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Unit 1: 1491 - 1607

• Aztecs:
  • Native people residing in Northern Mexico, along Lake Texcoco.
  • Advanced agricultural systems.
  • Practiced human sacrifices.
• Incas:
  • Lived in Peru.
  • Massive stonework.
  • Elaborate road system.
  • Terrace farming.
  • Built Machu Picchu.
• Mayans:
  • Lived near the Yucatan Peninsula.
  • Significant achievements: calendar system and hieroglyphics.
• Iroquois:
  • Lived in present-day New York and Pennsylvania.
  • Lived in longhouses where many families could share.
• Pueblo People:
  • Lived in the American Southwest.
  • Group of related tribes with some differences.
  • Built large villages of multi-story houses.
• Great Plains Indians:
  • Nomadic (moved around a lot).
  • Followed the buffalo, their main food source.
  • Used PSL (Plains Indian Sign Language) to communicate.
• 'Three Sisters':
  • Maize, beans, and squash.
  • Crops commonly grown among Native American tribes like the Pueblo people.
• Columbian Exchange:
  • Trade of food, animals, human populations, diseases, etc., between the Native population of the New World and the European population of the Old World.
• How the Columbian Exchange Affected Native Americans:
  • Native Americans died in high numbers from European diseases such as smallpox.
• Goals for Spanish Colonization:
  • Convert indigenous people to Christianity.
  • Find gold and silver.
• Goals for Dutch Colonization:
  • Trade with Native Americans.
  • Primarily economic goals.
• Goals for French Colonization:
  • Trade with Native Americans.
  • Find gold.
• Goals for English Colonization:
  • Escape bad economic conditions in England.
  • Religious freedom.
  • Find and create wealth.
• Treaty of Tordesillas (1494):
  • Decided how the new territory found by Columbus would be divided.
• Encomienda System:
  • Spanish conquistadors would get a certain amount of Native Americans to control.
  • Native Americans would provide labor and be 'educated' on principles of Christianity.
• Emergence of Atlantic Slave Trade:
  • Native Americans were dying because of Old World diseases, increasing demand for African slaves.
  • Africans were immune to Old World diseases and therefore would not die in such large numbers.
  • Africans were not granted freedom like indentured servants.
  • Africans did not know American geography as well as Native Americans, so they were less likely to try to escape.
• Casta System:
  • A social hierarchy implemented by the Spanish in their colonies in the Americas.
  • Peninsulares (Spanish people born in Spain) were the highest status.
  • Creoles (people of Spanish descent born in America).
  • Mestizos (People of mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry) and Mulattos (People of mixed Spanish and African ancestry) were on the same level.
  • Native Americans and Africans were at the bottom of the system.

Unit 2: 1607 - 1754

• Spanish Colonization and Relations with Native Americans:
  • The Spanish settled in New Mexico, Hispaniola and attempted Florida.
  • Aggressively attempted to convert Natives to Christianity, which angered them, causing the Pueblo Revolt.
• Dutch Colonization and Relations with Native Americans:
  • Dutch colonization included mostly men and fewer colonists than other countries.
  • These colonists traded for fur with Native Americans and often intermarried.
  • The Dutch had religiously diverse colonies.
• French Colonization and Relations with Native Americans:
  • French colonization included mostly men and fewer colonists than other countries.
  • These colonists traded for fur with Native Americans and often intermarried.
• English Colonization and Relations with Native Americans:
  • The English were looking for economic opportunity and to escape bad economic times in England. They founded Jamestown in 1607.
  • They angered Natives mainly because of their constant encroachment on their land.
• Chesapeake Region:
  • Farming of tobacco, labor intensive work.
  • Use of indentured servants and African slavery.
• Jamestown:
  • Founded in 1607, Jamestown became the first permanent English settlement in North America.
  • The colony went through many hardships such as starvation and disease, to a point where an estimated 80%-90% of settlers had died.
  • Their situation improved when John Rolfe experimented with tobacco cultivation and found that tobacco was marketable.
• New England Region:
  • Consisted of Puritans who had migrated here from Europe looking for religious freedom.
  • Colonists had a balanced gender population, but women were considered lower than men on a social hierarchy.
• Great Migration of the 1630s:
  • Puritans in family units emigrate to Massachusetts looking for religious freedom.
• Middle Colonies’ Region:
  • Farming of mainly cereal crops like wheat.
  • Pennsylvania became a home for Quakers, who did not believe in slavery and believed all humans were equal.
• Significance of Tobacco Cultivation by John Rolfe:
  • This became the cash crop of the south, the replacement for the gold they could not find.
  • This led to colonists taking more land and an increase of laborers.
• House of Burgesses:
  • An elected representative assembly of Virginia that was dominated by elites.
• Mayflower Compact:
  • A written form of government written by the first Puritans to arrive in the New World. They wrote this on their ship the Mayflower.
• Fundamental Orders of Connecticut:
  • Considered the first Constitution in the New World. A document that created the Connecticut colony.
• John Winthrop:
  • One of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and also a Puritan leader there.
  • He believed that the colony he founded would be like a “city upon a hill" meaning it would set an example for future colonies. This demonstrated American exceptionalism.
• Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson:
  • Roger Williams advocated for separation of Church and State in the Massachusetts Bay Colonies area. He also believed taking land from Natives without paying them was unethical. He was banished from Massachusetts and founded the Rhode Island colony.
  • Anna Hutchison was a religious woman who disagreed with practices of Massatusetts’ ministers. Her ideas gained popularity, and she was banished.
• Pequot War (1636):
  • The Pequot tribe killed an English fur trader and New England soldiers burned down Pequot villages. By the end of the war, most of the tribe had been annihilated.
• Indentured Servants:
  • Colonists that wanted to leave Europe and come to America but could not afford it agreed to anywhere between 3 - 7 years of labor and freedom afterwards. If they had money saved up, they would buy land.
• Bacon’s Rebellion (1676):
  • An uprising of former indentured servants who were having land troubles with Native Americans went to the House of Burgesses for help, and they refused to do anything. Nathaniel Bacon and his followers burned down Jamestown to rebel.
  • This rebellion shows the negatives of using indentured servants for labor and led to an increase use of African slave trade.
• Metacom’s/King Philip's War (1675 - 1678):
  • Led by Native leader Metacom, it was a rebellion over the colonists’ constant encroachment on Native land. The rebellion was squashed.
• Pueblo Revolt (1680):
  • An uprising of the Pueblos against the Spanish, because of the constant attempts to convert Natives to Christianity.
  • The Spanish often burned Indians’ sacred objects and forced them to become slaves.
  • This revolt was considered one of the few successful revolts by Natives and the Spanish became more tolerant of Native practices.
• Salem Witch Trials (1692):
  • Young girls in Salem, Massachusetts complained that they were being pricked by invisible pins.
  • Wealthy and old members were accused of witchcraft by the girls and many were executed.
• Mercantilism:
  • The idea that colonies should export raw materials to a mother country and they sell manufactured goods back.
• Navigation Acts (1651):
  • Colonial goods had to be exported to England before being re-exported to other nations.
• Enlightenment (1680s):
  • A movement focusing on rational thinking over religious thinking.
• John Locke:
  • An English philosopher credited with many Enlightenment Ideas.
• Natural Rights and Social Contract:
  • Natural rights were freedoms people were born with, and social contract meant that the people gave up certain freedoms in exchange for the government’s protection.
• George Whitfield and Johnathan Edwards:
  • Jonathan Edwards was credited for beginning the Great Awakening in 1734.
  • Whitefield was known for touring around the colonies to speak to large crowds about faith. He was also credited for spreading the ideas of the Great Awakening.
• Great Awakening (1730s):
  • A Protestant religious revival that connected colonists through emotional sermons often held in tents. This led to the creation of universities like Columbia to educate new ministers.
• Triangular Trade and Middle Passage:
  • Triangle Trade was a three way trade system between America, Europe and Africa. America would send rum, sugar and coffee to Europe, who would send manufactured goods to Africa, who would send slaves through the Middle Passage to America (the Middle Passage was the journey between Africa to the New World in which slaves were packed in unhygienic and dangerous conditions on large boats to fit as many as possible).
• Covert Resistance:
  • Resistance done by slaves that was passive, such as working slowly and breaking tools.
• Overt Resistance:
  • Resistance done by slaves that was active, such as starting rebellions.
• Stono Rebellion (1739):
  • Slaves in Stono, South Carolina got ahold of weapons and began killing whites while chanting "Liberty". This led to South Carolina passing stricter slave codes.

Unit 3: 1754 - 1800

• Seven Years War/French and Indian War (1754):
  • A war between the British and American colonists vs French and the Indians for more power in North America.
  • The British won the war, and the French were almost completely removed from North America.
  • The British almost doubled the amount of North American land they had.
  • The British also went into extreme debt after this war and this led to them taxing the colonists excessively.
• Albany Plan of Union (1754):
  • A proposition under Benjamin Franklin and the Albany Congress that created a confederation of colonies that would unite them against French attack.
  • This plan was rejected by the colonies (for placing too much power in a national government) and by the British government (for giving colonists too much freedom).
• Proclamation of 1763:
  • Did not allow colonists to settle West past the Appalachian Mountains to keep tensions low with the Native Americans. This angered the colonists and many ignored the rule.
• Salutary Neglect:
  • This was an unofficial British policy that allowed the colonies to basically govern themselves without too much intervention from Parliament in the 1600s and early 1700s.
  • However, as the British were in debt because of the French and Indian War, they decided to place harsh taxes on the colonists, putting an end to the era of salutary neglect.
• Sugar Act (1764):
  • Raised cost of sweeteners like sugar and molasses.
• Quartering Act (1765):
  • House any British soldiers who were stationed in America if they asked.
• Stamp Act (1765):
  • All paper must have a specific stamp that proves a tax has been paid for it.
  • This was the first act that angered the colonists and the British parliament felt it was justified to pay the debt from the French and Indian War.
• Stamp Act Congress (1765):
  • Representatives from each colony met up to form the Stamp Act Congress. They claimed the British parliament had no authority to tax the colonies.
• Sons and Daughters of Liberty:
  • A group led by Samuel Adams that rebelled against the tax acts by leading boycotts against British goods, burning warehouses that kept stamps and attacking tax collectors.
• Declaratory Act (1766):
  • The Stamp Act was eventually repealed, but the British passed this act to ensure that they still had the right to tax colonies in the future.
• Townshend Acts (1767):
  • Acts passed by Charles Townshend that placed taxes on paper, tea and other goods.
• Boston Massacre (1770):
  • Boston residents were harassing a group of British soldiers guarding a custom house and the guards killed five protestors.
• Tea Act (1773):
  • There was still tax on the tea through the Townshend Acts, but overall this act had actually lowered the price of tea. The colonists’ relationship with the British was damaged beyond repair, so the colonists were still angry over this act.
• Boston Tea Party (1773):
  • Colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded a British ship and dumped the tea into the water in protest.
• Coercive Acts (1774) / Intolerable Acts:
  • A series of laws passed by Parliament to penalize Massachusetts Bay for the Boston Tea Party. They were called the Intolerable Acts by colonists.
  • One of the acts closed Boston’s port until the money from the tea dumped during the Boston Tea Party was paid back.
• First and Second Continental Congresses:
  • In the First Continental Congress, colonists wrote the Declaration and Resolves which encouraged the British to rectify their taxing errors.
  • In the Second Continental Congress, colonists decided on complete independence and Thomas Jefferson began working on the Declaration of Independence.
• Enlightenment Ideas and Effects on Independence:
  • Natural rights were freedoms people were born with that the government can’t infringe on and this affected independence as the colonists felt like those rights were being taken away from them.
  • Social contract meant that the people gave up certain freedoms in exchange for the government’s protection. However, if the government is failing to protect them or infringing on people’s rights, it is the people’s duty to overthrow that government, which is what the colonists wanted to do by fighting for independence.
• Common Sense:
  • A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that would argue that independence was necessary and the British injustices had gone too far. It played a significant role in convincing the general public that independence was imminent.
• Declaration of Independence (1776):
  • Written by Thomas Jefferson, this document officially declared independence from Britain. Its main influences included John Locke’s enlightenment ideas of natural rights and popular sovereignty and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense.
• Patriots vs. Loyalists:
  • Patriots were actively supportive of independence while Loyalists believed that Great Britain should remain in power.
• Advantages and Disadvantages Before the Revolutionary War:
  • Americans had the advantage of being in familiar territory, and easier access to supplies. They were also much more passionate about their cause and were fighting defensively. However, they had a smaller military and no navy.
  • The British had a larger military and a powerful navy. However, they were very far from the colonies so getting supplies took longer. They were also in unfamiliar territory.
• Battle of Saratoga (1777):
  • A battle in which America had won and convinced the French to assist the colonies in their revolution.
• Battle of Yorktown (1781):
  • The last important battle of the war, where Americans won with French assistance. It was after this that the British agreed to create a peace treaty.
• Treaty of Paris (1783):
  • Extended United States boundary to the Mississippi River and formal recognition of the US as a country. Loyalists were not to be punished if they chose to reside in the US.
• Articles of Confederation (1777):
  • The first attempt at government by the US. It placed most power to the states and had a weak central government. It had no chief executive or a national judicial branch. Congress had no power to tax the states. The articles had been deemed a failure.
• Northwest Indian War (1780s):
  • A post-revolution war between American Indians and Americans in the Ohio River Valley over encroachment on Indian land.
• Northwest Ordinance of 1787:
  • Placed guidelines for statehood to enter the union. Arguably the only achievement under the Articles of Confederation.
• Shays' Rebellion (1787):
  • A group of farmers who were suffering from debt and tired of high taxes began rebelling in Massachusetts. The rebellion was eventually ended but many believed it showed that the Articles of Confederation did not place enough power on the national government and needed to be fixed.
• Constitutional Convention (1787):
  • A meeting in Philadelphia that originally focused on fixing the Articles of Confederation. However, it became clear a new document, which became the Constitution, was necessary.
• 3/5s Compromise:
  • Each enslaved person would be counted as 3/5s of a person for taxation and representation purposes. This strengthened the power of the south as majority of slaves resided there.
• Virginia Plan vs. New Jersey Plan:
  • The VA Plan favored large states with high populations. It had a bicameral legislature (2 houses) and the amount of representatives a state had was based on population.
  • The NJ plan gave equal representation to all states, which favored the small states over the large and had one legislative body.
• Connecticut Compromise:
  • A plan that featured aspects of both the VA and NJ plan. It had a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate with two representatives per state.
• Anti-Federalists vs. Federalists:
  • Anti-Federalists believed in a smaller central government and supported states rights. They were against the Constitution.
  • Federalists believed in a larger central government and supported the Constitution.
• Federalist Papers:
  • Papers written by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison to get the general public to support the Constitution.
• Bill of Rights:
  • A list of individual freedoms that were placed at the beginning of the Constitution. Anti-Federalists agreed to ratify the Constitution if this was included while Federalists believed it was unnecessary.
• Whiskey Rebellion (1794):
  • Hamilton enacted tariffs on imports while being Washington’s secretary of treasury.
  • A rebellion began in Pennsylvania because of this, and Washington and a militia went to stop the uprising.
  • This rebellion proved that the federal government could handle themselves in a time of crisis.
• Two Party System:
  • A two party system is when two major political parties are in consistent control over the political environment.
  • The Federalist party remained with Hamilton and a strong central government ideology.
  • The Democratic-Republicans included Jefferson and strong state governments ideology.
• Debates Over a Bank of the United States:
  • Hamilton argued the national government had ‘implied powers’ that were not mentioned directly in the Constitution but were needed to complete the actions that the national government had to do. This included a national bank to handle taxes and loans. This view was called loose construction.
  • However, Jefferson argued in a strict construction manner and said that any power not specifically mentioned for the national government in the Constitution was not a power the government had. Therefore, a national bank was unconstitutional.
• Jay’s Treaty (1794) vs. Pinckney’s Treaty (1796):
  • Jay’s Treaty featured American guidelines on US neutrality during the French Revolution such as asking the British to remove forts in the Northwest Territory.
  • Pinckney’s Treaty gave the US navigation rights in the Mississippi River from Spain.
• Republican Motherhood:
  • Women had the job to instill Republican values such as liberty into their kids so that they would be effective citizens contributing to society.
• George Washington’s Farewell Address:
  • Be careful about forming political parties and remain neutral in foreign affairs.
• XYZ Affair (1797):
  • When the French were seizing American ships, President Adams sent representatives to France to negotiate some sort of agreement.
  • The representatives were met with agents identified as X, Y and Z who asked for a bribe before the Americans could speak with French officials.
• Alien and Sedition Acts (1798):
  • The Alien Acts gave Adams more power to deport immigrants in times of war, and the Sedition Acts made it a crime to make false remarks about the federal government.
  • The second act angered many Democratic-Republicans as it violated their free speech rights.
• Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798):
  • These acts overturned the Alien and Sedition Acts in Kentucky and Virginia.

Unit 4: 1800 - 1848

• Marbury v Madison (1803):
  • The Supreme Court has the power of judicial review, meaning it can review Congressional and executive actions and strike them down if they are unconstitutional.
• Louisiana Purchase (1803):
  • The United States purchased Louisiana territory west of the Mississippi River from France which nearly doubled the size of the United States.
  • Previously, Jefferson believed in strict constructionism which meant he believed any power not specifically mentioned for the national government in the Constitution was not a power the national government had.
  • The Constitution had not specifically listed a power for the president to purchase land from foreign nations, but Jefferson justified the purchase and changed from strict constructionism to loose constructionism.
• Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804 - 1806):
  • Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explore the Louisiana territory and take notes on the wildlife and interactions with Native Americans. One specific and important encounter includes Sacagawea, who helped the expedition by communicating with Lewis and Clark and gave them horses to travel.
• Embargo Act of 1807:
  • An act placed by Jefferson that restricted imports from Britain and closed US ports from exporting goods.
• War of 1812 (1812 - 1815):
  • Causes: impressment of American sailors and the restrictions on trade from the British and French continued.
  • Effect: included the demise of the Federalist party, who did not agree with the idea of entering war in the first place.
• Hartford Convention (1814 - 1815):
  • A meeting of federalists in Connecticut who were against the War of 1812. Some even proposed leaving the union. However, the end of the war caused an increase of nationalism that the Federalist party seemed so out of touch with and the party began to weaken.
• Era of Good Feelings (1815 - 1820s):
  • A time in American history focusing on national unity and pride. Though there was great patriotism, there were still tensions over slavery and expansion.
• Henry Clay’s American System:
  • A plan that involved rechartering the national bank, protective tariffs and internal improvements.
• McCulloch v Maryland (1819):
  • The United States government had powers not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution known as implied powers, which meant a national bank was constitutional. Additionally, national laws overrule state laws.
• Adams-Onis Treaty (1819):
  • America got Florida from Spain.
• Panic of 1819:
  • A financial emergency in which banks closed, unemployment raised and a rise of landless farmers began.
• Missouri Compromise/Compromise of 1820:
  • By Henry Clay, a solution to a debate between the power of slave states versus free when Missouri applied for statehood. Missouri would enter as a slave state while Maine would enter as a free state. States admitted under the 36’ 30 line would be slave states and above it would be free states.
• Monroe Doctrine (1823):
  • A warning to Europe to stay out of the affairs of the Western Hemisphere.
• Cult of Domesticity:
  • The idea that women should stay home, cook and raise children. This was common among upper and middle class white families.
• Corrupt Bargain (1824):
  • In the election of 1824, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay were in the running to be president as none of them won a majority of the electoral college votes.
  • Because of this, the House of Representatives got to choose the winner. Henry Clay, the speaker of the house, ensured John Quincy Adams’ win, and in return Adams appointed Clay as his secretary of state. It was quite common for the secretary of state to become president in the future. Jackson and his supporters called this 'corrupt bargain'.
• National Republicans vs. Democrats:
  • Democrats were led by Jackson, and were supporters of the ‘common man’. National republicans were led by Henry Clay, who were similar to the Federalists.
• Whigs:
  • The National Republican party led by Henry Clay evolved into this party, and they were similar to the previous Federalist party.
• Tariff of 1828:
  • This tariff had placed a 45% taxes on imported goods which protected Northern markets. Southerners hated this as it damaged their economy, and called it the tariff of abominations. Though Jackson lowered it to 35%, Southerners were not satisfied.
• Nullification:
  • States could ignore federal laws that they believed were not constitutional. South Carolina voted to nullify the Tariff of 1828.
• South Carolina's Threat and Jackson's Response:
  • South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union and in response, Jackson passed the Force Bill which gave himself the power to use military force to collect tariffs.
• Jackson's Veto of the Second National Bank:
  • He believed it only favored the elite and was a monopoly. Since he was known for supporting the ‘common man’, he closed the bank by placing the money into state banks known as 'pet banks'.
• Indian Removal Act (1830):
  • Forced Indians to move west past the Mississippi River for colonists to settle in the Indians’ previous land.
• Worcester v. Georgia (1832):
  • Georgia did not have the right to regulate native american lands as they were a sovereign and self-governed nation. This ruling was ignored by president Andrew Jackson.

Unit 5: 1844 - 1877

• Market Revolution (1820s onwards):
  • A time of mass production, new technology, and transportation being used that connected the different regions of the United States (North, West, South).
• Second Great Awakening (1790s):
  • A second Protestant religious revival caused by several things such as a counter to enlightenment ideals. It inspired several reform movements such as abolitionism, women’s rights, temperance etc.
• Henry David Thoreau:
  • Thoreau was a transcendentalist who believed in nature and appreciation of it. Walden focused on living peacefully in nature and one’s surroundings.
• Utopian Communities:
  • These centered around the belief that humans could be perfect and emphasized socialism and racial equality.
• Nat Turner’s Rebellion (1831):
  • An uprising of slaves in Virginia who killed white people in retaliation. This strengthened slave codes in the south.
• Temperance Movement:
  • Focused on general health, limiting/abolishing alcohol and better diets. The American Temperance Society was formed to demand alcohol abolition as it had terrible effects on the human body. This movement had supporters of mostly women.
• William Lloyd Garrison’s The Liberator:
  • A newspaper focused on spreading anti-slavery messages. Garrison controversially called the Constitution a pro-slavery document.
• Seneca Falls Convention (1848):
  • A meeting focusing on women’s rights (specifically suffrage) led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott.
  • The Declaration of Sentiments was made to demand for suffrage rights for women emphasizing that women and men were equal.
• Immigration from Germany and Ireland:
  • Settled in the North and got low paying factory jobs or settled in the West and became farmers. They came because of bad economic conditions in Germany and Ireland (such as the Irish Potato Famine).
• American/Know-Nothing Party:
  • A party that disagreed with immigration.
• Cotton Gin and Spinning Machine:
  • The Cotton Gin sped up the cotton farming process while the Spinning Machine made cotton into thread faster. Cotton became a growing cash crop in the South and more slave labor was used for an increase of profit.
• Interchangeable Parts:
  • Separate parts made identically so that one part can replace a broken part of an object. This caused for more unskilled factory workers and a repetitive motion in these factories, where one worker would repeat the same action throughout their shifts.
• Steamboats:
  • Boats that allowed for travel up and down a current. Allowed for an increase of trade and more connection between regions.
• Railroads:
  • Intensified the country’s trade and industrialization and allowed for more expansion westward.
• Erie Canal:
  • The Erie Canal linked the Great Lakes and Hudson River. This allowed for more trade and port cities to expand.
• Manifest Destiny:
  • An American belief coined by John O’Sullivan meaning Americans had the God-given right to expand westward in order to spread their culture, values, and technology.
• Oregon Trail:
  • A dangerous path that involved families venturing to Oregon facing bad weather conditions, accidents involving wagons, and conflicts with Native Americans.
• 54 40 or Fight:
  • President James K. Polk’s campaign slogan meaning that the United States would fight to get Oregon territory from Britain.
• Texas Revolution (1835 - 1836):
  • Americans in Texas were angry over the Mexican ban on slavery and the demand that all residents become Catholic.
  • Rebellions began as Texian settlers (mainly Americans) resisted Mexican control.
  • Texan forces, led by Sam Houston, decisively defeated the Mexican army securing Texas’ independence. However, Mexico wouldn’t recognize Texas as an independent nation.
• Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848):
  • The US annexed Texas in 1845, which Mexico saw as an act of war, since it still considered Texas part of its territory.
  • In addition, the US and Mexico disagreed on the border between Texas and Mexico, with the US claiming the Rio Grande as the southern boundary of Texas and Mexico claiming the Nueces River farther to the north. Eventually, these tensions between US and Mexico increased and war broke out. The US won the war.
• Sam Houston:
  • When the Mexican government and American settlers began fighting for control over Texas during the Texas Revolution, Houston became one of the American leaders. He became commander in chief of their army that defeated Mexico. He was also significant in gaining the admission of Texas to the United States in 1845.
• Wilmot Proviso (1846):
  • A bill that was never enacted that would not allow slavery in the Mexican Cession.
• Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848):
  • The US got their present day Southwest. The Mexican Cession is a term that describes the land the US gained from the Mexican-American war.
• Gold Rush (1848):
  • A discovery of gold in California that led to California's growing population.
• Free Soil Party (1848):
  • A party with the major agenda of removing slavery in new Western states.
• Compromise of 1850:
  • Created by Henry Clay, this plan would attempt to fix the growing debates of the power of free versus slave states in Congress. It would ban slave trade in DC, admit California as a free state, enforce the Fugitive Slave Act in a more harsh manor, give New Mexico and Utah the power to choose if they would like to be slave or free states and give Texas compensation for giving up a part of New Mexico’s territory.
• 'Positive Good' Argument for Slavery:
  • This was a justification of slavery that meant that slaves benefited from the institution and were not capable of being free citizens.
• Underground Railroad:
  • A passage that would help slaves in the South escape to the North.
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852):
  • An anti-slavery book that expressed concerns over treating other people like property and discussed the frustrations with the Fugitive Slave Act.
• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854):
  • Kansas and Nebraska would choose if they wanted to be slave or free states.
• Bleeding Kansas (1855 - 1861):
  • Violence that erupted due to the anti-slvery and pro-slavery debates in Kansas became known as Bleeding Kansas.
• Republican Party:
  • A party that emerged in the 1850s focusing on stopping the expansion of slavery in new western territories.
• Dred Scott v Sandford (1857):
  • The court ruled that slave owners could take their slaves anywhere they wanted to (even above the Missouri Compromise line), as slaves were property and it was not legal to take someone’s property without due process. This meant that slavery could exist anywhere.
  • The chief justice also said that all African Americans were not citizens and therefore could not