antebellum america

Market Revolution

Emergence of a national market economy in 1800s.

Self-sufficiency

Prior lifestyle where Americans produced their own goods.

Transportation Revolution

Advancements making transport cheaper and more efficient.

Turnpikes

Roads that drastically reduced travel times.

Cumberland Road

600-mile road promoting westward expansion and trade.

Steamships

First steam-powered boats, revolutionized river travel.

The Clermont

First steamship launched in 1807, improved trade.

Canals

Artificial waterways reducing travel times and costs.

Erie Canal

Connected NYC to Great Lakes, reduced shipping costs by 95%.

Railroad

Dominant transportation form by mid-1800s, fast and cheap.

Baltimore & Ohio RR

First commercially successful railroad line.

First Industrial Revolution

Textiles were the first industry to industrialize.

Samuel Slater

Brought British textile mill blueprints to the U.S.

Lowell, MA

Famous textile mill employing young women.

Wage Slavery

Poor working conditions with dependence on wages.

Communications Revolution

Advancements allowing rapid communication across distances.

Telegraph

Enabled rapid communication at 16.5 wpm.

Morse Code

System of dots and dashes for telegraph communication.

Transatlantic Cable

Connected U.S. and Europe for faster communication.

Steam Printing Press

Increased newspaper production, making them affordable.

German Immigration

Germans sought opportunity, forming communities in Midwest.

Irish Immigration

Irish fled famine, settled in East Coast cities.

Nativism

Belief in superiority of native-born Americans.

Urbanization

Increase in urban population from 9% to 40% by 1840.

McCormick Reaper

Invented in 1831, increased grain harvesting efficiency.

Atlantic Slave Trade

12 million slaves traded as property, no rights.

Middle Passage

Voyage of enslaved Africans to the Americas.

Bacon's Rebellion

Indentured servants' uprising against Virginia elites.

Cotton Gin

Increased cotton production efficiency, revived slavery.

Domestic Slave Trade

Slaves sold from upper to lower South.

Active Resistance

Violent actions aimed at ending enslavement.

Passive Resistance

Subtle actions to improve conditions within slavery.

Nat Turner's Rebellion

1831 revolt led by Nat Turner, killed 55 whites.

Southern Response to Abolitionism

Manumission outlawed in some states.

Harsher Slave Laws

Laws restricting rights of enslaved and free Blacks.

Gag Rule

Prohibited Congress from debating slavery issues.

Jacksonian America

Era defined by Andrew Jackson's presidency and policies.

Panic of 1837

Severe financial crisis leading to widespread bank closures.

Spoils System

Political patronage system rewarding supporters with jobs.

Nullification Crisis

Conflict over tariff laws and states' rights.

Indian Removal Act

Authorized land exchange for Native American relocation.

Worcester v. Georgia

Supreme Court case supporting Cherokee land rights.

Trail of Tears

Forced relocation of Native Americans, thousands died.

Second Party System

Political competition between Jacksonian Democrats and Whigs.

Second Great Awakening

Religious revival movement promoting Protestant Christianity.

Utopian Communities

Groups seeking ideal societies, like the Shakers.

Temperance Movement

Campaign to reduce alcohol consumption for societal improvement.

Women's Rights Movement

Advocacy for gender equality and women's suffrage.

Seneca Falls Convention

First women's rights convention in 1848.

Abolitionist Movement

Campaign aimed at ending slavery in the U.S.

William Lloyd Garrison

Abolitionist leader advocating immediate end to slavery.

Frederick Douglass

Escaped slave and prominent abolitionist speaker.

Harriet Tubman

Conductor of the Underground Railroad, freed many slaves.

John Brown

Radical abolitionist who used violence against slavery.

Northwest Ordinance

Established process for admitting new states and slavery limits.

Missouri Compromise

Balanced slave and free states at 36°30' parallel.

Manifest Destiny

Belief in America's divine right to expand westward.

Texas Revolution

Conflict leading to Texas independence from Mexico.

Battle of San Jacinto

Decisive battle securing Texas independence.

Mexican-American War

Conflict initiated by U.S. expansionist policies.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

Ended Mexican-American War, U.S. gained vast territories.