DCUSH Unit 3 Vocab Terms

Make sure to know the who or what, when, and historical significance of each term.

Martin v. Massachusetts (1805)

Tecumseh

In the Early 19th century, Tecumseh was a Native American military strategist and brother of Tenskwatawa (the prophet). He aimed to unite Native Americans to collectively resist the Americans and stop forced cession of Native American lands. This led to the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.

Outcomes of the War of 1812

After the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on Christmas Eve in 1814, the War of 1812 was formally over. The War of 1812 was the United States against Great Britain. Outcomes of the war include: American gains respect from European powers, Federalist party goes extinct & first party system ends, government begins reforms in military bank, industry, and infrastructure, war heroes become next generation of leaders, the Natives lose their ally and land in the West, and Americans feel immense nationalism and are more unified.

Adams-Onis Treaty (1819)

In 1819, John Quincy Adams was sent to Spain to negotiated on behalf of the United States after Jackson’s attacks created international tensions. This resulted in the cession of Florida and expansion of U.S. territory.

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

In 1823, President Monroe established that there was no new colonization to be made by Europe in the western hemisphere and that European monarchs should stay out of the Americas. This was a symbolic warning since the U.S. couldn’t actually enforce these rules and it helped protect against European imperialism.

Panic of 1819

Taking place in 1819, the Panic of 1819 was the first widespread financial crisis in the United States caused by decline in cotton price, increasing difficulty to get loans, requirement of “hard currency”, and the closing of factories. This led to Americans protesting, blame of the National Bank, and American desire for the government to stop debt collection/debt prison and have high protective tariffs. It also contributed to the rise of sectionalism in the U.S.

American System

In the early 19th century, Henry Clay proposed the “American System” to fix the Panic of 1819 by having protective tariffs, support for federal bank, and federal funding for transportation (which was not passed). The American System led to debates over federal power and sparked intense sectionalism as the South opposed tariffs and the North supported them.

Alexis de Tocqueville

In the early 19th century, Alexis de Tocqueville was a French noblemen who traveled to the U.S. to study Americans. He found that the Americans loved Democracy and the rights/privileges they got from it. His findings showed how Democracy was apart of American identity.

Second Party System

Starting from 1824, the Second Party System was a two-party political framework that focused on popular demands over political principles and regional issues over national ones. The two parties were the Whig, led by Henry Clay & John Quincy Adams, and the Democrats, led by Jackson and Martin van Buren. This led to the democratization of politics.

Democrats

In the early 19th century, the Democrats were a political party led by Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. They believed in states’ rights, expansionism, slavery, and were supported by Southern/Western farmers. This contributed to the creation of the Second Party System.

Whigs

In the early 19th century, the Whigs were a political party led by Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams. They believed in a strong national government, the American System, had mixed views on slavery, and were supported by North/Northwestern merchants. This contributed to the creation of the Second Party System.

Election of 1828

In 1828, Jackson and Quincy Adams had a rematch; vicious campaigns that had “mudslinging” on both sides. Andrew Jackson had a decisive victory against Adams, leading to small government & states’ rights dominating politics for the next 8 years.

Spoils System

At the beginning of Andrew Jackson’s presidency, the Spoils System was when Jackson replaced federal workers with his own supporters, party loyalists, relatives, and friends. It tied government employment to political party allegiance rather than professional qualifications, resulting in corruption and incompetence in public offices.

Kitchen Cabinet

Indian Removal Act (1830)

Trail of Tears

Between 1838-1839, the Cherokee Nation was forced by the U.S. army. to march from their native homelands to Oklahoma. Thousands of Natives died from disease, starvation, and exhaustion along the routes and Native American sovereignty was destroyed.

Nullification Crisis

Between 1832-1833, Henry Clay passed tariffs to help the economy; South Carolina refused to pay taxes as they were still recovering from the Panic of 1819 & threatened to secede from the US. President Jackson claimed nullifcation is illegal and established the federal government’s power over states.

Bank War

Between 1832-1836, President Jackson wants to close the national bank while the Bank President Nicholas Biddle wanted to increased its power, working with Henry Clay to extend the bank contract before it expires. As a result, the bank’s contract expires, Jackson gives money to his friends at the state banks, and having no regulation led to a massive economic collapse in 1837.

Erie Canal

The purpose of the Erie Canal was to connect the western frontier, Great Lakes, and Atlnatic Ocean. It opened trade and settlement in the West and reduced shipping costs + travel time.

Railroad

The purpose of the trailroad was to have a faster and cheapter transportation of goods and people. It can be built anywhere, was high speed, linked together cities, and was less costly + time consuming + labor intensive than canals.

Steamboats/Steam Engines

Cotton Gin

Created by Eli Whitney, the cotton gin efficiently removed cotton seeds from cotton fibers, leading to higher quality cotton and an economic boom in cotton production; leading to an increase in slavery.

Lowell (Factory System)

The Lowell System was America’s first factory model that mechanized textile production. It brought industrialization to the US and introduced child labor + women wage labor + independence.

Mill Girls

Young, unmairred women from New England farms work for the Lowell System. They lived in boarding houses and were kept under strict supervision. They worked long horus for low wages; first chance at independence before marriage.

Nativism

In the 19th century, “Native born” Americans feared immigrants and blamed them for all the crime & corruption. This was first driven by the wave of Irish Catholic and German immigration. It shaped later immigration policies and led to discrimination and violence against immigrants.

Second Great Awakening

Beginning in the 1820s, people began to feel fear & anxiety about new technology, there were changes in religious beliefs, and many Americans believed the end of the world was coming (millenialism)

Mormons

Mormons were founded by Joseph Smith in the 1830s. They believed that America was the center of the Christian universe and created a new kingdom of God through theocracy. Mormons were widely persecuted for their beliefs, which led them to migrate to Salt Lake Valley in Utah.

Oneida Community

Founded in 1848 by Noyes, the Oneida community wanted to biologically engineer a morally perfect child. They pioneered free love & open marriage and were skilled craftspeople that supported the community by making silverware. It is one of the longest-running and best-documented utopian social experiments in American history.

Transcendentalism

In the 19th century, transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that believed in individualism and that everyone has an inner light; people shouldn’t be strained by society & traditions. Key figures were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau. Its core ideas influenced later American literature.

Hudson River School

An American style of painting that begins in the 1830s. It focused on the beauty of American landscapes and showed superiority of American nature over European industrialization. This created an American identity and a spiritual and romanticized vision of nature.

Women’s Rights Convention/Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

In 1848, a Rights Convention was held in Seneca Falls, NY with key figures like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. A declaration of women’s rights was written, and they called for suffrage and an end to oppression. This event launched a movement and was a precursor to the 19th Amendment.