THE HISTORY STUDY GUIDE 📚

Enlightenment

A movement emphasizing reason, science, and individual rights.

Republican Government

A government where citizens elect representatives to make decisions.

Articles of Confederation

The first U.S. government; created a weak central government.

Federalism

A system where power is divided between federal and state governments.

E Pluribus Unum

Latin for "Out of many, one"; represents U.S. unity.

Judicial Review

The power of courts to determine whether laws are constitutional.

Trail of Tears

The forced removal of Native Americans, especially the Cherokee, to lands west of the Mississippi River.

Underground Railroad

A secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.

Reconstruction

The period from 1865–1877 when the U.S. reunited and rebuilt after the Civil War.

Radical Republicans

Republicans who wanted strong protections and political rights for formerly enslaved people.

Second Great Awakening

A religious revival in the early 1800s that encouraged people to renew their faith and improve society.

Suffrage

The right to vote.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America.

Popular Sovereignty

The idea that people in a territory should vote to decide whether slavery would be allowed.

Fugitive Slave Act

A law requiring escaped enslaved people to be returned to their enslavers.

Habeas Corpus

The legal right to challenge unlawful imprisonment.

Total War

A war in which an enemy's resources and ability to fight are targeted.

Sharecropping

A system where farmers worked land owned by someone else in exchange for a share of the crops.

Civil Rights Act of 1875

A law that attempted to guarantee equal access to public places regardless of race.

Abolition

The movement to end slavery.

Puritans

Religious people who wanted to reform the Church of England; focused on predestination.

Abolitionists

People who spoke out against and worked to end slavery.

John Brown

An abolitionist who fought against slavery.

Frederick Douglass

An abolitionist, writer, speaker, and former enslaved person who fought for equality.

Lucretia Mott

An abolitionist and women's rights activist.

Harriet Tubman

An abolitionist who helped enslaved people escape through the Underground Railroad.

Eli Whitney

Invented the cotton gin.

Thomas Jefferson

Wrote the Declaration of Independence and became the third U.S. president.

Andrew Jackson

The seventh U.S. president; supported Indian Removal and expanded voting for white men.

James K. Polk

President who strongly supported westward expansion.

Abraham Lincoln

Led the Union during the Civil War and worked to preserve the United States.

Ulysses S. Grant

Union general during the Civil War who later became president.

European Exploration

Europeans explored the Americas for wealth, land, trade, and resources.

Great Awakening

A religious revival in the colonies that encouraged a personal relationship with God.

American Revolution (1775–1783)

The war in which the American colonies fought Great Britain for independence.

War of 1812

War between the U.S. and Great Britain caused partly by British interference with American trade and impressment.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that Americans were destined to expand westward across North America.

Triangular Slave Trade

A trade system connecting Africa, Europe, and the Americas involving the transportation of enslaved Africans.

Mexican-American War (1846–1848)

War between the U.S. and Mexico; the U.S. gained western territory afterward.

Bear Flag Revolt

A revolt by American settlers in California against Mexican rule.

California Gold Rush

A period beginning in 1848 when people moved to California hoping to find gold.

Fugitive Slave Act

Required escaped enslaved people to be returned to their enslavers.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

The Supreme Court ruled Dred Scott was not a U.S. citizen and Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories.

Trail of Tears

The forced removal of the Cherokee and other Native Americans; thousands died during the journey.

Civil War

War between the Union and Confederacy from 1861–1865, largely over slavery and federal power.

Reconstruction (1865–1877)

Period after the Civil War when the U.S. reunited, rebuilt the South, and addressed the rights of formerly enslaved people.

Democrats

Political party that developed from Andrew Jackson's supporters; emphasized popular government and states' rights.

Republicans

Political party founded in the 1850s that opposed the expansion of slavery and supported a stronger federal government.

Federalists

People who supported a strong central government.

12th Amendment

Created separate votes for president and vice president.

13th Amendment

Ended slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

Granted citizenship and equal protection under the law.

15th Amendment

Protected voting rights for Black men.

Immigration

The movement of people from other countries into the United States.

Second Great Awakening

An attempt to renew religious faith and improve American society in the early 1800s.

Social Reforms

Efforts to improve society and address problems such as slavery, alcohol abuse, education, and women's rights.

Transcendentalism

A movement emphasizing individualism, intuition, and a connection with nature.

Temperance Movement

A movement that encouraged people to reduce or stop drinking alcohol.

Cult of Domesticity

The belief that women should focus on the home and family.

Republican Motherhood

The idea that women should raise educated, moral children who would become good citizens.

Female Suffrage

Women's right to vote.

Declaration of Sentiments

A document from the Seneca Falls Convention that demanded greater rights and equality for women.

Western Civilization

Europe and the Americas.

Eastern Civilization

Asia and the Middle East.

French Colonies

Focused mainly on trade and alliances with Native Americans.

Spanish Colonies

Built missions and tried to spread Christianity.

Dutch Colonies

Focused mainly on trade and business.

British Colonies

Created large settlements and developed self-government.

Declaration of Independence

Declared American independence from Great Britain.

Constitution

Created the U.S. government and established its system of government.

Bill of Rights

Protects basic individual freedoms and rights.

English Settlers

English settlers came to America for religious freedom, land, and economic opportunities.

New England Colonies

Focused on religion, fishing, shipbuilding, and trade.

Middle Colonies

Focused on farming and trade and had diverse populations.

Southern Colonies

Relied on plantations, cash crops, and enslaved labor.

North During Civil War

Supported the Union and had a stronger industrial economy.

South During Civil War

Formed the Confederacy and relied heavily on agriculture and enslaved labor.

Republican Party

Opposed the expansion of slavery and supported a stronger federal government.

Democratic Party

Generally supported states' rights and had strong support in the South.