APUSH DBQ Term Study Guide

Election of 1800

The election in which Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams after a tie with Aaron Burr was decided by the House of Representatives; marked the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties.

Jeffersonian Revolution

The peaceful shift from Federalist to Democratic-Republican leadership in 1800, emphasizing limited government, states’ rights, and agriculture.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Supreme Court case that established judicial review, the power to declare laws unconstitutional.

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

The U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, nearly doubling the nation's size.

Strict vs. Loose Constructionism

Strict constructionists favored only powers clearly authorized by the Constitution; loose constructionists supported implied powers to carry out the government's responsibilities.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Supreme Court case that upheld implied federal powers and ruled that states could not tax federal institutions.

Barbary Pirates

North African pirates who attacked American ships and demanded tribute; Jefferson sent the U.S. Navy to fight them.

Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806)

Expedition that explored the Louisiana Territory, gathered scientific and geographic information, and searched for a route to the Pacific.

Chesapeake Affair (1807)

British warship attacked the American ship Chesapeake and seized sailors, increasing tensions between the United States and Britain.

Embargo of 1807

Jefferson's ban on American exports to foreign nations intended to pressure Britain and France; it hurt the U.S. economy.

Non-Intercourse Act of 1809

Law reopening trade with most countries while continuing to ban trade with Britain and France.

Tecumseh

Shawnee leader who tried to unite Native American tribes to resist U.S. expansion onto Native lands.

Battle of Tippecanoe (1811)

Battle in which William Henry Harrison's forces fought Native Americans associated with Tecumseh's confederacy, increasing tensions with Britain.

War Hawks

Young congressmen, including Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, who supported war with Britain to defend American interests and honor.

Oliver Hazard Perry

American naval commander who defeated the British on Lake Erie in 1813 during the War of 1812.

Burning of D.C. (1814)

British troops invaded Washington, D.C., and burned major government buildings, including the White House and Capitol.

Treaty of Ghent (1814)

Treaty that ended the War of 1812 and restored prewar boundaries without resolving all the issues that caused the war.

Battle of New Orleans (1815)

Major American victory led by Andrew Jackson against British forces after the Treaty of Ghent had been signed but before news reached the armies.

Andrew Jackson

American general who became a national hero after the Battle of New Orleans and later became the seventh U.S. president.

Hartford Convention (1814–1815)

Meeting of New England Federalists who opposed the War of 1812; weakened the Federalist Party's reputation after the war ended.

American System

Henry Clay's economic plan featuring protective tariffs, a national bank, and federally funded internal improvements.

Henry Clay

Kentucky politician known as the "Great Compromiser"; supported the American System and helped negotiate major national compromises.

Tariff of 1816

Protective tariff designed to shield American manufacturers from foreign competition, especially British imports.

Panic of 1819

The first major peacetime economic depression in the United States, involving bank failures, falling prices, and unemployment.

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

Policy warning European powers against new colonization or interference in the Americas while the U.S. generally stayed out of European affairs.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Agreement admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state; prohibited slavery in the remaining Louisiana Purchase territory north of 36°30′, except Missouri.

Tallmadge Amendment (1819)

Proposal to restrict slavery in Missouri and gradually end it; passed the House but failed in the Senate.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

Supreme Court case affirming Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce, including navigation between states.

Jackson and Seminoles

During the First Seminole War, Andrew Jackson led U.S. forces into Spanish Florida, increasing pressure on Spain to give Florida to the United States.

Adams-Onís Treaty (1819)

Treaty in which Spain ceded Florida to the United States and the two countries established a boundary.

Election of 1824

Presidential election in which Andrew Jackson won the most popular and electoral votes but lacked an electoral majority; the House chose John Quincy Adams.

Corrupt Bargain

Accusation by Jackson's supporters that Henry Clay backed John Quincy Adams in the 1824 House election in exchange for becoming secretary of state; a secret deal was never conclusively proven.