Untitled Flashcards Set

Abraham Lincoln

16th President of the United States who led the country during the Civil War.

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States during the Civil War.

"the Contrabands"

Term used during the Civil War to describe escaped slaves who sought protection behind Union lines.

Radical Republicans

A faction within the Republican Party during the Civil War and Reconstruction that advocated for the abolition of slavery and the protection of African American rights.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 that freed slaves in the Confederate states.

Second American Revolution

Refers to the significant social and political changes that occurred in the United States as a result of the Civil War.

Homestead Act

A law passed in 1862 that provided 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee in exchange for a pledge to live on and improve the land for five years.

transcontinental railroad

A railroad that spans across the continent, specifically the first one completed in the United States in 1869 connecting the east and west coasts.

The U.S.-Dakota War

A conflict in 1862 between the United States and several bands of the eastern Sioux, or Dakota, tribe.

Sand Creek Massacre

An incident in 1864 in which a Colorado territory militia attacked and killed a large group of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians.

Navajo Long Walk

The forced relocation of the Navajo people in the 1860s, resulting in thousands being marched to a designated reservation.

Sanitary Fairs

Fundraising events held during the Civil War to support Union soldiers, featuring exhibitions, bazaars, and various activities.

"King Cotton Diplomacy"

The Confederate strategy during the Civil War to leverage their cotton exports as a means to gain diplomatic recognition and support from Britain and France.

Robert E. Lee

General of the Confederate Army known for his leadership during the Civil War.

Ulysses S. Grant

General of the Union Army who later became the 18th President of the United States.

Battle of Gettysburg

A significant battle fought in July 1863 that marked a turning point in the Civil War in favor of the Union.

Sea Islands experiment

A Union-held territory where former enslaved people were employed for labor and educated during the Civil War.

Ten-Percent Plan of Reconstruction

A proposal by Abraham Lincoln stating that a southern state could reenter the Union once 10% of its voters swore an oath of allegiance.

Wade-Davis Bill

A bill proposed in 1864 that sought to impose stricter terms for Southern states' reentry into the Union; it was pocket-vetoed by Lincoln.

Thirteenth Amendment

An amendment to the United States Constitution that abolished slavery in 1865.

Appomattox Courthouse

The site where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the Civil War.

"Cotton is king"

A phrase reflecting the economic and political power of the cotton industry in the Antebellum South.

Second Middle Passage

The forced relocation and sale of hundreds of thousands of enslaved people within the United States, particularly from the Upper South to the Deep South.

paternalism

An attitude or policy of treating others in a manner similar to a father dealing with his children, often used in the context of slavery.

proslavery argument

Reasons and justifications used to support the institution of slavery.

Underground Railroad

A secret network of routes and safe houses used by enslaved people to escape to free states and Canada.

Harriet Tubman

An important figure in the Underground Railroad who helped many enslaved people to freedom.

Nat Turner

An enslaved man who led a violent slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831.

Temperance movement

A social movement advocating for the reduction or prohibition of alcohol consumption.

Common schools

Publicly funded schools that were common in the 19th century aimed at providing basic education to all children.

American Colonization Society

An organization founded in 1816 to promote the migration of free African Americans to Africa.

American Anti-Slavery Society

An organization founded in 1833 that aimed to end slavery in the United States.

Birthright citizenship

A legal right to citizenship for all persons born in a country's territory.

Woman suffrage

The right of women to vote in elections.

The Grimké sisters

Sarah and Angelina Grimké, prominent abolitionists and advocates for women's rights in the 19th century.

Feminism

A movement for the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of equality for the sexes.

Self-ownership

The concept where individuals have ownership of their own bodies and the right to make decisions about their personal life.

Texas revolt

The rebellion of colonists in Texas against Mexican rule in the early 1830s.

Mexican War

The conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848, resulting in significant territorial gains for the U.S.

Gold rush

A period of rapid migration of people to an area where gold has been discovered, notably the California Gold Rush of 1849.

Commodore Matthew Perry

A United States Navy officer known for his role in opening up Japan to the West through negotiations in the mid-1800s.

Wilmot Proviso

An unsuccessful proposal to ban slavery in territory acquired from Mexico.

Free Soil Party

A political party formed in 1848 that opposed the expansion of slavery into the western territories.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws aimed at easing tensions between slave and free states, including the admission of California as a free state.

Fugitive Slave Act

Laws that provided for the return of enslaved people who escaped to free states.

Popular sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, which created a loose confederation of sovereign states.

Ordinance of 1784

A law that established a process for admitting new states to the Union from the Northwest Territory.

Ordinance of 1785

A law that set up a system for surveying and selling land in the Northwest Territory.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

A law that established a government for the Northwest Territory and outlined a process for admitting new states.

empire of liberty

The idea that America was tasked with spreading democracy and freedom.

Shay’s Rebellion

An uprising in 1786-1787 by discontented farmers in Massachusetts protesting high taxes.

Constitutional Convention

The gathering that drafted the Constitution of the United States in 1787.

Virginia Plan

A proposal for a stronger national government with a bicameral legislature, favored by larger states.

New Jersey Plan

A proposal to create a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state, favored by smaller states.

federalism

A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.

division of powers

The separation of governmental powers into distinct branches.

checks and balances

A system that ensures that no one branch of government becomes too powerful.

separation of powers

The division of the responsibilities of government into distinct branches to prevent abuse of power.

The Federalist

A series of essays advocating for the ratification of the Constitution.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the ratification of the Constitution who favored stronger state governments.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, guaranteeing individual liberties.

Treaty of Greenville

A treaty signed in 1795 that ended the Northwest Indian War and ceded lands to the U.S.

annuity system

A financial arrangement in which payments are made to Native American tribes in exchange for land.

assimilation

The process by which a person or group adopts the cultural norms of another group.

gradual emancipation

A policy for the gradual freeing of enslaved individuals, often with a set timetable.

Notes on the State of Virginia

A book written by Thomas Jefferson that outlines his views on Virginia's government and society.

Bank of the United States

A national bank chartered by the federal government to regulate the economy.

Federalists and Republicans

Two political factions in the early United States; Federalists supported a strong central government, while Republicans favored states’ rights.

Judith Sargent Murray

An early American advocate for women's rights and education, suggesting women are equal to men in intellect.

Marbury v. Madison

An 1803 Supreme Court case establishing the principle of judicial review.

Louisiana Purchase

The acquisition of the Louisiana territory from France in 1803, which doubled the size of the United States.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

An expedition commissioned by President Jefferson to explore the newly acquired western territory.

Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa

Leaders of a confederation of tribes who resisted American expansion into the Northwest Territory.

War of 1812

A military conflict between the United States and Great Britain, often seen as a second war for independence.

steamboat

A boat that is propelled by a steam engine, significant for transportation and commerce in the 19th century.

Erie Canal

A man-made waterway that connected the Hudson River to Lake Erie, facilitating trade.

Cotton Kingdom

Region of the southern United States where cotton was the dominant cash crop.

cotton gin

A machine invented by Eli Whitney that quickly separates cotton fibers from their seeds.

nativism

An anti-immigrant ideology that favors the interests of native inhabitants over those of immigrants.

manifest destiny

The 19th-century doctrine that it was the God-given right of the United States to expand across North America.

Second Great Awakening

A Protestant religious revival during the early 19th century that emphasized individual piety and social reform.

individualism

The belief in the importance of individual rights and self-reliance.

cult of domesticity

The idealization of women’s roles in the domestic sphere during the 19th century.

family wage

The concept that a man’s wages should be sufficient to support his family.

Democracy in America

A book by Alexis de Tocqueville studying American democracy and its social and political consequences.

McCulloch v. Maryland

An 1819 Supreme Court case that established the federal government's supremacy over state laws.

The American System

An economic plan that played an important role in American policy in the 19th century, promoting industry and infrastructure.

Era of Good Feelings

Period of national unity in the U.S. following the War of 1812, characterized by a lack of political strife.

Missouri Compromise

An agreement in 1820 that allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance.

Monroe Doctrine

A U.S. foreign policy statement issued in 1823 opposing European colonialism in the Americas.

spoils system

The practice of a successful political party giving public office to its supporters.

nullification crisis

A political crisis in the early 1830s in which South Carolina attempted to nullify federal tariffs.

Indian Removal Act

A law passed in 1830 that authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes to designated territories.

Worcester v. Georgia

An 1832 Supreme Court case that ruled Georgia's licensing law for Native Americans was unconstitutional.

Trail of Tears

The forced removal of Cherokee Indians from their homeland to designated Indian Territory, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Timeline 1: Locke’s Two Treatises of Government published

Published in 1689, this work argued for natural rights and government by consent.

Timeline 1: Samuel Sewall, The Selling of Joseph, first anti-slavery tract in America

Published in 1700, this was a critique of slavery.

Timeline 1: Beginnings of the Great Awakening

A religious revival that began in the 1730s, emphasizing personal faith.

Timeline 1: Stono Rebellion

A slave rebellion in South Carolina in 1739.