All Bolded Key terms in AMSCO 2022 AMSCO
Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States had a divine mission to expand its power and civilization across the breadth of North America [1]. It was a popular idea in the 1840s and 1850s [1].
Texas became an independent republic after a revolt by American settlers against the Mexican government [1]. It was annexed by the U.S. in 1845 [2].
Antonio López de Santa Anna was the dictator of Mexico who abolished that nation's federal system of government [1]. He led Mexican forces against American settlers in Texas [1].
Sam Houston led a group of American settlers in Texas that revolted and declared Texas an independent republic in 1836 [1].
The Webster-Ashburton Treaty was a treaty that resolved a boundary dispute between Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick in 1842 [1].
The slogan "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!" was a popular slogan that called for the U.S. to control all of the Oregon territory up to the 54° 40' parallel [1].
James K. Polk was the president who was a strong proponent of Manifest Destiny [1]. He was elected in 1844 [1].
The Great American Desert was the name given to the arid region between the Mississippi Valley and the Pacific Coast [1].
Mountain men were fur traders and explorers who were among the earliest nonnative individuals to explore the West [1].
Overland trails were the hazardous routes taken by pioneers traveling west, such as the Oregon, California, Santa Fe, and Mormon trails [1].
The mining frontier was the area where the discovery of gold and silver led to the rapid growth of mining camps and towns [1].
The farming frontier was the area where most pioneer families moved to start homesteads and begin farming [1].
The urban frontier saw the growth of western cities such as San Francisco and Denver as a result of mining and railroads [1].
Exports are goods that are sold to other countries [1].
Imports are goods purchased from other countries [1].
Matthew C. Perry was a U.S. naval commodore who pressured Japan to sign the Kanagawa Treaty, opening up trade relations [1].
The Kanagawa Treaty was a treaty signed between the U.S. and Japan that opened up two Japanese ports to U.S. vessels [1].
The Mexican Cession refers to the territory that the United States gained from Mexico after the Mexican-American War, which included the provinces of California and New Mexico [1].
The Wilmot Proviso was a proposal to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico as a result of the war [1, 3].
The Rio Grande became the southern border of Texas after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo [1].
Winfield Scott was a general who led the U.S. Army in the capture of Mexico City during the Mexican-American War [1].
Zachary Taylor was a general who led the U.S. Army in the beginning of the Mexican-American War [1].
Stephen Kearney was a general who led the U.S. Army in taking New Mexico and Southern California during the Mexican-American War [1].
John C. Frémont quickly overthrew the Mexican rule in California in 1846 [1].
The Bear Flag Republic was the name given to California after American settlers declared it an independent republic [1].
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was the treaty that ended the Mexican-American War in 1848 [1]. It recognized the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas, and the U.S. acquired the Mexican Cession [1].
The Ostend Manifesto was a secret agreement that proposed the U.S. purchase or take Cuba from Spain, which was leaked and ultimately abandoned [1].
The Walker Expedition was an attempt by expansionists to take over new territories in Central America, which ultimately failed [1].
The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty was an agreement between the U.S. and Great Britain that stated that neither nation would attempt to take exclusive control of any future canal route in Central America [1].
The Gadsden Purchase was the U.S. acquisition of a small strip of land in present-day Arizona and New Mexico in 1853 for $10 million [1].
Free-soil movement was a movement that opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories [1, 4].
Popular sovereignty was the idea that the issue of slavery in a territory should be decided by a vote of the people who settled in that territory [1, 4].
Lewis Cass was a Democratic senator who proposed popular sovereignty [1].
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of laws that were intended to settle the issue of slavery in the territories gained from Mexico, which included the admission of California as a free state and the enactment of a strict Fugitive Slave Law [1, 5].
"Barnburners" was the name given to antislavery Whigs who threatened to defect from their party [1].
The Fugitive Slave Law was a controversial law that required the return of escaped slaves to their owners [1, 5].
Irish immigrants came to the U.S. in large numbers during this period, often settling in cities and facing discrimination [1].
Roman Catholic was the religion of many Irish immigrants, which led to discrimination [1].
Germans also immigrated to the U.S. in large numbers, often settling in the Midwest [1].
Nativism was a movement that opposed immigration and favored native-born Americans [1].
The Know-Nothing Party was a secret antiforeign society that evolved into a political party [1].
Industrial technology saw rapid growth in the production of goods, such as textiles and iron [1].
Samuel F. B. Morse invented the electric telegraph, which revolutionized communication [1].
Railroads expanded rapidly in the Northeast and Midwest, and were crucial for transportation and trade [1].
The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic that caused a sharp decrease in prices for Midwestern agricultural products and a rise in unemployment [1].
The Underground Railroad was a network of activists who helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the North or Canada [1, 6].
Harriet Tubman was a famous conductor on the Underground Railroad [1, 6].
Uncle Tom's Cabin was a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, which exposed the cruelty of slavery [1, 6].
Hinton R. Helper wrote "Impending Crisis of the South" which attacked slavery using statistics [1].
George Fitzhugh was a pro-slavery author who argued that the working conditions of northern industrial workers were worse than that of enslaved people [1, 6].
Tammany Hall was a New York City political organization that was controlled by the Irish [1].
The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) allowed for popular sovereignty in the Kansas and Nebraska territories [1, 4]. It effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise and led to violent conflict [1, 4].
Stephen A. Douglas was a senator who introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act [1, 4].
"Bleeding Kansas" was the name given to the violent conflict between pro- and anti-slavery factions in Kansas [1, 4].
The New England Emigrant Aid Company paid for the transportation of antislavery settlers to Kansas [1].
Pottawatomie Creek was the site of a massacre led by John Brown, an abolitionist who murdered five pro-slavery settlers [1].
Canning of Senator Sumner when a South Carolina Congressman beat Senator Charles Sumner with a cane in the senate chamber [1].
The Republican Party was founded in 1854 by Free-Soilers and antislavery Whigs [1, 4]. The party was formed to oppose the expansion of slavery in the territories [1, 4].
John C. Frémont was the first Republican candidate for president [1].
The Know-Nothing Party was a nativist party that was popular in the mid-1850s [1].
The Lecompton Constitution was a pro-slavery constitution that was proposed for Kansas [1].
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) was a Supreme Court decision that declared that African Americans were not citizens and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional [1, 7].
Roger Taney was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who presided over the Dred Scott decision [1].
The Lincoln-Douglas debates were a series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, which focused on the issue of slavery [1].
Abraham Lincoln was the Republican candidate for president in 1860 [1, 8].
The Freeport Doctrine was Stephen Douglas' argument that slavery could be excluded in a territory if local citizens did not pass laws (slave codes) maintaining it [1].
John Brown was an abolitionist who led a raid on Harpers Ferry in an attempt to start a slave rebellion [1, 7].
The house-divided speech was a speech given by Abraham Lincoln in which he stated that the country could not remain half slave and half free [1].
Violent Responses refers to events such as Bleeding Kansas and John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry [1].
The Election of 1860 was the presidential election that resulted in the secession of several Southern states [1, 8].
John C. Breckenridge was the Southern Democrat candidate for president in 1860 [1].
Constitutional Union Party was a party formed in 1860 to preserve the Union [1].
John Bell was the presidential candidate for the Constitutional Union Party [1].
Secession refers to the act of the Southern states withdrawing from the Union [1, 8].
The Confederate States of America was the name given to the government formed by the seceding Southern states [1, 9].
Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederacy [1, 9].
The Crittenden Compromise was a failed attempt to resolve the secession crisis [1, 10].
Fort Sumter was the site of the first battle of the Civil War [1, 10].
Border states were the slave states that remained in the Union [1, 11].
The Fighting is a general term referring to the military conflict of the Civil War [1].
Bull Run was the site of the first major battle of the Civil War [1, 10].
Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson was a Confederate general [1].
Winfield Scott was a Union general who developed the Anaconda Plan [1].
The Anaconda Plan was the Union strategy to blockade Southern ports [1, 10].
George B. McClellan was a Union general who led the Peninsula Campaign [1].
Robert E. Lee was the commander of the Confederate army [1, 10].
Antietam was the site of the bloodiest single day of fighting in the Civil War [1, 10].
Fredericksburg was a battle in Virginia in which the Union suffered a major defeat [1, 10].
Monitor vs. Merrimac was a naval battle between ironclad ships [1, 10].
Ulysses S. Grant was a Union general who led the campaign to control the Mississippi River [1, 10].
Shiloh was a battle in Tennessee in which the Union forced Confederate troops to retreat [1].
David Farragut was a Union naval officer [1, 10].
The Trent Affair was a diplomatic incident between the U.S. and Great Britain [1, 10].
Confederate raiders were ships purchased by the Confederacy to attack Union merchant ships [1].
The Alabama was a Confederate raider that caused significant damage to Union shipping [1].
Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War [1, 10].
Vicksburg was a city captured by the Union that gave them control of the Mississippi River [1, 10].
Sherman's March was a destructive military campaign led by William Tecumseh Sherman through Georgia [1, 10].
William Tecumseh Sherman was a Union general who led the march through Georgia [1, 10].
Appomattox Court House was the site of the Confederate surrender [1, 10].
War Diplomacy refers to the attempts by both the Union and Confederacy to gain foreign support [1].
Alexander H. Stephens was the Vice President of the Confederacy [1, 10].
The Second American Revolution is a term used to describe the Civil War and its impact on American society [1].
Jefferson Davis was the president of the Confederacy [1, 9].
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Lincoln in 1863, declaring that all enslaved people in states still in rebellion would be freed [1, 11].
Confiscation Acts were laws passed by Congress that allowed the Union to seize enemy property, including enslaved people [1, 11].
Massachusetts 54th Regiment was a famous regiment of African American soldiers [1, 11].
Copperheads were a faction of the Democratic Party that opposed the war and called for a negotiated peace [1, 11].
Habeas Corpus is the right of a person to be brought before a judge or court, especially as protection against illegal imprisonment. It was suspended by Lincoln during the Civil War [1, 11].
Ex Parte Milligan was a Supreme Court case that ruled that civilians could not be tried in military courts when civil courts were available [1, 11].
Greenbacks were paper currency issued by the U.S. Treasury during the Civil War [1, 11].
The Morrill Tariff Act (1861) raised tariff rates [1, 11].
The Homestead Act (1862) promoted settlement of the Great Plains by offering parcels of 160 acres to any person or family that would farm the land for at least five years [1, 11].
The Morrill Land Grant Act (1862) encouraged states to use the sale of federal land grants to found and maintain agricultural and technical colleges [1, 11].
The Pacific Railway Act (1862) authorized the building of a transcontinental railroad [1, 11].
Gettysburg Address was a famous speech given by Abraham Lincoln [1, 11].
Reconstruction was the period of rebuilding the South after the Civil War [1].
The Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction was President Lincoln's plan for the political Reconstruction of the Southern states [1].
The Wade-Davis Bill was a plan for Reconstruction passed by Congress, which was more stringent than Lincoln's plan [1].
The Freedmen’s Bureau was a federal agency created to help newly freed slaves transition to freedom [1, 12].
Andrew Johnson was Lincoln's vice president who became president after Lincoln's assassination [1, 12].
Johnson’s Reconstruction plan was similar to Lincoln's but also pardoned Confederate leaders [1, 12].
Radical Republicans were a faction of Republicans who advocated for more stringent measures for Reconstruction and full civil rights for African Americans [1, 12].
The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery [1, 12].
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 declared that all persons born in the U.S. were citizens and attempted to provide legal protection against the Black Codes [1, 12].
The Fourteenth Amendment defined citizenship and provided for equal protection under the law [1, 12].
The Report of the Joint Committee was a Congressional report that rejected the presidential plan of Reconstruction and substituted its own plan [1].
Reconstruction Acts of 1867 were laws that placed the South under military occupation [1, 12].
The Tenure of Office Act was a law passed by Congress to limit the president’s power to remove officials from office, which led to Johnson's impeachment [1, 12].
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson refers to the process of charging President Johnson with "high crimes and misdemeanors" [1, 12].
The Fifteenth Amendment granted universal male suffrage regardless of race [1, 12].
Civil Rights Act of 1875 guaranteed equal accommodations in public places, but it was not effectively enforced [1, 12].
Reconstruction in the South is the implementation of federal policies and the political changes in the former Confederacy [1].
Congressional Reconstruction refers to the program enacted by the Republican-dominated Congress after 1866 [1].
Scalawags were Southern whites who cooperated with Republican Reconstruction governments [1].
Carpetbaggers were Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction [1].
African American Legislators were African Americans who held elective office during the Reconstruction era [1].
Blanche K. Bruce and Hiram Revels were two of the first African Americans to be elected to the Senate [1].
Black codes were laws passed by Southern state governments to restrict the rights and movements of African Americans [1].
Sharecropping was a system in which landowners provided land and supplies to farmers in return for a share of the harvest [1].
The Amnesty Act of 1872 removed most of the restrictions on ex-Confederates [1].
The Election of 1876 was the contested presidential election that led to the end of Reconstruction [1].
Rutherford B. Hayes was the Republican candidate in the 1876 election [1].
Samuel J. Tilden was the Democratic candidate in the 1876 election [1].
The Compromise of 1877 was an agreement that resolved the 1876 election and led to the end of Reconstruction [1].
Redeemers were Southern conservatives who took control of state governments after Reconstruction [1].
White supremacy was the belief that white people are superior to other races [1].
The Ku Klux Klan was a secret organization formed to intimidate African Americans and White reformers [1].
Force Acts were laws passed by Congress to protect African American voting rights and to stop the KKK [1].
Patronage is the system of giving government jobs and favors to political supporters [1].
Thomas Nast was a cartoonist who exposed political corruption in New York City [1].
Jay Gould and James Fisk were Wall Street financiers who were involved in political corruption [1].
Credit Mobilier was a scandal involving the construction of the transcontinental railroad [1].
William Tweed, also known as “Boss” Tweed was a corrupt political leader of New York City [1].
The Liberal Republicans were a group of Republicans who broke from the party in 1872 [1].
Horace Greeley was the editor of the New York Tribune who ran for president in 1872 [1].
The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that led to an economic depression [1].
Women's Suffrage is the movement to gain voting rights for women [1].
Equal Protection of the Laws is part of the 14th Amendment that requires states to give everyone equal legal protection [1].
Due Process of Law is the legal requirement that the government must respect all legal rights that are owed to a person [1].
Spoilsmen were politicians who were masters of the game of patronage [1].