Full APush vocab list

"Cross of Gold Speech"

An impassioned address by William Jennings Bryan at the 1896 Deomcratic Convention, in which he attacked the "gold bugs" who insisted that U.S. currency be backed only with gold.

"The Business of America is Business"

A statement made by president Calvin Coolidge which showed his overconfidence in the American economy before the Great Depression.

"Vast Wasteland"

FCC term for most programming on television in the 50s and 60s; tv was full of vulgar, uninspired serials, variety shows, reruns of old movies and quiz shows.

3/5 Compromise

The decision at the Constitutional convention to count slaves as 3/5 of a person for the purpose of deciding the population and determining how many seats each state would have in Congress.

10% Plan

This was Lincoln's reconstruction plan for after the Civil War. Written in 1863, it proclaimed that a state could be reintegrated into the Union when 10% of its voters in the 1860 election pledged their allegiance to the U.S. and pledged to abide by emancipation, and then formally erect their state governments. This plan was very lenient to the South.

12th Amendment

Brought about by the Jefferson/Burr tie, stated that presidential and vice-presidential nominees would run on the same party ticket. Before that time, all of the candidates ran against each other, with the winner becoming president and second-place becoming vice-president.

13th Amendment (1865)

Abolishes and prohibits slavery

14th Amendment

Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws.

15th Amendment (1870)

U.S. cannot prevent a person from voting because of race, color, or creed.

18th Amendment

Prohibited the manufacture, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages.

19th Amendment (1920)

Women gained the right to vote

21st Amendment

Amendment which ended the Prohibition of alcohol in the US, repealing the 18th amendment

22nd Amendment

Limits the president to two terms or 10 years.

54 40 or fight

In the election of 1844, Polk used this as a campaign slogan, implying that the he would declare war if Britain did not give the United States all the Oregon territory up to its northern boundary.

100 days

FDR's first 100 days in office; first action was to close all banks on a "bank holiday".

AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Act)

Sought to end overproduction and raise crop prices to assist farmers.

Aaron Burr

Served as the 3rd Vice President of the United States. Member of the Republicans and President of the Senate during his Vice Presidency. He was defamed by the press, often by writings of Hamilton. Challenged Hamilton to a duel in 1804 and killed him.

Abigail Adams

John Adam's wife, she appealed to her husband to protect the rights of women. "Remember the ladies".

Abolition

The movement to make slavery and the slave trade illegal. Begun by Quakers in England in the 1780s.

Abraham Lincoln

16th President of the United States saved the Union during the Civil War and emancipated the slaves; was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.

Act of Toleration (1649)

Passed in Maryland, it guaranteed toleration to all Christians but decreed the death penalty for those, like Jews and atheists, who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. Ensured that Maryland would continue to attract a high proportion of Catholic migrants throughout the colonial period.

Adams-Onis Treaty

1819 agreement in which Spain gave over control of the territory of Florida to the United States.

Affirmative Action

A policy designed to redress past discrimination against women and minority groups through measures to improve their economic and educational opportunities.

AFL

A labor union formed in 1886 by Samuel Gompers in order to voice the working class (only highly skilled laborers). It fought against labor forces and debated work conditions for skilled workers. Utilized Strikes.

Al Capone

A mob king in Chicago who controlled a large network of speakeasies with enormous profits. His illegal activities convey the failure of prohibition in the twenties and the problems with gangs.

Alamo

A Spanish mission converted into a fort, it was besieged by Mexican troops in 1836. The Texas garrison held out for thirteen days, but in the final battle, all of the Texans were killed by the larger Mexican force.

Albany Plan of Union

Ben Franklin's plan to unite the colonies under one government to defeat France.

Alexander Hamilton

1789-1795; First Secretary of the Treasury. He advocated creation of a national bank, assumption of state debts by the federal government, and a tariff system to pay off the national debt.

Alexis de Tocqueville

He wrote a two-volume Democracy in America that contained insights and pinpointed the general equality among people. He wrote that inequalities were less visible in America than France.

Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

Contains four parts: 1) Raised the residence requirement for American citizenship from 5 to 14 years. 2) Alien Act - Gave the President the power in peacetime to order any alien out of the country. 3) Alien Enemies Act - permitted the President in wartime to jail aliens when he wanted to. (No arrests made under the Alien Act or the Alien Enemies Act.) 4) The Sedition Act - Key clause provided fines and jail penalties for anyone guilty of sedition. Was to remain in effect until the next Presidential inauguration.

Alliance for Progress (1961)

President Kennedy's program through which the United States provided aid for social and
economic programs in Latin America.

American Colonization Society

Reflecting the focus of early abolitionists on transporting freed blacks back to Africa, the organization established Liberia, a West-African settlement intended as a haven for emancipated slaves.

American Expeditionary Force

About 2 million Americans went to France as members of this under General John J. Pershing. Included the regular army, the National Guard, and the new larger force of volunteers and draftees and they served as individuals.

American System

Economic program advanced by Henry Clay that included support for a national bank, high tariffs, and internal improvements; emphasized strong role for federal government in the economy.

Anaconda Plan

Union war plan by Winfield Scott, called for blockade of the southern coast, capture of Richmond, capture Mississippi R, and to take an army through heart of the South.

Andrew Carnegie

A Scottish-born American industrialist and philanthropist who founded the Carnegie Steel Company in 1892. By 1901, his company dominated the American steel industry.

Andrew Jackson

The seventh President of the United States (1829-1837), who as a general in the War of 1812 defeated the British at New Orleans (1815). As president he opposed the Bank of America, objected to the right of individual states to nullify disagreeable federal laws, and increased the presidential powers.

Andrew Johnson

17th President of the United States, A Southerner form Tennessee, as V.P. when Lincoln was killed, he became president. He opposed radical Republicans who passed Reconstruction Acts over his veto. The first U.S. president to be impeached, he survived the Senate removal by only one vote. He was a very weak president.

Anne Hutchinson

A Puritan woman who was well learned that disagreed with the Puritan Church in Massachusetts Bay Colony. Her actions resulted in her banishment from the colony, and later took part in the formation of Rhode Island. She displayed the importance of questioning authority.

Antifederalists

Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government.

Articles of Confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788. Weaknesses were: no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, no power to regulate trade.

Assimilation

The social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another.

Atlantic Charter

Pledge signed by US president FDR and British prime minister Winston Churchill in 1941 not to acquire new territory as a result of WWII and to work for peace after the war

Atomic Bomb

A bomb dropped by an American bomber on Hiroshima and Nagasaki destroying both cities.

Baby Boom

A cohort of individuals born in the United States between 1946 and 1964, which was just after World War II in a time of relative peace and prosperity. These conditions allowed for better education and job opportunities, encouraging high rates of both marriage and fertility.

Baby Boom

A cohort of individuals born in the United States between 1946 and 1964, which was just after World War II in a time of relative peace and prosperity. These conditions allowed for better education and job opportunities, encouraging high rates of both marriage and fertility.

Bacon's Rebellion (1676)

Armed rebellion in Virginia against Governor William Berkeley, who had the support of the British government. Forces from England came to Virginia to suppress the resistance and reform the colonial government to one that was more directly under royal control.

Baker v. Carr

Court case that established one man one vote. This decision created guidelines for drawing up congressional districts and guaranteed a more equitable system of representation to the citizens of each state.

Bakke v. Regents of the University of California

1978--Ambiguous ruling by a badly divided court that dealt with affirmative action programs that used race as a basis of selecting participants. The court general upheld affirmative action, but with a 4/4/1 split, it was a very weak decision.

Barbary Pirates

Plundering pirates off the Mediterranean coast of Africa; President Thomas Jefferson's refusal to pay them tribute to protect American ships sparked an undeclared naval war with North African nations.

Barbed Wire

Used to fence in land on the Great Plains, eventually leading to the end of the open frontier.

Battle of Antietam (1862)

Civil War battle fought in Maryland, the single bloodiest day in U.S. military history, Lee's march North was stopped.

Battle of Bunker Hill

First major battle of the Revolutions. It showed that the Americans could hold their own, but the British were also not easy to defeat. Ultimately, the Americans were forced to withdraw after running out of ammunition, and Bunker Hill was in British hands. However, the British suffered more deaths.

Battle of Gettysburg

Turning point of the War that made it clear the North would win. 50,000 people died, and the South lost its chance to invade the North.

Battle of Little Bighorn

In 1876, Indian leaders Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse defeated Custer's troops who tried to force them back on to the reservation, Custer and all his men died.

Battle of Midway

1942 World War II battle between the United States and Japan, a turning point in the war in the Pacific.

Battle of New Orleans

Jackson led a battle that occurred when British troops attacked U.S. soldiers in New Orleans on January 8, 1815; the War of 1812 had officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in December, 1814, but word had not yet reached the U.S.

Battle of Saratoga (1777)

Decisive colonial victory in upstate New York; considered to be the turning point of the American Revolution. Caused France to openly support the colonies with military forces in addition to the supplies and money already being sent.

Battle of Tippecanoe (1811)

Battle between Americans and Native Americans. Tecumseh and the Prophet attempted to oppress white settlement in the West, but defeated by William Henry Harrison. Led to talk of Canadian invasion and served as a cause to the War of 1812.

Battle of Yorktown

Last major battle of the Revolutionary War. Cornwallis and his troops were trapped in the Chesapeake Bay by the French fleet. He was sandwiched between the French navy and the American army. He surrendered October 19, 1781.

Bay of Pigs Invasion

A failed invasion of Cuba in 1961 when a force of 1,200 Cuban exiles, backed by the United States; landed at the Bay of Pigs.

Beat Generation (Beatniks)

A group of people who promoted spontaneous action and a lack of dependency on money and property, focusing more on religion and spiritual action; *challenged the traditional American values with use of illicit drugs and sexual behaviors*; began to gain a wide youth following; considered some of the first to change the American moral trend to this extent.

Benjamin Franklin

American intellectual, inventor, and politician He helped to negotiate French support for the American Revolution.

Berlin Airlift

The Allies response to the Soviets blockade of West Berlin. Airlift in 1948 that supplied food and fuel to citizens of west Berlin when the Russians closed off land access to Berlin.

Berlin Wall (1961)

The Soviet Union, under Nikita Khrushchev, erected a wall between East and West Berlin to keep people from fleeing from the East, afterwards Kennedy asked for an increase in defense funds to counter Soviet aggression.

Bessemer Process

A way to manufacture steel quickly and cheaply by blasting hot air through melted iron to quickly remove impurities.

Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique

An American feminist, activist and writer, best known for starting what is commonly known as the "Second Wave" of feminism through the writing of a book.

Big Stick Diplomacy
("Speak softly and carry a big stick")

Slogan describing TR's Roosevelt corollary. Comes from the phrase, "speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." emphasis on military preparedness; willingness to use military force to achieve foreign policy goals.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution.

Black Codes

Laws denying most legal rights to newly freed slaves; passed by southern states following the Civil War.

Black Panthers

A black political organization that was against peaceful protest and for violence if needed. The organization marked a shift in policy of the black movement, favoring militant ideals rather than peaceful protest.

Black Power Movement

African American movement that focused on gaining control of economic and political power to achieve equal rights by force in necessary.

Black Tuesday

October 29, 1929; date of the worst stock-market crash in American history and beginning of the Great Depression.

Bleeding Kansas

A sequence of violent events involving abolitionists and pro-Slavery elements that took place in Kansas-Nebraska Territory. The dispute further strained the relations of the North and South, making the Civil War imminent.

Bonus Army (1932)

Officially known as the Bonus Expeditionary Force (BEF), this rag-tag group of 20,000 veterans marched on Washington to demand immediate payment of bonuses earned during World War I. General Douglas MacArthur dispersed them with tear gas and bayonets.

Booker T. Washington

African American progressive who supported segregation and demanded that African American better themselves individually to achieve equality.

Booker T. Washington

African American progressive who supported segregation and demanded that African American better themselves individually to achieve equality.

Boom Town

A town undergoing rapid growth due to sudden prosperity.

Border States

States bordering the North: Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri. They were slave states, but did not secede.

Boston Massacre (1770)

The colonials hated the British soldiers in the colonies because the worked for very low wages and took jobs away from colonists. On March 4, 1770, a group of colonials started throwing rocks and snowballs at some British soldiers; the soldiers panicked and fired their muskets, killing a few colonials. This outraged the colonies and increased anti-British sentiment.

Boston Tea Party

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

Brain Trust

Group of expert policy advisers who worked with FDR in the 1930s to end the Great Depression.

Brigham Young

United States religious leader of the Mormon Church after the assassination of Joseph Smith.

Brinksmanship

The practice of pushing dangerous events to the brink of disaster in order to achieve the most advantageous outcome.

Brown vs. Board of Education (1954)

Supreme Court decision that overturned the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision (1896); led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Court ruled that "separate but equal" schools for blacks were inherently unequal and thus unconstitutional. The decision energized the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

Buying on Margin

Purchasing stock with a little money down with the promise of paying the balance at sometime in the future.

Camp David Accords

A peace treaty between Israel and Egypt where Egypt agreed to recognize the nation state of Israel.

Carpetbaggers

A northerner who went to the South immediately after the Civil War; especially one who tried to gain political advantage or other advantages from the disorganized situation in southern states.

CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps)

Relief program that provided work for young men 18-25 years old in food control, planting, flood work, etc.

Cesar Chavez

1927-1993. Farm worker, labor leader, and civil-rights activist who helped form the National Farm Workers Association, later the United Farm Workers.

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power.

Chesapeake Colonies

Term for the colonies of Maryland and Virginia.

Chiang Kai-shek

General and leader of Nationalist China after 1925. Although he succeeded Sun Yat-sen as head of the Guomindang, he became a military dictator whose major goal was to crush the communist movement led by Mao Zedong.

Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

Law that suspended Chinese immigration into America. The ban was supposed to last 10 years, but it was expanded several times and was essentially in effect until WWII. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first significant law that restricted immigration into the United States of an ethnic working group. Example of extreme nativism.

Christopher Columbus

An Italian navigator who was funded by the Spanish Government to find a passage to the Far East. He is given credit for discovering the "New World," even though at his death he believed he had made it to India. He made four voyages to the "New World." The first sighting of land was on October 12, 1492, and three other trips until the time of his death in 1503.

City Upon a Hill

A phrase that is associated with John Winthrop's sermon "A Model of Christian Charity," given in 1630. Winthrop warned the Puritan colonists of New England who were to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony that their new community would be a "city upon a hill," watched by the world.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

This act made racial, religious, and sex discrimination by employers illegal and gave the government the power to enforce all laws governing civil rights, including desegregation of schools and public places.

Civil War (1861-1865)

Deadliest war in American history; conflict between north (Union) and south (Confederacy); 11 southern slave states wanted to secede from Union.

Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts

This series of laws were very harsh laws that intended to make Massachusetts pay for its resistance. It also closed down the Boston Harbor until the Massachusetts colonists paid for the ruined tea. Also forced Bostonians to shelter solidiers in their own homes.

Cold War

A conflict that was between the US and the Soviet Union. The nations never directly confronted each other on the battlefield but deadly threats went on for years.