United States History Vocabulary Packet

Comprehensive vocabulary list covering major units of United States History from the colonial period to the modern era, as detailed in the lecture notes.

Mayflower Compact

Agreement made by Pilgrims showing the people’s ability to make their own rules.

House of Burgesses

Representative assembly (group of people) in Virginia.

City upon a hill

Idea that your community will serve as an example to others.

Indentured servant

Someone who has their voyage paid to America, but who must then work off the debt.

John Peter Zenger

Man who helped to give people freedom of the press.

Salem Witch Trials

Massive search for witches that caused innocent people to be killed in the 1600s.

Mercantilism

Colonies give raw materials to mother country and then serve as markets because they buy the finished goods.

Salutary Neglect

“Healthy” ignoring of the colonies by Britain.

Albany Plan of Union

First attempt to unify the 13 colonies; not successful.

Proclamation of 1763

British order telling colonists they were forbidden from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Stamp Act

First DIRECT tax by the British on colonial goods.

Intolerable Acts

Series of punishments given to Boston after colonists “hosted” the Boston Tea Party.

First Continental Congress

Meeting that was called to unify the 13 colonies after the passage of the Intolerable Acts.

Second Continental Congress

Meeting of the colonies to prepare war plans.

Common Sense

Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that convinced the colonists to support independence.

Declaration of Independence

Document written by Thomas Jefferson announcing the separation of the colonies from Great Britain; lists grievances against the King.

Saratoga

Turning point battle of the Revolution that convinced France to openly help the Americans.

John Locke

Enlightenment thinker whose theories were used in the Declaration of Independence.

Natural Rights

Life, liberty, property, and the “pursuit of happiness”.

Consent of the Governed

Idea that a government must protect the people or be overthrown by the people.

Articles of Confederation

First government that the new United States created; ends up being a HUGE failure b/c too much power is given to the states.

Northwest Ordinance 1787

Figures out a settlement pattern for new western territories and FORBIDS SLAVERY in the Northwest Territory; used to bring new states into the nation.

Shays’ Rebellion

Rebellion led by unhappy farmers who were being taxed heavily by Massachusetts.

Constitutional Convention 1787

Called to fix the Articles of Confederation, but actually creates a brand new government.

Bicameral legislature

A 2 house representative assembly.

New Jersey Plan

Plan favored by small states who wanted equal representation and a unicameral legislature.

Virginia Plan

Plan favored by large states who wanted proportional representation (based on population) and a bicameral legislature.

Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)

Settles the fight over REPRESENTATION between big states and small states by creating a bicameral legislature with one house with equal representation and one with representation based on population.

3/5 Compromise

Settles the fight over whether or not to count slaves as part of the population for representation; decision = 3 out of every 5 slaves will be counted.

Popular Sovereignty

Power of government comes from the people.

Separation of Powers

Splits government into 3 branches so that national power is split up.

Montesquieu

Enlightenment thinker who helps develop the idea of separation of powers.

Checks and Balances

System put in place to prevent one branch from becoming too powerful.

Electoral College

System used to elect the president; popular vote then electoral vote; critics say it hurts small states b/c candidates campaign in states with large populations.

Unwritten Constitution

Traditions/practices of our government; includes cabinet, lobbying, political parties, judicial review.

Federalism

Power is divided between national and state government.

Elastic Clause

The Necessary and Proper Clause; allows the National Government to “stretch” its power to respond to changing conditions.

Judicial Review

The Supreme Court’s power to rules laws unconstitutional.

Bill of Rights

The 1st 10 amendments to the Constitution; added to protect people’s liberties from the National Government.

Tinker v. DesMoines

Students have limited free speech/expression in schools.

Hamilton’s Financial Plan

Plan including “Bank, Debt, Tax, and Tariff” that attempts to stabilize economy.

Whiskey Rebellion

Washington proves he will uphold federal legislation/taxes by using force to put down a rebellion.

Broad interpretation

Read into the Constitution using the Elastic Clause (Hamiltonian/Federalist view).

Proclamation of Neutrality

Washington’s response to the request for American help in the French Revolution; enforces NEUTRALITY.

Farewell Address

Washington’s final “warnings” to Americans; includes warning to stay out of European affairs.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Jefferson/Madison response to Alien and Sedition Acts; claim the states can NULLIFY (ignore) bad laws passed by the national government.

Louisiana Purchase

Jefferson violates his strict interpretation when he gets this; doubles size of US and gets port of New Orleans.

Marbury v. Madison

Supreme Court claims the power of JUDICIAL REVIEW.

McCullogh v. Maryland

Shows SUPREMACY of the national government.

Monroe Doctrine

Tells Europe to STAY OUT OF OUR HEMISPHERE!! (Enforces neutrality).

Erie Canal

Links Great Lakes to Atlantic Coast.

Spoils System

System used by Jackson to appoint his political supporters to office.

Trail of Tears

15,000 Cherokee Indians are forcibly moved west; 1/4 of the group dies.

Seneca Falls Convention

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott lead a meeting to increase women’s rights; leads to eventual 19th Amendment.

Manifest Destiny

The idea that the U.S. must expand its boundaries by moving west to the Pacific Ocean.

Missouri Compromise

Divides the nation between slave states and free states at the 36’ 30 line.

Fugitive Slave Law

Attempts to force the north to return slaves who escape; the North HATES it!

Bleeding Kansas

Back and forth fighting over slavery that made sectional compromise difficult.

Abolitionist

Someone against slavery; supports the Underground Railroad.

Dred Scott Decision

Supreme Court says slaves are property and that the Missouri Compromise is unconstitutional.

Emancipation Proclamation

Frees slaves in REBELLING territories and gives the Union a MORAL cause to fight for.

Habeas Corpus

Right to find out if you have been imprisoned lawfully; suspended by Lincoln during the Civil War.

Lincoln’s Plan of Reconstruction

Main goal was to PRESERVE THE UNION; forgives the South and lets them back in quickly.

Radical Republican’s Plan of Reconstruction

PUNISH the South and get EQUAL RIGHTS for African Americans; requires ratification of the 14th Amendment.

13th Amendment

Frees the slaves.

14th Amendment

Guarantees “equal protection under the law” (equality and citizenship).

15th Amendment

Gives African Americans the right to VOTE.

Plessy v. Ferguson

Upholds segregation by allowing SEPARATE BUT EQUAL facilities for blacks and whites.

Jim Crow Laws

Laws passed by states creating separate facilities for blacks and whites; LEGAL SEGREGATION.

Sharecropping

Former slaves act as a cheap labor supply and are stuck in debt; way to keep them in a state of slavery after the Civil War.

W.E.B. DuBois

African American reformer pushing for IMMEDIATE equality and a LIBERAL education.

Laissez-faire

Lazy government (not getting involved with the economy or big businesses).

Robber Baron

Big business leader who uses ruthless business tactics to make more money.

Social Darwinism

Survival of the Fittest idea used by the rich to justify their wealth.

Andrew Carnegie

Steel entrepreneur who used vertical integration to create his monopoly; gave money back via libraries.

Sherman Antitrust Act

Regulates big business by breaking up gigantic trusts in order to restore competition.

AFL (American Federation of Labor)

Union led by Samuel Gompers that allows skilled immigrants only and uses pure and simple unionism.

Nativism

Hatred of foreigners.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Nativist act that stops Chinese immigration.

Grange

Farmer organization that wants the government to regulate the railroads.

Dawes Act

Pushes for the ASSIMILATION of Native Americans.

Muckraker

Writer who exposes problems of society such as corruption or poverty.

The Jungle

Written by Upton Sinclair about the problems within the meat industry.

19th Amendment

Gives women the right to vote.

Yellow Journalism

Exaggerated style of writing that draws U.S. into the Spanish American War.

Roosevelt Corollary

Enforces Monroe Doctrine by adding police power; causes intervention in Latin America.

Schenck vs. United States

Says civil liberties can be suspended during times of national security or when there is a CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER.

Wilson’s 14 Points

Plan for peace and post WWI objectives; includes League of Nations and self-determination.

Red Scare

Time period where government tries to find communists in America; caused by fear and nativism.

Harlem Renaissance

Period of cultural and artistic growth for African Americans.

Buying On Margin

Borrowing money from a broker to pay a down payment to purchase stock.

New Deal

FDR’s plan to fix the Great Depression that gives jobs to people.

Wagner Act

Guarantees COLLECTIVE BARGAINING to unions; the right to be recognized.

Lend-Lease Act

FDR says we must allow Allies to borrow money and military supplies to protect U.S. security.

Korematsu vs. United States

Rules that Japanese Americans can be interned; civil liberties limited for national security.

Manhattan Project

Top secret research program to create the atomic bomb.

McCarthyism

Caused by fear of communism having infiltrated the national government; 2nd Red Scare.

Marshall Plan

Containment plan giving aid to WESTERN EUROPE to prevent the spread of communism.

Truman Doctrine

Containment plan giving aid to GREECE and TURKEY.

NATO vs. Warsaw Pact

U.S. (NATO) vs. Soviet (Warsaw Pact) military alliances based on collective security.