Age of Reform and Key Historical Events

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to the Age of Reform and notable historical events.

Second Great Awakening

A Protestant revival movement in the early 19th century that emphasized individual piety and a personal relationship with God.

Postmillennialism

The belief that the second coming of Christ will occur after the millennium, a golden age of peace and righteousness.

Evangelicalism

A movement within Protestant Christianity emphasizing the need for personal conversion and faith in Jesus Christ.

Temperance

A social movement advocating for the reduction or prohibition of alcohol consumption.

Abolition

The movement to end slavery and promote equal rights for all people.

William Lloyd Garrison

An American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer, best known for his anti-slavery newspaper, The Liberator.

The Liberator

An influential abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison in 1831.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

A leading figure of the early women's rights movement who co-authored the Declaration of Sentiments in 1848.

Declaration of Sentiments, 1848

A document signed during the Seneca Falls Convention that demanded equal rights for women, modeled after the Declaration of Independence.

Henry David Thoreau, 'Civil Disobedience'

An essay by Thoreau advocating for nonviolent resistance to unjust laws, published in 1849.

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century doctrine that the expansion of the United States across the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

Republic of Texas

A sovereign nation that existed from 1836 until 1845, when it joined the United States.

President John Tyler, 1841

The 10th President of the United States who served after the death of William Henry Harrison.

President James K. Polk, 1844

The 11th President of the United States known for his expansionist policies and leadership during the Mexican-American War.

John Slidell, envoy to Mexico

A diplomat sent by President Polk to negotiate the purchase of California and settle the Texas-Mexico boundary.

Mexican-American War, 1846-1848

A conflict between the United States and Mexico, leading to significant territorial gains for the U.S.

'Mr. Polk's War'

A term used by critics to describe the Mexican-American War, suggesting it was initiated for political purposes.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The 1848 treaty that ended the Mexican-American War and resulted in the U.S. acquiring territories that would become California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Nicholas Trist

The U.S. negotiator who played a key role in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Wilmot Proviso

A proposed amendment aimed at banning slavery in territory acquired from Mexico during the Mexican War.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, often applied to the issue of slavery in new territories.

President Zachary Taylor, 1848

The 12th President of the United States who served from March 1849 until his death in July 1850.

President Millard Fillmore, 1850

The 13th President of the United States who assumed office after Zachary Taylor's death.

Compromise of 1850

A package of five bills aimed at defusing tensions between slave and free states, addressing issues related to California and slavery.