Period 4 Vocabulary

Marbury vs. Madison (1803)

A Supreme Court case that established judicial review, meaning courts can decide if laws are unconstitutional.

Chief Justice John Marshall

The head of the Supreme Court who defined the power of the judicial branch.

Judicial Review

The Supreme Court's authority to decide if a law violates the Constitution.

Barbary Pirates

North African pirates who attacked U.S. ships and demanded bribes.

Louisiana Purchase

The 1803 acquisition of land from France that doubled the size of the U.S.

Lewis & Clark Expedition

A journey to explore the Louisiana Purchase and find a route to the Pacific.

Aaron Burr

Thomas Jefferson's vice president who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

Impressment

The British practice of kidnapping American sailors to serve in their navy.

Embargo Act of 1807

A law halting all U.S. trade with foreign countries to avoid conflict, negatively impacting the U.S. economy.

James Madison

The fourth president of the U.S. who led during the War of 1812.

War of 1812

A conflict between the U.S. and Britain over trade restrictions and impressment.

Tecumseh

A Native American leader who sought to unite tribes against U.S. expansion.

Battle of Tippecanoe

A battle in 1811 where U.S. forces defeated Tecumseh's confederacy.

War Hawks

Congress members advocating for war with Britain before the War of 1812.

Francis Scott Key

The author of "The Star-Spangled Banner," inspired by the War of 1812.

Treaty of Ghent

The 1814 agreement that ended the War of 1812 without a clear winner.

Hartford Convention

A meeting of Federalists opposing the War of 1812 and considering secession.

Battle of New Orleans

A significant U.S. victory in the War of 1812, led by Andrew Jackson, after the war had officially ended.

Macon’s Bill No. 2

A law resuming trade with Britain and France, promising to stop trading with the enemy of whichever country recognized U.S. neutrality first.

Erie Canal

A canal connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, enhancing trade and the economy.

Samuel F. Morse

The inventor of the telegraph and Morse code.

Eli Whitney

The inventor of the cotton gin and interchangeable parts, boosting U.S. industry.

Cyrus Hall McCormick

The inventor of the mechanical reaper, facilitating easier and faster farming.

Lowell System

A factory system in Massachusetts employing young women in textile mills.

Market Revolution

The expansion of markets in the early 1800s, leading to new inventions and a stronger economy.

Industrial Revolution

The transition from hand-made to machine-made goods, beginning in the late 1700s.

“Cult of Domesticity”

The belief that women should focus on home and family, defining gender roles.

Irish Potato Famine

A devastating famine in Ireland that led to significant Irish immigration to the U.S.

Nativism

The belief that native-born citizens are superior to immigrants.

Know-Nothing Party

A political party opposing immigrants and Catholics.

German Immigration

The movement of Germans to the U.S. in the 1800s, many fleeing political unrest.

Irish Immigration

The large influx of Irish people to the U.S., particularly during the Irish Potato Famine.

John C. Calhoun

A South Carolina politician who supported states' rights and slavery.

Henry Clay

A U.S. senator known for his compromises, including the Missouri Compromise and the American System.

Daniel Webster

A leading senator who supported a strong national government and opposed slavery.

Tariff of 1816

A tax on imported goods aimed at protecting American industry.

“American System”

Henry Clay’s plan to enhance the U.S. economy through tariffs, a national bank, and infrastructure projects.

James Monroe

The fifth president of the U.S., recognized for the Monroe Doctrine.

“Era of Good Feelings”

A period of national unity and political peace during Monroe’s presidency.

Oregon Country

A region in the Pacific Northwest claimed by both the U.S. and Britain before being settled by treaty.

Panic of 1819

The first major financial crisis in the U.S., caused by excessive bank lending.

Missouri Compromise 1820

A law admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state to maintain Congressional balance.

Gibbons vs. Ogden (1824)

A Supreme Court case ruling that the federal government controls interstate commerce.

Monroe Doctrine 1823

A policy that told European countries not to interfere in the Americas.

Andrew Jackson

The seventh president of the U.S., known for his populist policies and opposition to the national bank.

“Corrupt Bargain”

The belief that John Quincy Adams won the presidency in 1824 because of a secret deal with Henry Clay.

John Quincy Adams

The sixth president of the U.S., known for his diplomatic efforts.

Spoils System

The practice of giving government jobs to political supporters.

Nullification Crisis

A conflict between South Carolina and the federal government over tariffs, where South Carolina tried to nullify federal law.

Trail of Tears

The forced relocation of Native American tribes to lands west of the Mississippi River.

Indian Removal Act

A law passed by Andrew Jackson that authorized the removal of Native American tribes from their lands.

Martin Van Buren

The eighth president of the U.S., known for dealing with the Panic of 1837.

Tariff of 1832

A tax on imports that led to the Nullification Crisis.

Anti-Masonic Party

The first third party in U.S. politics, formed in opposition to the influence of Freemasonry.

Specie Circular

A policy requiring land purchases to be made in gold or silver, contributing to the Panic of 1837.

Panic of 1837

A financial crisis caused by bank failures and land speculation.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that portrayed the horrors of slavery.

“Peculiar Institution”

A term used to describe slavery in the southern U.S.

Paternalism

The idea that slaveholders acted in the best interests of their slaves.

Yeomen Farmers

Independent farmers in the South who owned small farms.

Mulattoes

People of mixed race, particularly in the context of African American and white ancestry.

“Spirituals”

Religious songs sung by enslaved African Americans.

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

A violent slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831.

Transcendentalism

A philosophical movement that emphasized the importance of nature and individual conscience.

Shakers

A religious group known for their communal lifestyle and celibacy.

Second Great Awakening

A religious revival movement in the early 1800s that inspired reform movements.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

A religious group founded by Joseph Smith, also known as Mormons.

American Temperance Society

An organization that promoted abstinence from alcohol.

Horace Mann

An advocate for public education reform in the U.S.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A leading Transcendentalist writer and philosopher.

Henry David Thoreau

A Transcendentalist writer who advocated for civil disobedience.

Emily Dickinson

A famous American poet known for her unique style.

Edgar Allan Poe

A writer known for his gothic stories and poems.

Dorothea Lynde Dix

A reformer who worked to improve conditions for the mentally ill.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

A leading figure in the women’s rights movement.

Abolition

The movement to end slavery.

William Lloyd Garrison

An abolitionist who published the anti-slavery newspaper "The Liberator.”

Frederick Douglass

A former enslaved person who became a leading abolitionist speaker and writer.

Underground Railroad

A network of secret routes and safe houses used to help enslaved people escape to freedom.

Harriet Tubman

A former enslaved person who helped others escape through the Underground Railroad.

Sojourner Truth

A former enslaved person and abolitionist who advocated for women’s rights and abolition.

Seneca Falls Convention

The first women’s rights convention, held in 1848, where the Declaration of Sentiments was presented, calling for equal rights for women.

Nat Turner's Rebellion

A violent slave rebellion led by Nat Turner in 1831, which resulted in stricter slave laws across the South.