Ap US History All units Vocab

Unit 2

1607 - 1754

Bacon’s Rebellion

An uprising in 1676 led by Nathaniel Bacon against Virginia Governor William Berkeley's administration, protesting against colonial government corruption and the lack of protection from Native American attacks. farmers

Body of Liberties

The Body of Liberties was a precursor to the Massachusetts Constitution, adopted in 1641, which outlines the rights and liberties of individuals, emphasizing legal protections and due process.

Great Awakening

A religious revival movement that swept through the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, emphasizing personal faith and emotional connection to religion, leading to the growth of new denominations.

Great Migration of 1630s

The movement of approximately 20,000 English Puritans to the New England region, particularly Massachusetts, between 1630 and 1640, seeking religious freedom and a new society.

Headright System

A land grant system used in the colonies that provided settlers with parcels of land, usually 50 acres, to encourage migration and cultivation.

House of Burgesses

The first elected legislative assembly in the American colonies, established in Virginia in 1619, allowing settlers to create their own laws and governance.

King Philips war

A conflict between English colonists and Native American inhabitants of New England from 1675 to 1678, led by Metacom (King Philip), resulting in significant casualties and the decline of Native American power in the region.

Mercantilism

An economic policy that advocates for a nation to export more than it imports, seeking to accumulate wealth and maintain a favorable balance of trade.

Navigation Acts

A series of laws passed by the British Parliament in the 1650s that regulated colonial trade, requiring that certain goods be shipped on English ships and ensuring that trade benefited England.

Pueblo Revolt

A Native American uprising in 1680 against Spanish colonizers in present-day New Mexico, led by Popé, which aimed to end Spanish rule and restore traditional Pueblo culture.

Salem Witch Trials

A series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693, resulting in the execution of 20 individuals and widespread hysteria.

Samuel de Champlain

A French explorer known as the "Father of New France," who founded Quebec in 1608 and was key in establishing French colonization in North America.

Separatist

A member of a movement that sought to create a distinct church separate from the Church of England, particularly known for their role in the Pilgrims' journey to America.

Stono Rebellion

A slave uprising that occurred in 1739 in South Carolina, where a group of enslaved Africans revolted against their enslavers, ultimately leading to violent confrontations and severe repercussions for the enslaved population.

Toleration Act of 1689

An act passed by the English Parliament granting freedom of worship to nonconformists and Protestant dissenters, significantly contributing to the development of religious tolerance in England.

William Penn

An English Quaker and founder of the Pennsylvania Colony, known for his promotion of religious freedom and peaceful coexistence with Native Americans.

Unit 3

1754 - 1800 the period covering the French and Indian War to the early years of the United States, marked by significant political and social change, including the American Revolution and the formation of a new government.

Albany Plan of Union

A proposal by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 for the formation of a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies to coordinate defense and trade.

Alexander Hamilton

One of the founding fathers of the United States, he served as the first Secretary of the Treasury and was a leading advocate for a strong central government.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws passed in 1798 that allowed the government to deport foreigners and made it harder for new immigrants to vote, limiting free speech.

AMerican Revolution

The period of political upheaval in the Thirteen Colonies from 1765 to 1783, leading to independence from British rule.

Anti - Federalist

A political faction during the debates over the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, opposing a strong central government and advocating for states' rights.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, establishing a national government with limited powers, which was replaced by the current U.S. Constitution in 1789.

Battle of Fallen Timbers

A decisive battle in 1794 between American forces and Native American tribes, marking the end of the Northwest Indian War and leading to U.S. expansion into the Northwest Territory.

Battle of Saratoga

A turning point in the Revolutionary War, occurring in 1777, that resulted in a major American victory and secured French support for the colonies.

Bill of rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing individual liberties and protections against government infringement.

Boston Massacre

A confrontation in 1770 where British troops killed five colonists, escalating tensions that led to the Revolutionary War.

Boston Tea party

A political protest by the Sons of Liberty in 1773 where they dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose taxation without representation.

Pinckney Treaty

An 1795 agreement between the United States and Spain that granted the U.S. navigation rights on the Mississippi River and the right to transfer goods at New Orleans.

Committees of Correspondence

patriots could circulate letter of protest against British policies

Common Sense

pamphlet used enlightenment to argue that it would be contrary to common sense to allow British injustices to continue

Constitutional Convention

Took place in Philadelphia from may 25th - to September 17th 1787 called to amend the articals of Confederation to make the constitution

Currency Act

A law passed by Parliament in 1764. It limited the use of colonial paper  money, in order to protect British merchants from depreciation. While not a major contributing  factor to the American Revolution, it did signify growing British interest in regulating the  colonies.  

Declaration and Resolves:

An attempt by the First Continental Congress to reconcile the  

Thirteen Colonies with the British Empire. Addressed to King George III, it urged him to correct  the wrongs incurred by the colonists while simultaneously acknowledging the authority of  Parliament to regulate colonial trade and commerce. 

Declaration of Independence

Announced the colonies’ official break from England, making the United States a country in its own right. It contained a preamble that heavily reflected Enlightenment philosophy regarding natural rights, as well as 27 grievances and charges of wrongdoing directed at the crown and Parliament.

Declaratory Act

Replaced the Stamp Act. A 1766 law that maintained the right of the  crown to tax the colonies, as Parliament's authority was identical in both Britain and North  America.  

Democratic-Republicans:

Also called Jeffersonian Republicans. Founded by Anti Federalists and agrarian interests, it was a political party that championed states’ rights and the  viewpoint of the common man. A later splinter would become the modern Democratic Party. 

Federalist Papers:

A collection of letters written in the late 1780s urging ratification of the  Constitution. Authors include Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.  116. Federalists: Supported an orderly, efficient central government that could protect their  economic status; these well-organized leaders often wielded significant political control. Members  included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton. An early political  party. See: Anti-Federalists, Alien and Sedition Acts.  

First Continental Congress

 Organized in 1774 as a response to the Intolerable Acts,  colonial leaders managed to urge their colonies to expand military reserves and organize boycotts  of British goods in the meantime. See: Declaration and Resolves. 

 French and Indian War:

1754–1763. Name for the North American theater of the Seven  Years' War. Featured Britain and France, and their colonial and native allies, fighting for control  of North America east of the Mississippi. While the British won, they incurred massive debts in the process. This led to trouble down the road for them

George Mason:

 Founding Father from Virginia. One of three delegates at the  Constitutional Convention who refused to sign the final document. He objected to its lack of a Bill  of Rights, and wanted an immediate end to the slave trade (while supporting slavery itself). His  1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights would strongly influence the French Revolution’s Declaration  of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

 Intolerable Acts:

A colonial term for a number of punitive laws passed by the British  Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party

James Madison:

Founding Father from Virginia. Known as the "Father of the  Constitution" for his role in drafting it and the Bill of Rights. Contributed to the Federalist Papers.  Co-founded the Democratic-Republican Party.  

Jay’s Treaty

Negotiated by Chief Justice John Jay in 1794 but shaped by Hamilton, it  realized several American economic goals, including the removal of British forts in the Northwest  Territory. Britain also benefited, as the treaty gave “most favored nation” trading status to Britain  and allowed them to continue anti-French maritime policies. Both the Democratic-Republicans  and the French were angered by the treaty, which was authorized for 10 years.

John Adams:

Second President. Served 1791–1801. First Vice President (1789–1797).  Lobbied for declaring independence at the Continental Congress. Signed the Alien and Sedition  Acts, and built up the armed forces during the Quasi-War. Died on July 4, 1826, the same day as  his friend and political rival Thomas Jefferson. See: Boston Massacre, midnight judges.

John Jay:

Founding Father from New York. President of the Second Continental  Congress. First Chief Justice (1989–1795). An early leader in the Federalist Party. Contributed to  the Federalist Papers.

John Locke

 A British philosopher whose theory of natural rights challenged the absolute  and divine rule of kings and queens by asserting that all men should be ruled by natural laws, and  that sovereignty was derived from the will of those governed. Locke went on to assert that the  governed have a responsibility to rebel against a government that fails to protect the natural rights  of life, liberty, and property

John Marshall

Founding Father. The fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1801– 1835). Cemented the concept of judicial review, making the judicial branch coequal to the  executive and legislative. A Federalist, his rulings reinforced the supremacy of federal law

 Judiciary Act of 1789:

Established the structure of the Judiciary Branch, with the  Supreme Court consisting of one presiding chief justice and five associate justices. It also  provided for the establishment of 13 District Courts and three Circuit Court of Appeals.

 Land Ordinance of 1785

Established the basis for the Public Land Survey System  whereby settlers could purchase land in the undeveloped West. It required new townships to set  aside a parcel of land reserved for public education. At this time, Congress did not have the power  to raise revenue via taxes, so this Ordinance created a local mechanism for funding public  education.

 Marbury v. Madison:

1803 ruling that stated Congress cannot pass laws that are contrary  to the Constitution, and that it is the judicial system’s job to interpret what the Constitution  permits. Overturned a clause in the Judiciary Act of 1789 that granted the Supreme Court the  power to command any subordinate government authority to take or not take an action that is that  authority’s legal duty.  

New Jersey Plan:

A proposal by William Paterson at the Constitutional Convention. It  called for equal representation in the legislative branch, regardless of the number of citizens of a  state, in one legislative body. This structure would be similar to that under the Articles of  Confederation. 

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

A rare triumph under the Articles of Confederation, it  established guidelines for attaining statehood: territories with at least 60,000 people could apply  for statehood. If accepted by Congress, the new state would have equal status with other states. It  banned slavery north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi, thereby guaranteeing future  free states in the Midwest. 

 Olive Branch Petition:

A July 1775 statement by the Continental Congress that reasserted  colonial loyalty to King George III and asked him to intervene with Parliament on the colonies’  behalf. The king refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Congress to make any such request.

Pontiac’s Rebellion:

An 18-month conflict with the American Indians of the Ohio Valley.  Led by Chief Pontiac, leader of the Ottawa people, natives attacked British colonial settlements  from the Great Lakes to Virginia. Resulted in the Proclamation of 1763. 

Proclamation of 1763:

In reaction to Pontiac’s Rebellion, King George III barred  American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. The British saw this as a  quick and easy way to make peace while securing the fur trade. Colonists, however, were incensed  by the crown’s interference in their ability to settle land they had won in the French and Indian  War. The colonists often ignored it. An important contributing factor to the American Revolution. 

Proclamation of Neutrality of 1793:

A declaration of neutrality in the ongoing conflicts  between Britain and France resulting from the French Revolution. Supported by Washington and  Hamilton. Decried by Jefferson and Madison.

 Quartering Act

A 1765 act of Parliament that required colonial citizens to provide room and board for British soldiers stationed in America. Wildly unpopular. This practice was later  banned by the Third Amendment to the Constitution.  

Quebec Act:

: A 1774 act of Parliament that which allowed the former French region to  expand its borders, taking away potential lands from colonists in the Ohio River Valley. Even  more offensive to the largely Protestant colonists, it also allowed Quebec citizens to practice  Catholicism freely

Second Continental Congress:

An assembly of delegates from across the Thirteen  colonies (1775–1781). It passed the Declaration of Independance and the Articles of  Confederation.  

separation of powers

An Enlightenment concept advocated by the French philosopher  Montesquieu in his seminal 1748 work The Spirit of the Laws. It is the idea that a government's  power should be divided into multiple branches that balance and check each other.

Shays’ Rebellion

 An insurrection in Massachusetts (1786–1787) over oppressive taxes  and debt collectors. Led by Daniel Shays. It helped spur the Constitutional Convention.Stamp Act

Stamp Act

A pivotal 1765 law. It required that all paper in the colonies, from death and  marriage certificates to newspapers, have a stamp affixed signifying that the required tax had been  paid

Stamp Act Congress:

A meeting of representatives of nine of the Thirteen Colonies. They  sent word to England that only colonial legislatures had the authority to tax the colonists.  Repealed in 1766 and replaced with the Declaratory Act. 

Sugar Act:

A 1764 law which raised the previous amount demanded on sweeteners  (molasses and sugar). Part of British attempts to pay off debt from the French and Indian War. 169.

 Tariff Act of 1789

A tariff on imports. Northerners favored a higher rate to protect their  manufacturing industry from foreign encroachment, while Southern farmers wanted a lower rate to  provide for cheaper consumer goods.  

 Townshend Acts:

A revenue plan passed by Parliament in 1767. It imposed harsher taxes  on the purveyors of imported goods such as glass, paper, and tea. In addition, a special board of  customs officials was appointed to enforce writs of assistance. Repealed 1770. 

 Treaty of Paris (1763):

Treaty which capped off the French and Indian War. The British  took control of French Canada and Spanish Florida, effectively removing France’s presence from  North America. 

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Treaty which officially ended the American Revolutionary War.  The U.S. agreed to repay debts to British merchants and promised not to punish Loyalists who  chose to remain in the—United States. Formal recognition of the United States as an independent  country Set the geographic boundaries between the British Empire and the United States.

Virginia Plan:

A plan put forth by Edmund Randolph at the Constitutional Convention  that favored larger states. It called for representation in both legislative houses to be based solely  on population: proportional representation.

Virginia Resolution:

One of two notable responses to the Alien and Sedition Acts.  Covertly written by James Madison, it declared that states could overrule federal law, as the U.S.  Constitution drew its powers only from what the sovereign states delegated to it. An important  precedent for later acts of nullification

Whigs:

A British political party which took control of Parliament from the Tories, and  negotiated peace terms with the colonists. Distinct from the later American political party of the  same name. 

Whiskey Rebellion:

An early test of the American government’s power under the new  Constitution. Angered by the Federalist government’s excise tax imposed on distilled liquors such  as whiskey, farmers in western Pennsylvania rebelled over being taxed by a government that  seemingly did not represent them. Quickly defeated, it proved the new central government’s  power to stop rebellions and maintain peace.

 writs of assistance:

Authorized under the Townshend Acts, writs allowed customs  officials to search colonial homes, businesses, and warehouses for smuggled goods without a  warrant from a judge. Led to the Massachusetts Circular Letter. 

XYZ Affair:

A major political scandal. Three agents of French Foreign Minister  Talleyrand—only identified as X, Y, and Z—demanded a large sum of money as a loan and an  additional bribe from an American diplomatic delegation just for the opportunity to speak with  French officials. The delegation refused to comply. Led to the Quasi-War.

Unit 4

1800-1848

Aaron Burr

Third Vice President (1801–1805). Served during Thomas Jefferson's first  term. Famously killed Alexander Hamilton in an 1804 duel. Tried but acquitted on charges of  treason in 1807 over allegations he conspired with foreign agents to overthrow Spanish rule in  what became the American Southwest, in order to establish a new nation with himself as ruler.  

American Antislavery Society

Founded by William Lloyd Garrison in 1833, it opposed  slave traders and owners. Garrison’s radicalism soon alienated many moderates within the  movement when he claimed that the Constitution was a proslavery document. Garrison’s  insistence on the participation of women in the movement led to division among his supporters 

and the formation of the Liberty Party, which accepted women, and the American and Foreign  Antislavery Society, which did not. 

American Party (Know-Nothing Party)

n 1849, a wing of the nativist movement  became a political party called the American Party. The group opposed both immigration and the  election of Roman Catholics to political office. The members of the party met in secret and would  not tell anyone what they stood for, saying, “I know nothing,” when asked. This provided the basis  for the group’s more common name. 

American System:

Proposed by Henry Clay of Kentucky, it sought to establish  manufacturing and bring in much needed revenue for internal improvements throughout the  country. It included the recharter of the Bank of the United States; protective tariffs, such as the  one passed in 1816; and improvements on American infrastructure, such as turnpikes, roads, and  canals. The South did not support the plan, as plantations (especially cotton ones) made their  money on export. Internal improvements also required a stronger federal government, which  potentially threatened the South’s control over their slave population.  

 American Temperance Society

 Revival preachers of the Second Great Awakening  joined forces in the 1820s to form the American Temperance Society. While their initial goal was  to encourage drinkers simply to limit their alcohol intake, the movement soon evolved to demand  absolute abstinence, as reformers began to see the negative effects that any alcohol consumption  had on people’s lives. The movement quickly earned the support of state leaders as decreased  alcohol use resulted in fewer on-the-job accidents and more overall productivity. The most active  members of temperance societies tended to be middle-class women. 

Andrew Jackson

Seventh President. Served 1829–1837. He gained fame for his defense  of New Orleans during the War of 1812, a rare outright U.S. victory in that conflict. Jackson  advocated for the "common man" against established interests, and supported universal male  suffrage for whites, nixing the existing property requirement that barred the poor from  participating in democracy. He also pushed for a spoils system to reward supporters, opposed  abolitionism, and killed the Second Bank of the United States. He forcefully quashed South  Carolina during the Nullification Crisis. Jackson is infamous for creating the Trail of Tears. See:  Tariff of 1832.  

Battle of New Orleans:

A battle fought between U.S. forces led by Andrew Jackson and  British forces. It occurred from January 6–18, 1815. Jackson, desperate to secure the economically  vital port of New Orleans, which controlled the flow of traffic along the Mississippi, recruited  local free African Americans and even a band of pirates to supplement his militia. The battle was a  stunning lopsided American victory. Due to the slow speed at which news traveled during this  period, the battle actually occurred after the War of 1812 had officially ended.  

Battle of Tippecanoe

A battle that took place in the Indiana Territory on November 7,  1811. American forces under the command of Governor William Henry Harrison battled  Tecumseh's Confederacy, an American Indian force of various tribes led by the Shawnee leader  Tecumseh and his brother "The Prophet." Harrison’s victory propelled him into the White House  (briefly). 

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

A Supreme Court case from 1831. The Marshall court ruled  that the Cherokee Tribe was not a sovereign foreign nation and, therefore, had no right to sue for  jurisdiction over its homelands. See: Worcester v. Georgia. 

cult of domesticity:

 The Industrial Revolution had social consequences. People no longer  necessarily labored in the field or in small home industries. As children became less important as a  source of labor, and men took factory jobs, the position of women became centered on the home.  This led to the elevation of motherhood and homemaking in the "cult of domesticity" in the early  nineteenth century.  

Declaration of Sentiments:

he women at the Seneca Falls Convention (1848) drafted  this document. Modeled after the Declaration of Independence, it declared that “all men and  women are created equal” and demanded suffrage for women. Much like the earlier temperance  movement, the women’s crusade soon became eclipsed by the abolitionist movement and did not  resurface until closer to the turn of the twentieth century. See: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia  Mott, Susan B. Anthony. 

Democratic-Republicans

One of the first political parties in the United States. They  opposed the Federalist Party. They supported states' rights and favored agrarianism. Members  included Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and Aaron Burr. Following the party's fragmentation  during the Era of Good Feelings, a faction led by Andrew Jackson became dominant. That faction  formed the Democratic Party, which still exists.

 Democrats:

During the Era of Good Feelings, the Democratic-Republicans fragmented.  During the 1828 election, the Democrats supported Andrew Jackson and the National Republican  faction supported Henry Clay. Jackson’s faction founded the modern Democratic Party. In this  period, prior to the Civil War, the (Jacksonian) Democrats favored an agrarian economy, ending  the national bank, lowering tariffs, and increasing the political power of the “common man,” such  as through universal male suffrage for whites. They also supported states’ rights and federal  restraint in social affairs. 

 Embargo Act of 1807:

Passed in response to British and French harassment of American  shipping. However, this embargo mainly hurt the U.S. as neither nation was dependent on U.S.  trade. Repealed in 1809 and replaced with the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809. The Embargo Act led  to the Hartford Convention and the weakening of the U.S. ahead of the War of 1812. 

. “Era of Good Feelings”

A period of national unity, it began with the close of the War of  1812 and ended in the 1820s. It saw the collapse of the Federalist Party and a decline in  partisanship. It was followed by a revival of partisan bickering between the Jacksonian Democrats  and the Whigs. 

 Federalists:

Supported an orderly, efficient central government that could protect their  economic status; these well-organized leaders often wielded significant political control. Members  included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton. An early political  party. See: Anti-Federalists, Alien and Sedition Acts. 

 Hartford Convention

During the winter of 1814–1815, a radical group of New England  Federalists met at Hartford, Connecticut to discuss ways to demand that the federal government  pay them for the loss of trade due to the Embargo Act and the War of 1812. The group also  proposed amending the Constitution to: limit the U.S. President to one term; require a two-thirds  vote to enact an embargo, declare war, and admit new states; and repeal the Three-Fifths  Compromise. Some even suggested secession. However, news of the war’s end and Jackson’s victory at New Orleans swept the nation, resulting in the Federalists being labeled unpatriotic and  leading to their party’s demise.

 Henry Clay

 A statesman and orator from Kentucky, Clay was known as “The Great  Compromiser” for brokering multiple deals over nullification and slavery. He was also a  proponent of infrastructure development that he called the American System. Clay notably ran for  president on several occasions but never won

 Indian Removal Act:

This law provided for the immediate forced resettlement of  American Indians living in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and present-day Illinois. By  1835, some 100,000 Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole American Indians had  been forcibly removed from their homelands.

James Madison:

Fourth President. Served 1809–1817. A Virginian and Democratic Republican, he served as Jefferson's Secretary of State (1801–1809) and help negotiate the  Louisiana Purchase. He led the U.S. through the War of 1812. Due to the war's difficulties, he  shifted toward supporting a stronger centralized state, a re-chartered national bank, and various  internal improvements

James Monroe

ifth President. Served 1817–1825. A Virginian and Democratic Republican, he helped secure the Louisiana Purchase. During the War of 1812, he served as both  Secretary of State (1811–1817) and Secretary of War (1814–1815). The Era of Good Feelings  largely overlaps with his presidency. He dealt with the Panic of 1819 and well as the Missouri  Compromise. In 1823, he issued the Monroe Doctrine, a long-lasting foreign policy of the United  States. 

 John Quincy Adams

 Sixth President. Served from 1825–1829. Son of John Adams. In  his lifetime, JQA was a member of basically every major political party at some point. He was  elected after striking a deal with Henry Clay in the disputed 1824 election. Following his  presidency, JQA was elected to the House in 1830, and served until his death in 1848. He became  increasingly opposed to slavery, even arguing before the Supreme Court in 1841 on behalf of  African slaves in the Amistad case, winning them their freedom. He criticized the Mexican American War.  

Judiciary Act of 1789:

Established the structure of the Judiciary Branch, with the  Supreme Court consisting of one presiding chief justice and five associate justices. It also  provided for the establishment of 13 district courts and three circuit courts of appeal. See:  Marbury v. Madison.