Eason Final 2nd Semester

Boston Massacre

Confrontation resulting in the death of five colonists on March 5, 1770.

Declaration of Independence

Declared independence from British rule; "unalienable rights" are rights that cannot be taken away.

Articles of Confederation

Problems included weak central government, no power to tax, and trade regulation difficulties.

Constitution

Created after Shays' Rebellion.

Supreme Law

Constitution of the United States.

Writers

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence; Constitution written by Founding Fathers.

Constructionism

Loose allows broad interpretation of the Constitution; strict limits federal government's powers.

Federal vs

Federal powers for national government; state powers reserved for states.

Great Compromise

Established bicameral legislature.

3/5 Compromise

Counted three-fifths of the slave population for representation and taxation.

Checks and Balances

Each branch limits the powers of the other branches.

Branches of Government

Legislative, executive, and judicial.

Senators

Two per state, serve six-year terms.

Federal Judges

Appointed by the president, serve for life.

Constitutional Amendment

Requires proposal and ratification thresholds.

Veto

Power of the president to reject a proposed law.

Bill of Rights

First ten amendments guarantee individual freedoms and rights.

Amendments

First, Second, Sixth, Thirteenth, Fifteenth, and Nineteenth Amendments.

Washington's Cabinet

Included major politicians.

The War of 1812

Triggered by British violations, impressment of American sailors, and Native American support.

The Louisiana Purchase

Acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803.

The Lewis and Clark expedition

Exploration of the Louisiana Territory and the Pacific Northwest.

Forty-Niners

People who migrated to California in 1849 during the Gold Rush.

Manifest Destiny

Belief in U.S. expansion across North America.

Gold Rush

Mass migration to California after gold discovery in 1848.

Indian Removal Act

Forced relocation of Native American tribes west of the Mississippi River.

Jackson Presidency

Expanded suffrage, dismantled Bank of the United States, promoted direct governance.

Trail of Tears

Forced relocation of Native American tribes to Indian Territory.

Mexican-American War

Disputes over Texas border, American territorial expansion desires, tensions with Mexico.

Sectionalism

Division of the U.S. along regional lines.

Missouri Compromise

Admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

Cotton Gin

Invention increasing demand for slave labor in the South.

John Brown

Abolitionist known for armed insurrections against slavery.

Abolitionist Movement

Aimed to end slavery and promote equality.

Compromise of 1850

Legislation addressing slavery in new territories.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Allowed territories to decide slavery issue through popular sovereignty.

Fugitive Slave Act

Required capture and return of escaped slaves, increasing North-South tensions.

North-South Tension

Stemmed from slavery expansion into new territories.

Harriet Tubman

Prominent abolitionist and Underground Railroad conductor.

John Brown & Nat Turner

Abolitionists leading armed uprisings against slavery.

"Bleeding Kansas"

Violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions.