U.S History Final Terms

Nullification

• Legal theory if a state does not agree with a federal law that the state has the right to ignore that law. Historically significant because it threaten federal union and it first came up with the tariff of 1828.

Mexican-American War

• War with Mexico began 1846 when the U.S. annexed Texas and Mexico challenged the Border. Battles were fought in Texas, and Mexico was invaded from the Atlantic Ocean by General Winfield Scott.

Indian Removal Act

• The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830, authorizing the president to grant unsettled lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders. A few tribes went peacefully, but many resisted the relocation policy.

“A Map of American Slavery”

• A runaway slave named “Gordon” appear on Union lines starving and tattered. A photographer has him pose with his shirt off. The picture was first called “The Scourged Back” and “ A Map of Slavery”. The “map” displayed way slavery was a major cause of the Civil War.

The Narrative of Frederick Douglass

• The life story of a man who escaped slavery and became a strong voice against it. He tells about the harsh treatment he faced and how learning to read helped him gain freedom. This is important because it shows the cruelty of slavery and the power of education and hope

Second Great Awakening

• Religious revival movement of the early decades of the 19th century, in reaction to the growth of secularism and rationalist religion; began the pre-dominance of the Baptist and Methodist churches

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

• In August 1831, in Virginia, a 48 hours slave rebellion in which a group of slaves unsuccessful attempted to overthrown and kill planter families. It had a lasting impact on white, because they feared another slave rebellion could happen again. Which led to a tighter grip on slavery

Technologies of the Market Revolution

• New inventions like the cotton gin, steam engine, and telegraph. They made farming, travel, and communication faster and easier across the U.S. They helped grow the economy and connect different parts of the country, but also increased the demand for slavery in the South.

Missouri Compromise

• a deal proposed by Kentucky seantor Henry Clay in 1820 to resolve the slave/free imbalance in Congress that would result from Missouri’s admission as a slave state; Maine’s admission as a free state offset Missouri, and slavery was prohibited in the remainder of the Louisiana Territory north of the Southern border of Missouri

Contraband of War

• runaway enslaved people fled to union lines and union officers asserted that these people were “property” and therefore seized as “contraband”. Historically impacted the legal reasons for slavery and eventual path to emancipation.

Compromise of 1850

• Complex compromised devised by Senator Henry Clay that admitted California as a free state, included a stronger fugitive slave law, and delayed determination of the slave status of the New Mexico and Utah territories.

Abraham Lincoln

• He was the 16th president of the United States and led the country during the Civil War. He worked to end slavery and signed the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Lincoln is important because he helped keep the nation together and pushed freedom and equality.

Bank of the United States

• A national bank created to help manage the country’s money and debt. It gave the government a place to store funds and helped control the supply of money. It caused debates about government power and led to conflicts between leaders like Alexander Hamilton and Andrew Jackson.

Underground Railroad

• A secret network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom. It used hidden routes, safe houses, and brave helpers like Harriet Tubman. It gave hope to many and showed strong resistance to slavery.

War of 1812

• Was fought between the United States and Britain over issues like trade restrictions and British attacks on American ships. The war ended in 1815 with no clear winner, but it gave Americans a stronger sense of national pride. It proved the U.S. could stand up to a powerful nation and helped shape its identity.

John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry

• John Brown led an attack in 1859 to start a slave uprising by seizing a federal weapons arsenal in Virginia. The raid failed, and Brown was captured and executed. It shocked the nation, increased tensions between the North and South, and pushed the country closer to the Civil War.

Bleeding Kansas

• The violent clashes in Kansas during the 1850s over whether the state would allow slavery. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups fought for control, leading to bloodshed and chaos. It showed the deep divisions in the U.S. and was a preview of the larger conflict that would become the Civil War.

Know Nothing Party

• this was a nickname based on their “don’t know” responses to anti-Catholics, anti-slavery, temperance, and nativist. They tried to be “centrist” on divisive issues.

Fugitive Slave Act

• Gave federal government authority in cases involving runaway slaves; aroused considerable opposition in the North

Vicksburg

• The Battle of Vicksburg violent clashes in Kansas during the 1850s over whether the state would allow slavery. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups fought for control, leading to bloodshed and chaos. It marked a turning point in the war, weakening the South’s ability to supply its armies and boosting Union morale.

Dred Scott

• violent clashes in Kansas during the 1850s over whether the state would allow slavery. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups fought for control, leading to bloodshed and chaos. It further divided the nation, intensifying tensions over slavery, and pushed the country closer to the Civil War.

13th Amendment

• This amendment abolished slavery in the United States. It legally ended slavery, marking a major step toward freedom and equality for African Americans.

William Henry Harrison

• The 9th president of the United States, before dying of pneumonia. He is most remembered for his military leadership in the Battle of Tippecanoe and for being the first president to die in office. His short presidency set a precedent for presidential succession and raised questions about the power of the vice president.

Ulysses S. Grant

• The 18th president of the United States and a key Union general during the Civil War. His victories, at Vicksburg were crucial in leading to the Confederacy’s defeat. Grant is important for his role in winning the war, but also for his presidency, where he worked on Reconstruction and sought to protect the rights of newly freed African Americans.

Robert E. Lee

• His victories, especially at Vicksburg and Appomattox, were crucial in leading to the Confederacy’s defeat. Grant is important for his role in winning the war, but also for his presidency, where he worked on Reconstruction and sought to protect the rights of newly freed African Americans. He was known for his military skills and leadership. He surrendered to Ulysses S. Grants at Appomattox Court House in 1865. His leadership represented the South’s determination, and his surrender marked the effective end of the Civil War.

Minie balls

• A type of bullet used during the Civil War. The bullets made rifled muskets more accurate and deadly, leading to higher casualty rates during battle. It change the nature of warfare, making battles more deadly and contributing to the high number of casualties in the Civil War.

Andrew Johnson

• The 7th president of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. he expanded presidential power, opposed the national bank, and enforced the controversial Indian Removal Act, which led to the forced relocation of thousands of Native Americans. He reshaped American politics, but his legacy is complicated due to his treatment of Native Americans and support for slavery.

John Ross

• The principal chief of the Cherokee Nation who led his people during time of great hardship, during the “Trail of Tears”. He fought against the forced removal of the Cherokee from their homeland through legal and political efforts. He symoblized Native resistance to U.S. policies and tried to protect his people’s rights through peaceful means.

Homestead Act

• A law passed in 1862 that gave 160 acres of fresh land to settlers who agreed to live on and farm it for 5 years. It encouraged westward expansion by making land more accessible to Americans, including immigrants. It helped shape the American frontier but also led to the displacement of many Native American tribes.

Nathan Bedford Forrest

• A confederate general during the Civil War, known for his fast cavalry tactics and battlefield skill. After the war, he became the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group that used violence to oppose Reconstruction and civil rights for African Americans. He promoted racial hatred and terror.

Age of Jackson

• Spectacle politics- American attend lengthy political debates, politicians became heroes with mass follows; “fighting” personality, appeals to population. Lead to a change into how politics are conducted.