AP U.S. History Semester Review

A series of flashcards covering key concepts from AP U.S. History from the beginnings of Colonial America through the Reconstruction era.

Columbian Exchange

The widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and the Old World during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Mercantilism

An economic theory that promotes governmental regulation of a nation's economy for augmenting state power at the expense of rival national powers.

The Articles of Confederation

The original constitution of the US, ratified in 1781, which established a weak federal government.

Federalist vs. Antifederalist

Federalists supported a strong central government, while Antifederalists advocated for states' rights and a weak central government.

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional, established by Marbury v. Madison.

Jacksonian Democracy

A political philosophy that expanded suffrage to more men, especially the common man, and sought to remove elites from power.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws enacted in 1850 that dealt with the status of territories acquired during the Mexican-American War.

Emancipation Proclamation

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

Reconstruction

The period following the Civil War during which the South was rebuilt and the status of African Americans was redefined.

13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments

A series of amendments added to the Constitution that abolished slavery, guaranteed citizenship, and secured voting rights for African Americans respectively.

Sharecropping

A system of agriculture where a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in exchange for a share of the crop produced.

The Monroe Doctrine

A U.S. policy articulated by President Monroe in 1823 that opposed European colonialism in the Americas.

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century doctrine that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

Battle of Saratoga

The turning point in the American Revolution that led to French support for the American cause.

The Great Awakening

A religious revival movement during the early 18th century in America that emphasized personal faith and emotional engagement.

Battle of Gettysburg

A significant battle in 1863 during the Civil War, marking a turning point in favor of the Union.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws passed in 1798 that allowed the government to imprison or deport non-citizens and prosecute political dissent.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

An 1857 Supreme Court decision that ruled African Americans were not citizens and could not sue in federal court.