13th Amendment An amendment to the United States Constitution abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime. It was adopted on December 6, 1865.
Abolition A movement to end slavery, whether formal or informal. In America, abolitionism was a historical movement to end the African slave trade and set slaves free.
Alien and Sedition Acts Four bills passed in 1798 by the Federalists in the 5th United States Congress in the aftermath of the French Revolution and during the Quasi-War.
American options in 1945 concerning Japan Despite losing the World War II, Japanese were not willing to surrender and sign an agreement to stop the aggression. Emperor was willing to let millions die rather than surrender. United States had few options. One was a diplomatic approach where if Japan surrendered the US would let them keep their "sacred emperor" (Emperor was considered a God in Japan). Other option was to involve Russia into invading Japan. At the Potsdam conference in Berlin, Russia agreed to help the U.S. But Truman chose to use the atomic bomb.
Annexation of Hawaii America's annexation of Hawaii took place in 1898, extended U.S. territory into the Pacific and highlighted the rise of the United States as a Pacific power.
Antinomianism The belief that in gospel dispensation of grace, moral law is not binding on Christians because faith alone is sufficient for salvation.
Aspects of the Market Revolution in the North and the South Drastic changes in the manual labor originating in the South and then spreading to the North. Mainly because of Eli Whitney's invention of Cotton Gin the South became more industrialized. As a result of the revolution, isolationism became dominant and North America was left waiting to explode into the Civil War. U.S. economy from being dependent on trade with Europe now evolved into an empire of internal commerce.
At the time, the purchase faced domestic opposition because it was thought to be unconstitutional.
Bacon's Rebellion It was an armed rebellion in 1676 by Virginia settlers led by Nathaniel Bacon against the rule of Governor William Barkeley. Barkeley had failed to address the demands of the colonists regarding their safety.
Boston Tea Party Was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, against the tax policy of the British government and the East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies. On December 16, 1773 a group of colonists dressed like Indians boarded the ships and destroyed the whole cargo of tea by throwing it into the Boston Harbor.
Cahokia Ruins of ancient Native American city. Contain 120 man-made mounds of different sizes and shapes.
Casablanca Conference Conference held in January, 1943 mainly between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. It's main purpose was to plan the Allied European strategy for the next phase of World War II.
Confederate States Also known as Confederacy, was a government set up on February 1861, by six of the seven southern slave states that had declared their secession from the United States.
Declaration of Independence A statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of British Empire.
Economic differences: Virginia/Maryland and S.Carolina Maryland's economy was based on tobacco and wheat grown by slaves. Later on a ship building industry became an important part of its economy.
Early S.Carolina's economy was based on trade with Indians, and by slave trade. Traders in S.Carolina where selling Indians to be able to purchase African slaves.
Effects of WWII upon USA USA didn't suffer much as a country during World War II. After the war ended, US economy was stronger than ever. American government provided money for veterans and their families. American society became wealthier. At this time United States' active foreign policy tried to contain Communism represented by Soviet Union and China, which eventually led to the Cold War.
Extent of New Spain and New France New Spain - established after conquest of the Aztec Empire in 1521. It covered most of central America, apart from Panama, almost all of The United States west of the Mississippi river plus the Floridas (Spanish Florida). New France - area colonized by France in North America. Extended from Newfoundland to the Rocky Mountains, and from Hudson Bay to Gulf of Mexico.
Freedmen's Bureau U.S. federal government agency that aided distressed freedmen (freed slaves) in 1865-1872, but was very weak by 1870 during the Reconstruction era of the United States.
Isolationism The policy or doctrine of isolating one's country from the affairs of other nations by declining to enter into alliances, foreign economic commitments, foreign trade, international agreements etc.
Jacksonian Democracy Political movement toward greater democracy for the common man symbolized by American politician Andrew Jackson and his supporters. Jackson's policies followed the era of Jeffersonian democracy which dominated the previous era.
Jay's Treaty Treaty between United States of America and the Kingdom of Great Britain that is credited with averting war, resolving issues remaining since the Treaty of Paris and facilitating ten years of peaceful trade between the United States and Britain.
King Philip War Also called a First Indian War. It was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day New England and English colonists and their Native American Allies in 1675-1678.
Louisiana Purchase Acquisition by the United States of America in 1803 of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana. The Louisiana territory encompassed all or part of 15 present U.S states and two Canadian provinces. Purchase took place during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson.
Manifest Destiny Widely held belief that American settlers were destined to expand across continent, popular in 19th century. It provided the rhetorical tone for the largest acquisition of U.S. territory.
Mexican War Armed conflict between United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico considered part of its territory despite the 1836 Texas Revolution.
Name first English settlements in North America in early 17th century Jamestown, Maryland, Chesapeake, Plymouth
Name important battles of the American Revolution Battle of Lexington and Concord, Capture of Fort Ticonderoga, Battle of Bunker Hill, Battle of Princeton, Battle of Bennington, Battle of Charleston, Battle of Yorktown, Battle of Trenton
Name the Thirteen Colonies Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia,
Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island.
New Amsterdam 17th century Dutch colonial settlement on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. Served as capital of New Netherland. Renamed New York in 1665 in honor of the Duke of York, when English seized control over the Dutch colony.
New England New England is a region in the United States containing six states, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. It was there where first English immigrants settled in early 17th century.
Open Door Policy in China Statement of principles initiated by the United States (1899, 1900) for the protection of equal privileges among countries trading with China and in support of Chinese territorial and administrative integrity. The statement was issued in the form of circular notes dispatched by U.S. Secretary of State John Hay to Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and Russia. The Open Door policy was received with almost universal approval in the United States, and for more than 40 years it was a cornerstone of American foreign policy.
Plymouth Plantation Living museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts, showing original settlement of first immigrants later known as Pilgrims.
Pontiac Rebellion It was a war that was launched in 1763 by a loose confederation of elements of Native American tribes primarily from the Great Lakes region, the Illinois Country, and Ohio Country who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the Great Lakes region after the British victory in the French and Indian War.
Reasons for English migration to N.America English unstable economy led to poverty which was one of the reasons for migration to N.America. The other one was unstable political situation with James I disobeying the parliament, but the main cause for people who emigrated from England was strength of Catholic Church, and its influence on individuals.
Reasons for the isolation of the South Southern states were dominated by people who believed that the individual states should have the final say in matter of interpreting the Constitution. Furthermore rural south approved of slavery, while northern industrialized states were slowly moving towards freeing the slaves.
Reconstruction Act After the end of the Civil War, as part of on-going process of reconstruction, the United States Congress passed four statutes known as Reconstruction Acts. Congress required that each state draft a new state constitution, which would have to be approved by Congress.
Routes and areas explored by Vespucci, Balboa and León, Cabot, Cartier, Cortés and Pizarro
Amerigo Vespucci - Discovered the mouth of Amazon River, America probably has its name after him.
Balboa and Leon - Balboa was a founder of the first official European colony in what is now Panama in 1511. Leon led the first European expedition to Florida which he named.
John Cabot - Italian sailor, discovered Newfoundland and Labrador.
Jacques Cartier - Known for his early discoveries of what is now Canada.
Hernan Cortes - Led the expedition which led to the fall of Aztec empire, he began the first phase of Spanish colonization of Americas.
Francisco Pizarro - Conqueror of Inca Empire, he discovered lands of current Peru and Panama.
Secession An act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity.
Sharecropping Is a system of agriculture in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on the land.
Tehran Conference Strategy meeting held between Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. It was held in Soviet Embassy in Tehran, Iran and was the first of the World War II conferences held between all of the "Big Three" Allied leaders. Although all three of the leaders present arrived with differing objectives, the main outcome of Tehran Conference was the commitment to opening of a second front against Nazi Germany.
The Anti-Imperialist League Organization established on June 15, 1898, to battle the American annexation of the Philippines as an insular area. The anti-imperialists opposed expansion because they believed imperialism violated the fundamental principle that just republican government must derive from consent of the governed.
The Articles of Confederation Agreement among the 13 founding states that established United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution.
The Atlantic Charter A pivotal policy statement first issued in August 1941 that defined the Allied goals for the post-war world. It was drafted by Britain and the United States, and later agreed to by all Allies.
The Bill of Rights (define and discuss 4 selected amendments) Collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.I. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the pressII. A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to bear arms, shall not be infringed.III. No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in manner to be prescribed by law.IV. The right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation.
The Boston Massacre Known as the Incident on King Street by the British, was an incident on March 5, 1770 in which British Army soldiers killed five civilian men and injured six others.
The Compromise of 1850 Package of five bills passed in the United States in 1850, which defused a four-year confrontation between the slave states of the South and free states of the North regarding the status of territories acquired during the Mexican War.
The Currency Act is the name of several Acts of Parliament of Great Britain that regulated paper money issued by colonies of British America. The acts sought to protect British merchants and creditors from being paid in depreciated colonial currency.
The Emancipation Proclamation Executive order issued by president Abraham Lincoln in 1863 during the Civil War, to all segments of the Executive branch of the United States. It proclaimed the freedom of slaves in the ten states that were still in rebellion.
The Erie Canal Canal in New York that runs from Albany, New York to Buffalo, New York, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic ocean to the Great Lakes.
The French and Indian War It's an American name for the North American theater of the Seven Years' War. The war was fought primarily between the colonies of British America and New France, with both sides supported by the troops from their parent countries of Great Britain and France, who declared war on each other in 1756. This regional affair escalated into a world-wide conflict.
The Fugitive Slave Law An act passed by the United States Congress on September 18, 1850, as part of the Compromise between Southern slave-holding interests and Northern Free-Soilers. It declared that all runaway slaves were, upon capture, to be returned to their masters.
The Indian Removal Act Signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830. The act authorized him to negotiate with the Native Americans in the Southern United States for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their homelands.
The Intolerable Acts Patriot name of series of punitive laws passed by the British parliament in 1774 relating to Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party. The acts stripped Massachusetts of self government and historic rights triggering outrage and resistance in the Thirteen Colonies.
The Ku Klux Klan Name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism and anti-immigration, historically expressed through terrorism.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition The first American expedition to cross what is now the western portion of the United States, departing in 1804 from St.Louis on the Mississippi River, making their way westward through the continental divide to the Pacific coast. Primary objective was to explore and map the newly acquired territory (Louisiana), find a practical route across the Western half of the continent, and establish and American presence in this territory before Britain and other European powers tried to claim it.
The Liberator Was an abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison in 1831. The Newspaper earned nationwide notoriety for its uncompromising advocacy of "immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves".
The Mayflower Compact First governing document of Plymouth Colony, singed on Mayflower (boat on which early settlers arrived) in 1620.
The Monroe Doctrine Policy of the United States introduced on December 2, 1823. It stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North or South America would be viewed as acts of aggression, requiring U.S. intervention. At the same time the Doctrine note that the United States would neither interfere with existing European colonies nor meddle in the internal concerns of European countries.
The Pacific War Pacific theatre of World War II, which was fought in the Pacific Ocean, its islands and in East Asia. It is generally considered that the Pacific War began with the attack on Pearl Harbor in the United States Territory of Hawaii by the Empire of Japan.
The Pilgrims Name commonly applied to the early settlers of Plymouth Colony.
The Restoration Colonies (characteristics and names) Colonies created following the Stuart restoration in 1660 when England again took interest in America. The colonies enabled England to control the East Coast, Carolina, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. These colonies had governments that made a social hierarchy geared toward a dominant wealthy class.
The Spanish-American War Conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the Cuban War of Independence. American attacks on Spain's Pacific possessions led to involvement in the Philippine Revolution and ultimately to the Philippine-American War.
The Stamp Act The Stamp Act imposed a direct tax by the British Parliament specifically on the colonies of British America, and it required that many printed materials in colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp.
The Sugar and Currency Acts Sugar Act, or American Revenue Act was a revenue-raising act passed by the Parliament of Great Britain on April 5, 1764.
The Townshend Acts Series of acts passed by Parliament of Great Britain in 1767 relating to British colonies in North America. The purpose of the Townshend Acts was to raise revenue in the colonies to pay the salaries of governors and judges so that they would be independent of colonial rule, to create a more effective means of enforcing compliance with trade regulations.
The Wilmot Proviso One of the major events leading to the American Civil War. Proviso introduced by David Wilmot would have banned slavery in any territory to be acquired from Mexico in the Mexican War or in the future, including the area later known as the Mexican Cession, but which some proponents construed to also include the disputed lands in south Texas and New Mexico east of the Rio Grande.
The XYZ Affair Political and diplomatic episode in 1797 and 1798, involving the United States and Republican France. Its name derives from the substitution of the letters X,Y and Z for the names of French diplomats in documents released by the Adams administration.An American diplomatic commission was sent to France in July 1797 to negotiate issues that were threatening to break out into war. The failure of the commission led to an undeclared naval war called the Quasi-War and caused a political firestorm in the United States when the commission's dispatches were published.
The Yalta Declaration A declaration set after the Yalta Conference between the Big Three which purpose was to reorganize a post-war world. Declaration re-established the nations of war-torn Europe.
Trail of Tears Name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act. The phrase originated from a description of the removal of the Choctaw Nation in 1831.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Officially Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits and Settlement between the United states of America and Mexican Republic. It was signed in Guadalupe Hidalgo between Mexico and U.S. and ended the Mexican War.
Treaty Of Versailles One of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Underground Railroad A network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause.