Early Republic Overview

Constitutional Convention

1787 meeting to draft the U.S. Constitution.

Three-fifths Clause

Compromise counting slaves as three-fifths for representation.

Federalism

Division of power between national and state governments.

The Federalist

Essays advocating for the ratification of the Constitution.

Anti-Federalists

Opponents of the Constitution's central government.

Hamilton's economic plan

Financial strategy to stabilize U.S. economy post-Revolution.

Federalists

Supporters of a strong national government.

Republicans

Political party opposing Federalist policies.

Revolution of 1800

Peaceful transfer of power from Federalists to Republicans.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws restricting immigration and limiting free speech.

Louisiana Purchase

1803 acquisition of territory from France, doubling U.S. size.

Monroe Doctrine

Policy opposing European colonialism in the Americas.

Embargo Act

1807 law prohibiting trade with foreign nations.

Marshall Court

Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall.

Marbury v. Madison

Established judicial review in the U.S. legal system.

Market Revolution

Transformation of economy from agrarian to industrial.

Cotton gin

Machine that revolutionized cotton processing efficiency.

Indian Removal Act

1830 law facilitating the relocation of Native Americans.

Worcester v. Georgia

Supreme Court case affirming Native American sovereignty.

The Nullification Crisis

Conflict over states' rights to invalidate federal laws.

The American System

Economic plan promoting internal improvements and tariffs.

Cult of domesticity

Ideology emphasizing women's roles in home and family.

Family wage

Income sufficient to support a family, typically male.

Era of Good Feelings

Period of national unity and political harmony.

Tariff of abominations

1832 tariff causing significant Southern opposition.

Webster-Hayne Debate

Senate debate over states' rights versus national power.

The Liberator

Abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison.

William Lloyd Garrison

Prominent abolitionist and editor of The Liberator.

Frederick Douglass

Former slave and influential abolitionist speaker.

Declaration of Sentiments

Document advocating for women's rights at Seneca Falls.

King Cotton

Economic term highlighting cotton's importance to the South.

Paternalism

Justification for slavery as a benevolent institution.

Underground Railroad

Network aiding enslaved people to escape to freedom.

Nat Turner's Rebellion

1831 slave uprising in Virginia led by Nat Turner.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Gag rule

Policy preventing discussion of slavery in Congress.

Woman suffrage

Movement advocating for women's right to vote.

feminism

Advocacy for women's rights and equality.

James K. Polk

11th U.S. President, expansionist during Mexican-American War.

Texas revolt

Rebellion against Mexican rule leading to Texas independence.

Wilmot Proviso

Proposal to ban slavery in territories acquired from Mexico.

Compromise of 1850

Series of laws addressing slavery and territorial disputes.

Fugitive Slave Act

Law requiring return of escaped slaves to owners.

Popular sovereignty

Principle allowing territories to decide on slavery.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

1854 law creating Kansas and Nebraska territories.

Bleeding Kansas

Violence over slavery in Kansas territory.

Mexican-American War

Conflict resulting in U.S. territorial expansion.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

Supreme Court case denying citizenship to African Americans.

Election of 1860

Critical election leading to Civil War.

Lincoln's views of abolition

Initially focused on preserving the Union over abolition.

Lincoln-Douglas debates

Series of debates on slavery between Lincoln and Douglas.

John Brown

Abolitionist known for violent actions against slavery.

Fort Sumter

First battle of the Civil War in 1861.

Secession

Withdrawal of Southern states from the Union.

Confederate States of America

Government formed by seceding Southern states.

Radical Republicans

Political faction advocating for harsh Reconstruction policies.

Battle of Gettysburg

Turning point battle in the Civil War.

Emancipation Proclamation

Executive order freeing slaves in Confederate states.

Black Soldiers

Enlisted in Union Army during the Civil War.

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments

Constitutional amendments addressing slavery and civil rights.

Freedmen

Former slaves who gained freedom after the Civil War.

The Freedmen's Bureau

Agency assisting freed slaves during Reconstruction.

Andrew Johnson

17th U.S. President, faced impeachment during Reconstruction.

Tenure of Office Act

Law restricting the president's power to remove officials.

The Black Codes

Laws limiting rights of newly freed African Americans.

Tenants

Farmers who rent land to cultivate crops.

Sharecroppers

Farmers who work land for a share of crops.

Carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved South during Reconstruction.

Scalawags

Southern whites supporting Reconstruction and the Republican Party.

Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce

First African American U.S. Senators during Reconstruction.

The Ku Klux Klan

White supremacist group formed post-Civil War.

Election of 1876

Controversial election leading to the end of Reconstruction.

The Hayes-Tilden Compromise

Agreement resolving the 1876 election dispute.

Jim Crow Laws

State laws enforcing racial segregation in the South.

Poll Tax

Fee required to vote, disenfranchising poor citizens.

Grandfather Clause

Law allowing individuals to bypass literacy tests.

Literacy Test

Assessment required to vote, often discriminatory.