u.s. history midterm

Jamestown

The first successful English settlement in North America, established in 1607.

Plymouth Bay

The second successful English colony in Massachusetts, founded by Pilgrims.

Pilgrims

Strict Protestants who wished to separate from the Church of England.

Mayflower Compact

A written agreement signed by 41 adults on the Mayflower, establishing self-government by majority rule.

Magna Carta

A 1215 document that limited the power of the king and established the principle that the king was not above the law.

Parliament

The representative legislature in England that established the idea of consent of the governed.

House of Burgesses

The first legislative assembly in the American colonies, located in Virginia.

New England Town Meetings

Local meetings in colonial New England where people discussed and made decisions on community issues.

Salutary Neglect

An English policy of avoiding strict enforcement of parliamentary laws, meant to keep the colonies obedient.

The Middle Passage

The forced journey of enslaved Africans to the Americas.

John Peter Zenger Trial

A landmark case in 1735 that established the principle of freedom of the press.

The Albany Plan of the Union

A proposal by Benjamin Franklin to create a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies.

The French and Indian War

A conflict between Britain and France from 1754 to 1763, part of a larger struggle for colonial dominance.

Stamp Act

A 1765 law that raised revenue by requiring all colonial newspapers and other documents to carry a stamp.

The Intolerable Acts

A series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament after the Boston Tea Party.

First Continental Congress

A gathering of delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies in 1774 to discuss grievances against Britain.

Common Sense

A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that argued for American independence from Britain.

Declaration of Independence

A document adopted on July 4, 1776, declaring the American colonies' separation from Britain.

Articles of Confederation

The first constitution of the United States, adopted in 1781, which created a weak federal government.

Shays’ Rebellion

An armed uprising in 1786 aimed at protesting economic injustices and the lack of government response.

Constitutional Convention

A meeting in 1787 where delegates drafted the Constitution of the United States.

The Great Compromise

An agreement made at the Constitutional Convention to create a bicameral legislature.

Three-Fifths Compromise

A compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention regarding the counting of slaves for representation.

Antifederalists

Opponents of the Constitution who feared a strong central government.

Federalists

Supporters of the Constitution who favored a strong national government.

Federalist Papers

A series of 85 essays written to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people.

Preamble

The introductory statement of the Constitution outlining its purpose and guiding principles.

Federalism

A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.

Elastic Clause

A provision in the Constitution that allows Congress to make laws deemed 'necessary and proper' for executing its powers.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution guaranteeing individual rights and liberties.

Checks and Balances

A system that ensures that no branch of government becomes too powerful.

Strict Constructionist

An individual who believes that the government should only exercise powers explicitly granted by the Constitution.

Loose Constructionist

An individual who believes the Constitution should be interpreted broadly to allow for implied powers.

The Flexibility of the Constitution

The ability of the Constitution to adapt to changing needs through amendments.

Judicial Review

The power of the Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of laws.

Marbury v. Madison

The Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review.

McCulloch v. Maryland

A Supreme Court case that affirmed the supremacy of federal laws over state laws.

Gibbons v. Ogden

A Supreme Court case that ruled only Congress has the power to regulate interstate commerce.

The Electoral College

A body of electors established by the Constitution to elect the President and Vice President.

Amendments

Changes or additions to the Constitution.

1st Amendment

Guarantees freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition.

2nd Amendment

Protects the right to bear arms.

4th Amendment

Protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.

5th Amendment

Guarantees the right to due process, freedom from double jeopardy, and protection against self-incrimination.

6th Amendment

Assures the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

Granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons.

15th Amendment

Grants African American men the right to vote.

The Whiskey Rebellion

An uprising in 1794 by farmers protesting the tax on whiskey.

Washington’s Farewell Address

George Washington's 1796 message to the nation advising against political parties and foreign alliances.

The Louisiana Purchase

The acquisition of the Louisiana territory from France in 1803, doubling the size of the United States.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

An exploration of the newly acquired Louisiana Territory from 1804 to 1806.

The War of 1812

A conflict between the United States and Great Britain fueled by trade restrictions and impressment of American sailors.

The Monroe Doctrine

A principle that warned European nations against interfering in the affairs of the Americas.

Andrew Jackson

The seventh President of the United States, known for expanding democracy and implementing the Indian Removal Act.

Indian Removal Act

The 1830 law that authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes to west of the Mississippi River.

The Trail of Tears

The forced march of Cherokee Indians from their homelands to designated Indian Territory.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the expansion of the United States across the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

Texas Annexation

The incorporation of Texas into the United States in 1845.

Mexican American War

A conflict from 1846 to 1848 between the U.S. and Mexico, resulting in significant territorial gains for the U.S.

The Gadsden Purchase

A 1853 agreement in which the U.S. acquired parts of present-day Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico.

Sectionalism

Loyalty to a particular region or section of the country, rather than to the country as a whole.

Seneca Falls Convention

A pivotal event in 1848 that launched the women's rights movement in the United States.

Abolitionists

Individuals who actively sought to end slavery.

The Missouri Compromise

An agreement that allowed Maine to enter as a free state and Missouri as a slave state, maintaining the balance.

The Compromise of 1850

A package of five laws aimed at resolving disputes over slavery and leading to the admission of California as free.

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

An 1854 law allowing residents of Kansas and Nebraska to decide on the legality of slavery.

Dred Scott v. Sanford

A Supreme Court case that ruled that African Americans were not citizens and could not sue in federal court.

The Civil War

A conflict from 1861 to 1865 between the Northern states and Southern states that seceded over issues of slavery and states' rights.

The Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order by President Lincoln freeing slaves in the Confederate states.

Reconstruction

The period after the Civil War focused on rebuilding and integrating Southern states back into the Union.

The Freedmen’s Bureau

A federal agency created to assist freed slaves during the Reconstruction era.

Black Codes

Laws passed in Southern states aimed at restricting the rights of newly freed African Americans.

The Thirteenth Amendment

An amendment prohibiting slavery in the United States.

The Fourteenth Amendment

An amendment granting citizenship and equal protection under the law.

The Fifteenth Amendment

An amendment granting the right to vote to African American men.

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

The political conflict resulting from Johnson's opposition to Radical Republicans' Reconstruction policies.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Plessy v. Ferguson

A landmark Supreme Court case establishing the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Booker T. Washington

An African American educator who advocated for vocational training and gradual equality.

W.E.B. Du Bois

An African American civil rights activist who argued for immediate equality and higher education.

Industrial Revolution

A period of rapid industrial growth and development that began in the late 18th century.

Gilded Age

A period of economic growth and ostentatious wealth in the late 19th century.

Robber Barons

Industrialists who amassed wealth through unscrupulous means during the Gilded Age.

Trusts

A combination of companies formed to reduce competition and control prices.

Social Darwinism

The belief that only the strong survive in business and society.

The Gospel of Wealth

Andrew Carnegie's philosophy that the wealthy should give back to society through philanthropy.

The Interstate Commerce Act

Legislation designed to regulate the railroad industry and prevent monopolistic practices.

Labor Unions

Organizations formed by workers to advocate for better wages and working conditions.

The American Federation of Labor (AFL)

An organization of skilled labor unions formed in 1886 under the leadership of Samuel Gompers.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

A tragic industrial disaster in 1911 that highlighted the need for better working conditions.

Urbanization

The process of population shift from rural to urban areas as cities expand.

Political Bosses

Corrupt leaders of political machines who maintained control in urban centers.

Old Immigrants

Immigrants arriving in the United States before 1880, mainly from Northern Europe.

New Immigrants

Immigrants arriving in the United States after 1880, primarily from Southern and Eastern Europe.

Nativism

A social phenomenon that promotes the interests of native-born citizens over those of immigrants.

Chinese Exclusion Act

An 1882 law that severely restricted Chinese immigration to the United States.

The Gold Rush

A massive migration to California beginning in 1848 after gold was discovered.

The Homestead Act

A law passed in 1862 providing 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee.