AP United States History Pt.1

Stamp Act

A 1765 British law imposing a direct tax on the colonies, requiring that many printed materials be produced on stamped paper produced in London. It was one of the first direct taxes on the American colonists, leading to widespread protests and resistance.

Declaration of Independence

A 1776 document declaring the American colonies' independence from Britain, primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson.

Anti-Federalist

A political faction in the late 18th century that opposed the creation of a stronger federal government and advocated for states' rights. They were concerned that the Constitution lacked sufficient protections for individual liberties.

The Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1791, which guarantee essential rights and civil liberties to individuals.

Establishment Clause

Part of the First Amendment of the US Constitution that prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or unduly favoring one religion over another.

Jay’s Treaty

A 1794 agreement between the United States and Great Britain that resolved outstanding issues from the Revolutionary War and facilitated trade, though it was controversial and criticized by many.

Worcester v. Ogden

A Supreme Court case in 1824 that established federal authority over interstate commerce, asserting that only Congress could regulate navigation and commerce between states.

Erie Canal

A man-made waterway completed in 1825 that linked the Hudson River to Lake Erie, facilitating trade and westward expansion.

Manifest Destiny

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

Copperhead

A faction of Northern Democrats during the Civil War who opposed the war and sought an immediate peace settlement with the Confederacy.

Mecian-Ameircan Warr

A conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848, which resulted in significant territorial gains for the U.S., including present-day California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Lincoln-Douglass Debates

A series of seven debates in 1858 between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas during their campaign for the U.S. Senate seat from Illinois, focusing on slavery and its expansion.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws aimed at resolving the sectional tensions between free and slave states, which included the admission of California as a free state and the implementation of the Fugitive Slave Act.

Wilmot Proviso

A proposed 1846 legislation to ban slavery in territory acquired from Mexico, which heightened tensions between North and South.

Thirteenth Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1865 that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

Fourteenth Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified in 1868 that granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and ensured equal protection under the law.

Dred Scott v. Standford

A landmark Supreme Court case decided in 1857 that ruled African Americans could not be American citizens and that Congress lacked the authority to prohibit slavery in the territories.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Legislation passed in 1854 that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed settlers to determine if they would allow slavery through popular sovereignty.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 that freed slaves in Confederate states, shifting the war's focus to also include the abolition of slavery.

Freedmen’s Bureau

A federal agency established in 1865 to assist formerly enslaved people in transitioning to freedom, providing education, healthcare, and employment support.

Radical Republicans

A faction within the Republican Party during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras that advocated for the immediate abolition of slavery and the granting of civil rights to freed slaves.

Taxation Without Representation

A phrase used to describe the resentment of American colonists who were taxed by the British Parliament without having any representatives in that governing body. This grievance was a significant factor leading to the American Revolution.

Salutary Neglect

An unofficial British policy that relaxed enforcement of strict regulations, allowing the American colonies considerable freedom to pursue their economic and political interests.