Download American History Unit 1 Terms: Due M/8/29 Name: Directions: Using

American History Unit 1 Terms: Due M/8/29
Name:_______________________________________
Directions: Using the guidelines in the Skill Handouts on how to do terms. Read the definitions below carefully and highlight
the essential information.
People:
Thomas Jefferson: President of the United States from 1801-1809, wrote the Declaration of Independence and purchased
Louisiana Territory. Founder of the Democratic-Republican Party. Jefferson was also a scientist, architect, and prolific writer.
Federalists: Supporters of the Constitution and one of the first political partie begun by Alexander Hamilton in the 1790.
They supported a strong national government.
James Madison: President of the United States from 1809-1817, during the War of 1812; father of the U.S. Constitution. His
ideas are the basis for the structure of our government.
George Catlin: American artist & writer, lived among Indians west of Mississippi 1820-1850; recording & painting about their
lives; only detailed record of the N. Amer. Life west of Mississippi before white settlers
Andrew Jackson: President of the United States from 1829-1837, 1st President from west of the Mississippi, supported Indian
Removal. Jackson was a general and war hero from the War of 1812. He was the first president to use the veto. When the
Supreme Court ruled that the government did not have the authority to force the Cherokee to move of their land., Jackson
refused to enforce the ruling. The result was the Trail of Tears.
John Brown: Radical Abolitionist whose leadership during Bleeding Kansas and Harper’s Ferry forced slavery to become a
national issue; advocated and used violence to end slavery.
William Lloyd Garrison: Publisher of the Liberator and organizer of the American Abolitionist movement in 1820. Mentor to
Frederick Douglass.
Frederick Douglass: African-American spokesperson for Abolition of slavery, former slave and publisher of the North Star.
His autobiography helped persuade most northerners to oppose slavery. Lived from 1818-1895. He persuaded Lincoln to all
African-American men to fight in the Civil War.
Harriet Tubman: Escaped slave and abolitionist leader of the Underground Railroad, “Moses” freed over 300 slaves between
1845-1860. Served as a nurse and spy during the Civil War.
Abraham Lincoln: Lost the race for the Illinois senate seat, but his speeches drew national attention. Chosen by the
Republican candidate for the presidency during the Election of 1860. His victory prompted the southern states to sucede
from the union. President of the United States from 1861-1865, preserved the Union and freed the slaves during the Civil
War. Was assassinated in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth shortly after the end of the Civil War.
Places:
Philadelphia: city in Pennsylvania where the 1st and 2nd Continental Congresses were held and the Constitutional Convention.
Oklahoma: Location west of the Mississippi where the 5 Civilized Tribes were removed to. Remained "Indian Territory till the
Land Rush of 1889.
The Union: The North during the Civil War; fought and succeeded in preserving the United States as one nation; the "blue"
and union soldier = Billy Yank.
The Confederacy: The South during the Civil War; failed to gain their independence during the Civil War; the "gray" and
Confederate soldier = Johnny Reb. The south lost because they inferior in population size, transportation, industrialization.
Events:
American Revolution: From 1776-1781, Britain’s 13 colonies fought and won their Independence. The American Revolution
would influence more revolutions around the world including the French.
Constitutional Convention: From 1787-1789, representatives from every state met in Philadelphia to reshape the American
government. They threw out the Articles of Confederation and created the Constitution.
Bill of Rights: 1st ten amendments to the Constitution, added to protect the people from the government in 1789.
Alien & Sedition Acts: Laws passed by a Federalist congress in 1798, to silence criticism of the government and make it more
difficult to become an American Citizen. Failed attempt by the Federalist to stay in power by stopping their critics. It
backfired and caused the Federalist to lose power.
Indian Removal Act: 1830 law that forced Native Americans living east of the Mississippi to move west of the river. Its main
targets were the five Civilized Tribes of the Southeast. The Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Creek. The
discovery of gold on Indian land and the huge demand for growing cotton led to pressure from white settlers to move the
tribes off their land.
Trail of Tears: Forced removal of the Cherokee from Georgia to Oklahoma; over 4,000 died on the journey.
Dred Scott v. Sanford: Supreme Court ruled that slaves were not people, had no rights, overturned the Missouri
Compromise. This 1857 decision angered the north and increased abolitionist protests.
Bleeding Kansas: From 1854-1856, pro-slavers and free-soilers (Abolitionists) fought for control of Kansas territory. A
precursor to the Civil War.
Harper's Ferry: Federal arsenal in Virginia where John Brown attempted to get weapons to arm the slaves in 1858. Angered
the south who saw Brown as a terrorist, while the north saw him as a martyr. Brown was hanged by the U.S. government.
The Civil War: from 1860-1865 the North and South fought a war over slavery and states’ rights. The Union victory settled
the question of who was more powerful--the federal government or the states. It also ended slavery in the United States.
Emancipation Proclamation: On Jan. 1, 1863; all slaves living in states in Rebellion were forever free, issued by Lincoln. The
proclamation stopped England from aiding the south, and insured that slavery would end when the war ended.
Democracy: People are the source of the government authority and vote to make decisions. Form of government in USA. In
a democracy the rights of the people are protected.
Popular Sovereignty: The concept of allowing the citizens of a region to vote on an issue. Used for territories to become
states. In Kansas it led to Bleeding Kansas as pro and anti-slavery supporters rushed into the territory trying to make it a free
or slave state.
Human Rights: Basic rights held by every human being including religious freedom, education, and equality
Pursuit of Happiness: in the Dec. of Ind. Jefferson changed the word “property” in Locke's writings to this ideal, American
Dream is based on this.
Loyal Opposition: idea in a democracy that it is not unpatriotic to criticize the government, rejects the concept of Sedition.
In a democracy you can love your country & criticize it, the president, and any members of the government.
Manifest Destiny: 19th century doctrine that westward expansion of the United States was not only inevitable but a God
given right. Used to justify taking territory from Mexico and wiping out the Native American. Manifest Destiny was based on
racism.
Abolition: the movement to end slavery in the United States from 1820-1865.