U.S. History to 1877

Mayflower Compact

1620. Declared that the 41 men who signed it agreed to accept majority rule, participate in a government in the best interest of all members of the colony, and obey laws passed for the common good

Philadelphia Convention

1787. Called to revise the Articles of Confederation. They ended up throwing out the Articles and writing a new plan of government, the Constitution.

Washington's Farewell Address

1796. Washington decided not to seek 3rd term as president. Published in Philadelphia newspaper. In it he stressed 3 dangers facing the nation: 1) political parties could divide the nation, 2) avoid long term alliances with foreign nations, and 3) avoid sectionalism caused by geography and other differences.

Grievance

A grievance is a formal statement of complaint, generally against an authority figure

Distillery

A machine that produces distilled alcoholic beverages

Temperance

A movement in the 19th century which campaigned for the public to refrain from alcoholic drink

Presidential Reconstruction

Abraham Lincoln's idea of reconstruction : all states had to end slavery, states had to declare that their secession was illegal, and men had to pledge their loyalty to the U.S.

Quakers

Christian sect founded about 1660 and one of the first groups in the colonies to speak out against slavery

Robert E. Lee

Commander of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. His battle strategies are still admired & studied today. He eventually surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House ending the American Civil War.

Ulysses S. Grant

Commander of the Union Army during the Civil War. He created a plan to win the war & later accepted Confederate General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. He later goes on to serve as the 18th President of the United States.

George Washington

Commander-in-chief of Continental Army. 1st President of the United States. "Father of Our Country" Model for Civic Virtue. Believed in a strong central government.

Popular Sovereignty

Concept that political power rests with the people who can create, alter, and abolish government. People express themselves through voting

James Madison

Considered "Father of the Constitution" because of his role in its writing and ratification. Wrote Bill of Rights. One of the authors of the Federalist Papers. President during War of 1812

Thomas Paine

Contributed to the spirit of the revolution in America & France through his influential writings. Wrote Common Sense, a pamphlet which attacked the monarchical system, supported independence, and outlined a new form of government. Wrote the American Crisis, read by General Washington to inspire the troops

Magna Carta

Cornerstone of English justice & laws. Signed by King John in 1215. It declared that the king and government were bound by the same laws as other citizens of England. "The Great Charter"

Alexander Hamilton

Delegate to four Continental Congresses, represented New York in the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. He co-wrote the Federalist Papers (87). He co-wrote the Federalist Papers. He also supported a strong national government & ratification of the Constitution. First Secretary of Treasury, he established the mint and supported the national bank, known as the Bank of the U.S.

1787

Delegates meet to revise the Articles of Confederation. Instead they drafted, debated, compromised, and finally approved for ratification the Constitution of the United States

Gettysburg Address

Delivered by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 at the dedication of a national cemetery on the site where the battle of Gettysburg took place. "Four Score....government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Republic

Democracy in which the supreme power lies with the citizens who vote for officials and representatives responsible to them

Relative Chronology

Depends less on specific dates and more on relationship of events. To sequence, must understand past, present and future, Must identify beginning, middle & end

Checks and Balances

Each branch shares its powers with the other branches and thereby checks their activities

Mercantilism

Economic theory that states a nation's wealth is based on the amount of gold and silver bullion in its treasury. Wealth equals power

Northwest Ordinance

Enacted in 1787, it is considered one of the most significant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It established a system for setting up governments in the western territories so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original 13 states

Treaty of Paris of 1763

Ended French & Indian War. Marked the end of French power in North America. Britain gained Canada and all French lands east of the Mississippi River. Spain gave up Florida but received all lands west of the Mississippi River.

Treaty of Paris of 1783

Ended the American Revolution. Britain recognized U.S. As an independent nation. Borders extended from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River. Florida went back to Spain.

Patrick Henry

Entered Virginia House of Burgesses, quickly influenced colonial resistance to British taxation without representation. Member of First Continental Congress. Said, "give me liberty or give me death." Opposed ratification of Constitution because of potential limitations to state rights

John Marshall

Established authority of the Supreme Court in defining the limits of the U.S. Constitution & the authority of the executive branch. Appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by John Adams.

William Penn

Established the colony of Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers & a place where they could create a government based on their own standards

Limited Government

Everyone, including all authority figures, must obey laws. Those in power cannot take advantage of their situation

Exports

Goods and Services sold to other countries

Loose Interpretation

Government can do anything not expressly forbidden by the Constitution.

Tariff Policy

Governments raise operating funds by levying taxes on imported goods. They place foreign merchants at a disadvantage. Northerners favored tariffs, but Southerners opposed them

English Bill of Rights

Guaranteed certain rights to English citizens and declared that elections for Parliament would happen frequently. It influenced the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Fort Sumter

Guarded the harbor in Charleston, South Carolina. Confederate forces fired on it on April 13, 1861 beginning the Civil War.

James Monroe

His Monroe Doctrine established one of the basic principles of American foreign policy

George Mason

His writings influenced those working to develop a new government. Believed government power should be restricted and he supported protection of human rights. Anti-federalist.

Gettysburg

July 1 - 3, 1863. Lee hoped to destroy the Union Army. A Confederate cavalry charge up Cemetery Ridge led by George Edward Pickett failed. This Confederate defeat marked the turning point in the American Civil War.

King George III

King of England during the American Revolution

Henry Clay

Known as the "Great Compromiser" for his ability to smooth sectional conflict through balanced legislation. Favored internal improvements and westward expansion. Sponsored the Missouri Compromise of 1820.

Removal & Settlement of Native Americans

Land was taken from Indians and they were forcefully "resettled" in Indian Territory (modern day Oklahoma).

Dred Scott V. Sandford

Landmark Supreme Court Case in 1857 which confirmed the status of slaves as property rather than citizens

Frederick Douglass

Leading African-American abolitionist in 19th century. Spoke about issues of civil rights and human freedom. Ex-slave. Publisher of the North Star.

Henry David Thoreau

Leading American essayist, poet, practical philosopher and transcendentalist. Transcendentalism is based on the idealism, the goodness of humankind and the harmony of creation. Abolitionist. Civil Disobedience - refused to pay taxes

Thomas Jefferson Foreign Affairs

Louisiana Purchase for France 1803. Doubled the size of the U.S. Embargo Act of 1807

War of 1812

Often described as the 2nd War for Independence. Fought to protect U.S. & earn respect from Europe. Britain and France had paid little respect to the rights of the U.S. Reasons: impressment of U.S. Sailors, violation of rights at sea, British support of Native Americans in the Ohio River Valley

Appomattox Court House

On April 9, 1865, Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union general Ulysses S. Grant in this town in south-central Virginia. The Confederate surrender was the end of the Civil War in Virginia and marked the beginning of the end of the war across the South.

1776

On July 4 of this year, fifty-six representatives from the thirteen colonies unanimously approved the Declaration of Independence.

Democratic-Republicans

One of the first American Political parties led by Thomas Jefferson, they believed people should have political power, favored strong STATE governments, emphasized agriculture, strict interpretation of the Constitution, pro-French, opposed National Bank

Federalist Party

One of the first American political parties it was led by Alexander Hamilton, believed wealthy and educated people should lead the nation, favored strong central government, emphasized manufacturing shipping and trade, favored loose interpretation of constitution, were pro-British, favored national bank, favored protective tariff

Oregon Trail

One of the key overland migration routes on which pioneers traveled across the North America in wagons in order to settle new parts of the U.S. during the 19th century

Texas Annexation

Originally, U.S. Would not annex Texas. Sam Houston said Texas might become an ally of Britain. This contributed to the annexation of Texas by the U.S. in 1845.

Industrial Revolution

Period of rapid industrial growth resulting from new sources of power and new ways to make products. Handmade goods were replaced by machine made goods.

Republicanism

Philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. Republicanism says that the only legitimate government is one based on the consent of the governed.

Sam Adams

Played a role in many events which contributed to the Revolution including organized opposition to the Stamp Act, protests waged by the Sons of Liberty & the Boston Massacre.

Political Parties

Politically active people with competing interests, opinions, and attitudes unite under party names to unite their causes

Manifest Destiny

Popular expression in the 1840's. Belief that the U.S. was destined to secure territory from Atlantic to Pacific Oceans. This drove the acquisition of territory.

Representative Government

Power is held by the people and exercised through the efforts of representatives elected by those people

Gibbons V. Ogden

Supreme Court case that said the Constitution gave control of interstate commerce to Congress, not the individual states through which a route passed

Marbury V. Madison

Supreme Court case which established the principle of judicial review

Plantation System

System of agricultural production based on large-scale land ownership and the exploitation of slave labor and environment. Production usually concentrated on a cash crop. South - cotton, tobacco, sugar, rice

Protective Tariff

Tariff on imported products instituted to protect local industries. This tax increases the price of imported goods making them less appealing to consumers. Tariffs protect domestic products from competition from other countries.

Secondary Source

Text and/or artifacts that are not original, but written from something original (biographies, magazine articles, research papers).

Primary Source

Text and/or artifacts that tell a first-hand account or are original works (letters, journals, etc.)

Star Spangled Banner

The National Anthem written by Francis Scott Key as he watched the Battle of Fort McHenry during the war of 1812

Saratoga

Turning point in the war for independence. It ended the British threat to New England. Benedict Arnold beat back British General Burgoyne. France then became allies with the colonies

Self-government of the English Colonies

Virginia established House of Burgesses, a form of representative government. Males were given the right to vote. Basic rights were protected,

Mexican War

War between U.S. and Mexico over territory in the southwest. As a result, Mexico ceded all claims north of the Rio Grande which included California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming,

Freedmen's Bureau

it's purpose was to assist refugees, poor, and homeless Freedmen. Ran by Union soldiers provided, food, medicine, legal advice on labor contracts, and could request military courts to intervene for the freemen

Absolute Chronology

locating these events to specific dates in a chronological era.

Neutral

one who does not side with any party in a war or dispute

Alien Act & Sedition Act

passed by federalists making it harder to become citizens and to deport any immigrant deemed dangerous. the second one outlawed the writing, speaking, or publications of false, scandalous, or malicious statements against the government

Declaration of Sentiments

signed in 1848 by sixty-eight women and thirty-two men, delegates to the first women's rights convention, in Seneca Falls, New York. it included a list of grievances followed by the rights of women and was one of the most important documents of the women's rights movement

1861-1865

Years during which the American Civil War was fought

Andrew Jackson

"Old Hickory" became the symbol of the common man's rise from meager origins to positions of prominence. Military leader of the War of 1812. His style of government was called Jacksonian Democracy. He increased the power of the executive branch and began the use of the spoils system

Reasons for Colonization

1) find gold or wealth 2) trade for furs or other products 3) religious freedom 4) fresh start 5) adventure

Slave Trade

1490s - 1790s. Most slaves came from West Africa. By 1790 all states except South Carolina and Georgia outlawed slave trade. Most slaves were captured by other Africans and sold to dealers on the coast.

Naturalized Citizen

A person of foreign birth who is granted full citizenship

Interest Groups

A private organization of like minded people whose goal is to influence and shape public policy

Strict Interpretation

A way of INTERPRETING the Constitution that allows the Federal government to ONLY do those things SPECIFICALLY mentioned in the Constitution

John Adam's Foreign Policy

See XYZ Affair & Alien & Sedition Acts

Free Enterprise System

An economic system characterized by private ownership of property and resources, the profit motive to stimulate production, competition to ensure efficiency, and the forces of supply and demand to direct the production and distribution of goods and services

Cottage Industry

An industry where the creation of products and services is home-based, rather than factory-based.

Patriot

Any person in the colonies who supported independence in during the American Revolution

Loyalist

Any person in the colonies who supported the British during the American Revolution

Lewis & Clark Expedition

Assembled a crew that would leave St. Louis in the spring of 1804 and slowly work their way up the Mississippi to explore the new territory.

Thomas Jefferson

Author of Declaration of Independence. 3rd President. Approved Louisiana Purchase

U.S. Banking System

Bank of U.S. Founded by Alexander Hamilton. Government deposited tax money and issued paper money. Gave loans to farmers & businessmen. 2nd bank charter in 1816. Jackson vetoed recharter in 1836.

Abolitionist Movement

Began in Revolutionary era, partially in response to inhumane treatment of slaves and partially in an effort to remove blacks from white society. Realized their goal with passage of 13th amendment

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Book by Harriet Beacher Stowe that told the reality of a slave's life. Caused great controversy and angered many Southerners

Virginia House of Burgesses

Created in 1619. It was an assembly of elected representatives from the Virginia Colony. It was the first representative assembly in the colonies & was used as a model by other colonies.

Bessemer Steel Process

Discovered by Henry Bessemer in 1851 it is the process of removing impurities from iron to make steel by blasting the melted iron with hot air

Federalism

Division of powers between the national & state governments

U.S. Constitution

Document that outlines the organization and power of the government. Written at the Philadelphia Convention in 1783

Cherokee Indians

During Andrew Jackson's presidency they were forced to leave lands in the southeastern U.S. and move to government land in Oklahoma. This forced migration is called "The Trail of Tears"

1803

During Jefferson's presidency the U.S. acquired the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon (France) for $15 million. This more than doubled the size of the country.

Interchangeable Parts

Identical parts that can be interchanged with each other thereby speeding up repair and assembly

Marquis de Lafayette

French aristocrat who played a leading role in 2 revolutions in France and the American Revolution. He served as a major-general in colonial army.

Radical Reconstruction

Favored harsh treatment of the South and quick incorporation of freemen into citizenship with full privileges including voting rights for all African-Americans, government seizure of land from planters for redistribution to freemen, and funding of schools

Bill of Rights

First 10 amendments to the Constitution. It protects the rights of individuals & limits the power of government

Lexington

First battle of the American Revolution. Known as "Shot heard round the world."

Separation of Powers

First outlined by Baron de Montesquieu. Power is distributed between executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It is also distributed between the national and state governments

Benjamin Franklin

Founded the first privately supported circulating library in America. Invented the lightening rod, bifocal glasses, and the Franklin stove. Represented colonies as American envoy in France 1776 - 1785. Negotiated alliance with France & Treaty of Paris which ended the War

John Paul Jones

Founder of the U.S. Navy. "I have not yet begun to fight." His Bonhomme Richard defeated the British Serapis in the American Revolution.

Founding Fathers

Individuals who played a major role in declaring U.S. Independence, fighting the Revolutionary War, or writing and adopting the U.S. Constitution. Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton

How a Bill Becomes a Law

Introduced in either house, approved by committee, approved by that house, sent to other house and same process. Compromise if bills were different. After it is passed by both houses it is sent to the president for final approval

Preamble

Introduction to a document

Cotton Gin

Invented by Eli Whitney. Increased production of cotton, thereby increasing the need for slaves.

Civic Virtue

Involvement in a community. Citizens of a neighborhood, town, state, or nation have an obligation to be active, peaceful, loyal, and supportive members of their community. Those with civic virtue take an active role in improving the community

Emancipation Proclamation

Issued by Lincoln on September 22, 1862 in which all slaves in the rebellious Confederate states would be free. Did not apply to slaves in the border states or to areas in South occupied by federal troops. It did not become effective until January 1, 1863

Indian Removal Act

It gave the president power to negotiate removal treaties with Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi. Under these treaties, the Indians were to give up their lands east of the Mississippi in exchange for lands to the west.

Pre-Civil War Compromises

Missouri Compromise - Missouri enters the Union as a slave state, Maine as a free state. This kept the number of slave states and free states equal. Compromise of 1850 - California enters as a free state; in Mexican Cession voters would decide if slave or

Declaration of Independence

Mostly written by Thomas Jefferson. Listed reasons why colonies sought their own government. It stated that among other things the British government & King used power to unjustly control the colonies.

Know Nothing Party

Name for U.S. Political parties formed during the 1840s that were against immigration and all the problems they perceived it to cause. Focused on trying to limit the amount and role of immigrants in American society. When asked about their parties beliefs

Articles of Confederation

Nation's first constitution. Limited power of national government. Created a weak national government incapable of dealing with the nation's problems.

Three-fifths Compromise

Necessary for the passage of the Constitution, it counted slaves as 3/5 of a person for purposes of population (used to determine representation in the House)

Freedman

Non-slaves. Usually lived in the North. Experienced discrimination. Denied the right to vote, serve on juries, to be educated, to worship freely, and to have access to public lands.

Antietam

Northern General McClellan attacked Lee's forces at Antietam, MD. More than 24,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were dead or wounded. Neither side won a clear victory. Bloodiest battle of the Civil War

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederacy during the American Civil War

Civil Disobedience

Process of defying codes of conduct within a community or ignoring the policies & government of a state or nation when the civil laws are considered unjust

John C. Calhoun

Raised issues which highlighted sectional conflicts and presaged the coming of the Civil War. Spokesman for increasing authority of states. Represented South Carolina in the U.S. Senate.

Reform Movements

Reformers sought to change unfair labor practices, increase nutrition and improve conditions for the poor, enslaved, imprisoned, women, alcoholics, and the disabled

Daniel Webster

Represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Noted for his speaking ability and his commitment to preserving the Union.

Abraham Lincoln

Republican president during the American Civil War. Preserved the unity of the U.S. And took steps to abolish slavery, but was assassinated before he could implement his post-war plans. Most lasting influence is the 13th Amendment banning slavery.

Unalienable Rights

Rights that cannot be denied

Congressional Reconstruction

Series of acts passed by Congress between 1866 & 1867 as part of Reconstruction. Among other things Southern states had to accept the 14th Amendment & rewrite their state constitutions so all adult men were able to vote regardless of race.

Triangular Trade

Series of colonial trade routes. First leg, New England ships carried fish, lumber, and other goods to West Indies, picked up sugar & molasses & made rum. Rum, guns, gunpowder, cloth, and tools from New England went to West Africa. Final leg, slaves from West Africa to West Indies.

Concord

Site of the second battle of the American Revolution. The British marched here hoping to capture the American arsenal. Minutemen met the British on a bridge and forced them to retreat.

Nullification Crisis

South Carolina declared a federal tariff null and void within its borders. Henry Clay proposed the compromise Tariff of 1833 which slowly reduced tariff. Northerners passed the Force Bill which authorized the army and navy to collect duties.

Inaugural Address

Speech given by the president the day he is sworn into office

Monroe Doctrine

Statement of foreign policy which proclaimed that Europe should not interfere in affairs within the U.S. and other countries in Western Hemisphere

Generalizations

Statement of the nature of the relationship between two or more sets of facts

Inferences

Statements made by the speaker that are based on facts or observations

Washington's Foreign Affairs

Stay neutral in foreign affairs

French and Indian War

Struggle between the British & French in the colonies of North America in 1756 - 1763. British sought control of Ohio River Valley. Ended in the French being forced out of North America and contributed to the American Revolution.

McCulloch V. Maryland

Supreme Court case that ruled the power of the federal government was supreme over that of the states. Maryland sued over national bank

Judicial Review

The ability of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional. Comes from the Supreme Court case Marbury V. Madison

State's Rights

The concept that states should have the right to nullify national laws that are not in the best interest of their state

Yorktown

The last major battle of the war in which Charles Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington. The French helped us. The was over, and colonists had won!

Mormon Trail

The overland route the Mormon emigrants followed west from Nauvoo, Illinois to Salt Lake City

Branches of Government

The power of government is divided into three branches Legislative (Congress) - makes laws; Judicial (courts) - interprets the laws; Executive (President) - enforces the laws

Louisiana Purchase

The purchase of French land between the Mississippi river and the Rocky Mountains that doubled the size of the US in 1803 for $15 million dollars.

Era of Good Feelings

The years following the war of 1812 where Americans felt a new sense of pride and faith in the United States.

Individual Rights

These protected rights include economic rights related to property, political rights related to freedom of speech and press, and personal rights related to bearing arms and maintaining private residences.

14th Amendment

This amendment declared that all persons born or naturalized in the United States were entitled equal rights regardless of their race, and that their rights were protected at both the state and national levels.

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

This document was the first written constitution in the American colonies. It was prepared as the covenant for the new Puritan community in Connecticut, established in the 1630s. This document described a system of government for the new community.

15th Amendment

citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude

Monarchy

a government in which political power belongs largely to one ruler, generally called a king or queen, who receives his or her position by claim of divine or inherited right.

Aristocracy

a government in which power is in the hands of a hereditary ruling class or nobility

Separate But Equal

a policy enacted into law throughout the U.S. Southern states during the period of segregation, in which African-Americans and European-Americans would receive the same services (schools, hospitals, water fountains, bathrooms, etc.), but that there would

Sectionalism

a political philosophy, prominent in the United States in the decades before the Civil War that favored the needs and outlook of one's section of the country over the needs and outlook of the country as a whole

Democracy

a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Saloon

a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter

Intolerable/Coercive Acts

a series of laws passed by the British government in 1774 in response to the growing unrest in the colonies, particularly in Massachusetts after incidents such as the Boston Tea Party. Enforcement of the Acts played a major role in the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.

1st Great Awakening

a series of religious revivals among Protestants in the American colonies, from 1725-1770

13th Amendment

abolishes slavery in the U.S.

Prohibition

any of several periods during which the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages were restricted or illegal

Imports

goods and services purchased from other countries

XYZ Affair

incident in which French agents demanded a bribe and loan from the U.S. diplomats in exchange for discussing an agreement that French privateers would no longer attack American ships; led to an undeclared war between U.S. and France

Propaganda

information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause

Consent of the Governed

the idea that government derives its authority by the sanction of the people

Migration

the movement of persons from one country or locality to another

Jacksonian Democracy

the philosophy (associated with President Andrew Jackson) that the right to vote should be extended to all adult male citizen and that all government offices of any importance should be filled by election

Urbanization

the social process whereby cities grow and societies become more urban