Flashcards for Western Expansion and Industrialization

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to Western Expansion and Industrialization in American history.

Western Expansion

The period of continental expansion of the United States, particularly into the western territories.

Louisiana Purchase

The 1803 acquisition by the United States of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana.

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century doctrine that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

Cession

The formal giving up of rights, property, or territory by a state.

Gadsden Purchase

The 1854 purchase of land from Mexico that established the southern border of the US.

California Gold Rush

A mass migration to California following the discovery of gold in 1848.

Annexation of Texas

The process by which Texas became a part of the United States in 1845.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The treaty that ended the Mexican-American War in 1848.

Oregon Trail

A historic east-west wagon route and emigrant trail that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon.

Industrialization

The development of factories and manufacturing processes.

Interchangeable Parts

Parts that are identical and can be substituted for one another in manufacturing.

Transcontinental Railroad

A train route across the United States that opened in 1869.

Urbanization

The process of making an area more urban, often involving the growth of cities.

Abolitionist

A person who advocated for the abolition of slavery.

Temperance Movement

A social movement against the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

2nd Great Awakening

A Protestant religious revival during the early 19th century in the United States.

Irish Potato Famine

A period of mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to 1852 that prompted mass migration.

Telegraph

A communication system that transmits messages over wires.

Agricultural Innovations

New techniques and equipment designed to increase farming efficiency.

Cotton Gin

A machine that quickly separates cotton fibers from their seeds, significantly impacting agricultural production.

Steam Engine

An engine that uses steam to generate power, pivotal in the Industrial Revolution.

Supply/Demand

Economic principles that describe the relationship between the availability of a product and the desire for that product.

Patent

A license that gives the inventor exclusive rights to make, use, and sell an invention for a certain period of time.

Textile

Cloth or fabric, particularly in reference to products made from cotton wool, and other fibers.