Term Quiz Stuff McNamara

Puritans

These people left England to escape religious persecution, believed in predestination; believed in predestination

Salem Witch Trials

a series of trials held in 1682 after a group of young girls accused community members of being in league with the devil

Mayflower Compact

The document signed by settlers of Plymouth that established a self-governing colony

Toleration Act of 1649

Maryland assembly passed this law that granted a degree of religious freedom to different groups, especially Catholics

House of burgesses

Virginia Legislative formed in 1619. First example of self-government in the American Colonies

Middle Passage

Transatlantic voyage that brought most enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to North America and the West Indies

The Holy Experiment

The name for William Penn's idea that people of different nationalities and religious beliefs could live peacefully together in his Pennsylvania colony

The Great Awakening

Series of religious revivals that swept through the colonies in the early to mid 1700's

Royal Colony

Colony that is under the authority of the King and ruled by governor appointed by the King

The New England Way

Phrase used by the puritans of Massachusetts bay to describe the cooperation between church and state that existed in the community

Proprietary Colony

Colony with self-governing rights and power to choose their own electors

Mercantilism

Economic theory that the welfare (wealth of a country) is determined by its stock in precious metals

Navigation Acts

A series of English laws that required European goods destined for the colonies to be routed through England and colonial products to be carried on English ships only

Balance of Trade

The best way for a nation to obtain wealth is to export more than it imports and by doing so, retain a favorable what?

Glorious Revolution

A bloodless revolt in England against catholic King James II that led to his overthrow and the appointment of Protestant daughter Mary to the throne. These events in England allowed many colonists in America to get rid of hated officials and reestablish representative assemblies.

Salutary Neglect

Undocumented, but long standing policy of great Britain interfering very little with her colonies prior to 1763 and not strictly enforcing the commerce laws against the colonies

French and Indian War

1756-1763 Part of the Seven Years' War in Europe. Britain and France fought for control of the Ohio Valley and Canada. Algonquins, allied with the French. Iroquois Nation allied with the British. The colonies fought under British commanders. Britain eventually won, and gained control of all of the remaining French possessions in Canada, as well as India. Spain, which had allied with France, ceded Florida to Britain, but received Louisiana in return.

Albany Plan of Union

Ben Franklin's 1754 plan for unification of the colonies for purposes of defense and government

Proclamation of 1763

Was issued by King George III following Great Britain's acquisition of French territory in North America after the end of the French and Indian War, in which it forbade settlers from settling past a line drawn along the Appalachian Mountains.The purpose of this was to organize Great Britain's new North American empire and to stabilize relations with Native North Americans through regulation of trade, settlement, and land purchases on the western frontier.Made natives happy because they were able to keep their land west of the line but colonists were upset because it slowed westward expansion and the crown took control of their western lands

Stamp Act

Tax on all printed matter including, but not limited to, playing cards, legal documents, and letters

Sugar Act

law passed by Great Britain that imposed taxes on molasses and other goods entering the colonies; it angered the colonists because smuggling cases would now be heard without a jury of their peers.

Sons of Liberty

Radical colonial organization formed after the Stamp Act to protest British taxes; used both violent and non-violent means of protest

Declaratory Act

Law passed that said that Great Britain had "full power and authority" to rule the colonies in any way she saw fit; This act passed in 1766 repealed the Stamp Act and declared that Great Britain could rule her colonies any way she saw fit

Tea Act

Law that allowed the British East India Company to avoid paying import taxes

Boston Massacre

British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists who were teasing and taunting them. Five colonists were killed. The colonists blamed the British and the Sons of Liberty and used this incident as an excuse to promote the Revolution.

Committee of Correspondence

A 21 member committee responsible for keeping the colonies and the rest of the world informed about the injustices Great Britain was making on her colonies

Olive Branch Petition

Final Peace offering that was sent by Second Continental Congress to King George III

Loyalists

American colonists who remained loyal to Britain and opposed the war for independence. Another name for them was "tories"

Continental Congress

There were 2 of these conventions held in Philadelphia where delegates from the different colonies met to discuss what they should do about Great Britain

Declaration of Independence

Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, but heavily edited by Ben Franklin and John Adams, this document listed all the grievances teh colonists had against the king and solidified their decision to break away from Great Britain

Constitution

The document was adopted on September 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and ratified by conventions in eleven States. It established the present federal government of the United States and outlined its powers. It went into effect on March 4, 1789, taking the place of the Articles of Confederation. It can be changed through amendments.

Treaty of Paris

Peace agreement that formally ended the American Revolution

Articles of Confederation

The first form of unified government that created an association of states, while guaranteeing each state "sovereignty, freedom, and independence"

Virginia Plan

A plan to shift political power away from the states and towards the central government. Part of this proposal called for the creation of a bicameral legislature

New Jersey Plan

Proposed at the Constitutional Convention by William Paterson, this plan provided for a one house (unicameral) legislature with equal representation in congress and was supported by smaller states who feared losing power in the federal government.

The Great Compromise

Also known as the Connecticut Compromise, this compromise defined the legislature structure and representation for each state

The 3/5 Compromise

An agreement reached that the northern and southern states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that made 3/5 of slaves to be counted population in determining representation to the House of Representatives (lower house) and that 3/5 of slaves would be counted for the purpose of determining taxation.

Checks and Balances

System of power whereby each branch is separate from each other and has the power to police the other branches for any abuse of power

Bill of Rights

Written by James Madison, this was the first 10 amendments

Cabinet

A group of presidential advisers all of whom are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to head executive departments of government and act as official advisers.

Strict Construction

Supported by Thomas Jefferson, this legal philosophy requires a narrow reading and interpretation of a particular statute or document

Loose Construction

the philosophy of the constitution supported by Alexander Hamilton; belief that the government can do anything that the constitution does not prohibit; an interpretation of the Constitution that believed the government possessed some powers NOT specifically expressed.

Whiskey Rebellion

Protest by farmers in Pennsylvania against new taxes on certain domestically produced items, in which George Washington assembled forces to put down this rebellion

Treaty of Greenville

Agreement between Native Americans and the US Government that gave the US most of present day Ohio and Indiana

French Revolution

Spurred on by the ideas of natural rights and equality, this was a period of radical social and political upheaval in a foreign country; A period of radical political and social upheaval in France where the people opposed and eventually overthrew the unpopular monarchy

Impressment

British practice of taking American sailors and forcing them into the British navy; major factor in War of 1812

XYZ Affair

Incident in which French agents demanded a bribe from U.S. diplomats in exchange for discussing an agreement that French privateers would not longer attack American ships.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Series of laws to silence the Republican opposition; allowed the government to prosecute those who spoke out against the government; limited free speech

Marbury V. Madison

Supreme Court case that declared parts of the Judiciary Act of 1789 unconstitutional, thereby setting up the doctrine of judicial review

Louisiana Purchase

The doubled the size of the United States, gave the country complete control of the port of New Orleans, and provided territory for westward expansion. At the time, the purchase faced domestic opposition because it was thought to be unconstitutional. Although he agreed that the U.S. Constitution did not contain provisions for acquiring territory, Jefferson decided to go ahead with the purchase anyway (loose construction) and bought the land from France (leader: Napoleon) in order to remove France's presence in the region and to protect both U.S. trade access to the port of New Orleans and free passage on the Mississippi River.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

An expedition sent by Thomas Jefferson to explore the northwestern territories of the United States, 1804-1806. They were commissioned by Jefferson to map and explore the Louisiana Purchase region. Beginning at St. Louis, Missouri, the expedition traveled up the Missouri River to the Great Divide, and then down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. They were also accompanied by Sacajawea. It produced extensive maps of the area and recorded many scientific discoveries, greatly facilitating later settlement of the region and travel to the Pacific coast.

Tecumseh

A Shawnee leader who attempted to establish a confederacy to unify Native Americans against white encroachment. He sided with the British in the War of 1812 and was killed in the Battle of the Thames. (Battle of Tippecanoe)

War of 1812

A war between the U.S. and Great Britain caused by American outrage over the impressment of American sailors by the British, the British seizure of American ships, and British aid to the Indians attacking the Americans on the western frontier.The Treaty of Ghent ended this war. It also strengthened American nationalism and encouraged the growth of industry.

Treaty of Ghent

Treaty between the United States and Great Britain that ended the War of 1812

Monroe Doctrine

Statement made by America that we would not interfere in European colonies in Latin America but would also not tolerate any foreign attempt to colonize in the Western Hemisphere

Missouri Compromise

It was passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories. It prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana Territory north of the parallel 36°30′ north except within the boundaries of the proposed state of Missouri. To balance the number of "slave states" and "free states," the northern region of what was then Massachusetts was admitted into the United States as a free state to become Maine

Manifest Destiny

19th century widely held belief that American settlers were destined to expand across the continent

Corrupt Bargain

A political scandal that arose when the Speaker of the House, Henry Clay, allegedly met with John Quincy Adams before the House election to break a deadlock.. After the votes were counted in the U.S. presidential election of 1824, no candidate had received a majority of the Presidential Electoral votes, thereby putting the outcome in the hands of the House of Representatives. To the surprise of many, the House elected John Quincy Adams over rival Andrew Jackson. It was widely believed that Henry Clay, the Speaker of the House at the time, convinced Congress to elect Adams, against the popular vote, who then made Clay his Secretary of State.

Spoils System

Andrew Jackson's Practice of rewarding his political supporters with government jobs

Trail of Tears

Name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States, to the land west of Mississippi River forced by the U.S. Army, following the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The removal included many members of the Cherokee, Muscogee (Creek), Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw nations, among others in the United States, from their homelands to Indian Territory in eastern sections of the present-day state of Oklahoma. It lasted 116 days and was 1,000 miles long, many Indians died along the way

The Industrial Revolution

The transition to new manufacturing processes in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840. This transition included going from hand production methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes, improved efficiency of water power, the increasing use of steam power and the development of machine tools. It also included the change from wood and other bio-fuels to coal. It began in England and within a few decades had spread to Western Europe and the United States. Manufacturers and merchants reorganized work routines and built factories. There was a rapid construction of transportation which allowed goods to become more widespread

National Road

The construction of the Cumberland Road, the first federal roadway was completed in 1815, and it was also know by this name

Erie Canal

"Clinton's Ditch". First major canal created. Proposed in 1817 by DeWitt Clinton. Was the longest standing canal ever built at the time(27 miles); In New York State that runs from the Hudson River to Lake Erie, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean It cut transport costs into what was then wilderness by about 90%. The Canal resulted in a massive population surge in western New York, and opened regions further west to increased settlement

Market Revolution

The creation of profitable national markets brought about by the new transportation systems and the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s

Factory System

System that cuts cost and increases outputs by relying on machines to help to keep everything under one roof; Samuel Slater and Francis Cabot Lowell were both known for this

Lowell Girls

Female workers who came to work for a particular textile corporation in Massachusetts during the Industrial Revolution in the United States

Nativists

people that believed that native-born Americans were superior to foreigners

Second Great Awakening

Protestant revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1790, gained momentum by 1800, and after 1820 membership rose rapidly among Baptist and Methodist congregations whose preachers led the movement. It has been described as a reaction against skepticism, deism, and rational Christianity

Tanscendentalism

Belief that people could rise above the material thins in life to reach a higher level of understanding; very popular movement among New England writers and thinkers

Prohibition

A social reform movement that sought to outlaw nationally the consumption, distribution, and sale of alcohol; the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages

Seneca Falls Convention

Site where the Declaration of Sentiments was written, which among many things, insisted that women be given the right to vote; Took place in upper state New York in 1848. Women of all ages and even some men went to discuss the rights and conditions of women

The Donner Party

Group of travelers to California who were stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and had to result to cannibalism

Temperance Movement

A social reform movement that began in the mid-1800s to encourage people to limit alcohol consumption

The Mormons

Utopian Community; Church founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 with headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, religious group that emphasized moderation, saving, community, and hard work.

Cotton Gin

It was an invention made by Eli Whitney that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, allowing for much greater productivity than manual cotton separation. Cotton could be processed quickly and cheaply. This resulted in a boom in the cotton trade and the need for more slaves in the south.

Underground Railroad

a network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause

The Liberator

The first anti-slavery news paper; an abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison

Abolitionism

the movement in opposition to slavery, often demanding immediate, uncompensated emancipation of all slaves. This was generally considered radical, and there were only a few adamant supporters prior to the Civil War. Almost all supporters advocated legal, but not social equality for blacks. Many, such as William Lloyd Garrison were extremely vocal and helped to make slavery a national issue, creating sectional tension because most were from the North.

The Alamo

a pivotal battle in the fight for Texas Revolution where after a 13 day siege all the Texan defenders were killed

The Mexican War

War between the United States and Mexico (April 1846-February 1848) stemming from the United States' annexation of Texas in 1845 and from a dispute over whether Texas ended at the Nueces River (Mexican claim) or the Rio Grande (U.S. claim). The war—in which U.S. forces were consistently victorious—resulted in the United States' acquisition of more than 500,000 square miles of Mexican territory extending westward from the Rio Grande to the Pacific Ocean.

The Bear Flag Revolt

name used for the California revolt against Mexico in 1846

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Treaty that ended the Mexican American War in 1848

The California Gold Rush

Gold discovered in California attracted a rush of people all over the country to San Francisco.

Forty Niners

People who migrated to CA to search for gold; mostly men. This term comes from the year 1849, in which the gold rush was booming.

Popular Sovereignty

practice of allowing states and territories to decide for their own whether or not to permit slavery in those areas

Wilmot Proviso

Proposal to prohibit slavery in any land acquired in the Mexican War; it was never passed

Free Soil Party

A political party that opposed the extension of slavery into any of the territories newly acquired from Mexico; short-lived political party in the United States active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections, and in some state elections.Its main purpose was opposing the expansion of slavery into the western territories, arguing that free men on free soil comprised a morally and economically superior system to slavery. They opposed slavery in the new territories (agreeing with the Wilmot proviso) and sometimes worked to remove existing laws that discriminated against freed African Americans in states such as Ohio.

Compromise of 1850

Agreement proposed by Henry Clay that allowed California to enter the union as a free state and stated that issue of slavery in the rest of the Mexican cession would be determined by the people

abolished slaved trade in DC

Tougher Fugitive Slave Act

Paid Texas $10 million to give up disputed territory to NM

Admitted California as a free state

Popular Sovereignty in Utah and NM

Fire Eaters

Southern political leaders who held extreme pro slavery views

Fugitive Slave Act

Enacted by Congress in 1793 and 1850, these laws provided for the return of escaped slaves to their owners. The North was lax about enforcing the 1793 law, which irritated the South to no end. The latter was passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 between Southern slave-holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. This was one of the most controversial acts of the 1850 compromise. It declared that all runaway slaves were, upon capture, to be returned to their masters

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, this abolitionist novel depicted the horrors of slavery to those in the North and was Banned in the South

Kansas-Nebraska Act

proposed initially due to the desire to build a transcontinental railroad, this Act would allow two territories to determine their future based on popular sovereignty

Bleeding Kansas

a sequence of violent events involving Free-Staters and pro-slavery "Border Ruffians" elementsmthat took place in Kansas Territory and the western frontier towns of Missouri between roughly 1854 and 1861. At the heart of the conflict was the question of whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free state or slave state. As such,it was a proxy war between Northerners and Southerners over the issue of slavery in the United States

John Brown's Raid

failed attack at the Federal Arsenal at Harper's Ferry, VA

Dred Scott Decision

Supreme court decision that determined that slaves were not considered citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in court

Civil War

a war fought from 1861 to 1865 in the United States after several Southern slave states declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America (the "Confederacy" or the "South"). The states that remained were known as the "Union" or the "North". The war had its origin in the fractious issue of slavery, especially the extension of slavery into the western territories. Foreign powers did not intervene. After four years of bloody combat that left over 600,000 soldiers dead and destroyed much of the South's infrastructure, the Confederacy collapsed, slavery was abolished, and the difficult Reconstruction process of restoring national unity and guaranteeing rights to the freed slaves began.

Abraham Lincoln

Known as the Great Emancimpator

Secession

the withdrawal from the Union of 11 Southern states in the period 1860-61, which brought on the Civil War; the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity; the withdrawal of states from the Union that constitutes the United States; formal separation from an alliance or federation

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War

Robert E. Lee

an American career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War.