Untitled Flashcards Set

Chapter 1

• Columbian Exchange: The exchange of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies between the Americas and the rest of the world following Columbus's voyages.

• Mestizo: A person of mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry.

• Pueblo Revolt: A 1680 uprising of Pueblo people against Spanish colonizers in present-day New Mexico, temporarily driving the Spanish out.

• Roanoke: The first English settlement in the New World, established in 1587, which mysteriously disappeared, earning the name "The Lost Colony."

Chapter 2

• Jamestown: The first permanent English settlement in North America, founded in 1607 in Virginia.

• House of Burgesses: The first elected legislative assembly in the New World, established in Virginia in 1619.

• Headright System: A system granting land (usually 50 acres) to settlers who paid for their own or another's passage to Virginia.

• Indentured Servitude: A system where individuals worked for a set period in exchange for passage to America and eventual freedom.

• Bacon's Rebellion: A 1676 rebellion in Virginia led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor William Berkeley, highlighting tensions between settlers and colonial authorities.

• William Berkeley: Colonial governor of Virginia during Bacon’s Rebellion, criticized for favoring wealthy planters.

• Pilgrims/Separatists: English Protestants who sought to separate from the Church of England and founded Plymouth Colony in 1620.

• Predestination: The belief that God has predetermined who will be saved and who will be damned, central to Puritan theology.

• Mayflower Compact: A 1620 agreement among Pilgrims for self-government in Plymouth Colony.

• Plymouth Colony: The colony established by the Pilgrims in 1620 in present-day Massachusetts.

• William Bradford: A Pilgrim leader and longtime governor of Plymouth Colony.

• John Winthrop: Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, known for envisioning it as a "city upon a hill."

• Anne Hutchinson (antinomianism): A Puritan woman who challenged church authority and was banished from Massachusetts for her religious beliefs.

• Roger Williams: Founder of Rhode Island, an advocate for religious freedom and separation of church and state.

• Halfway Covenant: A policy allowing partial church membership for the descendants of Puritans.

• William Penn: Founder of Pennsylvania, a Quaker who promoted religious tolerance.

• Quakers: A religious group known for pacifism and belief in the "Inner Light."

• James Oglethorpe: Founder of Georgia, which was established as a haven for debtors.

• Mercantilism: An economic policy where colonies existed to benefit the mother country by providing raw materials and markets.

• Navigation Acts: British trade laws restricting colonial trade to benefit England.

Chapter 3

• Stono Rebellion: A 1739 slave uprising in South Carolina that led to stricter slave codes.

• Great Awakening: A religious revival in the 18th century that emphasized emotional preaching and individual faith.

• Enlightenment: An intellectual movement emphasizing reason, science, and individual rights.

• John Locke: Enlightenment thinker who influenced American political thought, advocating for natural rights and the social contract.

Chapter 4

• Salutary Neglect: British policy of lax enforcement of laws in the American colonies, allowing them to develop independently.

• Albany Congress: A 1754 meeting aimed at uniting the colonies against French threats.

• Seven Years’ War/French and Indian War: A conflict between Britain and France over North American territory, ending with the Treaty of Paris (1763).

• Proclamation of 1763: A British decree forbidding colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains.

• Stamp Act: A 1765 tax on printed materials in the colonies, sparking widespread protest.

• Quartering Act: A law requiring colonists to house and supply British soldiers.

• Boston Tea Party: A 1773 protest against British taxation in which colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.

• Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts): British laws meant to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.

• Committees of Correspondence: Colonial networks for communicating resistance to British policies.

• First Continental Congress: A 1774 meeting of colonial representatives to coordinate resistance against British rule.

Chapter 5

• Great Awakening: A wave of religious revivalism in the American colonies.

• Second Continental Congress: The governing body during the American Revolution, which adopted the Declaration of Independence.

• Olive Branch Petition: A final attempt to avoid war with Britain, rejected by King George III.

• Common Sense: A pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocating for American independence.

• Saratoga: A turning point in the American Revolution that led to French support for the colonies.

• Yorktown: The final battle of the Revolution, where British forces surrendered.

• Shays’ Rebellion: A 1786 uprising by Massachusetts farmers protesting debt and taxes, highlighting weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.

• Articles of Confederation: The first U.S. government framework, which was weak and later replaced by the Constitution.

Chapter 6

• Land Ordinance of 1785: A law that set up a system for surveying and selling land in the Northwest Territory.

• Northwest Ordinance of 1787: A law establishing a government for the Northwest Territory and outlining the process for statehood, banning slavery in the region.

• Virginia Plan: A proposal for representation in Congress based on population, favoring large states.

• New Jersey Plan: A proposal for equal representation in Congress, favoring small states.

• Federalism: A system of government where power is divided between national and state governments.

• Three-Fifths Compromise: An agreement counting three-fifths of enslaved people for taxation and representation purposes.

• Federalist Papers #10: An essay by James Madison arguing for a large republic to control factions and prevent tyranny.

• Alexander Hamilton: A Founding Father, leader of the Federalists, and the first Secretary of the Treasury.

• Thomas Jefferson: Author of the Declaration of Independence and leader of the Democratic-Republican Party.

• Hamilton’s Federalists vs. Jefferson’s Democratic-Republicans: Early political parties; Federalists favored a strong central government, while Democratic-Republicans supported states’ rights.

• Hamilton’s Financial Plan: A plan to stabilize the U.S. economy, including the national bank, assumption of state debts, and excise taxes.

• Jay’s Treaty: A 1794 treaty with Britain to resolve trade and border issues but unpopular for not addressing British impressment.

• Pinckney’s Treaty: A 1795 agreement with Spain granting the U.S. navigation rights on the Mississippi River.

• Whiskey Rebellion: A 1794 protest against the whiskey tax, showing the strength of the new federal government under the Constitution.

• XYZ Affair: A diplomatic scandal in which French officials demanded bribes from American diplomats.

• Alien and Sedition Acts: Laws passed in 1798 restricting immigrants and limiting free speech to silence critics of the government.

• Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions: Statements that argued states could nullify unconstitutional federal laws.

Chapter 7

• John Marshall: Chief Justice who strengthened the power of the Supreme Court and federal government.

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

• McCulloch v. Maryland: A case upholding federal supremacy and the constitutionality of the national bank.

• Embargo Act of 1807: A U.S. trade ban with Britain and France that hurt the American economy.

• Battle of Tippecanoe: A battle in 1811 in which U.S. forces defeated Native American resistance in the Northwest Territory.

• Causes of the War of 1812: British impressment of American sailors, trade restrictions, and Native American conflicts.

• Impressment: The British practice of seizing American sailors and forcing them into military service.

• War Hawks: Members of Congress who pushed for war with Britain, including Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun.

• Hartford Convention: A meeting of New England Federalists opposed to the War of 1812; led to the decline of the Federalist Party.

• Treaty of Ghent: The 1814 treaty ending the War of 1812, restoring pre-war boundaries.

Chapter 8

• Era of Good Feelings: A period of national unity and political harmony following the War of 1812.

• Henry Clay’s American System: A plan to strengthen the U.S. economy through a national bank, protective tariffs, and internal improvements.

• Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817: A treaty between the U.S. and Britain limiting naval armaments on the Great Lakes.

• Adams-Onís Treaty (1819): A treaty in which Spain ceded Florida to the U.S.

• Missouri Compromise: A law that admitted Missouri as a slave state, Maine as a free state, and banned slavery in certain territories.

• Monroe Doctrine: A U.S. policy warning European powers against further colonization in the Western Hemisphere.

Chapter 9

• Hudson River School of Art: A group of artists known for landscape paintings celebrating American nature.

• Spoils System: A practice where government jobs were given to political supporters.

• Peggy Eaton Affair: A scandal involving the wife of a cabinet member that divided Andrew Jackson’s administration.

• Nullification Crisis: A confrontation between South Carolina and the federal government over tariffs and states' rights.

• Bank Veto: Andrew Jackson’s rejection of the Second Bank of the U.S., leading to the destruction of the national bank.

• Panic of 1837: A financial crisis caused by the collapse of state banks following Jackson’s economic policies.

• Independent Treasury Act: A law that created a separate government treasury to stabilize the economy.

Chapter 10

• Nativism: Anti-immigrant sentiment favoring native-born Americans.

• Erie Canal: A canal linking the Great Lakes with the Hudson River, boosting trade and westward expansion.

• Lowell System: A labor system using young women to work in textile mills in Massachusetts.

Chapter 11

• Nat Turner Rebellion: An 1831 slave revolt in Virginia, leading to stricter slave laws.

Chapter 12

• Alexis de Tocqueville: A French political thinker who analyzed American democracy in Democracy in America.

• Second Great Awakening: A religious revival that emphasized personal salvation and social reform.

• Neal Dow: A leader in the temperance movement advocating against alcohol.

• Cult of True Womanhood/Domesticity: An ideology that idealized women’s role in the home.

• Seneca Falls Convention: The first women’s rights convention in 1848 advocating for gender equality.

• Declaration of Sentiments: A document demanding equal rights for women, modeled after the Declaration of Independence.

• Lucretia Mott: A women's rights advocate and abolitionist.

• Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A leader in the women’s rights movement and organizer of the Seneca Falls Convention.

• Horace Mann: A reformer who promoted public education.

• Dorothea Dix: An activist who worked for better treatment of the mentally ill.

• William Lloyd Garrison: An abolitionist who published The Liberator.

• Frederick Douglass: A former enslaved person who became a leading abolitionist and speaker.

• Transcendentalists: A movement emphasizing individualism and self-reliance, including thinkers like Emerson and Thoreau.

• Ralph Waldo Emerson: A transcendentalist who promoted self-reliance and individualism.

• Henry David Thoreau: A transcendentalist who wrote Walden and advocated for civil disobedience.

Chapter 13

• Texas Settlement and Revolution: The migration of Americans into Texas and their subsequent rebellion against Mexican rule, leading to Texas independence.

• Why Settle?: Americans moved to Texas for cheap land and economic opportunities.

• Mormons: A religious group founded by Joseph Smith; later migrated to Utah under Brigham Young.

• Manifest Destiny: The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand westward across North America.

• 54°40’ or Fight: A slogan used in the dispute over the Oregon Territory, advocating for U.S. control up to the 54°40' latitude.

• James Polk: The 11th U.S. president who supported Manifest Destiny and oversaw the Oregon acquisition and the Mexican-American War.

• John Slidell Mission: A failed diplomatic attempt to buy California and New Mexico from Mexico before the Mexican-American War.

• Causes of the Mexican War: Border disputes, American expansionism, and the annexation of Texas.

• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: The 1848 treaty that ended the Mexican-American War and gave the U.S. California, Arizona, and other southwestern territories.

• Gadsden Purchase: A land purchase from Mexico in 1854 to facilitate the construction of a southern transcontinental railroad.

• Wilmot Proviso: A proposal to ban slavery in territory acquired from Mexico; it was never passed.

• Free Soil Party: A political party that opposed the expansion of slavery into western territories.

• Compromise of 1850: A series of laws that admitted California as a free state, strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act, and allowed popular sovereignty in some territories.

• Popular Sovereignty: The idea that residents of a territory should decide whether to allow slavery.

• Fugitive Slave Law: A law requiring the return of escaped enslaved people to their owners, even in free states.

• Uncle Tom’s Cabin: A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that depicted the horrors of slavery and increased abolitionist sentiment.

• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): A law allowing popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska, leading to violence known as "Bleeding Kansas."

• Bleeding Kansas: A series of violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas.

• Dred Scott Case: A Supreme Court ruling that declared enslaved people were property, not citizens, and had no rights.

• Election of 1860: The presidential election won by Abraham Lincoln, leading to the secession of Southern states.

• Abraham Lincoln: The 16th U.S. president who led the country through the Civil War and abolished slavery.

Chapter 14

• Crittenden’s Proposal: A last-ditch compromise to prevent the Civil War by allowing slavery in the South; it failed.

• Jefferson Davis: The president of the Confederate States during the Civil War.

• Anaconda Plan: The Union strategy to blockade the South and capture the Mississippi River to divide the Confederacy.

• Copperheads: Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War and wanted a peace settlement with the Confederacy.

• Emancipation Proclamation: A declaration by Lincoln in 1863 that freed enslaved people in Confederate-held territories.

• Antietam: The bloodiest single-day battle of the Civil War, leading to the Emancipation Proclamation.

• Vicksburg: A major Union victory in 1863 that gave control of the Mississippi River to the North.

• Gettysburg: The turning point of the Civil War, a Union victory that stopped Confederate advances into the North.

• 13th Amendment: The constitutional amendment that abolished slavery in the U.S.

Chapter 15

• Lincoln’s 10% Plan: A lenient Reconstruction plan requiring only 10% of Southern voters to pledge loyalty to the Union.

• Wade-Davis Bill: A stricter Reconstruction plan requiring a majority of Southern voters to pledge loyalty; it was vetoed by Lincoln.

• Freedmen’s Bureau: A federal agency that provided assistance to formerly enslaved people and poor whites in the South.

• Carpetbaggers: Northerners who moved South during Reconstruction to help rebuild or seek economic opportunities.

• 14th Amendment: Granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all people born in the U.S., including formerly enslaved people.

• Tenure of Office Act: A law restricting the president's power to remove officials; its violation led to Andrew Johnson’s impeachment.

• 15th Amendment: Granted African American men the right to vote.

• Jim Crow Laws: Laws enforcing racial segregation in the South after Reconstruction.

• Sharecropping: A labor system in which formerly enslaved people worked landowners’ fields in exchange for a share of the crops, keeping them in economic dependence.

• Hayes-Tilden Compromise: Also known as the Compromise of 1877; it ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South.

• Seward’s Folly: The U.S. purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, initially considered a mistake but later recognized as valuable.

Chapter 16

• Comstock Lode: A major silver discovery in Nevada that sparked a mining boom.

• Chinese Exclusion Act (1882): A law that banned Chinese immigration to the U.S.

• Homestead Act (1862): A law granting 160 acres of free land to settlers who lived on and improved it for five years.

• Plains Indians: Native American tribes of the Great Plains, many of whom resisted westward expansion.

• Crazy Horse: A Native American leader who fought against U.S. expansion, including at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

• Sitting Bull: A Lakota leader who led resistance against U.S. forces, including the victory at Little Bighorn.

• Chief Joseph: Leader of the Nez Perce tribe, famous for his attempted retreat to Canada.

• George Armstrong Custer: A U.S. Army officer defeated at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

• Little Bighorn: A battle where the Sioux and Cheyenne defeated Custer’s forces.

• Wounded Knee Massacre (1890): The last major conflict between Native Americans and the U.S. Army, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Lakota.

• Dawes Act (1887): A law aiming to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal land into individual allotments.

Chapter 17

• Henry Ford: Founder of Ford Motor Company, known for mass production techniques.

• Wright Brothers: Inventors of the first successful airplane.

• "Captains of Industry": A term used to describe business leaders who contributed positively to the economy.

• "Robber Barons": A term used to criticize business leaders for exploiting workers and eliminating competition.

• J.P. Morgan: A powerful banker and financier who helped consolidate industries.

• Laissez-faire Economics: A policy of minimal government interference in the economy.

• Horatio Alger: An author who wrote stories about self-made men achieving success through hard work.

• Social Darwinism: The idea that competition in business and society results in survival of the fittest.

• Knights of Labor: An early labor union advocating for workers' rights.

• American Federation of Labor (AFL): A labor union focused on skilled workers and practical economic reforms.

• Haymarket Square Riot (1886): A labor protest in Chicago that turned violent when a bomb exploded.

• Homestead Steel Plant Strike: A violent labor strike against Carnegie Steel Company in 1892.

• Pullman Strike: A nationwide railroad strike in 1894 that disrupted transportation and led to federal intervention.

Chapter 18

• Assimilation: The process of Native Americans and immigrants adopting American culture and customs.

• Nativism: A policy favoring native-born Americans over immigrants, often leading to discrimination.

• Tenements: Overcrowded, poorly built apartment buildings that housed many urban poor and immigrants.

• Jacob Riis: A photographer and journalist who exposed poor living conditions in tenements through How the Other Half Lives.

• Settlement Houses: Community centers that provided services to immigrants and the poor, such as education and healthcare.

• Jane Addams: A social reformer and founder of Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago.

• William M. Tweed ("Boss Tweed"): The corrupt leader of Tammany Hall, a powerful New York political machine.

• Tammany Hall: A political organization in New York that controlled elections and city politics through patronage and corruption.

• George Washington Plunkitt: A Tammany Hall politician who justified corruption with his concept of "honest graft."

• Thomas Nast: A political cartoonist known for exposing the corruption of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall.

Chapter 19

• Pendleton Act (1883): A law that established the Civil Service Commission and ended the spoils system by requiring government jobs to be awarded based on merit.

• Sherman Antitrust Act (1890): The first federal law aimed at breaking up monopolies and preventing business practices that restricted competition.

• Interstate Commerce Act (1887): A law regulating railroads to ensure fair rates and prevent monopolistic practices.

• Gold Standard Act (1900): A law that confirmed gold as the basis for U.S. currency, limiting the money supply and opposing the free coinage of silver.

• William Jennings Bryan: A Democratic and Populist leader known for his "Cross of Gold" speech advocating for bimetallism.

• William McKinley: The 25th president of the U.S., known for supporting business interests, high tariffs, and leading the U.S. during the Spanish-American War.