Causes of the Revolutionary War

A religious movement in the early 18th century that sought to revive Puritanism and bring people back to the church.

A minister who preached during the Great Awakening, known for his passionate sermons and efforts to revive religious fervor.

An economic system where a mother country strives to become self-sufficient by controlling trade with its colonies.

A series of laws passed by the British Parliament to regulate trade between Britain and its colonies.

England's policy of limited control over the colonies as long as they were economically beneficial.

The conflict between Britain and France for control of North America, particularly the Ohio River Valley.

A line drawn by the British government to prevent colonists from expanding westward into Native American territory.

Search warrants used by British officials to search colonial ships for smuggled goods.

A proposal by Benjamin Franklin to create a unified government among the colonies during the French and Indian War.

A tax imposed by Britain on sugar imported into the colonies.

A tax on printed materials such as newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards.

A series of taxes on goods like glass, paper, lead, and tea imported from Britain.

A tax on tea imported from Britain, further igniting colonial anger.

A British law that allowed the East India Tea Company to sell tea directly to colonists, bypassing colonial merchants.

A protest against the Tea Act where colonists disguised as Native Americans dumped British tea into Boston Harbor.

A series of punitive measures passed by British Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party.

A meeting of colonial delegates to discuss grievances against British rule and formulate a response.

A radical pamphlet written by Thomas Paine advocating for American independence.

A meeting of colonial delegates where they adopted the Declaration of Independence.

A document written by Thomas Jefferson outlining the reasons for American independence and declaring that all men are created equal.

A battle of the Revolutionary War, considered a turning point in the conflict.

A battle of the Revolutionary where American forces under General Cornwallis surrendered to the French and American armies.

A treaty signed between Great Britain and the United States, formally recognizing American Independence.

The first governing document of the United States, created after the Revolutionary War.

A convention of delegates from the states to revise the Articles of Confederation, ultimately leading to the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

A compromise reached during the Constitutional Convention, establishing a bicameral legislature with the Senate representing equal state representation and House of Representatives based on population.

A compromise during the Constitutional Convention that counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of representation and taxation.

A clause in the Constitution empowering Congress to regulate interstate commerce and foreign trade.

A system where power is shared between a federal government and state governments.

A principle that divides the powers of government among three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

A system of checks and balances ensures that no one branch of government becomes too powerful.

A clause in the Constitution that allows Congress to make laws “necessary and proper” to carry out its powers.

The process by which states formally approve the Constitution.

Supporters of the Constitution who believed in a strong central government.

Opponents of the Constitution who favored a weaker central government and stronger state governments.

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantee basic rights to citizens.

Washington's policy of avoiding involvement in foreign conflicts, particularly those of Europe.

A major foreign policy achievement of the Jefferson administration, where the U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France.

A conflict between the United States and Great Britain, largely caused by British impressment of American sailors and trade restrictions.

A significant Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, allowing the court to declare laws unconstitutional.

A Supreme Court case that upheld the broad powers of Congress under the Commerce Clause, giving the federal government significant control over interstate commerce.

A Supreme Court case that reinforced the principle of national supremacy, granting federal laws precedence over state laws.

A belief that emphasizes pride and loyalty to one's nation.

Loyalty and support for a specific region or section of a country over the nation as a whole.

A machine invented by Eli Whitney that sped up the process of removing seeds from cotton, making cotton production more profitable.

A plan proposed by Henry Clay to promote national economic development and unite the North and South.

A declaration by President James Monroe that European powers should not interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere.

A compromise that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance between free and slave states in the Senate.

The practice of awarding government jobs to supporters and friends, regardless of their qualifications.

A political crisis where South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union after Congress passed tariffs that were seen as harmful to the Southern economy.

A major issue of the Jackson presidency where he vetoed the re-charter of the Second Bank of the United States.

An act passed by Congress during the Jacksonian era that forced the relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands east of the Mississippi River to territory west of the river.

A Supreme Court case that ruled that the Cherokee Nation was a sovereign entity and could not be forced to move from their land.

The forced march of Cherokee people from their ancestral lands in the southeastern United States to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) during the 1830s.

A political party that emerged in opposition to President Andrew Jackson's policies, advocating for a stronger national government and opposition to Indian Removal.

An American belief in the 19th century that the U.S. was destined to expand its territory from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.

The annexation of Texas into the United States, a process that was delayed due to concerns over slavery and potential conflict with Mexico.

A war fought between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to1848, over disputes over the border of Texas and U.S. expansionist ambitions.

A treaty ending the Mexican-American War, where Mexico ceded a large portion of territories to the U.S., including California, Nevada, and Utah.

A purchase of territory from Mexico by the U.S. in 1854, securing land for the Southern Pacific Railroad.

A major trail used by pioneers to reach the West, starting in Missouri and ending in Oregon.

Mass migration to California in 1849 after gold was discovered, leading to a population boom in the region.

A religious group founded by Joseph Smith that faced persecution and relocated to present-day Utah.

A proposed amendment that sought to ban slavery in any new territories acquired from Mexico, sparking heated debates over the expansion of slavery.

A series of laws passed in 1850 to attempt to resolve tension between the North and South over issues like slavery and territorial expansion.

A law passed as part of the Compromise of 1850 that required people in both free and slave states to return escaped slaves to their owners.

An anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that depicted the brutality of slavery and helped galvanize the abolitionist movement.

A network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved people to escape to freedom in the North.

A law that allowed for the organization of new territories, including Kansas and Nebraska, using popular sovereignty, which allowed residents of each territory to decide whether or not to allow slavery.

Violence and bloodshed that erupted in Kansas over the question of slavery after the Kansas-Nebraska Act, as both pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces clashed.

A political party that emerged in the 1850s, advocating for the restriction of slavery.

A political party that formed in 1854, opposing the expansion of slavery into new territories.

A Supreme Court case that ruled that slaves were not citizens and that Congress had no power to ban slavery in the territories.

An abolitionist who led a raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia, in 1859, attempting to ignite a slave rebellion.

The presidential election of 1860, where Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, was elected president.