AP U.S. History Vocab Period 4

Thomas Jefferson (4.2)

Definition: 3rd U.S. president, Democratic-Republican leader. Significance: Advocated limited government, carried out the Louisiana Purchase, and reduced national debt and military.

Louisiana Purchase (4.2)

Definition: Land deal between U.S. and France that doubled U.S. territory. Significance: Expanded western land, increased Jefferson power, and raised constitutional debate over strict vs. loose interpretation.

Aaron Burr (4.2)

Definition: Jefferson’s VP, involved in political scandals and a duel with Alexander Hamilton. Significance: Symbolized rising political tensions + internal conflict within the country.

Lewis and Clark Expedition (4.2)

Definition: Exploration mission sent by Jefferson to map the Louisiana Territory. Significance: Provided geographic knowledge and strengthened U.S. claims to the West

John Marshall (4.2)

Definition: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1801–1835). Significance: Strengthened the federal government and established judicial authority.

Judicial Review (4.2)

Definition: Power of the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional. Significance: Increased judicial branch influence over federal policy

Marbury v. Madison (4.2)

Definition: Supreme Court case establishing judicial review. Significance: Asserted judicial power over Congress and the president

McCulloch v. Maryland (4.2)

Definition: Court ruled states cannot tax federal institutions. Significance: Confirmed implied powers and federal supremacy over states.

Dartmouth College v. Woodward (4.2)

Definition: Case protecting private contracts from state interference. Significance: Encouraged economic development and corporate growth

Gibbons v. Ogden (4.2)

Definition: Case ruling that only the federal government controls interstate commerce. Significance: Expanded federal regulatory power

Era of Good Feelings (4.3)

Definition: Period of political unity following the War of 1812 during Monroe’s presidency. Significance: Marked by nationalism but also contained growing sectional tensions

James Monroe (4.3)

Definition: 5th U.S. president known for nationalism and the Monroe Doctrine. Significance: Presided over the Era of Good Feelings

Henry Clay (4.3, 4.4, 4.8)

Definition: Congressman known as “The Great Compromiser.” Significance: Proposed the American System and helped negotiate major compromises like the Missouri Compromise

American System (4.3)

Definition: Clay’s proposal for national economic growth: tariffs, internal improvements, and a national bank. Significance: Promoted economic independence and sectional unity

Bank of the United States (4.3, 4.8)

Definition: National financial institution created to stabilize the economy. Significance: Controversial symbol of federal power.

Panic of 1819 (4.3)

Definition: First major U.S. economic depression caused by land speculation and bank policies. Significance: Increased distrust of the national bank and hurt Western

Missouri Compromise (4.3)

Definition: Agreement admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as free, banning slavery north of 36°30'. Significance: Temporarily eased sectional conflict over slavery

John C. Calhoun (4.4, 4.8)

Definition: Southern politician and supporter of states’ rights and slavery. Significance: Led pro-slavery resistance and supported nullification

Hartford Convention (4.4)

Definition: Federalist meeting protesting War of 1812 and discussing secession. Significance: Led to the collapse of the Federalist Party

Tecumseh (4.4)

Definition: Shawnee leader who tried to unite Native American tribes against U.S. expansion. Significance: His resistance symbolized Native efforts to stop American encroachment

William Henry Harrison (4.4)

Definition: U.S. general who defeated Tecumseh’s forces. Significance: Gained national fame leading to future presidency

Battle of Tippecanoe (4.4)

Definition: Clash between Harrison and Native forces. Significance: Weakened Native resistance in the Northwest Territory

Napoleon Bonaparte (4.4)

Definition: French leader whose wars affected American neutrality and trade. Significance: His actions led to U.S. foreign policy tensions like the Embargo Act

Barbary Pirates (4.4)

Definition: North African pirates who demanded tribute from U.S. ships. Significance: Jefferson sent the navy, showing U.S. willingness to defend trade

Impressment (4.4)

Definition: British practice of capturing American sailors and forcing them into service. Significance: Major cause of the War of 1812

Chesapeake-Leopard Affair (4.4)

Definition: British ship attacked U.S.S. Chesapeake. Significance: Increased calls for war against Britain

Embargo Act (4.4)

Definition: Jefferson’s ban on all foreign trade to avoid war. Significance: Hurt U.S. economy and angered merchants

James Madison (4.4)

Definition: 4th president; led U.S. during War of 1812. Significance: Continued Jeffersonian policies but struggled with wartime leadership

Nonintercourse Act (4.4)

Definition: Replaced Embargo Act; reopened trade with all except Britain and France. Significance: Only slightly improved economy

War of 1812 (4.4)

Definition: Conflict between U.S. and Britain over impressment and frontier issues. Significance: Increased nationalism but ended in a tie

Andrew Jackson (4.4, 4.8)

Definition: War hero in Battle of New Orleans; future president. Significance: Symbol of frontier strength and “common man” politics

Battle of New Orleans (4.4)

Definition: Major U.S. victory after the war officially ended. Significance: Boosted American pride and Jackson’s reputation

Treaty of Ghent (4.4)

Definition: Ended War of 1812 with no major territorial changes. Significance: Restored pre-war conditions

Monroe Doctrine (4.4)

Definition: Declared Western Hemisphere closed to European colonization. Significance: Asserted U.S. influence in the Americas

Francis Scott Key (4.4)

Definition: Wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” during War of 1812. Significance: Symbol of American patriotism

Erie Canal (4.5)

Definition: Waterway connecting Great Lakes to the Atlantic. Significance: Lowered shipping costs and boosted western trade

Robert Fulton; Steamboats (4.5)

Definition: Inventor who popularized steam-powered boats. Significance: Revolutionized river transportation and trade efficiency

John Humphrey Noyes (4.9)

Definition: Founder of the Oneida Community; promoted “complex marriage” and communal living. Significance: Example of experimentation during the reform era. Challenged traditional American values like marriage and property.

Oneida Community (4.9)

Definition: Utopian religious community in New York founded by John Noyes. Significance: Practiced communal child-rearing, shared property, and nontraditional marriage; later became known for silverware production — showed innovation and social experimentation.

Transcendentalists (4.9)

Definition: Philosophical movement emphasizing personal intuition, nature, and spiritual self-reliance over materialism. Significance: Inspired American literature and reform movements; pushed individualism and resistance to conformity.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (4.9)

Definition: Leading transcendentalist writer and lecturer. Significance: Encouraged Americans to create their own cultural identity; ideas fueled reform and abolitionist movements.

Henry David Thoreau

Definition: Transcendentalist author who lived simply in nature (Walden) and argued for peaceful protest against unjust laws ("Civil Disobedience"). Significance: Inspired future civil rights leaders like Gandhi and MLK Jr.; major voice for individual conscience and anti-materialism.

Brook Farm (4.9)

Definition: Transcendentalist utopian community combining farm work with artistic and intellectual pursuits. Significance: Reflected desire to balance labor and leisure; the collapse highlighted difficulty of sustaining idealistic communities.

Margaret Fuller (4.9)

Definition: Writer and feminist associated with transcendentalism; editor of The Dial. Significance: Early advocate for women’s rights and gender equality, helped shape women’s role in reform movements.

Hudson River School (4.9)

Definition: Mid-19th-century art movement focusing on romanticized landscapes of the American wilderness. Significance: Represented nationalism and belief in Manifest Destiny; celebrated nature as uniquely American identity.

Railroads (4.5)

Definition: New form of transportation using steam-powered locomotives. Significance: Revolutionized travel and trade by connecting distant regions; boosted industrialization and westward expansion.

Telegraph (4.5)

Definition: Communication system invented by Samuel Morse using electrical signals. Significance: Allowed instant long-distance communication; unified markets and improved coordination of business and transportation.

Eli Whitney; Interchangeable Parts (4.5, 4.13)

Definition: Whitney’s system where machine parts were standardized and interchangeable. Significance: Made mass production possible and increased industrial efficiency; key to modern manufacturing.

Factory System (4.5)

Definition: system brings workers and machines together in one location to produce goods. Significance: Marked the shift from home-based work to industrial labor; transformed the U.S. economy and labor force.

Lowell System; Textile Mills (4.5)

Definition: A Factory model in Massachusetts that employed young women under strict supervision. Significance: Gave women new economic opportunities but also harsh conditions; symbolized the rise of industrial America.

Cotton Gin (4.5)

Definition: Eli Whitney’s invention that quickly separated cotton fibers from seeds. Significance: Boosted cotton production and southern economy, but also expanded slavery in the South.

Market Revolution (4.5)

Definition: Economic transformation in early 1800s from local to national markets. Significance: Fueled by new transportation and communication; increased industrialization, wage labor, and regional specialization.

Common Man (4.7)

Definition: Political ideal celebrating ordinary white men’s political participation under Jacksonian Democracy. Significance: Shifted politics away from elites; expanded democracy for white men but excluded women and minorities.

Universal White Male Suffrage (4.7)

Definition: Voting rights extended to all white men, regardless of property ownership. Significance: Increased voter participation and democratic involvement during the Jacksonian Era.

Party Nominating Convention (4.7)

Definition: Meetings where party delegates chose candidates instead of party leaders. Significance: Made the nomination process more democratic and gave voters more influence.

“King Caucus” (4.7)

Definition: Old system where party leaders in Congress chose presidential candidates. Significance: Replaced by nominating conventions; symbolized move toward greater political democracy.

Popular Election of President (4.7)

Definition: Shift allowing voters to choose presidential electors. Significance: Empowered citizens and reflected the growing democratic spirit

Anti-Masonic Party (4.7)

Definition: First third party in the U.S.; opposed secret societies like the Freemasons. Significance: Introduced party conventions and broader political participation; appealed to working-class and religious voters.

Workingmen’s Party (4.7)

Definition: Early labor-oriented political party advocating for workers’ rights. Significance: Reflected class tensions from industrialization and early labor movement growth.

Popular Campaigning (4.7)

Definition: Use of parades, rallies, and slogans to appeal directly to voters. Significance: Made politics more inclusive and emotional but also less focused on issues.

Spoils System (4.7)

Definition: Practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs. Significance: Expanded under Andrew Jackson; increased party loyalty but also corruption.

Indian Removal Act (4.8)

Definition: Law authorizing relocation of Native Americans west of the Mississippi River. Significance: Led to forced removals and suffering, most notably the Trail of Tears.

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (4.8)

Definition: Supreme Court ruled Cherokee were a “domestic dependent nation,” not a foreign one. Significance: Limited Native American legal standing and sovereignty.

Worcester v. Georgia (4.8)

Definition: Court ruled Georgia laws had no authority in Cherokee territory. Significance: Jackson ignored ruling, showing limits of judicial power against the executive.

Trail of Tears (4.8)

Definition: Forced march of Cherokee from Georgia to Oklahoma; thousands died. Significance: Symbolized U.S. government’s brutal Indian removal policy.

Nicholas Biddle (4.8)

Definition: President of the Second Bank of the U.S. during Jackson’s presidency. Significance: His conflict with Jackson over the Bank symbolized struggle between federal power and democracy.

Martin Van Buren (4.8)

Definition: Jackson’s VP and later president. Significance: Inherited economic depression (Panic of 1837) when he was POTUS; defended Jacksonian policies.

John Quincy Adams (4.8)

Definition: 6th U.S. President (1825–1829); advocate of strong national government. Significance: His election after the “corrupt bargain” hurt his legitimacy and split political parties.

“Corrupt Bargain” (4.8)

Definition: 1824 deal allegedly between Adams and Clay to secure presidency for Adams. Significance: Angered Jackson’s supporters; led to rise of Jacksonian Democrats.

Revolution of 1828 (4.8)

Definition: Election where Andrew Jackson defeated John Quincy Adams. Significance: Marked shift toward popular democracy and the “common man.”

States’ Rights (4.8)

Definition: Belief that states have authority over the federal government in certain matters. Significance: Central issue in the nullification crisis and southern defense of slavery.

Nullification Crisis (4.8)

Definition: South Carolina’s attempt to nullify federal tariffs; challenged federal authority. Significance: Jackson defended the Union; crisis highlighted tensions over federal vs. state power.

Two-Party System (4.8)

Definition: Political system dominated by Democrats and Whigs in the 1830s–1850s. Significance: Created new political alignments and voter participation.

Democrats (4.8)

Definition: Party led by Andrew Jackson; favored limited government and states’ rights. Significance: Represented “common man” and opposed the national bank and elite privilege.

Whigs (4.8)

Definition: Party led by Henry Clay; favored strong federal government and industrial development.

Significance: Formed in opposition to Jackson’s policies; supported modernization and the American System.

“Log Cabin and Hard Cider” Campaign (4.8)

Definition: 1840 Whig campaign promoting William Henry Harrison as a “man of the people.” Significance: Used mass marketing and imagery to win voters, modernized version of campaigning.