APUSH review terms (ALL units)

Critical content from the college board. you should be able to define each term and explain why it is significant within its time period.

Iroquois Confederacy

A political alliance of six Native American tribes in the northeastern United States that was formed for mutual protection and to promote peace among its members. It played a significant role in the colonial politics of North America.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World following Christopher Columbus's voyages.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian explorer whose voyages to the Americas in 1492 opened the way for the widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas.

Hernando Cortes

A Spanish conquistador known for leading the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and for claiming large portions of Mexico for Spain.

Encomienda system

A labor system in Spanish colonies where colonists were granted the right to demand labor from indigenous people in exchange for protection and Christian teaching.

Bartelome De Las Casas

A Spanish missionary who wrote about the not-so-christian treatment of the natives. When Isabella & Ferdinand heard of this they issued orders to reconcile it, but people didn’t really change anything

Cash crop: tobacco

cotton wasn’t the main cash crop until the cotton gin (invented 1793) was popularized in the mid 18th century. Before that tobacco bolstered the economy of the southern colonies and used slave labor

Indentured servants

Individuals who worked for about 7 years in exchange for passage to the New World, typically receiving land or money upon completion of their service.

Maize

VERY IMPORTANT to native nutrition and culture! corn. three sisters = corn beans and squash.

“Black Legend”

in the 16th century other european nations wanted to undermine spain’s power. They spread anti-spanish and anti-catholic stuff surrounding all the horrible sh-t they were doing in the americas (rightfully lmao)

French fur trappers

French explorers and traders who engaged in the fur trade with Native Americans in North America during the 17th and 18th centuries. they married natives sometimes to get trade alliances

John Winthrop “Model of Christian Charity”

A famous sermon delivered by John Winthrop in 1630, outlining the ideals of the Puritan community in America and emphasizing the concept of America as a "city upon a hill" that would serve as a model for others.

John Smith

An English soldier and explorer known for his role in the establishment of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America, and for his interactions with Native Americans, particularly Pocahontas.

William Bradford “Mayflower Compact”

A foundational document signed in 1620 by the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, establishing a government for the Plymouth Colony based on majority rule and democratic principles. didn’t have three branches or none of that but it was significant because it foreshadowed the constitution by placing the power to govern in the PEOPLE, not god

Roger Williams

A Puritan minister and founder of Rhode Island, known for advocating religious freedom and the separation of church and state.

Great Migration

The period in the 1630s when a large number of Puritans emigrated from England to North America seeking religious freedom and economic opportunities.

King Philip’s (Metacom’s) War

A conflict between New England colonists and Native American tribes, particularly the Wampanoag, in the 1670s that was driven by territorial disputes and resulted in significant casualties (I HATE THIS ONE its the one she showed us where they put his f-cking head on a stick and paraded it around)

Salem Witch Trials

between 1692 and 1693 in massachusetts. 25 total died 19 were hung. also that weird guy was pressed to death lol? oh yeah uhh they were puritans and believed in the devil… older or minority women were accused.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan spiritual leader in colonial Massachusetts who challenged the established religious authorities and advocated for individual interpretation of the Bible, leading to her trial and banishment from the colony.

Middle Passage

The sea journey undertaken by slave ships from West Africa to the Americas, central to the transatlantic slave trade. It was notorious for its brutal conditions and high mortality rates among enslaved Africans.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A 1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against the colonial government, driven by grievances over land policies and lack of protection from Native American attacks. sped up the switch from indentured servants to African slaves!

Slave codes

Laws enacted in the American colonies to define the status of enslaved people and establish rules for their treatment, often severely restricting their rights and freedoms. following the Stono Revolt slaves weren’t allowed to read & write or leave their plantation

Stono Rebellion

A 1739 slave uprising in South Carolina on the Stono river, slaves raided an arms shop and shot like 20 white people. more slaved joined as they went along, they might have been trying to get to florida where the Spanish were offering freedom. squashed and led to stricter slave codes.

First Great Awakening

a religious revival movement in the early 18th century that emphasized personal faith, emotional preaching, and the idea of rebirth in Christ, which led to an increase in denominational diversity and a questioning of traditional authority.

Itinerant preachers: George Whitefield & Jonathan Edwards

They were prominent figures during the First Great Awakening, known for their dynamic preaching styles that inspired religious fervor and revivalism across the American colonies.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority, influencing political thought and the foundation of the United States. think John Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Voltaire

Navigation Acts

17th and 18th century English laws to strengthen mercantilism, the colonies could only trade with england. but during the period of salutary neglect these weren’t really enforced (Admiralty courts who handled it tended to favor the colonies) and england didn’t gaf because it strengthened the economy of the colonies.

Pueblo Revolt

A successful uprising by Native American Pueblo people against Spanish colonizers in 1680, aiming to reclaim their lands and culture after years of oppression. It resulted in the temporary expulsion of Spanish settlers from present-day New Mexico.

Salutary neglect

The British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws in the American colonies, allowing them to develop independently and fostering a sense of autonomy.

French and Indian War (1754 - 1763)

A conflict between Britain and France in North America, part of the global Seven Years' War, that resulted in British territorial gains but also significant debt, leading to increased taxation of the American colonies. ended the period of salutary neglect.

Albany Plan for Union (1754)

A proposal by Benjamin Franklin to unify the colonies for better defense and cooperation during the French and Indian War. Failed bc taxes.

Proclamation Line (1763)

A boundary established by Britain that prohibited American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains following the French and Indian War, aimed at reducing conflicts with Native Americans.

Sons and Daughters of Liberty

anti-british organizations 1760s-early 1770s in response to stamp & Townshend acts and pre revolutionary period. they boycotted by making their own cloth and picking their own tea etc, did Boston tea party.

Stamp Act

A 1765 British law that imposed a direct tax on the colonies requiring them to use specially stamped paper for legal documents, newspapers, and other publications, leading to widespread protest and resistance.

Actual v. Virtual Representation

Britain said the parliament represents ALL british citizens so the colonists were represented by their class. the colonists thought they should be represented by location and stuff and they didn’t buy that.

Townshend Duties

A series of laws passed in 1767 placing taxes on imported goods such as glass, paper, paint, and tea, leading to further colonial opposition and unrest.

Boston Massacre

An incident in 1770 where British soldiers killed five colonists during a confrontation, escalating tensions between Britain and the American colonies.

Tea Act

A 1773 law allowing the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies, undermining local merchants and igniting colonial protest.

Intolerable Acts/Coercive Acts

A series of punitive laws passed in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party, aimed at consolidating British control over the colonies and limiting self-governance.

Stamp Act Congress

A gathering of representatives from various colonies in 1765 to organize opposition to the Stamp Act, which imposed direct taxes on printed materials. Still wanted to be British citizens atp

First Continental Congress

A 1774 meeting of delegates from the colonists to protest policies like the intolerable Acts. Wanted resolution in the existing government, the first Congress didn’t want independence.

Declaration of Independence

A document adopted in 1776 that proclaimed the colonies' separation from Britain, outlining grievances against King George III and affirming the colonies' right to self-govern.

George Washington’s Farewell Address

A letter written by George Washington in 1796 advising against political parties and foreign alliances, emphasizing national unity.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, creating a weak national government that was ultimately replaced by the Constitution in 1789.

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

A law that established a method for admitting new states to the Union from the Northwest Territory and set the framework for future governance of these territories.

Shays Rebellion

A 1786-1787 uprising in Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays and other farmers protesting economic injustices and lack of government response, highlighting the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Great Compromise (1787)

Virginia Plan: proposed by Madison, bicameral legislature where representation in BOTH houses was based on population. Favored by larger states

New Jersey Plan: Unicameral with equal representation. favored by small states

In the Constitutional Convention they compromised to make a bicameral legislature, one house based on population (house of reps) and one equal (senate)

⅗ Compromise

An agreement during the 1787 Constitutional Convention that counted each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for purposes of taxation and representation, balancing the interests of slave and free states.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution who favored stronger state governments and were concerned about the potential for government overreach and the lack of a Bill of Rights.

Federalists: Jay, Hamilton, Madison

Supporters of the Constitution who advocated for a strong national government and believed in the need for a centralized authority to maintain order and protect individual liberties.

Democratic-Republicans

A political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early 19th century, opposing Federalist policies and advocating for agrarian (farmers!) interests, states' rights, and strict interpretation of the Constitution.

Hamilton’s Economic Plan

1791 A series of measures proposed by Alexander Hamilton aimed at stabilizing the American economy, including the establishment of a national bank, the assumption of state debts, and the promotion of manufacturing. it worked really well

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws passed in 1798 aimed at restricting immigration and limiting free speech, targeting opposition to the Federalist government.

Whiskey Rebellion

An uprising in 1794 by farmers in Pennsylvania protesting the federal excise tax on whiskey, which was seen as unjust and discriminatory against rural citizens because they just liked their whiskey that much I guess. —> deepend political polarization and fueled support for the democratic-republican party

Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions

Political statements drafted in 1798 and 1799 asserting that states could nullify federal laws they deemed unconstitutional, in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts.

“Republican Motherhood”

A 19th-century belief that women had a role in shaping the nation by raising virtuous citizens, emphasizing the importance of education for women in promoting a republican society.

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense

A pamphlet published in 1776 that argued for American independence from Britain and promoted the idea of self-governance. Locke, Voltaire, Rousseau etc were read by the elite, not by common people. Paine wrote in common language that everyone could understand & it was a really popular pamphlet

Louisiana Purchase

A land acquisition by the United States from France in 1803, which doubled the size of the nation and facilitated westward expansion.

Marbury v. Madison

A landmark Supreme Court case in 1803 that established the principle of JUDICIAL REVIEW, allowing the Court to deem laws unconstitutional.

Missouri Compromise

An agreement passed in 1820 that aimed to maintain the balance of power between free and slave states by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

Monroe Doctrine

A U.S. foreign policy statement made in 1823 that opposed European colonialism in the Americas and warned against foreign intervention.

Hartford Convention

A series of meetings held in 1814-1815 by New England Federalists to discuss grievances against the War of 1812 (between Britain and U.S.) and the political power of the federal government. Originally wanted to succeed, but ultimately focused on amendments to limit federal power and strengthen state powers.

Henry Clay’s American System

An economic plan proposed in the early 19th century that aimed to unite the nation through protective tariffs, a national bank, and internal improvements such as roads and canals.

Cotton gin

A machine invented by Eli Whitney in 1793 that mechanized the process of separating cotton fibers from seeds, significantly increasing cotton production and affecting the economy and slavery in the South.

“Black belt”

A term referring to a region in the southern United States characterized by its rich, dark soil, conducive to cotton cultivation, and noted for its high concentration of enslaved African Americans during the 19th century.

Lowell Mills

19th-century textile mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, established in the early 19th century that employed young women, known as "mill girls," and were key to the industrial revolution in America. Industrial Revolution

Nativism

A political policy or philosophy that promotes the interests and culture of native-born inhabitants over those of immigrants, often leading to discrimination and anti-immigrant sentiment.

Know-Nothing Party

A political party in the United States during the 1850s that opposed immigration and the influence of immigrants in society, particularly targeting Irish Catholic immigrants.

Tariff of “Abominations”

A controversial tariff passed in 1828 that raised duties on imported goods, favoring Northern industries while angering Southern states, leading to significant economic and political tensions.

Indian Removal Act

A law signed by Andrew Jackson in 1830 that authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to designated Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River, resulting in the Trail of Tears.

Jackson’s Bank Veto

A pivotal moment in 1832 when President Andrew Jackson vetoed the recharter of the Second Bank of the United States, arguing it was an instrument of the elite that harmed common citizens and was unconstitutional.

2nd Great Awakening

A religious revival movement in the early 19th century that emphasized individual religiousness and emotional revival, leading to widespread social reforms and the growth of various religious denominations.

Temperance reform

A social movement in the 19th century advocating for the reduction or prohibition of alcohol consumption, aimed at improving society by reducing crime and domestic violence.

The Liberator

A radical abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison in 1831, advocating for the immediate emancipation of enslaved people and promoting anti-slavery sentiment.

William Lloyd Garrison

Guy who wrote The Liberator, he was an abolitionist, women’s rights activist, prohibitionist, civil rights activist

Abolition

A movement to end slavery and secure freedom for enslaved people, it gained significant momentum in the early to mid-19th century.

Declaration of Sentiments

A document signed in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Convention, outlining the rights women should be entitled to as citizens, modeled after the Declaration of Independence.

Manifest Destiny

19th century idea that it’s our god-ordained dudy/right to expand west and spread protestant Christianity and ‘MERICAN-ness

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The 1848 treaty that ended the Mexican-American War, ceding a large portion of Mexico's northern territory to the United States.

“King Cotton”

A term used in the 19th century to describe the Southern economy's reliance on cotton production and its influence on American politics and society.

Compromise of 1850

5 laws to address slavery in the territory we got from the Mexican-American war: admitted California as a free state, banned slave trade in Washington DC, made Utah & New Mexico (where slavery was decided by popular vote), passed Fugitive Slave Act, made Texas border

Kansas-Nebraska Act

1854, made Kansas & Nebraska. Slavery was decided by popular vote —> bleeding Kansas

Dred Scott decision

Scott resided in Illinois (free state above the 36°30’ line) and tried to sue for his freedom. Dred Scott v. Sandford ruled that no black person, slave or free, was a U.S. citizen, and therefore couldn’t sue in court. It also ruled that the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was unconstitutional

Fugitive Slave Act

Part of the Compromise of 1850, this law required that escaped slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were found in free states. It imposed strict penalties on those who aided runaway slaves.

“Bleeding Kansas”

After the Kansas-Nebraska Act pro- and anti-slavery settlers immediately began moving into Kansas to vote. many violent confrontations and murders, really bad not good, guns, boom bang, lots of blood that’s why its called bleeding

Election 1860

the presidential election that resulted in Abraham Lincoln's victory, leading to increased tensions between the North and South.

Secession

The formal withdrawal of Southern states from the Union following Lincoln's election, leading to the Civil War.

“Emancipation Proclamation”

An executive order by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, that allowed formerly enslaved people to join the union army

“Gettysburg Address”

A speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, emphasizing liberty, equality, and the sacrifices made in the Civil War.

Battle of Antietam

The bloodiest single-day battle in American history, fought on September 17, 1862, during the Civil War, leading to a strategic victory for the Union.

Civil Rights Act, 1866

Legislation that granted citizenship and equal rights to all persons born in the United States, including formerly enslaved individuals, and aimed to protect their civil rights. So it defined US citizens as people born in the US

Freedmen’s Bureau

A federal agency established in 1865 to assist formerly enslaved individuals by providing food, housing, education, and legal support during the Reconstruction era.

Civil War Amendments: 13, 14, 15 Amendments

These amendments abolished slavery, granted citizenship, and protected voting rights for all citizens, respectively.

Enforcement Act, 1870

Legislation aimed at enforcing the voting rights guaranteed by the 15th Amendment, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting and outlined penalties for those who infringed upon these rights. Didn’t really work as you would imagine

Black Codes

Laws enacted in the South after the Civil War designed to restrict the freedoms of African Americans and maintain white supremacy.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist group formed in the South after the Civil War that aimed to oppose Reconstruction efforts and maintain white dominance through intimidation and violence against African Americans and their allies.

Plessy v. Ferguson

Plessy was suing segregation on rail cars. landmark 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine, reinforcing Jim Crow laws.

“Compromise 1876”

Hayes narrowly defeated Tilden in the election. He agreed to end reconstruction and withdraw federal troops from the South in exchange for recognition of his presidency.

Battle of Wounded Knee

1890 bloody confrontation between U.S. troops and the Sioux, resulting in the death of many Native Americans. Marked the end of the Indian Wars.

Homestead Act, 1862

Law that provided 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee, promoting westward expansion.