U.S. Hist 1301 Test 2 Vocab

Stamp Act

• British stamp (proof of purchase) on all paper products

• Taxed newspapers, books, etc.

Significance: Served as a catalyst for the American Revolution.

Boston Massacre

• Colonists assaulted British officers on guard

• Soldiers open fire and kill 11; they were put on trial but defended by John Adams and found not guilty.

Significance: Intensified anti-British sentiments.

Frederick, Lord North

• Passed the Tea  Act to keep the British East India Company afloat.

• Passed punishments like the Intolerable Acts after the Boston Tea Party.

Significance: Served as the British Prime Minister during the American Revolution.

Boston Tea Party

• American colonists dressed as Native Americans and dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. 

• A response to the Tea Act passed earlier.

Significance: Led to the Coercive/Intolerable Acts.

Coercive (Intolerable) Acts

• Referred to as the “Intolerable Acts” by the Sons of Liberty.

• Boston Harbor closed, colony of Massachusetts can only meet once a year outside of Boston, and British officials were tried in Britain.

• Significance: Unified the colonies against the British government.

Thomas Gage

• British general who served as Commander-in-Chief of British forces in North America.

• Served as the Royal Governor of Massachusetts after the colony was declared in rebellion.

• Significance: His actions as governor deepened colonial resentment.

Quebec Act

• Organized territories taken from France after the 7 Years War.

• Extended the boundaries of Quebec to the Ohio River.

• Significance: American colonists saw the act as a threat to their western land claims.

Battle of Lexington

• Thomas Gage’s army encountered “Minutemen” in Lexington during their march to Concord.

• Shots fire, and a battle breaks out. 49 British soldiers are killed.

• Significance: The opening battle of the American Revolution.

Battle of Concord

• Thomas Gage learned that “Minutemen” militia have military supplies at Concord.

• Following the skirmish at Lexington, the British were met by militia at the North Bridge in Concord.

• Significance: The military engagement that marked the beginning of the American Revolution.

Olive Branch Petition

• Drafted by Congress and sent to King George III.

• Attempted to avoid a war by promising “loyalty” to the crown.

• Significance: The final effort at reconciliation after the war begun. 

Common Sense

• A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine.

• Served as a call for independence from Great Britain.

• Significance: Advocated for Enlightenment ideals like natural rights and started that independence was the only solution.

Thomas Jefferson

• The chief author of the Declaration of Independence.

• Served as the first Secretary of State after the American Revolution.

• Significance: Served as the 3rd U.S. President.

John Burgoyne

• Was a British general during the American Revolution.

• His failed Saratoga Campaign had the goal of seizing Albany, New York.

• Significance: Losing the battle convinced the French to support the Americans on the winning side.

Battle of Saratoga

• An American victory considered as the turning point in the American Revolution.

• British army wanted to cut off New England by seizing Albany, New York, but failed and was forced to surrender.

Significance: The victory boosted American morale during the war.

Horatio Gates

• A Continental Army general during the American Revolution.

• Led the American victory with Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Saratoga.

• Significance: His involvement in the Battle of Saratoga was a major turning point in the war.

Benedict Arnold

• A general who served in the American Revolution and helped win the Battle of Saratoga.

• Defected to the British and betrayed the Continental Army.

• Significance: His name become a symbol of treason in the United States.

Marquis de Lafayette

• A French general who helped the Continental Army in the American Revolution.

• Commanded troops at the Siege of Yorktown.

• Significance: Was deeply trusted by George Washington.

Baron von Steuben

• Was a Prussian-born army officer.

• Helped professionalize the Continental Army with George Washington at Valley Forge.

• Significance: Transformed the army into a more cohesive fighting force.

Charles, Lord Cornwallis

• A British general during the American Revolution.

• Helped capture Charlestown, South Carolina.

• Significance: Commanded the British forces that surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown.

Battle of Yorktown

• Cornwallis marched army to Yorktown, Virginia, but Washington launched a surprise attack.

• Cornwallis and his forces would surrender.

• Significance: The decisive, final battle of the American Revolution.

Articles of Confederation

• Passed by the Continental Congress.

• The articles were weak and prevented Congress from fighting the Revolutionary War effectively.

• Significance: Would be replaced by the U.S. Constitution because of its ineffectiveness. 

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

• Established a process for admitting states from the Northwest Territory.

• Future states required to have organized government, draft state constitution, and 60k people.

• Significance: Organized the Northwest Territory. 

Daniel Shays

• A Revolutionary War veteran who led Shays’ Rebellion in Massachusetts.

• Protesting high taxes and debt.

• Significance: Demonstrated the national government’s inability to maintain order.

Bill of Rights

• Collection of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

• Was initially written to gain support to ratify the Constitution.

• Significance: Established individual liberties against federal power.

Alexander Hamilton

• He was a Founding Father of the United States.

• Served as the first Secretary of the Treasury and a leader of the Federalist Party.

• Signifiance: Created the First Bank of the United States.

Federalists

• Was a U.S. political party that supported a strong central government.

• Wrote the Federalist Papers to convince everyone that the U.S. Constitution was effective.

• Significance: Established key precedents that shaped the federal government and economy.

Judiciary Act of 1789

• Established the federal court system (Supreme Court), federal circuit and district courts, and the office of the Attorney General.

• Passed by the First Congress.

• Significance: Provided a framework for the judicial branch.

Battle of Fallen Timbers

• The decisive battle in the Northwest Indian War.

• General “Mad Anthony” Wayne defeated a confederation of Native Americans, ending the series of battles.
  Significance: Iroquois would cede most of their lands in the Treaty of Greenville to the US.

Whiskey Rebellion

• Hamilton proposed a tax on whiskey.

• The lower classes viewed this as a tax on the poor, since most of them drunk whiskey and the rich drunk wine.

• Significance: Demonstrated the might of the federal government once the rebellion was crushed.

Napoleon Bonaparte

• The Emperor of France after the French Revolution.

• Played a key role in the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States.

• Significance: Significantly impacted American foreign policy and westward expansion. 

Alien and Sedition Acts

• Series of laws passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress.

• Restricted the rights of immigrants and suppressed dissent against the government.

• Significance: Seen as a violation of the First Amendment and was used to target Democratic-Republicans. 

John Marshall

• Was a Chief Justice of the United States.

• He established the process of judicial review in Marbury vs. Madison. 

• Significance: Strengthened the government’s power over the states. 

Marbury vs. Madison

• A landmark Supreme Court case between William Marbury and Secretary of State James Madison to force the delivery of commission.

• Marbury is entitled to commission, but the Supreme Court has no such power listed in the Constitution. 

• Significance: Established the concept of judicial review.

Louisiana Purchase

• A land deal where the US bought territory from France for $15 million.

• Provided the US control of the Mississippi River and its port in New Orleans. 

• Significance: Doubled the size of the US and enabled westward expansion.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

• A military and scientific expedition to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase region.

• To explore the Missouri River and Louisiana. 

• Significance: Expanded geographical knowledge and inspired westward expansion.

Impressment

• The forced seizure of men into naval service.

• Largely used by the British, who kidnapped American sailors.

• Significance: A major cause of the War of 1812.

Leopard-Chesapeake Incident

• A naval incident in which a British warship attacked an American warship to search for deserters. 

• Killed three Americans and wounded 18.

• Significance: Outraged the US public and fueled nationalism.

James Madison

• Father of the Constitution and pushed for the Bill of Rights.

• Served as the fourth President of the US.

• Significance: Led the US through the War of 1812.

War Hawks

• Consisted of Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Andrew Jackson.

• Wanted war against Britain in the War of 1812. 

• Significance: A major factor in convincing James Madison and Congress to declare war. 

Andrew Jackson

• Served as the 7th US president.

• Was a War Hawk during the War of 1812.

• Significance: Expanded the power of the presidency and the executive branch. 

Francis Scott Key

• His poem, “Defence of Fort M’Henry,” an account of the bombardment of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812, became the lyrics for the Star-Spangled Banner.

• The poem was a reflection of American patriotism. 

• Significance: The Star-Spangled Banner became the national anthem of the US.

Tecumseh

• A Shawnee warrior who formed a confederacy of natives to fight the US.

• Wanted an independent Native American country, but was killed in battle.

• Significance: His confederacy’s collapse weakened Native American resistance. 

Treaty of Ghent

• The peace treaty that ended the War of 1812.

• Restored pre-war boundaries and created a territorial stalemate for both sides.

• Significance: Fostered a sense of nationalism and led to improved US-British relations.

Battle of New Orleans

• An American victory during the War of 1812.

• General Andrew Jackson defeated a British force, which propelled him to fame.

• Significance: Marked the end of the war, even after the Treaty of Ghent being passed a few weeks earlier.

James Monroe

• The 5th president of the United States.

• Led the country during the “Era of Good Feelings.”

• Significance: Established the Monroe Doctrine. 

Era of Good Feelings

• A period in the United States of nationalism, optimism, and harmony.

• Federalist Party declined, leaving the Democratic-Republicans in control.

• Significance: Caused economic growth and territorial expansion.

Adams-Onis Treaty

• An agreement between Spain and the US.

• Spain ceded Florida to the US and established a boundary between Spanish and American territories.

• Significance: Supported the idea of Manifest Destiny to expand US territory to the Pacific Ocean. 

Monroe Doctrine

• A U.S. foreign policy statement that prevented Europeans from intervening in the western hemisphere.

• The US was kept out of European affairs as well.

• Significance: Asserted the US as a dominant power in the Western hemisphere. 

Missouri Compromise

• A law that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.

• Maintained the balance of power between slave and free states in the Senate. Line was drawn; banned slavery north of the line.

• Significance: Provided a temporary solution to the growing slavery debate.

Henry Clay

• Known as the “Great Compromiser.”

• Had a key role in the Missouri Compromise and served as a U.S. Senator.

• Significance: Helped preserve the union through the Missouri Compromise. 

John C. Calhoun

• American statesman and political theorist.

• Was a strong advocate for states’ rights.

• Significance: Developed the doctrine of nullification, which said that a state could declare a federal law as unconstitutional.

John Q. Adams

• Served as the Secretary of State and issued the Monroe Doctrine.

• Supported national modernization in his presidency, but failed to accomplish much.

• Significance: Would serve as the 6th president of the US for one term.

Corrupt Bargain

• The 1824 presidential election, where Andrew Jackson won the most popular and electoral votes, but not the majority.

• Andrew Jackson declared a “corrupt bargain,” as Henry Clay supported John Quincy Adams.

• Significance: Shaped politics and catalyzed the development of the modern Democratic Party. 

Cotton Gin

• An invention that separated seeds from cotton quickly.

• Invented by Eli Whitney.

• Significance: Led to cotton being the number one cash crop and an increase in slavery across the nation. 

Eli Whitney

• An American inventor who invented the cotton gin.

• Also developed the system of interchangeable parts.

• Significance: Revolutionized the South’s cotton industry and increased the demand for slave labor.

Amistad

• Enslaved Africans attempted to revolt and seize a Spanish ship.

• Afrrcans were captured and sent to the US for trial in the Supreme Court.

• Significance: Were declared as illegally enslaved, a landmark victory for abolitionists.

Nat Turner

• An enslaved African American preacher who led a violent rebellion in Virginia.

• Murdered slave masters and their families.

• Significance: The largest slave uprising in U.S. history and resulted in stricter slave codes.