Period 4 AP US History

based on a study guide from ms.skalsky

How did Thomas Jefferson’s policies as president reflect a shift from his earlier belief in a strict interpretation of the Constitution?

it moved from strict to loose interpretation by approving the Louisiana Purchase (1803)—using implied powers to double U.S. territory. Though once a strict constructionist, Jefferson prioritized national growth and economic opportunity, showing pragmatism over ideology.

Why is the election of 1800 often referred to as a “revolution” in terms of political power?

it marked the first peaceful transfer of power between parties—Federalists to Democratic-Republicans. Jefferson’s victory symbolized a “Revolution” of democratic ideals, reaffirming popular sovereignty, and establishing the precedent for orderly party change in the U.S.

In what ways did the Lewis and Clark expedition reflect Jefferson’s goals for westward expansion and commerce?

by exploring western lands, mapping routes for settlement and trade, establishing relations with Native Americans, and identifying natural resources to expand commerce.

What were the major causes and effects of the Embargo Act of 1807 on the U.S. economy?

It backfired, crippling New England commerce and American exports, causing economic depression and Federalist resurgence, while encouraging domestic manufacturing.

Marbury v. Madison

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, giving the Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional.

How did Marbury v. Madison change the power of the Supreme Court?

It strengthened federal authority and made the judiciary an equal branch of government under the Constitution.

McCulloch v. Maryland

the Marshall Court ruled that states couldn’t tax the Second Bank of the U.S., reinforcing the Supremacy Clause and the concept of implied powers.

Supremacy Clause

A clause in the U.S. Constitution stating that federal law is the “supreme law of the land” and takes precedence over state laws.

What was the significance of McCulloch v. Maryland regarding federal power and the national bank?

It validated federal authority and supported Hamilton’s vision of a strong central government and national economy.

Gibbons v. Ogden

it expanded federal power by ruling that interstate commerce was regulated by Congress, not the states.

How did Gibbons v. Ogden impact the power of the Supreme Court?

It strengthened the Commerce Clause, encouraged economic unity, and promoted a national market economy during the Market Revolution.

Commerce Clause

A clause in the Constitution granting Congress the power to regulate trade between states, with foreign nations, and with Native American tribes.

Define “impressment”

the forcible enlistment of American sailors to the British Navy

What were the main reasons the United States declared war on Britain in 1812?

British impressment of U.S. sailors, interference with trade, and British support of Native resistance (led by Tecumseh). Influenced by War Hawks like Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, the war was seen as defending national honor and independence.

Why was the issue of impressment so central to causing the War of 1812?

it violated U.S. sovereignty and neutral rights. It symbolized British disrespect for American independence and helped unite Americans behind the call for war to defend national pride and maritime freedom.

What are the significant effects of the War of 1812?

The war inspired nationalism, collapsed the Federalist Party, expanded U.S. manufacturing, and weakened Native resistance. Andrew Jackson’s victory at New Orleans and the Treaty of Ghent (1814) ended hostilities, beginning the Era of Good Feelings under James Monroe.

Treaty of Ghent

1814
The agreement that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain, restoring prewar boundaries but not addressing the causes of the war.

Explain how the Market Revolution changed regional economic relationships inside the United States.

transformed the U.S. into a national economy. The Northeast industrialized, the Midwest focused on food production, and the South supplied cotton. Improved transportation and technology linked regions, fostering specialization and interdependence.

How did the development of canals, railroads, and telegraphs strengthen ties between the Northeast and Midwest?

it revolutionized communication and commerce. it connected rural farms with urban markets, promoting regional integration and speeding up industrial and urban growth.

What new social expectations for men and women emerged during the Market Revolution?

it introduced the cult of domesticity, defining women’s roles in the home as pious, pure, and submissive, while men worked for wages. This separate spheres ideology shaped middle-class family life, though some women sought education and reform activism.

Describe the “Lowell System”

a labor and production model in early 19th-century textile mills where young women, called “mill girls,” lived in company-run dormitories, worked in the factories, and followed strict schedules, combining industrial work with moral supervision.

Why was the Lowell System significant in early industrialization?

it introduced factory-based textile production with a workforce of young women, combining mechanized labor, housing, and supervision, shaping early industrial labor practices.

How did the Second Great Awakening influence reform movements such as temperance and women’s rights?

it emphasized individual salvation and moral reform

Why were women especially active in temperance reform?

Women saw alcohol abuse as a threat to home and family stability. They led groups like the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), using moral persuasion to protect families and assert a stronger public voice, linking reform to female empowerment.

What ideas expressed at Seneca Falls reflected Enlightenment and Revolutionary principles?

emphasizing natural rights, equality, and the idea that government derives its power from the consent of the governed for women as well as men reflected them.

How did transcendentalist thought challenge industrialization and material culture?

by promoting individualism, nature, and spiritual over material values, rejecting the growing focus on wealth and progress from industrial society.

How did Jacksonian Democracy expand political participation for white men?

Under Andrew Jackson, property qualifications for voting were removed, expanding suffrage to nearly all white men. His presidency symbolized popular democracy, party loyalty, and the rise of the common man, though it excluded women and people of color.

What was the “Tariff of Abominations,” and how did it lead to the Nullification Crisis?

aka the tariff of 1828, raised import duties to protect Northern industry but hurt the Southern economy. When South Carolina declared the tariff void, claiming states had the right to reject federal laws they saw as unconstitutional.

Why did Andrew Jackson oppose the Second Bank of the United States?

he viewed it as a tool of the elite, harmful to the common man

Bank War

The political struggle during Andrew Jackson’s presidency over the rechartering of the Second Bank of the United States, which Jackson opposed, eventually leading to its closure.

Why is Worcester v. Georgia significant?

the Marshall Court ruled the Cherokee Nation sovereign.

What does Jackson’s reaction to Worcester v. Georgia show about the time period?

It shows that the executive branch often ignored Supreme Court decisions and that white expansion and state power were prioritized over Native American rights.

Nullification Crisis

A conflict between South Carolina and the federal government over tariffs; the state attempted to nullify federal law, challenging federal authority.

Force Bill

Legislation passed to authorize President Andrew Jackson to use military force to enforce federal tariffs during the Nullification Crisis.

Which of Jackson’s actions contradicted his own stated beliefs about limiting federal power?

the use of the Force Bill in the Nullification Crisis

Why did slaveholders in the South increasingly defend slavery as a “positive good”?

because they claimed it was beneficial for both enslaved people and society — arguing it provided Africans with “civilization” and Christianity, supported a stable social order, and fueled the Southern economy.

Nat Turners Rebellion

1831

A violent slave uprising in Southampton County, Virginia, in which enslaved people killed around 55–65 white people.

How did events like Nat Turner’s Rebellion lead to stricter laws against enslaved and free African Americans?

Southern states enacted stricter slave codes, banned education for African Americans, and increased surveillance, intensifying the system of racial control.

Why did the admission of Missouri to the Union spark a national sectional crisis?

it threatened the delicate balance of power between slave and free states in the Senate, leading to a fierce debate over the expansion of slavery into new territories. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions clashed over the issue, with northerners fearing an increase in slave states' influence and southerners defending their right to own slaves as property and expand the institution westward

How did the spread of cotton shape the Southern economy and social hierarchy?

The invention of the Cotton Gin made cotton the South’s dominant crop, expanding plantations and slavery. It enriched the planter elite, entrenched racial hierarchy, and made the South economically dependent on slave labor and exports.

How do the views and actions of William Lloyd Garrison compare to those of Frederick Douglass?

one demanded immediate emancipation without compromise, while the other sought abolition through political and moral reform. Both were key figures in the abolitionist movement, using press and rhetoric to fight slavery.

Embargo Act

1807
issued under Jefferson, aimed to protect U.S. neutrality during the Napoleonic Wars by stopping all foreign trade.

William Lloyd Garrison

Radical abolitionist and journalist who founded The Liberator newspaper, calling for the immediate emancipation of all enslaved people.

Frederick Douglass

Former enslaved person who became a leading abolitionist, writer, and speaker advocating for the end of slavery and equal rights for African Americans.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott

Leading activists in the early women’s rights movement, organizers of the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 advocating for women’s suffrage and equality.

Ralph Waldo Emerson & Henry David Thoreau

Key figures in the Transcendentalist movement, promoting individualism, self-reliance, and a deep connection with nature.

Henry Clay

U.S. politician and statesman known as the “Great Compromiser” for his role in crafting major compromises such as the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850.
war hawk

John C. Calhoun

South Carolina politician and advocate of states’ rights and nullification; he supported slavery and opposed federal tariffs.
war hawk