US History: Constitution to Early Presidents and Reform Movements

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, legislation, compromises, and political movements from the U.S. Constitution era through early presidents and social reform movements.

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the Declaration of Independence, 3rd President of the United States, who purchased the Louisiana Purchase for the US.

John Adams

America's first Vice-President and second President.

Precedent

An example that may serve as a basis for imitation or later action.

Ratify

To approve, give formal approval to, confirm (make official).

Articles of Confederation

1st Constitution of the U.S. 1781-1788, with weaknesses including no executive, no judicial, no power to tax, and no power to regulate trade.

Election of 1800

A pivotal election where Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams, marking the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties.

Constitution

A document which spells out the principles by which a government runs and the fundamental laws that govern a society.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

A government-sponsored exploration of the Louisiana Territory to map the land, study its resources, and establish trade with Native Americans.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

Political declarations in favor of states' rights, written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, in opposition to the Alien and Sedition acts; maintained that states could nullify federal legislation they regarded as unconstitutional.

National Identity

A sense of pride and unity as a nation, strengthened after the War of 1812.

Jacksonian Democracy

A political movement expanding voting rights to more white men and emphasizing the common man's participation in government.

Indian Removal Act

A law passed in 1830 forcing Native American tribes to relocate west of the Mississippi River, leading to the Trail of Tears.

Henry Clay

A politician known as the "Great Compromiser" who advocated for the American System and helped resolve sectional disputes.

American System

Henry Clay's plan to unify the economy through tariffs, a national bank, and internal improvements like roads and canals.

Second Great Awakening

A religious revival in the early 1800s that inspired social reforms like temperance, public education, and abolitionism.

Temperance Movement

A social movement to reduce or eliminate the consumption of alcohol.

Public Education

A reform movement advocating for free, universal schooling to educate citizens.

Suffrage Movement

Efforts to extend voting rights, particularly to women, which grew out of the Second Great Awakening.

Abolition

The movement to end slavery in the United States.

Slave Rebellions

Uprisings by enslaved people, such as Nat Turner's Rebellion, which heightened tensions over slavery.

Federalist

People who believed in a strong central government and created a series of papers to inform the states why a Constitution was needed.

Anti-Federalist

People who opposed the constitution and believed in states' rights.

Federalist Papers

A series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in 1787-1788 to support the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Checks and Balances

Provides each branch of government with individual powers to check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

Daniel Shay's Rebellion

An uprising that proved the Articles of Confederation was a weak form of government.

Whiskey Rebellion

An uprising shut down by President Washington and the military, proving that the Constitution was a strong form of government.

The Great Compromise

The combination of The Virginia Plan and The New Jersey Plan to settle states' rights issues at the constitutional convention.

Louisiana Purchase

1803 purchase of the Louisiana territory from France made by Thomas Jefferson, which doubled the size of the US.

Monroe Doctrine

A statement of foreign policy (1823) proclaiming that Europe should not interfere in affairs within the United States or in the development of other countries in North America / the Americas.

3/5th Compromise

An agreement where slaves count as three fifths of a person for population representation and taxation.

Bill of Rights

Placed into the constitution to appease Anti-Federalists; the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Acts passed to deport and restrict immigrant vote, which also went against freedom of speech.

Land Ordinance of 1785

A law that established a system for surveying and selling land in the western territories to encourage orderly settlement.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

A law through which the government provided a method for admitting states into the Union and dividing land.

Impressment

The British practice of taking American sailors from American ships and forcing them into the British navy; a factor in the War of 1812.

Alexander Hamilton

A Federalist leader who advocated for the Constitution, served as the first Secretary of the Treasury, and authored many Federalist Papers.

James Madison

Known as the "Father of the Constitution," he helped draft the Constitution, wrote many Federalist Papers, proposed the Bill of Rights, and served as 4th President.

James Monroe

The fifth President of the United States who wrote The Missouri Compromise in 1821 (declaring Missouri a slave state) and professed the Monroe Doctrine (1823).

George Washington

1st President of the United States and commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution.