U.S. History: Westward Expansion, Native American Conflicts, Populism, and Reconstruction

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key terms, historical dates, legislation, and notable events from 19th-century American history notes.

Buffalo

The primary animal used by Native Americans that formed a central part of their culture.

Sand Creek Massacre (1864)

An 1864 attack in which U.S. soldiers killed more than a hundred Native Americans, predominantly women, children, and the elderly.

Crazy Horse

One of the fiercest Sioux warriors who fought against General Custer.

Battle of Little Bighorn

Conflict in which Crazy Horse faced Custer, resulting in the deaths of Custer and all 267 of his men from the Seventh Cavalry.

Battle of Wounded Knee

The last notable armed conflict between U.S. troops and Native Americans, which occurred in December 1890.

The Grange

An organization designed to provide an educational forum and social outlet for isolated farm families; Grangers used their voting power to pressure for reduced railroad rates to haul goods to market.

Exodusters

African Americans who moved to the West after Reconstruction.

John Deere

Inventor who created the first steel plow in 1837.

Cyrus McCormick

Inventor who mass-produced a reaping machine in 1847.

Sod Houses

Houses constructed out of strips of sod grass with dirt attached.

Indian Removal Act of 1830

Legislation under President Jackson where Congress negotiated treaties that forced Native Americans to move west.

Trail of Tears

The forced relocation of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the nation following the Indian Removal Act.

Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851)

An 1851 treaty where Native American groups agreed to live in certain territories in exchange for the U.S. government's promise that those lands would permanently belong to them.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that it was America's destiny to expand from coast to coast, motivating settlers to move west for land, gold, and opportunities.

Pacific Railway Act

Legislation providing for the construction of a transcontinental railroad connecting the U.S. from coast to coast.

Union Pacific Railroad Company

Railroad company that built track extending from east to west.

Central Pacific Railroad Company

Railroad company that built track extending from west to east.

Homestead Act

Law granting 100 acres of free land to U.S. citizens if they agreed to cultivate it for 8 years.

Oklahoma Land Rush (1889)

An event in 1889 when the U.S. government opened Native American lands to homesteading settlers.

Morrill Land Grant Act

Legislation giving funds to establish agricultural and mechanical colleges out west.

Populism

A political movement created to increase farmers' political power and pass laws in their interest.

Interstate Commerce Act

The first federal law passed to regulate business practices; prohibited railroads from charging different freight rates for equal distances or charging more for short hauls than long hauls.

Interstate Commerce Commission

A agency created by Congress to oversee and enforce the Interstate Commerce Act.

Cross of Gold Speech

A famous speech by William Jennings Bryan denouncing the gold standard and calling for silver coinage to lower dollar value and raise the price of goods.

15th Amendment

Reconstruction amendment declaring that the right of U.S. citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Ku Klux Klan

A secret Southern group founded by Confederate veterans to fight against Reconstruction.

Literacy Test

A voting barrier designed to prevent African Americans from voting by requiring predominantly uneducated individuals to prove reading and writing ability.

Poll Taxes

Special Reconstruction-era taxes enacted in the South requiring individuals to pay a fee in order to vote.

Grandfather Clause

A voting restriction law stating that a citizen could vote only if his grandfather had been eligible to vote.

Racial Segregation

Laws that mandated the separation of Black and White people in public venues including schools, railroads, and restaurants.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

An 1896 U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding Jim Crow laws under the doctrine of 'separate but equal'.