APUSH (me off a cliff)

Maize

A staple crop cultivated by Indigenous peoples in the Americas, known as corn, crucial for the development of complex societies.

Disease

Illnesses brought by Europeans, such as smallpox and influenza, which decimated Indigenous populations in the Americas.

European Discovery

The exploration and colonization that introduced new technologies, animals, and plants to the Americas while exploiting Native populations.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan who challenged religious authorities in Massachusetts by advocating for a personal relationship with God.

Mercantilism

An economic theory emphasizing the accumulation of wealth through a favorable balance of trade and benefiting the mother country.

Navigation Acts

A series of laws regulating colonial trade to favor England, leading to colonial resentment and revolutionary sentiment.

House of Burgesses

The first representative legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia in 1619.

Great Awakening

A religious revival movement in the 1730s and 1740s emphasizing emotional preaching and personal faith.

Bacon’s Rebellion

A 1676 uprising in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against government corruption and lack of protection from Native American attacks.

Mayflower Compact

An agreement signed in 1620 by the Pilgrims to form a self-governing community based on majority rule.

Treaty of Paris of 1763

The treaty that ended the Seven Years' War, ceding French territories in North America to Britain.

Salutary Neglect

The British policy of lax enforcement of laws in the colonies, allowing for increased colonial autonomy.

Virtual Representation

The British argument that Parliament represented all British subjects, including colonists, without direct elections.

Intolerable Acts

Punitive laws passed in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party, uniting the colonies against Britain.

Joint Stock Company

A business entity where investors pool resources to fund colonial ventures, spreading financial risk.

Stono Rebellion

A 1739 slave uprising in South Carolina where enslaved Africans attempted to escape to Spanish Florida.

Treaty of Paris of 1783

The treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War, recognizing American independence and setting territorial boundaries.

John Locke

An Enlightenment philosopher whose ideas on natural rights influenced American political thought.

Thomas Paine

An influential writer known for his pamphlet "Common Sense," advocating for American independence.

Jay’s Treaty

The 1794 treaty between the U.S. and Britain that aimed to resolve lingering issues from the Revolutionary War.

Republicanism

A political ideology centered on government by elected representatives and the rule of law.

Egalitarianism

The principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.

Democracy

A system of government where power is vested in the people, exercised directly or through elected representatives.

Popular Sovereignty

The doctrine that government authority comes from the consent of the governed.

U.S. Constitution

The framework for the federal government established in 1788, delineating powers and rights.

Three-Fifths Compromise

The agreement that each enslaved person would count as three-fifths of a person for taxation and representation.

Shay’s Rebellion

A 1786-1787 uprising of Massachusetts farmers protesting economic injustices and government response.

Federalists

Political group supporting the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and a strong national government.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Legislation establishing a framework for governing the Northwest Territory and banning slavery in the region.

Enlightenment

An 18th-century intellectual movement emphasizing reason, science, and questioning of traditional authority.

Republican Motherhood

The belief that women had an essential role in nurturing civic virtue and republican values in their children.

Whiskey Rebellion (1791–1794)

A tax protest in Pennsylvania challenging the federal government's authority, suppressed by President Washington.

Eli Whitney

Inventor of the cotton gin, which revolutionized the cotton industry and expanded slavery in the South.

William Lloyd Garrison

Radical abolitionist who founded The Liberator and demanded immediate emancipation of enslaved people.

Frederick Douglass

A former enslaved African American who became a leading abolitionist and advocate for equality.

American System

Henry Clay's economic plan promoting national development through a strong bank, tariffs, and internal improvements.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Legislation admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state while prohibiting slavery in the northern Louisiana Territory.

Nullification Crisis (1832–1833)

A confrontation between South Carolina and the federal government over the state's attempt to nullify federal tariffs.

Cult of Domesticity

A 19th-century ideology defining women's roles as homemakers, reinforcing gender hierarchies.

Second Great Awakening

A Protestant revival movement encouraging personal faith, emotional expression, and social reform.

Market Revolution

The economic transformation marked by the expansion of markets and innovations in transportation and communication.

Democratic-Republicans

Political party formed in opposition to the Federalists, advocating for agrarian interests and limited federal government.

Whigs

A political party formed in the 1830s in opposition to Andrew Jackson, supporting internal improvements and moral reform.

Era of Good Feelings

A period of national unity during Monroe’s presidency following the War of 1812, masking underlying tensions.

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

A U.S. foreign policy warning European powers against intervention in the Western Hemisphere.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

A landmark Supreme Court case establishing the principle of judicial review.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Supreme Court case affirming federal supremacy and the constitutionality of the Second Bank of the U.S.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Supreme Court ruling that only the federal government can regulate interstate commerce.

Hartford Convention (1814–1815)

A meeting of New England Federalists opposing the War of 1812, leading to their decline.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

The first women’s rights convention in the U.S., issuing the Declaration of Sentiments for women's equality.

Compromise of 1850

Legislation aimed at easing tensions over slavery by admitting California as a free state and strengthening the Fugitive Slave Act.

Democrats

The political party supporting states' rights, expansionism, and the extension of slavery in the antebellum period.

Republicans

A political party founded in the 1850s in opposition to slavery's expansion and associated with Lincoln and Reconstruction.

Bargain of 1877

The compromise that resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election, ending Reconstruction and leading to Jim Crow laws.

Wilmot Proviso (1846)

A proposed amendment to ban slavery in territories acquired from Mexico, symbolizing sectional tensions.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

Legislation allowing settlers to determine the status of slavery in Kansas and Nebraska, leading to conflict.

13th Amendment (1865)

Abolished slavery in the U.S., marking a victory for the abolitionist movement.

14th Amendment (1868)

Granted citizenship to all persons born in the U.S. and provided equal protection under the law.

15th Amendment (1870)

Prohibited denying voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Supreme Court decision ruling that African Americans were not citizens and banning Congress from regulating slavery in the territories.

Industrialization

The transformation of the U.S. into a major industrial power through the rise of factories and mechanized agriculture.

Populists

A late 19th-century political movement representing farmers and laborers against industrialists, advocating for reform.

Tweed Ring

A political machine led by Boss Tweed that exemplified urban political corruption during the Gilded Age.

Trusts

Large business combinations that controlled industries and suppressed competition during the late 19th century.

Interstate Commerce Act (1887)

The first federal law regulating interstate commerce, particularly targeting railroads.

Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)

The first federal antitrust law aimed at breaking up monopolies and trusts.

Dawes Act (1887)

Legislation aimed at assimilating Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into individual plots.

Laissez-Faire Capitalism

An economic philosophy advocating minimal government interference in business and the economy.

American Federation of Labor (AFL)

A labor union focusing on skilled workers, advocating higher wages and better working conditions.

Knights of Labor

A national labor organization that aimed for broader social reforms including an eight-hour workday.

Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie's essay advocating for the wealthy to distribute their wealth for social betterment.

Andrew Carnegie

Steel magnate and philanthropist known for revolutionizing steel production and advocating for philanthropy.

John D. Rockefeller

Founder of Standard Oil and a major figure in the monopolization of the oil industry.

Booker T. Washington

African American leader advocating for vocational education and economic self-reliance for Black advancement.

W.E.B. Du Bois

A leading civil rights activist demanding immediate rights and access to education for African Americans.

Ida B. Wells

A journalist and civil rights activist who led an anti-lynching campaign and advocated for women’s suffrage.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural movement celebrating Black identity and heritage through art and literature in the 1920s.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

The peace treaty ending World War I with harsh penalties imposed on Germany.

Self-Determination

The principle of ethnic groups governing themselves without outside interference.

Referendum

A progressive reform allowing direct citizen votes on proposed laws or policies.

Progressivism

A reform movement addressing industrialization and corruption through increased government intervention.

17th Amendment (1913)

Established direct election of U.S. senators by the people.

18th Amendment (1919)

Prohibited the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages during Prohibition.

19th Amendment (1920)

Granted women the right to vote, marking a milestone in women’s suffrage.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court case upholding racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Supreme Court case ruling that speech creating a “clear and present danger” is not protected.

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

Supreme Court decision upholding the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Bracero Program (1942–1964)

A bilateral agreement bringing Mexican laborers to work in the U.S. during WWII, leading to exploitation.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

32nd President who led the U.S. through the Great Depression and World War II, implementing the New Deal.

Military-Industrial Complex

The alliance between the military and defense contractors, warned against by Eisenhower.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance providing collective defense against the Soviet Union, marking a shift away from isolationism.

Truman Doctrine (1947)

U.S. policy supporting free peoples resisting communism, marking a shift to active containment.

Joseph McCarthy

Senator who led a campaign against alleged communists in the U.S. government during the Red Scare.