APUSH P4 – Key Terms and Definitions

A comprehensive vocabulary review of all 28 key terms and definitions for APUSH Period 4.

Jeffersonian Democracy

Thomas Jefferson's belief in limited federal government, states' rights, and an economy based on farming.

Louisiana Purchase

In 1803, the United States bought land from France, doubling the country's size.

War of 1812

War between the United States and Britain caused by trade restrictions, impressment of American sailors, and other conflicts.

Hartford Convention

Meeting of New England Federalists (1814–1815) who opposed the War of 1812 and wanted political changes.

Market Revolution

Major economic change involving factories, transportation, and increased buying and selling.

Cotton Gin

Machine invented by Eli Whitney in 1793 that separated cotton seeds from fibers, increasing cotton production and slavery.

American System

Henry Clay's plan to improve the economy through a national bank, protective tariffs, and transportation improvements.

Monroe Doctrine

1823 policy warning European countries not to colonize or interfere in the Americas.

Manifest Destiny

Belief that the United States was destined to expand westward across North America.

Trail of Tears

Forced removal of Native Americans, especially the Cherokee, from their homelands to Indian Territory.

Second Great Awakening

Religious revival movement that inspired people to support social reforms like abolition and temperance.

Abolitionism

Movement to end slavery in the United States.

Women's Rights Movement

Movement fighting for women's equal rights, including voting, education, and property rights.

Transcendentalism

Movement that emphasized individualism, nature, self-reliance, and personal beliefs.

Dorr Rebellion

1841–1842 Rhode Island uprising demanding expanded voting rights for white men.

Democratic-Republican Party

Political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison that supported states' rights and limited federal government.

Marbury v. Madison

1803 Supreme Court case that established judicial review, allowing courts to declare laws unconstitutional.

Non-Intercourse Act

1809 law that reopened trade with most countries except Britain and France to protect American trade interests.

Era of Good Feelings

Period after the War of 1812 marked by national pride and little political competition between parties.

Panic of 1819

First major U.S. financial crisis, causing bank failures, unemployment, and economic hardship.

Missouri Compromise

1820 agreement that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state and restricted slavery north of the 36°30' line in the Louisiana Territory.

Gibbons v. Ogden

1824 Supreme Court case that gave Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce.

Nullification Crisis

Conflict in which South Carolina claimed it could reject federal tariffs, while President Andrew Jackson defended federal authority.

Sectionalism

Strong loyalty to one's region, causing disagreements between the North, South, and West.

Cult of Domesticity

Belief that women should focus on taking care of the home, children, and family.

Seneca Falls Convention

1848 women's rights meeting that demanded equality for women, including the right to vote.

Underground Railroad

Secret network of people and safe houses that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.

Know-Nothing Party

Political party that opposed immigration, especially Catholic immigrants, and supported nativism.