APUSH vocab flashcards

Maize cultivation

The agricultural practice of growing maize (corn), which was a staple crop for many Native American societies and later for European settlers.

Sons of Liberty

A group of American colonists formed to oppose British taxation and policies, known for organizing protests such as the Boston Tea Party.

Daughters of Liberty

An organization of women in the American colonies who supported the boycott of British goods and promoted domestic production.

Strict vs. Loose interpretation

The debate over how to interpret the Constitution; strict interpretation limits federal powers to those explicitly stated, while loose interpretation allows for broader federal powers.

Republican Motherhood

An ideology that emphasized the role of women in raising children to be virtuous citizens of the republic.

Cult of Domesticity

A prevailing value system in the 19th century that emphasized women's roles as homemakers and moral guardians of the family.

Intolerable Acts

A series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party, aimed at suppressing colonial dissent.

Corrupt Bargain

The alleged deal between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay in the 1824 presidential election, where Clay supported Adams in exchange for the position of Secretary of State.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 uprising by farmers in Pennsylvania protesting a federal excise tax on whiskey, which was ultimately suppressed by federal forces.

City on a Hill

A phrase from John Winthrop's sermon that described the Puritan colony as a model of Christian charity and a beacon for others.

Shays' Rebellion

An armed uprising in 1786-1787 by Massachusetts farmers protesting economic injustices and the lack of government response to their financial struggles.

Navigation Acts

A series of laws that regulated colonial trade and enabled England to collect taxes from the colonies.

Seneca Falls Convention

The first women's rights convention held in 1848, which produced the Declaration of Sentiments advocating for women's suffrage and equality.

Election of 1860

A pivotal presidential election that resulted in Abraham Lincoln's victory and contributed to the secession of Southern states.

George Washington's Farewell Address

A speech given by President Washington in 1796, advising against political parties and foreign alliances.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order issued by President Lincoln in 1863 that declared the freedom of all slaves in Confederate-held territory.

Nullification Crisis

A political confrontation in the early 1830s between South Carolina and the federal government regarding the state's right to nullify federal laws.

Declaration of Independence

The document adopted on July 4, 1776, declaring the thirteen American colonies independent from British rule.

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century doctrine that the expansion of the United States across the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

Hartford Convention

A series of meetings in 1814-1815 where New England Federalists discussed their grievances regarding the War of 1812 and proposed constitutional amendments.

Eli Whitney

An American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin, which revolutionized the cotton industry.

Interchangeable parts

Manufactured components that are made to such precision that they can be easily replaced, significantly impacting mass production.

Cotton Gin

A machine invented by Eli Whitney in 1793 that quickly separates cotton fibers from seeds, greatly increasing cotton production.

Frederick Douglass

An escaped slave who became a prominent abolitionist, orator, and writer, advocating for the rights of African Americans.

William Lloyd Garrison

A prominent abolitionist and journalist, known for founding the anti-slavery newspaper 'The Liberator' and advocating for immediate emancipation.

Salutary Neglect

An unofficial British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws in the American colonies, allowing them to flourish economically.

Great Awakening

A series of religious revivals in the American colonies during the 18th century that emphasized personal faith and emotional connection to religion.

Second Great Awakening

A Protestant religious revival during the early 19th century that led to the growth of various reform movements, including abolition and women's rights.

Stamp Act

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

Tobacco

A cash crop that became a major export for the American colonies, particularly in Virginia and Maryland, driving the economy and slavery.

Battle of Gettysburg

A significant battle in the Civil War (1863) that marked a turning point in favor of the Union, resulting in heavy casualties.

Battle of Yorktown

The last major battle of the American Revolutionary War (1781), where British General Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces.

Anaconda Plan

The Union's strategic plan during the Civil War to blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River to suffocate the Confederacy.

Second Continental Congress

A convention of delegates from the thirteen colonies that met in 1775, managing the colonial war effort and adopting the Declaration of Independence.

Compromise of 1877

An agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election, resulting in the withdrawal of federal troops from the South and ending Reconstruction.

Market Revolution

A period of rapid economic transformation in the early 19th century marked by the expansion of markets, transportation, and industrialization.

American System

An economic plan proposed by Henry Clay that aimed to strengthen the economy through a national bank, tariffs, and internal improvements.

Indentured Servitude

A labor system where individuals worked for a set number of years in exchange for passage to America and eventual freedom.

Black Codes

Laws passed in Southern states after the Civil War aimed at restricting the rights of newly freed African Americans.

King Cotton

A phrase used to describe the economic and political importance of cotton production in the Southern United States before the Civil War.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement made by the Pilgrims in 1620 establishing a self-governing colony based on majority rule.

Louisiana Purchase

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

Roger Williams

A Puritan minister who founded Rhode Island for religious freedom and separation of church and state.

Monroe Doctrine

A U.S. policy established in 1823 that opposed European colonialism in the Americas, asserting that any intervention would be viewed as a threat.

Fugitive Slave Law

A law that required the return of runaway slaves to their owners, even if they were found in free states.

Missouri Compromise

An 1820 agreement that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance of power in Congress.

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

The debate between those who supported the ratification of the Constitution (Federalists) and those who opposed it (Anti-Federalists).

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, ratified in 1781, which created a weak federal government and was replaced by the current Constitution.

Jamestown

The first permanent English settlement in North America, established in Virginia in 1607.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing individual liberties and rights.

Olive Branch Petition

A final attempt by the Continental Congress in 1775 to avoid war with Britain by asserting loyalty while seeking redress of grievances.

Transcendentalism

A philosophical movement in the 1830s and 1840s emphasizing individual intuition and the inherent goodness of people and nature.

Three-Fifths Compromise

An agreement during the Constitutional Convention that counted three-fifths of the slave population for representation and taxation purposes.

Triangular Trade

A historical trade route connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas, involving the exchange of goods, slaves, and raw materials.

Columbian Exchange

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

De La Casa's Black Legend

A term referring to the negative portrayal of Spanish colonialism, particularly regarding the treatment of Native Americans.

Dred Scott Decision

An 1857 Supreme Court ruling that declared African Americans were not citizens and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories.

Alien and Sedition Acts

A series of laws passed in 1798 that restricted immigration and limited free speech, particularly against the Federalist government.

Treaty of Paris 1763

The treaty that ended the French and Indian War, resulting in British dominance in North America.

Treaty of Paris 1783

The treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War, recognizing American independence from Britain.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of the government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, often used in the context of slavery in new states.

Proclamation Line

A boundary established by the British government in 1763 that prohibited colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Marbury v. Madison

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Court to invalidate laws that conflict with the Constitution.

Know-Nothings/American Party

A political party in the 1850s that was anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic, advocating for restrictions on immigration.

Proclamation of Neutrality

A declaration by President Washington in 1793 stating that the U.S. would remain neutral in conflicts between European powers.

Puritans

A religious group that sought to purify the Church of England and settled in New England in the early 17th century.

Whigs

A political party active in the mid-19th century that opposed the Democrats and supported modernization and reform.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

Political statements in 1798 asserting that states could nullify federal laws deemed unconstitutional.

Pet Banks

State banks selected by the U.S. Department of Treasury to receive surplus government funds during the presidency of Andrew Jackson.

Battle of New Orleans

A significant battle fought in 1815 after the War of 1812 had officially ended, resulting in a decisive American victory.

Bacon's Rebellion

A 1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley's administration, highlighting tensions between settlers and Native Americans.

King Philip's War

A conflict in 1675-1676 between New England colonists and Native American groups led by Metacom (King Philip), resulting in significant casualties on both sides.

Sharecroppers

Farmers who work land owned by another in exchange for a share of the crops produced, often leading to cycles of debt and poverty.

Civil War Amendments

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, which abolished slavery, granted citizenship, and protected voting rights for African Americans.

Dawes Act

An 1887 law that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by allotting them individual plots of land and promoting farming.

Wounded Knee

The site of a massacre in 1890 where U.S. troops killed hundreds of Lakota Sioux, marking the end of armed Native American resistance.