Era of Jefferson and the Early Republic

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key political developments, landmark Supreme Court cases, and territorial expansion during the Era of Jefferson.

Assimilation

The process of absorbing or becoming similar to a larger group, culture, or structure.

Election of 1800

The presidential election won by Thomas Jefferson that represented the first example of a peaceful transfer of power between rival political parties.

Loose Constructionists

The viewpoint held by Federalists asserting that the federal government could rightly exercise powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution.

Strict Constructionists

The viewpoint held by Democratic-Republicans asserting that the federal government could only exercise powers explicitly stated in the Constitution.

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

The acquisition of the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon for 15 million dollars, which doubled the territory of the U.S. and supported an agrarian vision.

Corps of Discovery

An expedition spearheaded by Lewis and Clark that spent around two years exploring and mapping out the northwest region of the Louisiana Territory.

Zebulon Pike

The leader of an expedition sent to explore the southern part of the Louisiana Territory.

The Embargo Act (1807)

A federal ban on international trade intended to pressure Great Britain and France into respecting U.S. neutrality, which ultimately caused severe harm to the U.S. economy.

Midnight Appointments

John Adams' last act of his presidency, in which he appointed as many Federalist judges as possible to federal courts.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

The Supreme Court case emerging from Madison's refusal to deliver judicial commissions that established the Court's coequal power of judicial review.

Judicial Review

The Supreme Court's authority to act as the final interpreter of the Constitution and determine whether actions and laws are constitutional.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

A Supreme Court decision affirming the constitutionality of the national bank under the Necessary and Proper Clause and establishing the supremacy of federal law over state law.