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James Monroe

Fifth US president (1817-1825), known for national unity, expansion, and the Monroe Doctrine.

Era of Good Feelings

Period during Monroe's presidency marked by political unity, economic growth, and low partisan conflict.

Second Bank of the United States

Rechartered in 1816 to provide financial stability. Controlled currency and became a political issue.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Supreme Court case ruling that states cannot tax the federal government, confirming implied powers.

Gibbons v. Ogden

Supreme Court ruling that only the federal government can regulate interstate commerce and invalidated state monopolies.

Tariff of 1816

First protective tariff in US history aimed at protecting American manufacturing from British competition.

Panic of 1819

First major economic depression caused by various factors including over-speculation and falling prices.

Missouri Compromise

Allowed Missouri to become a slave state and Maine a free state, banning slavery north of the 36°30' line.

Rush-Bagot Treaty

Agreement with Britain to demilitarize the Great Lakes and promote peaceful US-British relations.

Adams-Onís Treaty

Treaty in which Spain ceded Florida to the US, establishing boundaries in the Southwest.

Monroe Doctrine

US policy that warned European nations to stay out of the Americas, asserting US influence.

Spoils System

Jackson's policy of rewarding political supporters with government jobs, expanding presidential power.

Corrupt Bargain

Accusation by Jacksonians of an unfair election outcome favoring John Quincy Adams in 1824.

Henry Clay

Speaker of the House known as 'The Great Compromiser,' engineer of the Missouri Compromise.

Andrew Jackson

Seventh president, known for expanding power, opposing the Second Bank, and supporting Indian Removal.

John Quincy Adams

Sixth president, known for his intelligence but unpopularity; focused on scientific and internal improvements.

Martin Van Buren

Eighth president and Jackson's right-hand man; blamed for the Panic of 1837.

Peggy Eaton Affair

Cabinet drama during Jackson's presidency that disrupted his administration.

Tariff of Abominations

High tariff starting the Nullification Crisis, angering the South.

Nullification

The idea that states can ignore federal laws they deem unconstitutional, challenged by Jackson.

Force Bill

Legislation giving Jackson military power to enforce tariffs during the Nullification Crisis.

Whig Party

Political party formed in opposition to Jackson, supporting the BUS and Congressional power.

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia

Supreme Court decision stating Cherokee were not a foreign nation and couldn't sue Georgia.

Worcester v. Georgia

Supreme Court ruling that Georgia could not interfere with Cherokee territory, ignored by Jackson.

Trail of Tears

The forced removal of Cherokee to Indian Territory, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Seminoles

Native nation in Florida known for resisting removal during Seminole Wars.

Osceola

Seminole leader who was captured under a flag of truce and died in prison.

Panic of 1837

Economic depression caused by Jackson's policies; negatively impacted Van Buren's presidency.

Charles River Bridge

Supreme Court ruling favoring competition over monopolistic contracts.

Roger B. Taney

Jackson's Treasury Secretary turned Chief Justice, known for the Dred Scott decision.

Tippecanoe and Tyler Too

Whig campaign slogan linking Harrison to his victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe.

William Henry Harrison

Whig, president elected in 1840, died shortly after taking office.

John Tyler

Vice President who became president after Harrison's death; vetoed the BUS.

Black Culture

Rich cultural expression by enslaved African Americans including music, religion, and folklore.

Fictive Kin

Non-biological relationships among enslaved people providing emotional support.

Master and Mistress

Plantation owners or their spouses who managed enslaved labor.

Plain White Folk

Southern farmers with few or no slaves who supported slavery for racial hierarchy.

Poor Whites

Non-slave-owning laborers who defended slavery to maintain their social status.

Overseer

White employee managing enslaved labor on plantations; enforced discipline.

Driver

Enslaved person chosen to supervise and mediate among field workers.

Slave Life

Harsh conditions faced by enslaved people, including labor, family separation, and resistance.

Slave Codes

Laws controlling enslaved people to prevent rebellion and maintain oppression.

Nat Turner

Enslaved preacher who led a rebellion in Virginia, resulting in harsher slave laws.

Grimke Sisters

Southern-born abolitionists who spoke out against slavery.

Harriet Tubman

Former enslaved woman and conductor of the Underground Railroad.

Frederick Douglass

Escaped slave and prominent abolitionist known for his writings and speeches.

Underground Railroad

Network assisting enslaved people in escaping to the North or Canada.

13th Amendment

Constitutional amendment abolishing slavery in the US (1865).

Unitarianism

Christian movement emphasizing a single entity of God and rational religion.

Universalism

Belief in salvation for all, rejecting predestination.

Second Great Awakening

Religious revival focused on individual salvation and reform movements.

Handsome Lake & Tenskwatawa

Native prophets advocating for cultural revival and resistance.

Mormon

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, founded in the Second Great Awakening.

Joseph Smith

Founder of Mormonism, claimed to translate golden plates into the Book of Mormon.

Brigham Young

Led Mormons to Utah, establishing a thriving community.

Transcendentalist

Movement emphasizing individual intuition and connection to nature.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Leader of transcendentalism advocating for self-reliance and individualism.

Henry David Thoreau

Transcendentalist who promoted simple living and civil disobedience.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Author exploring themes of guilt and sin, known for The Scarlet Letter.

Walt Whitman

Poet known for celebrating democracy, individuality, and breaking literary norms.

Herman Melville

Author of Moby-dih, focusing on obsession and humanity.

Horace Mann

Reformer advocating for standardized public education and teacher training.

Washingtonians

Group focused on temperance and moral reform.

Domesticity

Ideology promoting women's roles in the home focused on motherhood and morality.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Women's rights leader and co-organizer of the Seneca Falls Convention.

Seneca Falls Convention

First women's rights convention in 1848 demanding equal rights.

Sojourner Truth

Abolitionist and feminist known for her speeches.

Manifest Destiny

Belief that Americans were destined to expand across the continent.

Stephen F. Austin

Leader who brought American settlers into Texas.

Antonio López de Santa Anna

Mexican general/dictator opposed to Texas independence.

Sam Houston

Leader of the Texas Revolution and first president of the Republic of Texas.

Alamo

Site of a siege where Mexican forces killed Texan defenders.

San Jacinto

Battle where Texas defeated Santa Anna and won independence.

James K. Polk

Expansionist president who achieved Manifest Destiny.

Mexican American War

Conflict over Texas border disputes, resulting in significant territorial gains for the US.

Bear Flag Rebellion

California settler rebellion against Mexico declaring independence.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Treaty ending the Mexican American War, ceding territory to the US.

California Gold Rush

Mass migration to California due to the discovery of gold.

Compromise of 1850

Agreement admitting CA as free and implementing the Fugitive Slave Act. 

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Anti-slavery novel that showed the cruelty of slavery and increased Northern anger.

Kansas-Nebraska Bill

Law letting settlers vote on slavery, which overturned the Missouri Compromise.

Bleeding Kansas

Violent conflict in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups.

Sack of Lawrence

Pro-slavery men attacked the anti-slavery town of Lawrence, raising tensions.

Charles Sumner and Preston Brooks

Brooks attacked Sumner with a cane in Congress, shocking the nation.

Dred Scott

Supreme Court case ruling that enslaved people weren’t citizens and Congress couldn’t ban slavery.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Series of debates on slavery that made Lincoln nationally famous.

Harpers Ferry

John Brown’s failed raid to spark a slave uprising at a federal arsenal.

Abraham Lincoln

16th president who led the Union during the Civil War.

Secession

Southern states leaving the Union after Lincoln’s election.

Fort Sumter

Site where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.

Anaconda Plan

Union strategy to blockade the South and control the Mississippi River.

Robert E. Lee

Top Confederate general during the Civil War.

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States.

Bull Run

First major Civil War battle showing the war would be long.

Dorothea Dix

Union nurse leader who pushed for better medical and mental health care.

Clara Barton

Civil War nurse who later founded the American Red Cross.

George McClellan

Union general known for being cautious and slow to act.

Trent Affair

Incident where the Union captured Confederate diplomats, nearly causing conflict with Britain.

Ulysses S. Grant

Main Union general who led the North to victory.

Battle of Shiloh

Major, deadly Union victory in Tennessee.