Social Studies 8— STAAR Review

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from Social Studies 8, focusing on U.S. history and government.

Abolitionism

Movement to end slavery.

Blockade

When goods are prevented from going into or out of an area.

Boycott

A refusal to buy certain goods.

Mercantilism

Economic system in which England controlled trade of the colonies.

Suffrage

The right to vote.

Free Enterprise System

Individual people and not the government control the economy; people decide what to make, sell and buy.

American System

Henry Clay’s plan for economic growth; protective tariffs, transportation, roads and canals, and the 2nd national bank.

Louisiana Purchase

Land bought by the US in 1803 from Rocky Mts. to Mississippi River.

Manifest Destiny

The idea that the United States was destined to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

Northwest Ordinance

Set up a method by which the United States territory could grow and expand in an orderly manner.

Nullification

Idea that a state government could nullify or ignore a federal law that they feel unfairly hurts their state.

Protective Tariffs

Taxes on imported goods designed to help United States companies compete.

Trail of Tears

Forced march of Native Americans after Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act.

Unalienable Rights

Rights that cannot or should not be taken away by a government.

Transcendentalism

A philosophy emphasizing spiritual importance in life over material importance.

Minimum Government Intrusion (Laissez Faire)

Idea that citizens have the right to privacy and independence from government control.

Property Rights

The right to own property.

Communication Systems

Processes to keep the colonies connected.

Transcontinental Railroad

Railroad line that linked the East Coast's railway network to California.

Virtue

The quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong.

Urbanization

Social process where cities grow and societies become more urban.

Radical Reconstruction

Plan by radical republicans in Congress to reconstruct the South after the Civil War.

Confederation

United in a league, alliance, or conspiracy.

Civil Disobedience

Refusal to obey certain laws as a means of influencing legislation.

Secession

To withdraw formally from an alliance, federation, or association.

Industrialism

Introduction of large-scale manufacturing and technical enterprises.

1st Great Awakening

A period of religious revivalism in the 1730s and 1740s.

2nd Great Awakening

A period of religious revivalism focusing on reform in the 1800s.

Virginia Plan

The plan where representatives in Congress would be based on a state's population.

New Jersey Plan

The plan where each state would have the same number of representatives in Congress.

Great Compromise

Called for a bicameral Congress with population-based representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

Criteria to become a citizen

Requirements including being 18 years old, having good moral character, and knowing basics of U.S. history.

Scalawags

Native white Southerners who collaborated with occupying forces during Reconstruction.

Carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War to gain from the unsettled conditions.