history 101 vocab

Spoils System

• Practice of rewarding supporters with government jobs
• Favored by Andrew Jackson
• Criticized for rewarding loyalty over competence

Maysville Road Veto

• Jackson vetoed a bill funding a road in Kentucky
• Argued that federal government shouldn't fund internal improvements
• Reflected Jackson's commitment to a limited national government

Nullification Crisis

• South Carolina threatened to nullify the Tariff of Abominations
• Argued states had the right to void federal laws they deemed unconstitutional
• Jackson threatened to use military force to enforce the law

Tariff of Abominations

• High tariff on imported goods
• Designed to protect Northern industries but harmed Southern economy
• Contributed to the Nullification Crisis

Calhoun's SC Exposition

• Argument by John C. Calhoun in favor of nullification
• Asserted states' rights and limited federal power
• Key document in the debate over states' rights

Webster-Hayne Debate

• Daniel Webster argued for a strong national government
• Robert Y. Hayne argued for states' rights
• Central debate in the Nullification Crisis

Force Bill

• Authorized President to use military force to collect tariffs
• Passed in response to South Carolina's threat to nullify the tariffs
• Showed Jackson's commitment to national unity

Indian Removal Act/Trail of Tears

• Forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands to lands west of the Mississippi River
• Resulted in the death of thousands of Native Americans
• Example of Jackson's expansionist policies and disregard for Native American rights

Worcester v. Georgia

• Supreme Court ruled in favor of Cherokee Nation's right to their land
• Jackson ignored the ruling and continued with the forced removal
• Showed Jackson's willingness to ignore the courts when it conflicted with his policies

Jackson's Bank Veto

• Jackson vetoed a bill to recharter the Second Bank of the United States
• Believed the bank was a monopoly controlled by wealthy elites
• Focused on promoting "the common man" and limiting the power of the federal government

Pet Banks

• State banks that received federal deposits after Jackson's bank veto
• Often operated with little regulation, leading to financial instability
• Contributed to the Panic of 1837

Specie Circular

• Required all land purchases to be made in gold or silver
• Reduced the amount of money in circulation
• Contributes to the Panic of 1837

Panic of 1837

• Economic depression triggered by over speculation, tight credit, and the Specie Circular
• Marked a significant decline in economic activity
• Highlighted the flaws of the Jacksonian banking system

The Whigs/Election of 1840 (2nd party system)

• The Whigs emerged as the main opposition to the Democrats
• Advocated for economic policies that promoted national growth
• Won the 1840 election with William Henry Harrison

The Whig Platform

• Supported a National Bank and internal improvements
• Favored a more active government role in the economy
• Appealed to those seeking a more stable economy

"Log Cabin and Hard Cider"

• Campaign tactic used by the Whigs
• Presented Harrison as a common man who could relate to the average person
• Appealed to the populist sentiment of the era

"Tippacanoe and Tyler too"

• Campaign slogan for the Whig Party
• Relied on Harrison's victory over the Native American leader Tecumseh at the Battle of Tippecanoe
• Promised economic recovery and stability under his leadership

Jacksonian Democracy and "the common man"

• Jacksonian Democrats believed in expanding political participation to include "the common man"
• Supported universal manhood suffrage and reduced property requirements for voting
• Challenged the traditional elite and expanded suffrage for white men

New Technology during Market Revolution

• Technological advancements transformed American industry and agriculture
• Increased efficiency and productivity and contributed to economic growth

Eli Whitney/Cotton Gin

• Invented in 1793
• revolutionized cotton production
• Increased demand for slave labor in the South

John Deere/Steel Plow

• Invented in 1837
• Made plowing more efficient
• Helped open up the Midwest for agriculture

Cyrus McCormick/Mechanical Reaper

• Developed in the 1830s
• Harvested wheat much faster
• Increased wheat production in the Midwest

Samuel Morse/Telegraph

• Patented in 1844
• Allowed rapid communication over long distances
• Revolutionized communication

Market Revolution/Market Economy

• Transformation of the American economy from a pre-industrial to industrial system
• Marked by increased production and trade
• Led to a shift from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture

Transportation during Market Revolution

• Improved transportation facilitated the growth of a national market

Roads

• National Road was constructed in the early 19th century
• Improved transportation over land

Steamboats

• Invented by Robert Fulton
• Revolutionized water transportation on rivers
• Reduced travel time and increased commerce
• Made Mississippi River key to transportation

Canals

• Ex: Erie Canal connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean
• Created a navigable waterway for transporting goods across the country
• Stimulated economic development along the canal route

Railroads

• First commercial railroad in the US in 1828
• Transported goods over land
• Expanded westward and connected regions

The Lowell System

• New England textile mills that employed young, unmarried women
• Offered factory work with strict rules and moral supervision
• Contributed to the development of a factory system

"Old Immigrants"

• Millions of immigrants came to the U.S. between the 1820s and 1860s
• Mainly from Ireland and Germany
• Came seeking economic opportunity and escape from political instability and famine

Irish vs. German

• Irish were mainly Catholic and poorer than German immigrants
• Settled in cities and often worked in low-paying jobs
• German immigrants were largely Protestant and more likely to be skilled workers

Responses to Immigration

• Nativist sentiment grew due to concern over immigrants taking jobs and changing American culture
• Led to discrimination and hostility towards immigrants

Nativism/"Know Nothing Party"

• Anti-immigrant sentiment that emerged in the mid 19th century
• Feared that Catholic immigrants were becoming too influential
• Kept a strong presence in politics

Deism

• Belief in God as a creator but not a personal God who intervenes in human affairs
• Emphasized reason and natural law
• Popular among Enlightenment thinkers

Second Great Awakening

• Religious revival that began in the late 18th century and continued into the 19th century
• Stressed personal religious experience and emotional conversion
• Led to the formation of new Protestant denominations and increased religious fervor

Burned-Over District

• Region in western New York State known for its intense religious revivalist activity
• Witnessed numerous denominations forming and emotional revival events

Mormons/Joseph Smith

• Founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith and based on the Book of Mormon
• Persecuted for their religious beliefs
• Migrated west to Utah and settled in the Salt Lake Valley

Transcendentalism/Emerson and Thoreau

• Literary and philosophical movement that emphasized individual intuition and the power of nature
• Promoted nonconformity and spiritual self-reliance
• Key figures include Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau

Horace Mann

• Education reformer who advocated for public education
• Believed that education was essential for democracy and social reform
• Led to the expansion of public schools and universal education

Temperance

• Movement that advocated for the prohibition of alcohol
• Motivated by religious beliefs, social concerns, and the belief that alcohol was a threat to society

American Temperance Union

• Founded in 1836
• Leading organization in the Temperance movement
• Promoted abstinence from alcohol through education and advocacy

Maine Laws

• Series of laws passed in the 1850s in Maine prohibiting the sale and production of alcoholic beverages
• Set a precedent for statewide temperance laws

Dorothea Dix

• Advocate for the mentally ill and for improving conditions in asylums
• Worked to reform prison systems
• Championed humanitarian causes

Cult of Domesticity

• Idealization of women's roles in the home
• Emphasized domesticity, piety, purity, and submissiveness
• Limited women's opportunities outside the home

Seneca Falls Convention

• First women's rights convention held in 1848
• Advocated for women's suffrage and equal rights
• Marked the beginning of the women's rights movement

Declaration of Sentiments

• Document written at the Seneca Falls Convention
• Outlined the injustices faced by women and called for equal rights

Utopian Communities and Perfectionism

• Social experiments aimed at creating perfect societies
• Based on shared principles and communal living

Shakers/Ann Lee

• Founded by Ann Lee in the late 18th century
• Practiced celibacy and communal living
• Known for their craftsmanship

Oneida Community/John Humphrey Noyes

• Established in 1848 by John Humphrey Noyes
• Practiced communal living and complex marriage
• Known for their silverware manufacturing

New Harmony/Robert Owen

• Founded by Robert Owen in 1825
• Aimed to create a utopian society based on social equality and cooperation
• Failed after a few years

Brooke Farm

• Founded by a group of transcendentalists in 1841
• Aimed to create a community based on communal living and self-reliance
• Failed due to economic challenges

Characteristics of the Old South

• Dominant culture in the South
• Based on plantation economy and the institution of slavery

Demographics

• Predominantly white, with a significant black slave population
• Slave population concentrated on large plantations

Economy/agriculture

• Based on large-scale cotton production
• Relied heavily on slave labor
• Had limited industrial development

Southern Social Structure

• Deeply divided by class, race, and economic status

Planters vs. subsistence farmers

• Planters owned large amounts of land and slaves
• Subsistence farmers owned small plots of land and often relied on family labor

Poor Whites

• Lived in poverty and had limited economic opportunities
• Often resented the planter class and the institution of slavery

Slaves and Freed Slaves

• Slaves were denied basic rights and subjected to forced labor
• Freed slaves faced discrimination and limited opportunities

Slave Rebellions

• Resisted oppression through acts of defiance

Gabriel Prosser

• Planned a slave rebellion in Richmond, Virginia in 1800
• Conspiracy was discovered and Prosser was executed
• Example of slave resistance

Denmark Vessey

• Led a failed rebellion in Charleston, South Carolina in 1822
• Inspired by the Haitian Revolution and committed to freedom
• Showed the power and will for freedom

Nat Turner

• Led a violent rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia in 1831
• Killed over 50 white people
• Sparked fear and anxiety among slaveholders

David Walker Appeal to the Colored Citizens

• A book published in 1829 calling for a slave rebellion
• Argued for black freedom and equality
• Influenced the development of abolitionist thought

American Colonization Society

• Founded in 1817
• Advocated for the gradual emancipation of slaves and for the colonization of freed slaves in Africa
• Supported by some white Southerners
• Criticized by abolitionists

William L. Garrison/The Liberator

• Founded The Liberator, an abolitionist newspaper
• Advocated for immediate and unconditional emancipation
• A leading voice in the movement

American Anti-Slavery Society

• Founded in 1833
• Organized national abolitionist movement
• Used public activism, petitions, and publications to promote antislavery cause

Role of Women

• Played a pivotal role in the abolitionist movement
• Organized meetings, distributed literature, and spoke out against slavery
• Experienced direct action and faced personal threats

Frederick Douglass

• Escaped slave who became a leading abolitionist orator and writer
• Published his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
• Spoke against slavery and championed the equality of all people

Sojourner Truth

• African American abolitionist and women's rights activist
• Known for her powerful speeches and tireless commitment to social justice
• Delivered her famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech in 1851

"Gag Rule"

• Rule passed by the House of Representatives in 1836
• Prohibited the discussion of abolition petitions
• Intended to silence the growing abolitionist movement

Paternalism

• Belief that slave owners were benevolent masters who protected the best interests of their slaves
• Used by slaveholders to justify the institution of slavery
• Downplayed slaves humanity and the cruelty of slavery