Apush periods 3-6

Tradition of neglect: British policy of salutary neglect allowed American colonies self-governance in exchange for economic loyalty, fostering independence.

Albany Plan: 1754 proposal by Benjamin Franklin to unite the colonies under one government for defense; it was rejected by colonies and Crown.

Seven Years’ War: Global conflict (1756–1763), known in America as the French and Indian War, between Britain and France over colonial territory.

William Pitt: British Prime Minister who led Britain to victory in the Seven Years' War by investing heavily in the North American front.

Peace of Paris (1763): Treaty that ended the Seven Years’ War, granting Britain control of Canada and territory east of the Mississippi.

Proclamation of 1763: British law forbidding colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent conflict with Native Americans.

Stamp Act of 1765: British tax on printed materials in the colonies, sparking widespread protest and “no taxation without representation.”

Paxton Boys: Armed Pennsylvania frontiersmen who attacked Native Americans and demanded colonial protection from raids in 1763.

Virginia Resolves: Patrick Henry's statements asserting only Virginia could tax Virginians, challenging the Stamp Act.

Sons of Liberty: Secret colonial resistance group that opposed British policies and organized protests like the Boston Tea Party.

External/Internal taxation: Colonists distinguished between trade duties (external) and direct taxes (internal); they opposed the latter more strongly.

Committees of Correspondence: Colonial networks for communication and coordination against British policies, first established in Massachusetts.

Tea Act of 1773: Gave the British East India Company the right to sell tea directly to colonies, undercutting colonial merchants.

Boston “Tea Party”: 1773 protest where colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to oppose the Tea Act.

Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts: British laws passed in response to the Tea Party, including closing Boston Harbor and revoking Massachusetts' charter.

Second Continental Congress: Convened in 1775, it organized the Continental Army under George Washington and later declared independence.

Olive Branch Petition: Final peace offer sent to King George III by the Continental Congress in 1775; it was rejected.

Common Sense: A 1776 pamphlet by Thomas Paine that argued for American independence using plain language to inspire common people.

Social Contract Theory: Enlightenment idea that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed and must protect natural rights.

Locke: Enlightenment thinker who influenced American revolutionaries with his ideas on natural rights (life, liberty, property) and government by consent.

3 Phases of the Revolution: New England (1775–76) with early battles like Bunker Hill; Middle Colonies (1776–78), including Saratoga; Southern Phase (1778–81) featuring guerrilla warfare and Yorktown.

Loyalists/Tories: Colonists who remained loyal to Britain during the Revolution; many faced persecution or fled after the war.

French Revolution: Inspired by American ideals, it divided U.S. opinion; Federalists opposed it, while Democratic-Republicans supported it.

Haitian Revolution: Slave revolt in Saint-Domingue (1791–1804) that led to the first Black republic; alarmed U.S. slaveholders.

Revolution’s impact on slavery: Some northern states gradually abolished slavery, while in the South it became more entrenched.

Native American positions in Revolution: Most tribes sided with the British, hoping to stop American expansion onto their lands.

Abigail Adams: Wife of John Adams who advocated for women’s rights in letters, famously urging him to “remember the ladies.”

Republicanism: Political philosophy emphasizing civic virtue, popular sovereignty, and a government accountable to the people.

Property requirements: Many early state constitutions limited voting and office-holding to property-owning white men.

State legislative and executive powers: Early state governments favored strong legislatures and weak governors to avoid tyranny.

Articles of Confederation: America’s first constitution (1781–1789) that created a weak central government with limited powers.

Powers of the national government (under Articles): Could make war, sign treaties, and manage western lands, but lacked power to tax or regulate trade.

Northwest Ordinance: 1787 law establishing a system for admitting new states and banning slavery north of the Ohio River.

Battle of Fallen Timbers: 1794 U.S. victory over Native Americans in the Northwest Territory, leading to the Treaty of Greenville.

Shays’s Rebellion: 1786–87 uprising by Massachusetts farmers protesting taxes and debt; exposed weaknesses of the Articles.

Annapolis Convention: 1786 meeting to address trade issues that led to the calling of the Constitutional Convention.

Great Compromise/Connecticut Plan: Combined Virginia and New Jersey plans by creating a bicameral legislature with proportional House and equal Senate.

3/5 Compromise: Counted slaves as 3/5 of a person for representation and taxation, appeasing southern states.

Slave Trade Compromise: Allowed the international slave trade to continue until 1808 in exchange for southern support of the Constitution.

Sovereignty: Ultimate authority in governance; debated between state and federal power during ratification.

Federalism: Division of power between national and state governments, as outlined in the Constitution.

Separation of Powers: Constitutional principle dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

The Federalist Papers: Essays by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay promoting ratification of the Constitution and explaining its principles.

Anti-Federalists: Opponents of the Constitution who feared centralized power and demanded a Bill of Rights.

Bill of Rights: First 10 amendments to the Constitution protecting individual liberties and limiting federal power.

Hamilton’s Financial Plan: Included federal assumption of state debts, creation of a national bank, and support for industry through tariffs.

First Party System: Political rivalry between Federalists (Hamilton) and Democratic-Republicans (Jefferson and Madison).

Whiskey Rebellion: 1794 protest against Hamilton’s excise tax on whiskey; crushed by Washington, showing federal authority.

Citizen Genêt Affair: French diplomat tried to recruit Americans for France’s war; his actions strained U.S.-France relations.

Jay's Treaty: 1794 treaty with Britain to resolve post-Revolution disputes; unpopular but avoided war.

Pinckney's Treaty: 1795 treaty with Spain giving Americans navigation rights on the Mississippi and access to New Orleans.

Washington’s Farewell Address: Advised against political parties and entangling foreign alliances.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions: Jefferson and Madison’s response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, asserting states could nullify unconstitutional laws.

Election of 1800: Jefferson (Democratic-Republican) defeated Adams (Federalist); peaceful transfer of power called the “Revolution of 1800.”

Second Great Awakening: 19th-century religious revival emphasizing individual salvation, emotional preaching, and social reforms like temperance and abolition.

Samuel Slater: Brought British textile technology to the U.S., starting the American factory system.

Cotton gin: Invented by Eli Whitney in 1793; drastically increased cotton production and demand for slave labor in the South.

Republican Motherhood: Belief that women should raise virtuous, patriotic citizens, reinforcing their educational role but limiting public participation.

Marbury v. Madison: 1803 Supreme Court case establishing judicial review, allowing courts to strike down unconstitutional laws.

Napoleon Bonaparte: French leader who sold the Louisiana Territory to the U.S. in 1803 via the Louisiana Purchase.

Louisiana Purchase: Treaty terms: Doubled U.S. size in 1803; France sold the land for $15 million, giving the U.S. control of the Mississippi River.

Essex Junto: New England Federalists who opposed the War of 1812 and discussed secession due to Jeffersonian dominance.

Impressment: British practice of seizing American sailors and forcing them into the Royal Navy, contributing to the War of 1812.

Embargo Act: 1807 law banning U.S. trade with all foreign nations; aimed to pressure Britain and France but hurt U.S. economy.

Tecumseh and Tippecanoe: Shawnee leader who sought a Native confederacy; defeated by William Henry Harrison at Tippecanoe in 1811.

War Hawks (Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun): Young congressmen who pushed for war with Britain in 1812 to defend national honor and expand territory.

Hartford Convention: 1814 Federalist meeting to protest the War of 1812; seen as disloyal, it helped destroy the party’s credibility.

Second Bank of the United States: Chartered in 1816 to stabilize the currency and economy after the War of 1812.

Tariff of 1816: First protective tariff in U.S. history, aimed at shielding American industry from British competition.

National Road: First federally funded highway, linking the East to the western frontier and promoting commerce and migration.

Veto of Internal Improvements Bill: Madison vetoed a bill funding internal improvements in 1817, arguing it was unconstitutional without an amendment.

Era of Good Feelings: Period of national unity during Monroe’s presidency (1817–1825), marked by one-party rule and postwar nationalism.

Missouri Compromise: 1820 deal admitting Missouri as a slave state, Maine as a free state, and banning slavery north of 36°30′ in the Louisiana Territory.

McCulloch v. Maryland: 1819 case affirming federal supremacy and the constitutionality of the national bank.

Worcester v. Georgia: 1832 ruling recognizing Cherokee sovereignty; ignored by Jackson, leading to forced removal.

Monroe Doctrine: 1823 U.S. policy warning Europe against colonizing the Americas; declared the Western Hemisphere off-limits to new European interference.

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia: 1831 case where the Court ruled it had no jurisdiction, calling the Cherokee a "domestic dependent nation."

American System: Henry Clay’s plan for national economic development through protective tariffs, a national bank, and internal improvements.

Corrupt Bargain: Alleged deal in 1824 where Clay supported Adams in exchange for a cabinet position, undermining Jackson's supporters.

Jacksonian Democrats: Political movement supporting Andrew Jackson’s emphasis on the “common man,” limited federal government, and expanded suffrage.

John C. Calhoun: Southern politician who supported states’ rights, nullification, and slavery; served as VP under Adams and Jackson.

Nullification crisis: South Carolina’s 1832 threat to nullify federal tariffs; resolved by a compromise tariff and Jackson’s threat of force.

Indian Removal Act: 1830 law authorizing the forced relocation of Native tribes to lands west of the Mississippi River.

Black Hawk War: 1832 conflict where federal troops defeated Native resistance led by Black Hawk in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Seminole Wars: Series of conflicts in Florida as Seminoles resisted removal; the longest and most costly Indian war in U.S. history.

Whigs: Political party opposing Jackson, favoring congressional supremacy, modernization, and economic development.

Treaty of Wang Hya: 1844 treaty with China securing U.S. trading rights, including “most favored nation” status.

Oregon Border Dispute: Conflict between Britain and the U.S. over the Oregon Territory; resolved in 1846 with division at the 49th parallel.

Webster-Ashburton Treaty: 1842 treaty settling the Maine-Canada border and improving U.S.-British relations.

Nativism/Native American Party: Anti-immigrant movement fearing Catholic and foreign influence; also known as the Know-Nothing Party.

Steam engine: Revolutionized transportation and manufacturing by powering trains, boats, and factory machines.

Railroads: Rapidly expanded in the mid-1800s, connecting distant markets and fueling westward expansion and industrial growth.

Telegraph: Invented by Samuel Morse, it revolutionized long-distance communication using Morse code.

Erie Canal: Completed in 1825, connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River, lowering transport costs and boosting New York’s economy.

Textiles: Leading early industry of the Industrial Revolution, especially in New England, employing many women and children.

Coal Mining: Essential for powering steam engines and factories; grew rapidly with industrialization.

Interchangeable parts: Standardized parts that sped up production and repair; pioneered by Eli Whitney.

Lowell System: Factory model hiring young women to live and work under strict conditions; an early form of industrial labor.

Urban Middle Class: Emerged in the 19th century, composed of professionals and skilled workers benefiting from industrialization.

Cult of Domesticity: Ideal that women should focus on home and moral guidance, reinforcing gender roles in the 19th century.

Mechanical Reaper: Invented by Cyrus McCormick; revolutionized farming by speeding up grain harvesting.

Steel plow: Invented by John Deere; made it easier to till tough prairie soil, facilitating westward farming.

“Peculiar institution”: Euphemism for slavery in the South, highlighting its central yet morally controversial role.

Gabriel Prosser and Nat Turner: Led planned or actual slave revolts (1800 and 1831); both uprisings increased Southern fears and repression.

Slave music: Blended African and Christian traditions; served as resistance and cultural preservation among enslaved people.

Romanticism: Artistic movement emphasizing emotion, nature, and individualism; influenced American literature and art.

Hudson River School: Group of painters celebrating American landscapes and romantic themes.

Utopian Societies: 19th-century reform communities like the Shakers and Oneida, aiming to create ideal, cooperative societies.

Charles Finney: Leading evangelist of the Second Great Awakening; emphasized personal salvation and social reform.

Seneca Falls Convention: 1848 women's rights meeting where the “Declaration of Sentiments” was issued, demanding suffrage.

American Colonization Society: Organization that promoted resettling free African Americans in Africa (Liberia); supported by some abolitionists and slaveholders.

William Lloyd Garrison: Radical abolitionist who founded The Liberator and called for immediate emancipation.

Frederick Douglass: Former slave and leading abolitionist orator and writer who published The North Star.

David Walker: Black abolitionist who wrote Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World, calling for resistance to slavery.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin: 1852 anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that fueled abolitionist support in the North.

Manifest Destiny: Belief that Americans were destined to expand westward across the continent, often at others' expense.

Texas annexation question: Debated due to slavery and potential war with Mexico; Texas was annexed by the U.S. in 1845.

Oregon: Territory claimed by Britain and the U.S.; settled by 1846 treaty dividing land at the 49th parallel.

Nueces line: Disputed border between Texas and Mexico; U.S. claimed Rio Grande, leading to war.

Slidell Mission: Failed U.S. diplomatic attempt to buy California and New Mexico from Mexico before the Mexican-American War.

Mexican-American War: 1846–1848 war sparked by border disputes and expansionism; resulted in large territorial gains for the U.S.

Bear Flag Republic: Short-lived California republic declared by American settlers during the Mexican-American War.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo: Ended the war in 1848; Mexico ceded vast lands (Mexican Cession) to the U.S.

Mexican Cession: Land acquired from Mexico in 1848, including present-day CA, AZ, NM, NV, and UT.

Wilmot Proviso: Proposed banning slavery in any territory won from Mexico; failed, but deepened sectional tensions.

Gold Rush: 1849 migration to California after gold was discovered; rapidly increased population and statehood push.

Compromise of 1850: Henry Clay’s plan admitting California as free, enforcing a stricter Fugitive Slave Law, and using popular sovereignty in the territories.

Young America: Expansionist Democratic movement promoting Manifest Destiny, free trade, and support for revolutions abroad.

Commodore Matthew Perry: Opened Japan to U.S. trade through gunboat diplomacy in 1854.

Ostend Manifesto: Secret proposal to buy or take Cuba from Spain to expand slavery; leaked and angered Northerners.

Stephen Douglas: Illinois senator who promoted popular sovereignty and authored the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Kansas-Nebraska Act: 1854 law allowing popular sovereignty to decide slavery in those territories; repealed the Missouri Compromise.

Republican Party: Formed in the 1850s to oppose the expansion of slavery; attracted former Whigs and Free-Soilers.

Bleeding Kansas: Violent clashes between pro- and anti-slavery forces after the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Free-Soil Platform: Political stance opposing the expansion of slavery into new territories to protect free labor.

Dred Scott v. Sandford: 1857 Supreme Court decision denying Black citizenship and ruling Congress couldn’t ban slavery in territories.

Abraham Lincoln: 16th U.S. president who opposed slavery’s expansion and led the Union during the Civil War.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates: 1858 Senate debates focusing on slavery; boosted Lincoln’s national profile.

Election of 1860: Lincoln won with no Southern electoral votes, prompting Southern secession.

Secession: Southern states left the Union beginning with South Carolina in 1860, forming the Confederacy.

Clipper ships: Fast sailing ships used in the mid-1800s for trade, especially before railroads became dominant.

Homestead Act: 1862 law giving free land to settlers willing to farm it for five years; encouraged western migration.

National Bank Acts: 1863–64 laws that created a system of national banks and a uniform currency during the Civil War.

Emancipation Proclamation: 1863 order by Lincoln freeing slaves in Confederate-held areas; gave the war a moral purpose.

Gettysburg: 1863 turning point battle; Union victory stopped Lee’s invasion of the North.

Gettysburg Address: Lincoln’s 1863 speech redefining the war as a fight for liberty and equality.

Sherman’s March to the Sea: Union general’s destructive 1864 campaign through Georgia, breaking Southern morale.

Freedmen’s Bureau: Government agency aiding freed slaves with food, education, and legal support after the Civil War.

13th Amendment: Abolished slavery throughout the United States in 1865.

Moderate v. Radical Republicans: Moderates sought lenient Reconstruction; Radicals wanted strict terms and civil rights protections.

Lincoln’s 10% Plan: Proposed that a Southern state could rejoin the Union when 10% of voters pledged loyalty.

Wade-Davis Bill: Radical Republican alternative requiring 50% loyalty oath; vetoed by Lincoln.

14th Amendment: Guaranteed citizenship and equal protection under the law to all born in the U.S.

15th Amendment: Prohibited voting discrimination based on race, color, or previous servitude.

Hiram Revels: First African American U.S. senator, elected during Reconstruction.

Blanche K. Bruce: Second African American U.S. senator, serving during Reconstruction from Mississippi.

Segregation: Legal or social separation of races, especially institutionalized in the South after Reconstruction.

Sharecropping: Labor system where freedmen farmed land for a share of the crop; often led to debt and poverty.

Minstrel Shows: Racist 19th-century entertainment featuring white performers in blackface mocking African Americans.

Compromise of 1877: Ended Reconstruction; Democrats accepted Hayes as president in exchange for removal of federal troops from the South.

Sand Creek Massacre: 1864 attack where U.S. troops killed peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho in Colorado.

Little Big Horn: 1876 battle where Sioux and Cheyenne, led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, defeated Custer’s forces.

New South: Post–Civil War vision promoting industrialization and economic diversification in the South while maintaining racial segregation.

Agrarian sharecropping: Farming system where landless farmers, often freedmen, worked land for a share of crops; created cycles of poverty and debt.

Tenant Farming system: Similar to sharecropping, but tenants rented land and had more independence; still trapped many in poverty.

Plessy v. Ferguson: 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation under “separate but equal” doctrine.

Chinese Exclusion Act: 1882 law that banned Chinese labor immigration; first major restriction on immigration based on nationality.

Government subsidies: Financial support given to industries (like railroads) to promote development and expansion.

Boomtown areas of the West: Rapidly growing towns due to mining or railroad expansion; often became ghost towns after busts.

Dawes Act: 1887 law that broke up tribal lands and promoted Native American assimilation by allotting land to individuals.

Chief Joseph: Leader of the Nez Perce who resisted U.S. removal policies and famously said, “I will fight no more forever.”

Ghost Dance Movement: Native American spiritual revival promising the return of ancestors and buffalo; led to Wounded Knee Massacre.

Assimilationist Policies toward Native Americans: Government efforts to erase Native culture and force adoption of white customs through schools, religion, and land ownership.

Corporation: Business organization with legal rights as a person; allowed investors to pool capital and limit liability.

Andrew Carnegie: Steel magnate who advocated the “Gospel of Wealth” and vertical integration of industry.

Henry Clay Frick: Carnegie’s partner; known for harsh labor policies and role in the Homestead Strike.

J. Pierpont Morgan: Powerful banker who consolidated railroads and bought out Carnegie Steel to form U.S. Steel.

John D. Rockefeller: Founded Standard Oil and used horizontal integration to dominate the oil industry.

Trusts: Large business combinations where several companies were managed as one to limit competition.

Social Darwinism: Belief that only the fittest businesses or people survive; used to justify inequality and laissez-faire policies.

The Gospel of Wealth: Carnegie’s idea that the rich should use their wealth for the good of society.

Laissez-faire economic policy: Philosophy that government should not interfere in the economy or business operations.

Henry George: Reform author of Progress and Poverty who proposed a “single tax” on land to reduce inequality.

Edward Bellamy: Wrote Looking Backward, envisioning a future socialist utopia with economic equality.

National Labor Union: First national labor federation, founded in 1866; aimed to improve working conditions and wages.

Molly Maguires: Secret Irish-American labor group accused of violence in Pennsylvania coal mines during the 1870s.

Knights of Labor: Inclusive labor union led by Terence Powderly; advocated broad social reforms and equal pay.

Eugene Debs: Socialist labor leader who led the Pullman Strike and founded the American Railway Union.

Pullman Strike: 1894 nationwide railroad strike that was crushed by federal troops; revealed tensions between labor and government.

American Federation of Labor (AFL): Skilled-workers union led by Samuel Gompers; focused on practical economic gains.

Ethnic city: Urban neighborhoods where immigrants from the same country clustered for support and cultural preservation.

Assimilation of immigrants: Process by which immigrants adopted American language and customs, often encouraged by schools and employers.

Nativism: Anti-immigrant sentiment rooted in fears of cultural change and job competition.

American Protective Association: Nativist organization that opposed Catholic immigration and advocated restrictions.

Conspicuous Consumption: Term coined by Thorstein Veblen describing extravagant spending by the wealthy to show status.

Tenements: Overcrowded, poorly built urban apartments housing poor workers and immigrants in industrial cities.

Jacob Riis: Muckraking journalist and author of How the Other Half Lives, exposing urban poverty and tenement life.

Political machine: Urban political organizations that traded services and favors for votes; often corrupt but helped immigrants.

Land grant colleges: Colleges built with federal land grants (Morrill Acts); expanded access to higher education in agriculture and mechanics.

Interstate Commerce Act: 1887 law regulating railroad rates and practices; created the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), the first federal regulatory agency.

The Grange/Grangers: A farmers’ organization founded in the 1860s to promote social and economic needs; it later pushed for railroad regulation and cooperative buying/selling to combat corporate power.

Farmers’ Alliance/Colored Farmers’ Alliance: Regional agrarian groups that sought to improve farmers’ conditions through collective action and political advocacy; the Colored Alliance formed to address racial exclusion from the main group.

Ocala Demands: A political platform issued in 1890 by the Farmers’ Alliance that called for free silver, income tax, direct election of senators, and regulation of railroads and banks.

People’s Party/Populists: A third party formed in 1892 that represented farmers and laborers, advocating for free silver, government ownership of railroads, and political reforms like direct election of senators.

Socialism: A political and economic system advocating collective or government ownership of production; in the U.S., it gained traction among workers frustrated by inequality and capitalist abuses.

“Cross of Gold”: A famous speech by William Jennings Bryan in 1896 defending bimetallism (free silver) and condemning the gold standard for oppressing farmers and workers.