Period 4 APUSH

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

A landmark Supreme Court case establishing the principle of judicial review, empowering the Court to declare laws unconstitutional.

Chief Justice John Marshall

Fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, known for strengthening the power of the judiciary and establishing its role in interpreting the Constitution.

Judicial Review

The power of the Supreme Court to declare laws and executive actions unconstitutional, first established in Marbury v. Madison.

Barbary Pirates

Pirates from North Africa who seized American ships; the U.S. fought the Barbary Wars (1801-1815) to stop these attacks and assert naval power.

Louisiana Purchase

The 1803 acquisition of French territory west of the Mississippi River, doubling the size of the U.S. and sparking westward expansion.

Lewis & Clark Expedition

An expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (1804-1806) to explore the Louisiana Territory and map a route to the Pacific Ocean.

Aaron Burr

The third Vice President of the U.S. under Thomas Jefferson. Burr is known for his duel with Alexander Hamilton in 1804, where he killed Hamilton. He was later tried and acquitted for treason in an alleged conspiracy to create an independent nation.

Impressment

The British practice of forcibly recruiting American sailors into the British navy, a cause of tension leading to the War of 1812.

Embargo Act of 1807

A law prohibiting American ships from trading with foreign ports to avoid entanglements in the Napoleonic Wars, but it harmed the U.S. economy.

James Madison

Fourth President of the U.S. (1809-1817), known as the “Father of the Constitution” and leader during the War of 1812.

War of 1812

A conflict between the U.S. and Britain (1812-1815) over issues like impressment, trade restrictions, and British support of Native American attacks.

Tecumseh

A Shawnee leader who sought to unite Native American tribes against U.S. expansion, fighting alongside the British during the War of 1812.

Battle of Tippecanoe

A 1811 conflict in Indiana where U.S. forces defeated Tecumseh’s confederation, ending Native resistance in the region.

War Hawks

Members of Congress, primarily from the South and West, who pushed for war against Britain in the lead-up to the War of 1812.

Francis Scott Key

Wrote the “Star-Spangled Banner” after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

Treaty of Ghent

The 1814 agreement that ended the War of 1812, restoring pre-war boundaries but resolving few issues.

Hartford Convention

A series of meetings in 1814-15 where New England Federalists discussed secession and proposed constitutional amendments in opposition to the War of 1812.

Battle of New Orleans

Final major battle of the War of 1812, where Andrew Jackson achieved a significant victory after the Treaty of Ghent was signed.

Macon’s Bill No. 2

A 1810 law aimed at resuming trade by lifting embargoes against Britain and France if either country ended restrictions against U.S. trade.

Erie Canal

A canal completed in 1825, connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, fueling economic growth and westward expansion.

Samuel F. Morse

Inventor of the telegraph and Morse code, revolutionizing long-distance communication.

Eli Whitney

Inventor of the cotton gin and pioneer of interchangeable parts, which transformed American manufacturing.

Cyrus Hall McCormick

Invented the mechanical reaper, improving agricultural productivity and aiding westward expansion.

Lowell System

A labor model employing young women in textile mills, offering work, housing, and education, prominent in early industrial Massachusetts.

Market Revolution

The expansion of markets due to increased transportation, technology, and labor specialization, transforming the U.S. economy in the early 19th century.

Industrial Revolution

A period of rapid industrial growth starting in the late 18th century, characterized by mechanized production and the rise of factories.

“Cult of Domesticity”

A belief system promoting women’s roles in the home as moral guides and guardians of virtue, particularly in the middle and upper classes.

Irish Potato Famine

A devastating famine in Ireland (1845-1852) that caused mass migration to the U.S., significantly increasing Irish immigration.

Nativism

Anti-immigrant sentiment among native-born Americans, leading to political movements to restrict immigrant influence.

Know-Nothing Party

A political party in the 1850s formed around nativist views, opposing immigration, particularly of Irish Catholics.

German Immigration

Many Germans immigrated to the U.S. in the 19th century, often settling in the Midwest, seeking political freedom and economic opportunities.

Irish Immigration

Large-scale Irish migration to the U.S., primarily in the 1840s and 1850s, driven by famine and poverty

John C. Calhoun

A prominent southern politician, Vice President, and advocate for states’ rights, nullification, and the defense of slavery.

Henry Clay

Politician known for his American System, promoting a strong national economy through protective tariffs, a national bank, and internal improvements.

Daniel Webster

A leading American statesman and orator from Massachusetts, known for his powerful speeches in support of a strong federal government. He played a significant role in the debates over states' rights, tariffs, and slavery in the early to mid-19th century.

Tariff of 1816

The first protective tariff in U.S. history, designed to protect American manufacturing from British competition after the War of 1812 by placing a tax on imported goods.

“American System”

Henry Clay’s plan to promote industry and economic self-sufficiency with a national bank, tariffs, and internal improvements.

James Monroe

Fifth President of the U.S., known for the “Era of Good Feelings” and the Monroe Doctrine.

Era of Good Feelings

A period of political unity and national pride following the War of 1812, marked by the dominance of the Democratic-Republican Party.

Oregon Country

A territory claimed by the U.S. and Britain until the 1846 Oregon Treaty established the 49th parallel as the border.

Panic of 1819

The first major economic depression in the U.S., caused by land speculation and mismanagement of the Second Bank of the United States.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

A compromise admitting Missouri as a slave state, Maine as a free state, and prohibiting slavery north of the 36°30′ line.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

A Supreme Court case affirming federal control over interstate commerce, limiting state power.

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

A U.S. policy opposing European intervention in the Western Hemisphere, asserting U.S. influence in the Americas.

Andrew Jackson

Seventh President of the U.S., known for his populist style, Indian Removal Act, and opposition to the national bank.

“Corrupt Bargain”

The alleged deal in the 1824 election where Henry Clay supported John Quincy Adams, who then made Clay Secretary of State.

John Quincy Adams

Sixth President, notable for his strong stance against slavery and advocacy for infrastructure improvements.

Spoils System

The practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs, widely associated with Andrew Jackson’s presidency.

Nullification Crisis

A confrontation between South Carolina and the federal government over states' rights to nullify federal laws, particularly tariffs.

Trail of Tears

The forced relocation of Cherokee and other Native American tribes from the Southeast to west of the Mississippi, resulting in significant suffering and death.

Indian Removal Act

A 1830 law signed by Andrew Jackson authorizing the forced relocation of Native Americans to lands west of the Mississippi.

Martin Van Buren

Eighth President of the U.S., faced the Panic of 1837 and opposed the expansion of slavery.

Tariff of 1832

A tariff intended to resolve the nullification crisis by lowering duties, but it failed to satisfy South Carolina’s demands.

Anti-Masonic Party

The first third-party in the U.S., founded in opposition to Freemasonry and secrecy in government. It also promoted religious and moral reforms.

Specie Circular

An executive order requiring land payments to be made in gold or silver, contributing to the Panic of 1837.

Panic of 1837

A financial crisis marked by bank failures and economic depression, partly due to Jackson’s economic policies.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

An anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that galvanized the abolitionist movement in the North.

“Peculiar Institution”

A euphemism for slavery in the southern U.S., reflecting its economic and social entrenchment.

Paternalism

The justification by southern slaveholders that they cared for slaves as dependents, maintaining a system they claimed was “benevolent.”

Yeomen Farmers

Independent, small-scale farmers who typically did not own slaves, particularly in the South.

Mulattoes

to describe people of mixed African and European ancestry, often socially and legally categorized separately from both Black and white individuals. In the antebellum South, mulattoes sometimes occupied an ambiguous social status, and in some cases, they were able to gain limited legal rights, though they were generally still subject to racial discrimination and restrictions.