US History I Final Exam Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, industrial vs. agricultural visions, westward expansion, and key events/figures of the Civil War.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798)

Written in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, these documents argued for states' rights and challenged the federal government's overreach of constitutional powers.

Interpose

An argument in the Virginia Resolution by James Madison that states could step in and protest when the federal government exceeded its power.

Nullification

The right claimed in the Kentucky Resolution (Thomas Jefferson) for states to void federal laws they deemed unconstitutional.

Alexander Hamilton's Vision

A belief in a strong national government, industrial economy, manufacturing, a National Bank, and a loose interpretation of the Constitution.

Thomas Jefferson's Vision

A belief in limited federal power, an agricultural nation of independent farmers, opposition to the National Bank, and a strict interpretation of the Constitution.

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

The acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France for $\$15\, \text{million}$, which doubled the size of the United States.

Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806)

An exploration mission ordered by Jefferson to map the new territory, find a water route to the Pacific, study geography, and establish relations with Native Americans.

Sacagawea

A Shoshone woman who served as a guide and translator for the Lewis and Clark expedition, helping them cross the Rocky Mountains and obtain horses.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

An agreement where Missouri entered as a slave state, Maine as a free state, and slavery was prohibited north of latitude $36^\circ 30'$ in the Louisiana Territory (except Missouri).

Corrupt Bargain of 1824

The alleged secret deal in the House of Representatives where Henry Clay supported John Quincy Adams for president in exchange for being named Secretary of State.

Jacksonian Democracy

A political movement focused on the "common man," which expanded presidential power and political participation for white males while opposing elite institutions.

Erie Canal

Completed in $1825$, this waterway connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River, reducing shipping costs and making New York City a major economic center.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that Americans were destined to spread across North America, leading to westward expansion and conflict with Native Americans and Mexico.

Worcester v. Georgia (1832)

A Supreme Court decision ruling that Native American tribes were sovereign nations and that Georgia could not control Cherokee territory.

Ordinance of Nullification (1832)

Passed by South Carolina, it declared federal tariffs unconstitutional and null and void within the state.

Cotton Gin

An invention by Eli Whitney that quickly removed seeds from cotton, making farming highly profitable and increasing the demand for enslaved labor.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws that admitted California as a free state, ended the slave trade in Washington D.C., and passed the Fugitive Slave Act.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

A law that used popular sovereignty to allow settlers to decide on slavery, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise and leading to "Bleeding Kansas."

Fort Sumter

The site in South Carolina where Confederate forces attacked Union troops, marking the official beginning of the Civil War.

Anaconda Plan

The Union's military strategy to defeat the Confederacy by blocking Southern ports and controlling the Mississippi River to cut off supplies.

First Battle of Bull Run

The first major battle of the Civil War; a Confederate victory that proved the war would not be quick or easy.

George McClellan

A skilled Union organizer and general who was known for being very cautious and frequently delaying attacks.

Ulysses S. Grant

The aggressive Union commander who won at Vicksburg and eventually became the commander of all Union armies.

Robert E. Lee

The most famous Confederate general who achieved many victories despite having fewer resources.

Stonewall Jackson

A Confederate general known for his aggressive tactics and firm stance in battle, most notably at Bull Run.

Monitor vs. Merrimack

The first battle between ironclad warships, which revolutionized naval warfare and made wooden ships obsolete.

Antietam

The bloodiest single day in American history; this Union victory allowed Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Gettysburg

A major turning point in the Civil War that ended Lee's invasion of the North and resulted in massive casualties for the South.

Gettysburg Address

A speech by Abraham Lincoln emphasizing equality, democracy, national unity, and a "new birth of freedom."

54th Massachusetts Regiment

One of the first official African American units in the Civil War, famously portrayed fighting at Fort Wagner in the movie Glory.