Units 1-6 APUSH

The Amistad

A slave ship involved in a famous case in 1839. Enslaved Africans aboard the ship seized control, and the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court and were represented by former President, John Q. Adams. The Court ruled that the Africans were illegally enslaved, and they were set free. The case highlighted the issue of slavery in the United States.

Bleeding Kansas

A series of violent confrontations between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Kansas during the mid-1850s, resulting from the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The violence was a prelude to the Civil War, and both sides fought for control of the territory in hopes of influencing whether it would allow slavery.

Brooks vs. Sumner

In 1856, Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina violently attacked Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts in the Senate chamber. The attack was a response to Sumner's anti-slavery speech. This incident exemplified the growing tensions over slavery and deepened divisions between the North and South.

Commodore Matthew Perry

A U.S. naval officer who, in 1853, played a key role in opening Japan to Western trade through the Treaty of Kanagawa. His expedition helped end Japan's two centuries of isolation, marking the beginning of U.S.-Japan relations.

Compromise of 1850

A package of five bills passed to resolve sectional disputes between the North and South. Key provisions included the admission of California as a free state, the creation of Utah and New Mexico territories with popular sovereignty, a strengthened Fugitive Slave Law, and the abolition of the slave trade in Washington D.C.

Crittenden Compromise

A last-ditch effort in 1860, proposed by Senator John J. Crittenden, to avoid Civil War. It called for constitutional amendments to protect slavery in the South, but it was rejected by Congress, as it failed to gain enough support from both sides of the slavery debate.

David Crockett

A frontiersman, soldier, and politician, Crockett became a legendary figure in American folklore. He died defending the Alamo during the Texas Revolution in 1836.

Denmark Vesey

An enslaved man who, in 1822, led a planned slave revolt in Charleston, South Carolina. The plot was discovered, and he was executed. His revolt heightened fears of slave insurrections in the South.

Dorothea Dix

A social reformer who campaigned for better treatment of the mentally ill in the U.S. During the Civil War, she served as the Superintendent of Army Nurses for the Union, significantly improving the care of soldiers.

Dred Scott

An enslaved African American who sued for his freedom in the 1857 Supreme Court case. The Court ruled that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, could not be citizens and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories, further inflaming tensions over slavery.

Franklin Pierce

The 14th President of the United States (1853-1857), he is often criticized for his inability to ease sectional tensions over slavery. He supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed for popular sovereignty in those territories, leading to violence in Kansas.

Frederick Douglass

An escaped enslaved man who became a prominent abolitionist, writer, and speaker. His autobiography is a powerful testament to the horrors of slavery, and he became one of the most influential African American leaders of the 19th century.

Gabriel Prosser Slave Revolt

A planned slave uprising in 1800 led by this man in Virginia. The revolt was foiled, and Prosser and many conspirators were executed. The incident led to stricter slave codes in the South.

Gadsden Purchase

A 1853 agreement in which the U.S. purchased land from Mexico (in present-day southern Arizona and New Mexico) for $10 million. This land was intended for the construction of a southern transcontinental railroad.

Harpers Ferry

The site of John Brown's failed raid in 1859 to arm enslaved people for an insurrection. Brown's actions made him a martyr to the abolitionist cause but further polarized the nation over slavery.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, a novel that exposed the brutal realities of slavery in the South. The book played a significant role in galvanizing anti-slavery sentiment in the North.

Harriet Tubman

An escaped enslaved woman who became a key conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping hundreds of enslaved individuals escape to freedom. She also served as a spy for the Union during the Civil War.

James K. Polk

The 11th President of the United States (1845-1849), Polk is best known for expanding U.S. territory during his presidency through the annexation of Texas, the Oregon Trail, and the Mexican-American War.

Jefferson Davis

The President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. He struggled with maintaining cohesion and support among the Southern states during the conflict.

John Brown

An abolitionist who believed in using violence to end slavery. He led the raid at Harpers Ferry and was executed for his actions, which further intensified the national debate on slavery.

John C. Calhoun

A leading Southern politician who championed states' rights and nullification. He wrote the South Carolina Exposition and Protest which opposed the Tariff of Abominations. He was a staunch defender of slavery and served as Vice President to John Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson.

John Tyler

The 10th President of the U.S. (1841-1845), who ascended to the presidency after the death of William Henry Harrison. He is noted for his push for the annexation of Texas, which contributed to the outbreak of the Mexican-American War.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

An 1854 law that allowed the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery through popular sovereignty, which led to violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in Kansas (known as 'Bleeding Kansas').

Knickerbocker Group

A group of New York writers and intellectuals in the early 19th century, including Washington Irving, who helped shape a distinct American cultural identity through literature.

Know-Nothings

A political movement in the 1850s, also known as the American Party, that was anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic. They were largely opposed to the growing influence of Irish and German Catholic immigrants.

Lecompton Constitution

A pro-slavery constitution proposed in 1857 for the state of Kansas. It was rejected by the majority of Kansans and is a symbol of the tension surrounding the expansion of slavery into new territories.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

A series of seven debates in 1858 between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, primarily over the issue of slavery in the territories. Although Douglas won the Senate seat, Lincoln gained national prominence, which helped propel him to the presidency.

Manifest Destiny

The belief in the 19th century that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This idea drove much of the nation's territorial expansion.

Mary Lyon

An educator and reformer who founded Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in 1837, the first institution of higher education for women in the United States.

Millard Fillmore

The 13th President of the United States (1850-1853), known for supporting the Compromise of 1850, including the controversial Fugitive Slave Act. He was also the last Whig president.

Nat Turner

An enslaved African American who led a violent slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831. The revolt resulted in the deaths of over 50 white people and led to harsher laws against enslaved people and free African Americans.

Panic of 1857

A financial panic caused by over-speculation in land and railroads, leading to a severe economic depression in the U.S. The South was less affected due to its reliance on agriculture.

Popular Sovereignty

A doctrine that suggested that the people living in a territory should decide by vote whether to allow slavery, particularly in the context of new territories such as Kansas and Nebraska.

Sam Houston

A key figure in the Texas Revolution and the first president of the Republic of Texas. He led Texian forces to victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, securing Texas' independence from Mexico.

Second Great Awakening

A religious revival movement in the early 19th century that emphasized individual piety, personal salvation, and social reforms, including the abolition of slavery and the promotion of women's rights.

Spot Resolutions

A series of resolutions introduced by Abraham Lincoln in 1847, questioning President Polk's justification for the Mexican-American War and demanding to know the 'spot' where American blood had been shed.

Stephen Austin

Known as the 'Father of Texas,' he led the first successful colonization of Texas by bringing American settlers to the area, which ultimately led to the Texas Revolution.

Stephen Douglas

A U.S. senator from Illinois who promoted the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the idea of popular sovereignty. He also famously debated Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858.

The 48ers

German immigrants who came to the U.S. after the failed revolutions of 1848 in Europe. Many settled in the Midwest and contributed to the growth of the U.S. economy and culture.

Theodore Weld

An abolitionist and preacher who was a key figure in the American Anti-Slavery Society. He worked alongside his wife, Angelina Grimké, to promote abolitionism through speeches and writings.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

The 1848 treaty that ended the Mexican-American War. Mexico ceded vast territories, including present-day California, Arizona, and New Mexico, to the United States in exchange for $15 million.

William Lloyd Garrison

An abolitionist and journalist, Garrison was the editor of The Liberator, a radical anti-slavery newspaper. He called for the immediate emancipation of all enslaved people and was a key leader in the abolitionist movement.

William Seward

The Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson, he was responsible for the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, which was initially mocked as 'Seward's Folly.'

Wilmot Proviso

A proposal in 1846 by Congressman David Wilmot to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico after the Mexican-American War. Although it failed, it further inflamed tensions over slavery in the territories.

Zachary Taylor

The 12th President of the United States (1849-1850) and a hero of the Mexican-American War. His death in office led to the presidency of Millard Fillmore.

Andrew Johnson

The 17th President of the United States, who succeeded Abraham Lincoln after his assassination. His lenient approach to Reconstruction, which allowed Southern states to quickly rejoin the Union without significant protections for freed slaves, led to his impeachment in 1868, although he was acquitted by one vote.

Antietam

Civil War battle which is considered the bloodiest single day in American military history, with over 22,000 casualties. Although tactically inconclusive, the Union claimed a strategic victory, and it gave President Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Bargain/Compromise of 1877

An informal, unwritten deal that settled the disputed 1876 presidential election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden. In exchange for conceding the presidency to Hayes, Republicans promised to withdraw federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction.

Black Codes

Laws passed in the South during Reconstruction that restricted the freedoms of African Americans, particularly their right to work, own property, and travel.

Carpetbaggers

A derogatory term used to describe Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War, often to take advantage of economic opportunities during Reconstruction.

Copperheads

A faction of Northern Democrats during the Civil War who opposed the war and advocated for peace with the Confederacy.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, that declared the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory.

Enforcement Acts

A series of laws passed in 1870 and 1871 aimed at curbing the violence and intimidation of the Ku Klux Klan in the South.

Ex Parte Milligan Case

An 1866 Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that the federal government could not try civilians in military courts when civilian courts were open.

Freedmen's Bureau

A federal agency created in 1865 to aid freed slaves in the South during Reconstruction.

Gettysburg

A key battle of the Civil War, fought from July 1-3, 1863, in Pennsylvania.

Gettysburg Address

A brief but powerful speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Homestead Act of 1862

A law that provided 160 acres of public land in the West to any adult citizen (or intended citizen) who was willing to work the land for at least five years.

Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

A white supremacist terrorist group founded in 1865 in the South, with the aim of intimidating and disenfranchising African Americans.

Reconstruction

The period after the Civil War (1865-1877) during which the Southern states were rebuilt and reintegrated into the Union.

Reconstruction Act of 1867

A law passed by Congress that divided the South into five military districts, each governed by a Union general, and required Southern states to draft new constitutions granting African American men the right to vote. The act marked the beginning of Radical Reconstruction.

Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th, 15th)

13th Amendment (1865): Abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment (1868)

Guaranteed citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including African Americans.

15th Amendment (1870)

Gave African American men the right to vote, prohibiting the denial of suffrage based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Redeemers

A group of Southern Democrats who sought to 'redeem' the South from the perceived corruption of Reconstruction and the influence of Northern Republicans. They implemented policies that rolled back the gains made by African Americans and restored white supremacy.

Robert E. Lee

The general of the Confederate Army during the Civil War, he was one of the most respected military leaders in U.S. history. He surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in April 1865, effectively ending the Civil War.

Rutherford B. Hayes

The 19th President of the United States (1877-1881), He is best known for his contested election in 1876 and the subsequent Bargain of 1877, which ended Reconstruction. His presidency is often marked by efforts to reform the civil service.

Scalawags

A derogatory term used by Southern Democrats to describe white Southerners who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party. They were seen as traitors to the South and often worked with Northern carpetbaggers.

Seward's Folly

A term used to describe the 1867 purchase of Alaska by Secretary of State William H. Seward from Russia for $7.2 million. Many at the time considered the acquisition a waste of money, but it later proved to be a significant geopolitical and economic gain for the United States.

Sharecropping

A system of agriculture in which landowners allowed tenants (often formerly enslaved African Americans) to use their land in exchange for a share of the crops. While it provided a livelihood for many, it often led to cycles of debt and poverty for sharecroppers.

Tenure of Office Act

A law passed in 1867 designed to restrict the President's power to remove certain officeholders without the Senate's approval. This act was used as the basis for the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson, although he was acquitted.

Thaddeus Stevens

A leader of the Radical Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives during Reconstruction. He was a strong advocate for the rights of African Americans and played a key role in the passage of the Reconstruction Amendments.

Transcontinental Railroad

A railroad system that connected the eastern United States with the West, completed in 1869 with the joining of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads at Promontory Summit, Utah. The railroad played a crucial role in the economic development and expansion of the U.S. Chinese and Irish immigrants provided much of the labor for this project.

Ulysses S. Grant

The 18th President of the United States and a prominent Union general during the Civil War. He led Union forces to victory over the Confederacy, and his presidency focused on Reconstruction and the protection of African American rights, although it was also marked by scandals and corruption.

Wade-Davis Bill

A proposal in 1864 for the reconstruction of the South, introduced by Radical Republicans. It required that 50% of a state's white male voters take a loyalty oath before rejoining the Union and demanded stronger protections for the rights of freed slaves. It was vetoed by President Lincoln.

William Seward

The Secretary of State under Presidents Lincoln and Johnson. He is best known for his purchase of Alaska (Seward's Folly), as well as his role in foreign policy, including preventing British support for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

William T. Sherman

A Union general during the Civil War, He is famous for his 'March to the Sea,' in which he led Union troops through Georgia, destroying Confederate infrastructure and breaking the South's will to fight. His tactics of total war were controversial but helped bring about the end of the conflict.

The Alamo

A former Spanish mission in San Antonio, Texas, that became the site of a pivotal battle during the Texas Revolution. In February and March of 1836, a small group of Texian (Texan) defenders were besieged by the much larger Mexican army led by General Santa Anna. Despite the defenders' courageous resistance, they were all killed when the Mexican forces overran the fort. The Battle of the Alamo became a rallying cry for the Texian army: "Remember the Alamo!"

14 Points

President Woodrow Wilson's proposal for post-World War I peace, emphasizing self-determination, free trade, and the establishment of a League of Nations to promote global diplomacy and prevent future conflicts.

A.F.L. (American Federation of Labor)

A national labor union founded by Samuel Gompers in 1886, focused on achieving practical economic gains such as higher wages, shorter hours, and improved working conditions for skilled workers through collective bargaining.

Alfred T. Mahan

A U.S. naval officer and historian who wrote "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History," advocating for naval expansion and a strong maritime presence as essential for national greatness.

Andrew Carnegie

A Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist who dominated the steel industry with his steel company. He promoted the "Gospel of Wealth," encouraging the wealthy to use their fortunes for public good.

Benjamin Harrison

The 23rd President of the United States (1889-1893), known for supporting protective tariffs through the McKinley Tariff and signing the Sherman Antitrust Act to curb monopolies.

Billion Dollar Congress

The 51st U.S. Congress (1889-1891) under President Harrison, which earned its name by passing legislation that significantly increased government spending, including pensions for Civil War veterans.

Booker T. Washington

An influential African American leader who advocated for economic self-reliance and vocational education for Black Americans through the Tuskegee Institute. His "Atlanta Compromise" speech emphasized gradual progress over immediate civil rights demands.

Chester Arthur

The 21st President of the United States (1881-1885) who assumed office after the assassination of James Garfield. He is known for reforming the civil service through the Pendleton Act, which established a merit-based system.

Dawes Act

A 1887 federal law that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into individual family allotments. It undermined communal living and resulted in significant loss of tribal land.

Dollar Diplomacy

A foreign policy under President Taft that promoted American economic interests abroad by encouraging U.S. investments in Latin America and East Asia, using financial leverage to achieve diplomatic goals.

Emilio Aguinaldo

A Filipino revolutionary leader who fought against Spanish colonial rule and later led the resistance against U.S. occupation during the Philippine-American War.

Era of Good Stealings

A term used to describe the widespread corruption during the Reconstruction era, particularly under President Grant's administration, marked by scandals like the Credit Mobilier and Whiskey Ring.

Espionage and Sedition Acts

World War I-era laws that restricted free speech by criminalizing any opposition to the war effort or criticism of the government. The acts were used to suppress dissent and imprison political radicals.

Eugene Debs

A prominent socialist leader and five-time presidential candidate who founded the American Railway Union. He was imprisoned under the Espionage Act for his anti-war speeches during World War I.

Federal Reserve Act

A 1913 law that established the Federal Reserve System, creating a central banking structure to regulate the money supply, control inflation, and provide financial stability through a network of regional banks.

Food Administration

A World War I agency led by Herbert Hoover that encouraged voluntary rationing and increased agricultural production to support U.S. troops and Allied forces.

George Creel

The head of the Committee on Public Information during World War I, responsible for promoting pro-war propaganda through films, posters, and speeches to rally public support for the war effort.

The Gilded Age

A term coined by Mark Twain to describe the late 19th century, characterized by rapid industrialization, economic growth, and political corruption beneath a facade of prosperity.

Gospel of Wealth

An essay by Andrew Carnegie that promoted the idea that the wealthy had a moral obligation to use their fortunes to benefit society through philanthropy, rather than hoarding wealth.

The Grange/Patrons of Husbandry

An organization founded in 1867 to support farmers through cooperative purchasing, social activities, and political advocacy. It played a significant role in the Populist movement.

Greenback Labor Party

A political party formed in the 1870s advocating for the issuance of paper money (greenbacks) to inflate the currency, making it easier for farmers and debtors to pay off debts.

Grover Cleveland

The 22nd and 24th President of the United States, known for his opposition to high tariffs, support for the gold standard, and efforts to reform the civil service. He was the only president to serve non-consecutive terms.