’s 2nd term, and 8th president, winner of the 1836 election, through his close friend Andrew Jackson’s promoters

Indian Removal Act

Jackson’s idea of gaining more land from Indians was forcibly removing them, making them leave traditional homeland and head west to Mississippi. In 1830, he signed this act, forcing the resettlement of many thousands of American Indians

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

After Georgia passes laws requiring Cherokees to move West, Cherokees fought back challenging Georgia in court, with SCOTUS ruling Cherokees were not a foreign nation with the right to sue in a federal court

Worcester v. Georgia

SCOTUS case that established the principle of tribal sovereignty, ruling that Cherokees were a distinct community with its own territory and that state laws could not apply to them/there

Trail of Tears

Indian Removal Act in action, with in 1838, U.S. army forced 15,000 Cherokees to leave Georgia after Jackson left office

Nullification Crisis

An 1832-1833 confrontation between South Carolina and the Federal Gov over increased tariffs. South Carolina (led by John C. Calhoun) declared the tariffs unconstitutional and void within the state, threatening to secede.  President Jackson opposed this and threatened with military force, but eventually, crisis was resolved through a compromise tariff that gradually lowered that rates

Nicholas Biddle

President of the U.S. National Bank, known for the suspicions towards him that the bank abused it’s power and favored the wealthy, gaining a negative view from Jackson

Two-Party System

Political Framework dominated by 2 major parties that are relatively evenly matched and compete for power in gov

Democrats

Party following the Presidency of Andrew Jackson, with values like social equality, environmental protection, and gov intervention in economy

Whigs

A political party formed in the 19th century, in 1834 by opponents of Andrew Jackson (supports Henry Clay)

Pet Banks

After Jackson striked and withdrew all federal funds from national bank, he transferred funds to various state banks, critics calling “pet banks”

“Log Cabin and Hard Cider” Campaign

Whigs Campaign for William Henry Harrison, trying to defeat MArtin Van Buren in the election 1840. They prioritized Harrison’s humble origin by putting log cabins on wheels and paraded them through cities and towns, also passing out hard cider to workers as they passed through

Romanticism

Writers shifting away from Enlightenment ideas to romanticism, or the idea of intuition, feelings, individual acts of heroism, and the study of nature

Transcendentalists

A 19th-century American philosophical and literary movement led commonly by New England thinkers (Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau)

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well-known transcendentalist who was a very popular American writer and speaker, expressing himself through speeches/lectures and essays valuing individualistic and nationalistic spirit for Americans to create their own culture. Argued for self-reliance, independent thinking, and primacy of spiritual matters over material ones

Henry David Thoreau

Close friend of Emerson, conducted 2 year experiment of living simply in a cabin in the woods. Used nature observations to form/search for universal truths. His writings were published later in his life, leaving him to be remembered as a pioneer ecologist and a conservationists

Brook Farm

Communal experiment launched by George Ripley, a protestant minister, at Brook farm in Massachusetts. Goal of farm was to achieve a more “natural union between intellectual and manual labor.” Debt/big fire led to closure of this experiment, but its remembered for the artistic atmosphere, innovative school, and appeal to New England’s intellectual elite and their children

Utopia

The idea of withdrawing from conventional society to create an ideal community

Margaret Fuller

19th century American journalist, critic, and woman’s right advocate; also an attendee of Brook farm

Oneida Community

Cooperative community in Oneida, Ny, created by John Noyes, in 1848. Dedicated to ideal of perfect social and economic equality, with community members sharing property and marriage partners. Gained controversy with critics attacking “free love” system, but community prospered economically by producing/selling silverware of excellent quality

John Noyes

American utopian socialist and religious leader best known for founding the Oneida Community in NY

Hudson River School

A 19th century art movement of landscape painters, founded by Thomas Cole, that celebrated natural beauty of American landscape, particularly the Hudson River Valley

Second Great Awakening

A religious revival movement (early 1800s) emphasizing personal salvation, emotional preaching, and moral reform. It fueled social reform movements such as abolitionism, temperance, and women’s rights

Charles Finney

A leading evangelical preacher of the Second Great Awakening who promoted the idea of individual salvation through free will and encouraged social reforms

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons)

A new religious movement founded by Joseph Smith in the 1830s; its members faced persecution for their beliefs and later migrated west under Brigham Young to Utah

Joseph Smith

Founder of the Mormon religion; claimed to have received divine revelations recorded in the Book of Mormon. Killed by a mob in 1844

Brigham Young

Successor to Joseph Smith as leader of the Mormons; led the group to the Utah Territory to escape persecution and establish a new community

Temperance

The campaign to limit or ban the consumption of alcohol, reflecting concerns over morality, family stability, and social order

American Temperance Society

Founded in 1826; promoted abstinence from alcohol and became one of the first major reform organizations in the U.S.

Woman’s Christian Temperance Union

Founded in 1874 (after the Civil War); one of the largest women’s organizations of the 19th century advocating for prohibition and women’s rights.

(Relevant as part of the reform legacy of the earlier temperance movement)

Asylum Movement

Reformers sought to improve conditions for the mentally ill by creating state-supported asylums emphasizing rehabilitation rather than punishment

Dorothea Dix

Social reformer who led efforts to establish humane asylums and improve treatment for the mentally ill

Penitentiaries

New prisons created during the reform era to replace harsh jails with facilities aimed at moral reform and rehabilitation of inmates

Horace Mann

“Father of Public Education”; advocated for free, compulsory education, trained teachers, and standardized curriculum

McGuffey Readers

Widely used textbooks in the 19th century that promoted literacy and moral lessons in line with Protestant values

Susan B. Anthony

Women’s rights leader and suffragist who worked for equal rights and co-founded the National Woman Suffrage Association

Abolition

The movement to end slavery in the United States; gained momentum in the 1830s with both black and white activists

William Lloyd Garrison; The Liberator

Radical abolitionist and publisher of The Liberator (1831), which demanded immediate emancipation without compensation to slaveholders

Frederick Douglass; The North Star

Former enslaved man turned leading abolitionist; published The North Star newspaper advocating for emancipation and equality

Harriet Tubman

Escaped enslaved woman who became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, helping hundreds of enslaved people to freedom