Online History Vocab

Module 1

Vocab:

The Atlantic World: the region that encompasses Europe, Africa, and the Americas

Triangular Trade: term used for trade in the Atlantic Ocean starting in the 1500s. It involved shipping goods from Europe to West Africa to be exchanged for slaves, these slaves being shipped to the Caribbean and exchanged for sugar, rum, and other commodities which were in turn shipped back to Europe

Module 2

Vocab:

Hispaniola: the island in the Caribbean where Christopher Columbus landed in 1492

Columbian Exchange: the transfer of plants, animals, disease, and people in the Atlantic World, specifically integrating the Americas and Afro-Eurasia

Smallpox: the deadliest European disease that decimated New World people, who had no immunity to the disease

People:

Christopher Columbus: Landed in the New world in 1492, the first European to do so since the Viking Age

Ferdinand and Isabella: Spanish monarchs who funded Columbus's voyages to the New World

Hernan Cortes: Spanish explorer who conquered the Aztec Empire

Francisco Pizarro: Spanish Explorer who conquered the Inca Empire

Ponce de Leon: First Spanish Explorer to land in North America (Florida)

Vasco Nunez de Balboa: Spanish Explorer who was the first to see the Pacific Ocean

Hernando de Soto: Spanish Explorer who explored Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and saw the Mississippi River

Francisco Vazquez de Coronado: Spanish Explorer who explored the southwestern part of North America (modern-day Arizona, New Mexico, and Kansas)

Giovanni de Verrazano: Explorer who sailed for France, establishing France's first claim to land in North America

Jacques Cartier: French Explorer who explored the St. Lawrence Gulf, and river, and established Quebec

Samuel de Champlain: French explorer that made the MOST trips to the new world, and explored the Great Lakes

John Cabot: Explorer who sailed for England, and established England's first claim to land in North America

Walter Raleigh: English explorer who established the doomed colony of Roanoke

Henry Hudson: Explorer who sailed for the Netherlands, and established the Dutch colony in what is now New York

Module 3: 

Vocab:

Royal Charter: A formal grant issued by a monarch to grant rights and privileges to towns and cities. The British monarch granted charters to allow colonists to settle British land in North America

Joint-Stock Company: A company with many investors, which helps share the financial burden of establishing colonies, and each stockholder shares in the profits from the colony

Indentured Servants: A form of labor in which a person agrees to work without salary for a specific number of years. This was the first labor system of the British colonies, where poor British people would become indentured to wealthy landholders, who paid for their passage to North America, in exchange for several years of labor (between 4 to 7)

Church of England (Anglican): This church was established after Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church in the 1500s. The Anglican church maintained many commonalities with the Catholic Church and faced criticism for being too similar to Catholicism from both Puritans and separatists

Act of Toleration (Maryland): Document that declared toleration for all types of Christianity within the colony of Maryland

Cash Crop: a crop that is grown for profit, rather than subsistence. Cash crops are generally luxury items, and not required for a person's diet (like tobacco, sugar, coffee, tea, and indigo)

Indigo: a plant that was grown as a cash crop in the Americas. The leaves produce a dark blue dye

Pilgrims: Religious group in England that criticized the Church of England for being too similar to the Catholic church. They wanted to break away from the Church of England, and faced intense religious persecution in Britain. They landed at Plymouth in New England

Puritans: A religious group in England that criticized the Church of England, but didn't want to separate from it, only to "purify" it. They formed the Massachusetts Bay Company

Virginia Company of London: Joint Stock company that funded the Jamestown colony

Massachusetts Bay Company: Joint stock company funded by Puritans, who established their colony in New England in 1630

Mayflower Compact: Governing document of the Pilgrims, written on their ship, the Mayflower

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut: Governing document of Connecticut, generally seen as the first Constitution of the British colonies, which allowed citizens to vote

Quakers: A Religious Society of Friends; a Christian movement devoted to peaceful principles. Central to the Quakers' belief is the doctrine of the "Inner Light," or sense of Christ's direct working in the soul. This has led them to reject both formal ministry and all set forms of worshi

Tidewater: Desirable farmland in Virginia, close to the coast, mostly under the control of wealthy planters with large plantations

Piedmont: Hilly region, inland from the tidewater in Virginia. This land was less desirable for farming, and poor, former indentured servants occupied this land

Spectral Evidence: A form of evidence based upon dreams and visions. It was admitted into court during the Salem Witch Trials

People:

John Smith: Early leader at Jamestown, who imposed order on the colony

John Rolfe: English leader who brought tobacco seeds to Virginia, and married Pocahontas

Pocahontas: A Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan People, who helped establish peace between natives and colonists through her marriage to John Rolfe

Lord Baltimore: A Catholic who established the colony of Maryland as a safe haven for Catholics, and all Christians

Eliza Lucas Pinckney: Woman from South Carolina who discovered how to process Indigo to produce high quality dye. She shared the technology with all her neighbors

James Oglethorpe: Founder of the colony of Georgia

Roger Williams: Religious thinker who was expelled from Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later established Rhode Island as a haven for religious diversity

Anne Hutchinson: Radical Religious thinker who was expelled from Massachusetts Bay Colony

The Duke of York Brother to King Charles II, who was granted permission to take land from the Dutch in what would become New York and New Jersey

William Penn: Founder of Pennsylvania; a Quaker

Metacom (King Philip): Wampanoag Chief who fought New England colonists in the late 1600s

Governor William Berkeley: Governor of Jamestown; wealthy planter who was part of the Bacon Rebellion

Nathaniel Bacon: Piedmont farmer who led Bacon's Rebellion -first against Native Tribes, then against Jamestown's government. He attacked and burned Jamestown

Module 4

Vocab:

Salutary Neglect: the British policy of avoiding strict enforcement of laws, as long as British colonies remained loyal to the government, and contributed to the economic growth of England. This policy benefitted both England and the American colonies.

Mercantilism: economy policy that measures wealth by the amount of gold and silver in the treasury. The system attempts to stimulate the economy of the mother country through creating colonies as sources of raw materials, and markets for manufactured goods. The colonies exist primarily to benefit the economy of the mother country.

Royal Colony: a colony governed directly by the crown, and the King chooses the colonial governor

Militia: non-professional soldiers who may perform military service during a time of need.

Minute Men: civilian militias who self-trained in the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice.

Sons of Liberty: a revolutionary organization that was founded by Samuel Adams in the Thirteen American Colonies to advance the rights of the colonists and to fight taxation by the British government.

People:

George Washington: Young militia leader who accidentally started the French and Indian War

William Pitt: British Prime Minister, whose ideas helped Britain win the French and Indian War

Charles Townshend: British politician in charge of the treasury, who passed laws to increase taxes on American colonists on minor items like paint, glass. Protests against the Townshend taxes led to the Boston Massacre

Samuel Adams: founder of the Sons of Liberty. He was a leader in rallying colonists to fight the British government

Patrick Henry: American patriot, famous for his quote, "Give me liberty or give me death" as well as "I am not a Virginian, but an American."

John Hancock: leader of an illegal provincial congress in Massachusetts, in defiance of Britain's martial law after the Boston Tea Party

Paul Revere: Announced the British were coming to seize weapons at Concord, alerting the militias to be ready to fight the British

Events: 

Fort Duquesne: fort built by the French at the forks of the Ohio River. Its construction was one of the causes of the French and Indian War.

Jumonville Glen: site where George Washington accidentally started the French and Indian War by killing the French noble, Jumonville, who was on a diplomatic mission.

Boston Massacre: first deadly clash between colonists and the British. It happened in response to the Townshend Acts, which the colonists objected to. Five colonists died.

Boston Tea Party: lawless act of destruction of private property in Boston, in response to the Tea Act. Boston refused to let the ship unload its tea, and the Sons of Liberty boarded the ship and destroyed 342 crates of tea.

First Continental Congress: called as a result of the Intolerable Acts, which abolished Massachusetts colonial government and instituted Martial Law. This was one of the first instances of colonies working together, and forming a single identity as "Americans."

Paul Revere's Midnight Ride: Paul Revere rode to alert militias that Britain was moving to seize colonial weapons at Concord.

Battle of Lexington and Concord: first engagement of the Revolutionary War. This was the "shot heard 'round the world". It was an American victory.

British Acts:

Navigation Acts: passed by Britain in the 1600s to support mercantilism (keeping wealth in Britain). They were never strictly enforced (an example of salutary neglect).

Molasses Act: passed by Britain in the early 1700s to try and encourage American colonists to buy their molasses from England, by making other molasses more expensive through extra taxes. This was not strictly enforced, and actually encouraged widespread smuggling of non-British molasses.

Proclamation Line of 1763: Act passed at the end of the French and Indian War, which prohibited American colonists from settling in the Ohio River Valley.

Sugar Act: Tax on sugar that was designed to close the loopholes in the older, Molasses Act. Sparked protests by American colonists.

Stamp Act: tax on paper in the colonies. Colonial protests were so intense that Britain repealed the tax.

Declaratory Act: Act issued by Britain that declared Britain had the right to pass laws and taxes for American colonists.

Townshend Acts: Taxes passed by Britain on minor goods, which led to the Boston Massacre.

Tea Act: Tax on tea that was designed to make tea cheaper for American colonists, but the colonists objected and boycotted tea. This led to the Boston Tea Party

Intolerable Acts: Acts passed after the Boston Tea Party, which dissolved Massachusetts local governing assembly and instituted Martial Law. These acts led to the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Module 5

Vocab: 

Continental Congress: the governing body of the American colonies during the Revolutionary War

Continental Army: The army that George Washington commanded during the Revolutionary War

People:

George Washington: General in charge of the Continental Army

King George III: British King that fought to keep the American colonies as part of the British Empire

Thomas Paine: British citizen who moved to the American colonies and wrote the pamphlet "Common Sense" which helped persuade many Americans to support the cause of independence

Thomas Jefferson: Main writer of the Declaration of Independence

Events:

Battle of Bunker Hill: British victory, but boosted American confidence that they could fight the British army

Siege of Boston: American victory-the British abandoned the city

Battle for New York: British victory that left the city in the hands of the British

Crossing the Delaware Daring, and dangerous action by George Washington, designed to help him defeat the British at Princeton and Trenton

Battle of Trenton and Princeton: American victory

Battle of Saratoga: Turning point of the war. France recognized the colony's independence and began helping the colonists after this battle

Valley Forge: Winter camp for George Washington and the colonial army, which was terribly cold and the soldiers suffered from lack of food and clothing, but also provided time for training

Battle of Monmouth: First battle where the Continental Army stood their ground against the British Army

Southern Campaign: The British battle strategy in 1779 shifted to focus on the southern colonies, hoping to cut them off from the rest of the colonies

Battle of Yorktown: Final surrender of General Cornwallis's army, proving to be the last major battle in the Revolutionary War

Treaty of Paris (1783): Peace treaty between the British and the American colonies, which recognized the independence of the United States of America

Module 6

Vocab:

The Critical Period: Term used for the decade after the Revolutionary War. There was no president during this period.

Executive Branch:  Branch of government created by the Constitution that is tasked with enforcing the law. It includes the President, the Vice President, and the President's cabinet

Legislative Branch: Branch of government whose job is to create laws, control spending, and collect revenue.

Judicial Branch: Independent judicial branch was created by the Constitution, and provided for the creation of the Supreme Court.

The Federalist Papers:  Series of essays supporting the new U.S. Constitution, published during the ratification debates in 1787-1788.

The Great Compromise: This compromise created two houses in Congress, with one giving states equal representation, and the other giving representation based on population. It was an essential part of creating a new Constitution.

The 3/5 Compromise: This compromise also deals with representation in Congress—specifically with who is counted, and how. This compromise allowed enslaved people to count as 3/5 for purposes of determining representation in the House of Representatives.

Preamble of the Constitution: This is the introduction to the Constitution, and outlines the reasons for making the Constitution, and what it is supposed to accomplish.

Article of the Constitution: This is an organizational part of the Constitution. There are 7 articles in the Constitution

Section of the Constitution: Each article is divided into several sections, each dealing with a different topic.

Clause of the Constitution: Each section of the Constitution is made up of clauses.

Amendment: A change to the Constitution. There are 27 amendments, currently.

Supreme Law of the Land: the idea that the Constitution is the most important law of the land, and every law created by the Legislative or Executive Branch must agree with the Constitution. If there is a conflict between a law and the Constitution, the law is invalidated because it is "unconstitutional."

Checks and Balances: The idea that power is shared by the three branches of government, and each branch limits the power of the other two.

Federalism: the idea that power is divided between state and national levels

Ratification: Process of approving the Constitution, which required people to vote in every state

Federalists: Group that supported the new Constitution, and advocated for its ratification

Anti-Federalists: Group that criticized the new Constitution because they feared it gave the national government too much power.

Module 7

Vocab:

Cabinet: Executive branch officials appointed by the president to lead in specific areas. Originally, there were 3 cabinet positions, each led by a secretary (war, treasury, state). Today there are 15 cabinet positions.

Loose Construction: A philosophy about how to interpret the Constitution, believing that the power of the federal government can and should be expanded to include all “necessary and proper” laws that help the federal government function.

Strict Construction: A philosophy about how to interpret the Constitution, believing that the only powers the federal government can exercise have to be specifically written in the Constitution, and should not be expanded beyond the text of the Constitution.

Federalist Party: Political party that supported a strong federal government, and believed in a “Loose Construction” philosophy of Constitutional power. John Adams was the only president from the Federalist Party. 

Democratic Republican Party: Political party that opposed the Federalists. This party believed in a strict construction of the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson was the first president from this party.

12th Amendment: Passed in 1803, this amendment provides the procedure for electing the president and vice president. 

Impressment: Practice where the British navy would force U.S. sailors to work for the British. This was one of the principal causes of the War of 1812. 

People

George Washington: First president of the United States. He set many precedents for future presidents to follow, including serving only 2 terms before retiring, and supporting neutrality in foreign conflicts. 

Thomas Jefferson: Founding father who served as Washington’s Secretary of States, Adam’s vice president, and then was elected president in 1800. He belonged to the Democratic Republican political party, and is famous for the Lousiana Purchase. 

Alexander Hamilton: Founding Father who served as Washington’s secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton was one of the founders of the Federalist Party, and supported a strong federal government and was instrumental in creating the first National Bank. 

John Adams: Founding Father who served as Washington’s vice president, then served one term as President. He was the only Federalist President, and avoided war with British and France during his presidency. 

Events

Whiskey Rebellion: A tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington, it was the first serious challenge to federal authority. Collection of the tax met violent resistance, but when President Washington called out the militia, the rebellion collapsed.

Proclamation of Neutrality: President Washington refrained from getting involved in foreign wars, and set the precedent for being neutral in foreign conflicts.

Election 1796: John Adams (A Federalist) was elected President, and Thomas Jefferson (A Democratic Republican) was elected as Vice President because he got the most votes, after Adams

XYZ Affair: A political and diplomatic episode in Adams’ presidency, involving a confrontation between the United States and Republican France. U.S. representatives were asked to pay bribes to French officials. This nearly led to war, but Adams was able to keep the United States out of war. 

Alien and Sedition Acts: A series of four laws passed by the U.S. Congress in Adams’ presidency amid widespread fear that war with France was imminent. The four laws-which remain controversial to this day- restricted the activities of foreign residents in the country and limited freedom of speech and of the press

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions: Political statements drafted in 1798 and 1799 in which the Kentucky and Virginia legislatures took the position that the federal Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional, and that states had the right declare Federal laws unconstitutional 

Revolution of 1800: Peaceful transfer or power from the Federalists to the Democratic Republicans when Jefferson won the election of 1800. This peaceful transfer of power has become one of America’s most cherished traditions

Louisiana Purchase: Land purchase authorized by President Jefferson, which brought the Louisiana Territory into the United States

Lewis and Clark Expedition: Scientific and diplomatic mission by Lewis and Clark to explore the Louisiana territory

Embargo Act of 1807: A general trade embargo on all foreign nations that was enacted by the United States Congress. It was supposed to stop harassment of U.S. shipping by the British, but it was extremely unpopular in the United States because it harmed the U.S. economy. 

Module 8

Vocab: 

Freedom of the Sea: philosophy that nations should be able to trade one the oceans freely, and not be barred from trade by nations at war.

War Hawks: group of politicians that supported war, and passed legislation that steered the United States towards the War of 1812.

Treaty of Ghent: treaty that ended the War of 1812, which cemented U.S. independence in the minds of the British

Nationalism: sense of shared identity that is tied to a nation-state, and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interest of other nations. 

Impressment: practice of British ships, where they would stop American ships, and then force American sailors to work for the British. It is similar to kidnapping

Adams-Onis Treaty: treaty that brought Florida into the United States

Monroe Doctrine: statement of policy by President James Monroe, in which he warned European nations to refrain from establishing new colonies in North and South America.

Tariff: tax on imported goods

The American System: ambitious economic plan that played an important role in American policy during the first half of the 19th century that included 3 parts: a tariff to protect and promote American industry; a national bank to foster commerce; and federal subsidies for roads, canals, and other "internal improvements" to develop profitable markets for agriculture

Judicial Review: a process under which executive or legislative actions are subject to review by the judiciary

Economic depression: a sustained downturn in economic activity, where the economy shrinks

People:

James Madison: 4th president of the United Staes. President during the War of 1812, and authorized the 2nd National Bank

Andrew Jackson: Military leader at the Battle of New Orleans, the last battle in the War of 1812 (the treaty had actually been signed before this battle, but news had not reached the United States).

Francis Scott Key: Eyewitness to the Battle at Fort McHenry, and writer of the “Star-Spangled Banner.” 

Tecumseh: Shawnee Native American leader who tried to unite Native Tribes to stop white expansion in the west

Daniel Boone: American pioneer and frontiersman who became famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now Kentucky

William Henry Harrison: became governor of Indiana (Indian Territory), and fought the Battle of Tippecanoe against American Indian Tribes.

James Monroe: 5th President of the United States, and the last "founding father" to be the president. He is known for the Monroe Doctrine, as well as being president during the "Era of Good Feelings" where there was only one political party.

John Marshall: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, most famous for establishing the concept of Judicial Review, which allows the Judiciary to declare acts of the legislature and the executive unconstitutional

Henry Clay:American politician, most famous during this time for being a war hawk and supporting the American System. He would later become the Speaker of the House.

John C. Calhoun: American politician, most famous during this time for being a war hawk and supporting the American System. He would later become Vice President

Daniel Webster: American politician who supported the American System

Events:

War of 1812: War between Britain and the United States, which started because of Impressment, and British inciting rebellions of Indian Tribes against the United States. The war did not change many things, but was important in cementing American Nationalism, as well as forcing the British to recognize the independence of the United States

Attack on Washington D.C.: The British were able to invade the city and burn the White house, as well as many other government buildings

Fort McHenry: Part of the Battle of Baltimore, and the Fort was able to withstand the British assault. The Star-Spangled Banner (National Anthem) was written about this battle.

Battle of New Orleans: Decisive U.S. victory during the War of 1812, where the Americans defended the city from the British

Battle of Tippecanoe: Battle between the governor of Kentucky and Indian Tribes. It was a victory for Whites against the Tribes

Marbury v. Madison: Supreme Court case that established the concept of judicial review

Panic of 1819: First economic depression in the United States

Missouri Compromise: Legislation that stopped northern attempts to prohibit slavery's expansion by admitting Missouri as a slave state (and Maine as a free state) in exchange for legislation which prohibited slavery north of the 36°30′ parallel except for Missouri.

Module 10

Vocab: 

The Corrupt Bargain: This term refers to the process that made John Quincy Adams the president in the 1824 election. The House of Representatives, led by Henry Clay, chose Adams, and then Adams made Henry Clay his Secretary of State.

Tariff of 1828 (Tariff of Abominations): Tariff signed into law by John Quincy Adams. It divided the nation because it favored American manufacturers, but hurt American exporters, as well as American consumers. This tariff prompted discussion of nullification of federal law, as well as secession from the Union.

Democratic Party: Political party headed by Andrew Jackson (it evolved out of the Democratic Republican party) 

Whig Party: Political party formed during Jackson’s presidency, and made up of people who opposed Jackson

Nullification: the idea that states can invalidate a federal law (associated with the Tariff of Abominations)

Worcester v. Georgia: Supreme Court case that ruled in favor of the Cherokee Tribe, and ordered the government to uphold the treaties made with Native Tribes, which protected their land. Jackson refused to abide by the Supreme Court ruling.

Indian Removal Act of 1830: Law that ordered Native Tribes to vacate their lands east of the Mississippi River. They were promised they would be left alone in their new homes east of the Mississippi (mainly Oklahoma). This law created the Trail of Tears.

Market Revolution: A drastic transformation of the economy that changed all aspects of the market economy (how people worked, how goods were produced, moved, and purchased). It occurred because of the changes that came with the Industrial Revolution.

Canal: Man-made river that connects naturally occurring waterways, and facilitates shipping.

Steamboat: Boat equipped with a steam engine, allowing it to move against the current of a river, which makes shipping faster and easier.

Railroad: A track or set of tracks made of steel rails along which passenger and freight trains run, which is even more convenient than canals or steamboats because they facilitate overland travel.

Telegraph: System for transmitting messages from a distance along a wire, which made it easier to communicate information over long distances almost immediately.

Factory: A building that consolidates all the steps of production in a single facility, usually using machines to increase efficiency and productivity.

Nativism: A policy of favoring native inhabitants as opposed to immigrants. It is usually associated with prejudice against immigrants.

People:

John Quincy Adams: President for a single term, son of John Adams, whose presidency was plagued by charges of corruption and conflict with Congress.

Henry Clay: Speaker of the House during the 1824 election, and served as John Quincy Adams' Secretary of State.

Andrew Jackson: Hero from the Battle of New Orleans, he was elected president in 1828, and became the leader of the Democratic Party. He was a very popular president, known for the Indian Removal Act, killing the National Bank, and ending the Nullification Crisis.

John C. Calhoun: John Quincy Adams' Vice President, who secretly wrote a document condemning the Tariff of 1828, created by Adams. Calhoun outlined the doctrine of nullification, and introduced the idea that states could secede from the Union.

Martin Van Buren: Served as Jackson's Vice President, and was elected in 1836. His presidency was unsuccessful, in large part to the economic depression during his presidency.

William Henry Harrison: Hero of the Battle of Tippecanoe, he was a Whig who won the presidency in 1840. He died one month into his presidency.

John Tyler: Harrison's vice president, who became the first Vice President to take over the presidency upon the death of the president. He was so unpopular he was kicked out of the Whig Party.

Samuel Slater: British immigrant who opened the first factory in the United States by memorizing British plans for machines, and recreating them in the United States.

Samuel F. B. Morse: Inventor of the telegraph

Cyrus McCormick: Invented the mechanical reaper, which made harvesting crops easier for farmers. 

John Deere: Inventor of the mechanized plow, which made it easier to plow sod and put more land under cultivation

Dorothea Dix: Reformer who worked to create protections and humane facilities for the mentally ill.

Grimke Sisters: Popular abolitionists who often gave speeches about abolishing slavery (even to men!)

Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Elizabeth Cady Stanton Reformer and one of the founders of the Seneca Falls Convention. She worked to achieve more rights and independence for women in America. 

Lucretia Mott: Quaker, abolitionist, and reformer who attended the Seneca Falls Convention. She worked to achieve more rights and independence for women in America.

Horace Mann: Reformer who focused on creating public schools, and encouraged teacher qualifications to ensure a high-quality education for students.

Events: 

Erie Canal Completed (1825): The longest canal, running more than 300 miles, and it stimulated the growth of population, towns, and industry along the canal

Trail of Tears: Part of a series of forced relocations of approximately 100,000 Native Americans between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government known as the Indian removal

Second Great Awakening (1800-1830s): A Protestant religious revival during the early 1800s. It spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching, and sparked a number of reform movements.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848): The first women's rights convention

Irish Potato Famine (1840s): Devastating disaster caused by a fungus on potatoes, which killed the harvest, and killed the seed potatoes for future harvests. It caused more than 2 million Irish to leave Ireland, and they came in large numbers to the United States.

Agricultural Revolution: The transformation of American agriculture, due to the invention of time-saving devices like the mechanical reaper and mechanical plow

Transportation Revolution: The transformation of American transportation, which made it easier to move people and goods. It included canals, steamboats, and railroads. 

Module 11

Vocab:

Rio Grande River: This is the border between the United States and Mexico today. The border was disputed in the 1800s, and Mexico wanted the border to be the Nueces River (further north). This dispute over the Rio Grande was the spark that started the Mexican-American War

Treaty of Geuadalupe Hidalgo: Treaty that ended the Mexican-American War, which recognized Texas as part of the United States, and paid for the Mexican Cession territory. Mexico lost 1/3 of its territory with this treaty.

Mexican Cession: Territory acquired by the United States with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. It included California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico

Mountain Men: Explorers who lived in the wilderness. they were most common in the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through to the 1880s

Rendezvous: An annual gathering (1825-1840) at various locations held by a fur trading company at which trappers and mountain men sold their furs and hides and replenished their supplies

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

Oregon Trail:A 2,170-mile east-west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon

Perpetual Emigration Fund:An organization created by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) to provide economic assistance to more than 30,000 individuals who sought to emigrate to the Salt Lake Valley and surrounding regions

People: 

Zachary Taylor: General during the Mexican-American War. His success in the war would contribute to his successful campaign for the presidency in 1848

James K. Polk: Democratic president from 1844-1848. He orchestrated the Mexican-American War to acquire the Mexican Cession

Stephen Austin: Known as the "Father of Texas" and the founder of Texas, he led the successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States to the region in 1825

Sam Houston:An important leader of the Texas Revolution, who served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas, and represented Texas in the U.S. Senate

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna: Mexican leader who fought the United States in the Mexican-American War

Jim Bridger: An American mountain man, trapper, Army scout, and wilderness guide who explored and trapped in the Western United States in the first half of the 19th century

Joseph Smith: Founder and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was murdered while in jail in Illinois in 1844

Brigham Young: Second leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who led the Mormon Pioneers to the Salt Lake valley

Events:

The Republic of Texas: Independent nation established in 1836, and abolished when Texas became a U.S. state in 1845

The Alamo: A historic Spanish mission and fortress compound in present day San Antonio, Texas. It was the site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, where Texans held a siege for two weeks before surrendering. Santa Anna killed all the men after they surrendered

The Fur Trade: Important economic system in the Rocky Mountains in the early 1800s, which supported Mountain Men, who spent their time collecting valuable beaver pelts to sell

The Mormon Pioneers’ exodus to Utah: Mass migration starting in 1847, led by Brigham Young. They left U.S. territory, but the following year, that territory was ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Donner Party: A group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846-1847 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, in which dozens died

California Gold Rush: Rapid influx of fortune seekers in California that began after gold was found at Sutter's Mill in early 1848 and reached its peak in 1852. According to estimates, more than 300,000 people came to the territory during the Gold Rush

Module 12

Vocab: 

Antebellum: Term referring to the American South before the Civil War - it encompasses the history and culture of the American South during the time when slavery dominated the economy and society.

Cotton Gin: A machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation

Plantation: A large-scale farming operation, meant for specializing in cash crops.

Middle Passage: The stage of the triangular trade in which millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the New World as part of the Atlantic slave trade.

2nd Middle Passage: The forced migration of American slaves from the Upper South on Tobacco farms to the Deep South to grow Cotton.

Chattel slavery: Practice of allowing people to be bought, sold, and traded into lifelong servitude

Trangular Trade: Used to refer to the trade that involved shipping goods from Europe to West Africa to be exchanged for slaves, these slaves being shipped to the West Indies and exchanged for sugar, rum, and other commodities which were in turn shipped back to Europe.

“Peculiar Institution”: Used in the 19th century to refer to the system of slavery in the southern states of the United States.

Underground Railroad: A network of secret routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early to mid-19th century, and used by enslaved African-Americans to primarily escape into free states and Canada.

Abolitionism: The movement to end slavery

The liberator: A weekly abolitionist newspaper, printed and published in Boston by William Lloyd Garrison.

Gag rule in Congress:A rule that forbade the raising, consideration, or discussion of slavery by members of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1836 to 1844.

People:

Eli Whitney: Inventor of the Cotton Gin

Nat Turner: Leader of a rebellion of enslaved Virginians that took place in Virginia in 1831. The rebels killed between 55 and 65 people, at least 51 of whom were white.

Harriet Tubman: An American abolitionist and political activist. Born into slavery, Tubman escaped and subsequently made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.

William Lloyd Garrison: Radical abolitionist from Massachusetts, who published The Liberator.

John Quincy Adams: Former U.S. President who represented the Africans who had been aboard the Amistad. He succeeded in persuading the Supreme Court to free them men and allow them to return home to Sierra Leone.

Frederick Douglass: After escaping from slavery, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in the United States, becoming famous for his oratory and antislavery writings.

Module 13:

Vocab: 

Sectionalism: loyalty to one's own region or section of the country, rather than to the country as a whole

Compromise of 1850: a package of five separate bills passed by the United States Congress in September 1850 that defused a political confrontation between slave and free states on the status of territories acquired in the Mexican-American War

Popular Sovereignty: a controversial political doctrine according to which the people of federal territories should decide for themselves whether their territories would enter the Union as free or slave states

Fugitive Slave Act of 1850: part of the Compromise of 1850, it was designed to help Southerners recover runaway slaves (known as the Fugitive Slave Law after the bill is passed)

Uncle Tom’s Cabin: an anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U.S. and is said to have helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War

Kansas-Nebraska Act: created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and proposed to use popular sovereignty to decide the slavery issue. It was drafted by Democratic Senator Stephen Douglas

Free Soil: ​​political affiliation in the 1850s for Americans who opposed the expansion of slavery in the United States

Republican Party: new political party that gained popularity in the late 1850s, which became a sectional party because it opposed the expansion of slavery

People:

Henry Clay: American politician, famous for compromise, who drafted the Compromise of 1850

Stephen Douglas: American senator who drafted the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and who used popular sovereignty to decide the slave issue. He ran as a democrat against Lincoln in the 1860 election

Harriet Beecher Stowe: prominent abolitionist and author of Uncle Tom's Cabin

Charles Sumner: American senator who gave an impassioned speech against slavery and the violence in the Kansas territory

Preston Brooks: U.S. representative in the House of Representatives, who caned Charles Sumner in an attempt to defend the South, slavery, and his uncle, who Sumner had ridiculed

John Brown:  radical abolitionist who advocated violence as a way to end slavery. He was executed for his violent activities against slave owners

James Buchanan: 15th president, elected in 1856, and generally criticized because he did nothing to stop the southern states from seceding after Lincoln's election

Dred Scott: American slave who sued for his freedom, and the Supreme Court ruled against him

Abraham Lincoln: American politician who became the first Republican president of the United States. His sectional victory prompted the secession of several southern States

John C. Breckinridge: Democratic Candidate for president, whose candidacy split the democratic party, which helped Lincoln clinch the victory

Events: 

Bleeding Kansas: a series of violent civil confrontations in Kansas Territory between 1854 and 1859. It emerged from a political and ideological debate over the legality of slavery in the proposed state of Kansas

Bleeding Sumner: violent attack in the United States Senate chamber, when Representative Preston Brooks, a pro-slavery Democrat from South Carolina, used a walking cane to attack Senator Charles Sumner, an abolitionist Republican from Massachusetts

Collapse of the Second Party System: Transformation of American politics in the 1850s, in which the Whig party collapsed, and the Republican Party emerged

Dred Scott Decision: The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in 1857, that living in a free state did not entitle Dred Scott, to his freedom. In essence, the decision argued that, as someone's property, Scott was not a citizen and could not sue in a federal court, and that the government should not have forbidden slavery in some states

Attack on Harper's Ferry: an effort by abolitionist John Brown, in 1859, to initiate a slave revolt in Southern states by taking over the United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. It has been called the dress rehearsal for, or Tragic Prelude to, the Civil War

Election 1860: American presidential election in which Abraham Lincoln won, in a sectional victory. He carried all the northern states, but not a single southern state. His victory happened, in part, because the Democratic party ran two candidates (Douglas and Breckinridge), which split the democratic vote

Module 14

Vocab: 

The Confederate States of America: An unrecognized government that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865, that fought against the United States of America during the American Civil War.

Border States: Slave states that chose not to join the Confederacy. They included Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri, and West Virginia.

Anaconda Plan: Military strategy of the Union in the Civil War. The plan called for a naval blockade of the Confederate coast, controlling important waterways like the Mississippi, and taking the Confederate capital (Richmond).

Emancipation Proclamation: Document issued by President Lincoln that abolished slavery in all rebelling southern states (not in border states that stayed with the Union).

Total War: Northern strategy that targeted everything that supported the Southern war effort - this included destroying infrastructure, farms, and assets in addition to traditional battles against the Southern military.

Attrition: A military strategy of the Union that was designed to gradually reduce the strength or effectiveness of the Confederacy through sustained attack or pressure. Attrition is a resource war, and both sides usually have heavy casualties and losses.

People:

Abraham Lincoln: President of the United States from 1861-1865. His election prompted Southern states to secede, and his leadership resulted in a Union victory, bring all rebelling states back into the Union. He was assassinated at the end of the Civil War.

Jefferson Davis: President of the Confederacy.

David Farragut: Naval Admiral that fought with the Union during the Civil War. He is most known for seizing New Orleans back from the Confederacy.

Robert E. Lee: American general who resigned from the U.S. army to fight for the Confederacy. He was the South's most effective general, and led the armies until the final surrender in 1865.

Stonewall Jackson: Confederate military leader who played a prominent role in nearly all engagements in the Eastern Theater of the war until his death, and had a key part in winning many significant battles.

Ulysses S. Grant: Northern General, active in the Western Campaigns in the early years of the war (Shiloh, Vicksburg). He became the general in charge of the Richmond campaign in 1864, and was victorious in 1865.

William T. Sherman: Northern General who is most famous for his harsh tactics of total war in his "March to the Sea" in Georgia.

John Wilkes Booth: Southerner who assassinated President Lincoln.

Events:

Attack on Fort Sumter: Fort Sumter was a Federal fort in South Carolina. The Confederacy seized the fort in 1861, effectively starting the Civil War.

First Battle of Bull Run: First major engagement of the Civil War. It was a Confederate Victory, and demonstrated the difficulties of the Civil War.

Battle of Shiloh: Battle in Tennessee in 1862. It was the bloodiest engagement of the Civil War up to that point, with nearly twice as many casualties as the previous major battles of the war combined. The Union won.

Battle of New Orleans: Union victory that took New Orleans away from Confederate control. Admiral David Farragut was able to seize the city, which prevented the Confederacy from using the Mississippi River for trade for the rest of the war.

Second Battle of Bull Run: Another engagement at the same location of the first battle. This battle was fought in 1862, and was another Confederate victory. This victory helped the South decide to invade northern territory in the fall of 1862.

Battle of Antietam: Bloodiest single day in American history. This battle is counted as a Union victory, even though neither side was able to gain a strong advantage. The South did retreat out of Union territory after the battle, which is why the Union claimed victory. This battle was the victory that Lincoln used to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Battle of Vicksburg: Last major engagement on the Mississippi River. General Grant was able to defeat the Confederacy, which gave the Union full control of the Mississippi River (one of the goals of the anaconda plan).

Battle of Gettysburg: Bloodiest battle in American history, which lasted 3 days. This was a turning point in the war, because the Southern defeat meant that they would never gain foreign recognition and it was the last time the South invaded northern territory.

The Overland Campaign 1864: A series of battles in Virginia, where armies led by Grant (North) and Lee (South) met over and over. This campaign employed the strategy of attrition, and both sides took heavy losses. The campaign was ultimately inconclusive because Grant was unable to take Richmond.

Sherman’s March to the Sea: In late 1864, General Sherman took Atlanta, Georgia, and was ordered to march to the coast and take Savannah. Sherman employed total war tactics, and his men destroyed everything in their path.

Lincoln's Re-election: Lincoln won a contested election in 1864, despite growing divisions about the war.

Richmond Campaign 1865: General Grant was able to capture the city of Richmond in the spring of 1865, which effectively ended the Civil War.

Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse: The surrender of Lee's army at Appomattox Courthouse was the end of the Civil War. General Grant set generous terms for the surrendering army, which included letting them keep their weapons, feeding them a hot meal, and then letting them depart in peace. The war was over.

Assassination of Lincoln: Only a few days after the Confederate army surrendered, Lincoln was killed by a Southerner, John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln was shot while attending a play.

Module 15:

Vocab: 

Reconstruction: The period after the Civil War, in which States who had seceded from the United States were brought back into the Union

Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan: Lincoln's plan for reconstructing Southern states was the most lenient, and only required 10% of a state's population that voted in 1860 to swear loyalty to the United States. Once that happened, Southern states could govern themselves and be represented in Congress

Johnson's Plan for Reconstruction: After Lincoln's assassination, Johnson took over Reconstruction, and his plan was initially required more from the South, but then relaxed the requirements for re-entry to the United States. This infuriated the Republican Congress

The Freedmen's Bureau: Organization established to provide support for former slaves, as well as poor whites in the South. It provided Food, medical aid, legal support, and educational opportunities

Confederate Pardons: Under Johnson's plan for Reconstruction, Confederate leaders were required to receive a presidential pardon before they could participate in the United States. Johnson initially rarely granted these pardons, but he increasingly granted them, and returned land to these wealthy Southern whites (even taking them away from former slaves who had been given that land)

Black Codes: A series of laws passed in Southern States during Reconstruction, that were specifically designed to regulate the lives of former slaves, and limit their participation in Southern society. Examples of Black Codes were laws that forbade freedmen from owning land, doing any job except farming, and laws that allowed police to arrest Black people who were gathering in groups

Civil Rights Bill 1866: This law, passed by Congress over a presidential veto, declared that former slaves were citizens of the United States. This law eventually would be part of the 14th amendment

13th Amendment: abolished slavery in the United States

14th Amendment: Guaranteed the right of citizenship for all people born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves. This amendment also guaranteed that all citizens would enjoy equal protection under the law

15th Amendment: Guaranteed voting rights for all male citizens of the United States

Redeemers: a political coalition in the South during Reconstruction. Redeemers were the Southern wing of the Democratic Party. They sought to regain their political power and enforce white supremacy

Carpetbaggers: a derogatory term applied by Southerners to opportunistic Northerners who came to the South after the Civil War, who were perceived to be exploiting the local populace for their own financial, political, and/or social gain

Scalawags: A derogatory term applied to white Southerners who supported Reconstruction policies and efforts after the conclusion of the American Civil War. The word has a long history of use as a slur in the South

Congressional Reconstruction: Also known as Radical Reconstruction, this is the period where Congress controlled the process of bringing Southern states back into the United States. The Congress was trying to force the South to accept the legal equality of freedmen, and to punish the Confederate leaders

Compromise of 1877: an unwritten deal, informally arranged among U.S. Congressmen, that settled the intensely disputed 1876 presidential election. Rutherford B. Hayes received the votes to become the president, and in return, the last troops were pulled out of the South, thus ending the Reconstruction Era

Sharecropping: a legal arrangement with agricultural land in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on that land

Plessy v. Ferguson: Supreme Court case in 1896 that upheld the practice of segregation in public places, using the phrase "separate but equal."

Poll Tax: A practice in the South where potential voters were required to pay a tax in order to register to vote. It effectively kept a large portion of the Black population of Southern states from exercising their right to vote

Grandfather clause: laws in Southern states that attempted to keep Black men from exercising their right to vote. These laws stated that a person couldn't vote unless their grandfather had been able to vote (since most freedmen's grandfathers had been slaves, they were excluded)

People:

Abraham Lincoln: American President who first tried to reconstruct the South. Lincoln's plan was the most lenient towards Southerners, because he was more concerned with reconciliation with southern states

Andrew Johnson: Lincoln's vice president who became the president after Lincoln's assassination. Johnson was a Southerner, and his plan for Reconstruction was more harsh towards Confederate leaders, but he did not attempt to force Southerners to respect the rights of former slaves

Oliver O. Howard: Leader of the Freedmen's Bureau

Rutherford B. Hayes: U.S. President, who became president with the Compromise of 1877, which gave him the votes to win the election, in exchange for ending Reconstruction