Periods 3-8

American Revolution

Conflict fought between the American colonies and Great Britain from 1775 to 1783 over issues like taxation without representation.

Stamp Act

A 1765 British law imposing a direct tax on the colonies, requiring many printed materials to carry a revenue stamp.

Boston Tea Party

A 1773 protest against British taxes in which Boston colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped valuable tea into Boston Harbor.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition.

Natural Rights

Philosophical belief that individuals are born with certain inherent rights, such as life, liberty, and property.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the United States, ratified in 1781, which established a weak central government.

Constitution

The supreme law of the United States, created in 1787, which established the framework for the federal government.

Federalists

Supporters of the ratification of the Constitution who advocated for a strong central government.

Democratic-Republicans

Political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison which favored states' rights and a weaker central government.

First Party System

The political structure in the United States from the 1790s to the 1820s, primarily characterized by the competition between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

Hamilton's Financial Plan

A series of measures proposed by Alexander Hamilton to stabilize the American economy including the establishment of a national bank.

XYZ Affair

A diplomatic incident in 1797 involving a confrontation between the United States and France that led to an undeclared war.

Democratic Expansion

The spread of democratic ideals and practices during the early 19th century, particularly under the presidencies of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson.

Jeffersonian Democracy

The political philosophy of Thomas Jefferson advocating for agrarian society, states' rights, and limited federal government.

Louisiana Purchase

The 1803 acquisition of the Louisiana territory from France which doubled the size of the United States.

Market Revolution

A period of rapid economic transformation in the 19th century that changed how goods were produced and consumed.

Steamboats

Innovative boats powered by steam that revolutionized transportation on rivers in the early 19th century.

Railroads

A mode of transportation that became critical for trade and travel in America, beginning in the early 19th century.

Factories

Manufacturing plants that became centers of production during the Market Revolution.

Second Great Awakening

A religious revival movement during the early 19th century that led to various social reform movements.

Temperance Movement

A social movement advocating for the reduction or prohibition of alcohol consumption.

Abolition Movement

Movement aimed at ending slavery and freeing enslaved people.

Andrew Jackson

The seventh President of the United States, known for his populist style and the controversial policies including Indian Removal.

Bank War

Political struggle in the 1830s over the rechartering of the Second Bank of the United States, showcasing the conflict between Jackson and the banking system.

Indian Removal Act

A 1830 law that authorized the removal of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands to designated territory west of the Mississippi.

Worcester v. Georgia

An 1832 Supreme Court case that ruled that states could not impose regulations on Native American lands, which Jackson ignored.

Manifest Destiny

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

Mexican-American War

Conflict from 1846 to 1848 that resulted in significant territorial gains for the U.S. following the annexation of Texas.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The 1848 treaty ending the Mexican-American War that ceded vast territories to the United States.

Compromise of 1850

A package of five separate bills passed by the United States Congress in September 1850, aimed at diffusing tensions between free and slave states.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

A 1854 law that allowed for popular sovereignty in deciding whether the territories of Kansas and Nebraska would be free or slave.

Fugitive Slave Act

Laws that required the return of runaway enslaved people to their owners and imposed penalties on those who assisted their escape.

Civil War

A conflict from 1861 to 1865 between the Northern states (Union) and Southern states (Confederacy) primarily over the issues of slavery and states' rights.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order by Lincoln in 1863 which declared the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate states.

13th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

An amendment that granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. including former enslaved people.

15th Amendment

An amendment that prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on 'race, color, or previous condition of servitude.'

Black Codes

Laws passed in Southern states after the Civil War that restricted the rights of newly freed African Americans.

Freedmen’s Bureau

A federal agency created in 1865 to aid freed slaves and poor whites during the Reconstruction era.

Robber Barons

A term used to describe unscrupulous industrialists or big business owners who were seen as taking advantage of workers and exploiting the economy.

Captains of Industry

Business leaders who positively impacted the economy with their innovations and contributions.

Labor Unions

Organizations of workers formed to protect and further their rights and interests.

Pullman Strike

A nationwide railroad strike in 1894 that ended with federal intervention and showed the tensions between labor and government.

Homestead Strike

A violent labor dispute at Andrew Carnegie's steel plant in 1892 that resulted in a battle between strikers and private security agents.

Urbanization

The process by which cities grow or by which societies become more urban.

Immigration

The action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country, significantly impacting the demographic landscape of the U.S.

Political Machines

Corrupt organizations that controlled political parties in cities, providing services in exchange for votes.

Progressive Era

A period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States in the 1890s to 1920s.

Muckrakers

Journalists in the Progressive Era who exposed the corruption and injustices in politics and society.

Trust-Busting

Government actions aimed at breaking up monopolies and trusts that restricted competition.

World War I

A global conflict that lasted from 1914 to 1918, involving many of the world’s great powers.

Fourteen Points

A statement of principles for peace that was to be used for peace negotiations to end World War I proposed by President Wilson.

New Deal

A series of programs and policies designed to promote economic recovery and social reform during the Great Depression.

Containment

A U.S. foreign policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism during the Cold War.

McCarthyism

The practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence.

Civil Rights Movement

A movement advocating for the social and legal rights of African Americans, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s.

Brown v. Board of Education

A landmark Supreme Court case in 1954 that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Martin Luther King Jr.

A prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement who advocated for nonviolent protest against racial discrimination.

Black Power Movement

A political and social movement in the 1960s that sought to improve the social, political, and economic conditions of African Americans.

Women’s Rights Movement

A social movement advocating for the rights and equality of women, particularly during the second wave of feminism in the 1960s and 1970s.

Chicano Movement

A civil rights movement for Mexican Americans focusing on education, labor, and cultural pride.

Gay Rights Movement

A social and political movement advocating for the rights and acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals.