Colonial America to National Expansion Study Guide

City upon a Hill speech

Speech given by John Winthrop, establishing ideals for the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Established by John Winthrop, located in present-day Massachusetts in the northeastern United States.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution that protect individual rights.

U.S. Constitution

The founding document that includes the Bill of Rights.

Checks and Balances

System used by the Constitution to prevent abuse of power among the three branches of government.

Legislative Branch

The branch of government that makes laws, consisting of Congress.

Executive Branch

The branch of government that enforces laws, led by the President.

Judicial Branch

The branch of government that interprets laws, including the Supreme Court and federal courts.

Constitution

The foundational document of the United States, established in 1787.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 freeing slaves in the Confederate states.

George Washington's Farewell Address

A speech warning against political parties and foreign alliances.

Declaration of Independence

Document proclaiming that 'All men are created equal', authored by Thomas Jefferson.

Enlightenment

Philosophical movement inspiring the Declaration of Independence, focusing on reason and individual rights.

Nativists

Group opposing immigration, believing native-born Americans should have priority.

Know-Nothing Party

Political party that emerged from nativist sentiments, opposing immigration.

Lowell Mills Workers

Typically young, unmarried, and female workers employed in textile mills.

Eli Whitney

Inventor known for the cotton gin and popularizing interchangeable parts.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Leader in the women’s rights movement advocating for equality and voting rights.

Frederick Douglass

Former slave and abolitionist who fought to end slavery and promote equality.

Horace Mann

Father of the common school movement, advocating for public education for all children.

Seneca Falls Convention

The first women's rights convention aimed at achieving equal rights and suffrage for women.

Nativist Heritage

Typically white, often of English or other Northern European ancestry.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

A novel aimed at the North that argued against slavery and highlighted its cruelties.

Andrew Jackson

President known for advocating the forced removal of Native Americans, including the Cherokees.

Frederick Douglass's Autobiography

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.

Modes of Transport Before Railroads

Goods were moved east to west using canals and steamboats.

California

First state to join the Union after the Mexican-American War, achieving statehood in 1850.

Mexican-American War Geography

Began along the Rio Grande border region in disputed territory in present-day southern Texas.

Manifest Destiny

The principle supporting U.S. expansion westward, associated with John O’Sullivan.

Land Benefit Argument

O’Sullivan believed expansion would spread democracy and civilization across the continent.