Skillbook Vocab Ch. 1-5

Front 1

Act of Toleration

Back 1

An act passed in Maryland 1649, that granted freedom of worship to all Christians. It was a benchmark of religious freedom in all the colonies. Did not extend to non-Christians.

Front 2

Anne Hutchinson

Back 2

Charismatic colonist in Massachusetts Bay who questioned whether one could achieve salvation solely by good works. She led the Antinomian controversy by challenging the clergy and laws of the colony. She was banished from Massachusetts in 1638.

Front 3

Bacon's Rebellion

Back 3

Attack by frontiersmen led by Nathaniel Bacon against the Native Americans in the Virginia backcountry. When the governor opposed his actions, he attacked Jamestown, burned it, and briefly deposed of the governor before the rebellion fizzled. This revolt is often viewed as the first strike against insensitive British policy, as a clash between East and West, and as evidence of the dangers of the indentured servant system.

Front 4

Board of Trade and Plantations

Back 4

Chief body in England for governing the colonies. The group gathered information, reviewed appointments in America, and advised the monarch on colonial policy.

Front 5

Dominion of New England

Back 5

Attempt to streamline colonial rule by combing all the New England colonies under the control of one governor in 1688. It was dissolved after the Glorious Revolution in England when its sponsors were deposed.

Front 6

Edmund Andros

Back 6

Autocratic and unpopular governor of the Dominion of New England. He was toppled from power and was caught while trying to make his escape dressed as a woman.

Front 7

First Great Awakening

Back 7

Religious revival in the colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards preached a message of atonement for sins by admitting them to God. The movement attempted to combat the growing secularism and rationalism of mid-eighteenth century America.

Front 8

Halfway Covenant

Back 8

Puritan response to the dilemma of what to do with the children born to nonchurch members as few and fewer Puritans sought full membership in the church. Leaders allowed such children to be baptized, but they could not take communion, nor could nonchurch males vote in government/church affairs.

Front 9

House of Burgesses

Back 9

First popularly-elected legislative assembly in America. It met in Jamestown in 1619.

Front 10

Jonathan Edwards

Back 10

Congregational minister of the 1740s who was a leading voice of the Great Awakening. His "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" attacked ideas of easy salvation and reminded the colonists of the absolute sovereignty of God.

Front 11

John Smith

Back 11

Saved Jamestown through firm leadership in 1607. He imposed work and order in the settlement and later published several books promoting colonization of North America.

Front 12

John Winthrop

Back 12

Leader of the Puritans who settled in Massachusetts Bay in the 1630s. He called for Puritans to create a "city upon a hill", and guided the colony through many crises, including the banishments of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson.

Front 13

Mayflower Compact

Back 13

Written agreement in 1620 to create a body politic among the male settlers in Plymouth. It was the forerunner to charters and constitutions that were eventually adopted in all the colonies.

Front 14

Mercantilism

Back 14

Economic doctrine that called for the mother country to dominate and regulate its colonies. The system fixed trade patterns, maintained high tariffs, and discouraged manufacturing in the colonies.

Front 15

Navigation Acts

Back 15

Series of English laws to enforce the mercantile system. The laws established control over colonial trade, excluded all but British ships in commerce, and enumerated goods that had to be shipped to England or to other English colonies. The acts also restricted colonial manufacturing.

Front 16

Roger Williams

Back 16

Puritan who challenged the church to separate itself from the government and to give greater recognition of the rights of Native Americans. He was banished in 1635 and founded Rhode Island.

Front 17

Society of Friends (Quakers)

Back 17

Church founded by George Fox which believed in "The Inner Light" - a direct, individualistic experience with God; the church was strongly opposed to the Anglican Church in England and the Congregationalist Church in America. In 1681, William Penn established Pennsylvania as a haven for Quakers persecuted in England and in the colonies

Front 18

Stono Rebellion

Back 18

Slave rebellion in South Carolina in September 1739. Twenty to eighty slaves burned seven plantations, killed twenty whites, and tried to escape in Florida. The rebellion was crushed. All the slaves were killed and decapitated, and their heads were put on display as a deterrent to future uprisings.

Front 19

Theocracy

Back 19

Government organized and administered by the church. In Massachusetts Bay colony, only church members could vote in town meetings. The government levied taxes on both church members and nonmembers and required attendance for all at religious services.

Front 20

William Penn

Back 20

Quaker founder of Pennsylvania; he intended it to be a Quaker haven, but all religions were tolerated. The colony had very good relations with Native Americans at first.

Front 21

Battle of Saratoga

Back 21

A turning point of the Revolution in October 1777, when an army of 6,000 British soldiers surrendered in New York. The battle resulted from a British attempt to divide the colonies through the Hudson River Valley. The American victory convinced the French to ally with the colonies and assured the ultimate success of independence.

Front 22

Battle of Yorktown

Back 22

A siege that ended in October 1781 when Washington trapped 8,000 British soldiers on a peninsula in Virginia after a British campaign in the southern colonies; this defeat caused the British to cease large-scale fighting in America and to start negotiations, which eventually led to the colonies' independence.

Front 23

Ben Franklin

Back 23

America's leading diplomat of the time who served as a statesman and advisor throughout the Revolutionary era. He was active in all the prerevolutionary congresses and helped to secure the French alliance in 1778 and the Treaty of Paris, which formally ended the Revolution in 1783.

Front 24

Coercive Acts (1774)

Back 24

British actions to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. They included closing the port of Boston, revoking Massachusetts's charter, trying all British colonial officials accused of misdeeds outside the colony, and housing British troops in private dwellings. In the colonies, these laws were known as the Intolerable Acts, and they brought on the First Continental Congress in 1774.

Front 25

Declaratory Act (1766)

Back 25

Passed as the British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act. A face-saving action, it asserted Parliament's sovereignty over colonial taxation and legislative policies.

Front 26

George III

Back 26

King of England during the American Revolution. Until 1776,the colonists believed he supported their attempt to keep their rights. In reality, he was a strong advocate for harsh policies toward them.

Front 27

George Washington

Back 27

Commander of the colonial army. While not a military genius, his integrity and judgement kept the army together. Ultimately, he was indispensable to the colonial cause.

Front 28

John Dickinson

Back 28

Conservative leader who wrote "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania". He advocated for colonial rights but urged conciliation with England and opposed the Declaration of Independence. Later, he helped write the Articles of Confederation.

Front 29

John Jay

Back 29

Lead diplomat in negotiating the Treaty of Paris (1783). He secretly dealt with the British representatives at Paris and gained all of America's goals for independence despite the deviousness and meddling of France and Spain.

Front 30

John Locke

Back 30

English philosopher who wrote that governments have a duty to protect people's life, liberty, and property. Many colonial leaders read his ideas and incorporated them into their political rhetoric and thinking.

Front 31

Patrick Henry

Back 31

An early advocate of independence who was a strong opponent of the Stamp Act and great defender of individual rights. In 1775, he declared, "Give me liberty, or give me death."

Front 32

Pontiac's Rebellion (1763)

Back 32

Indian uprising in the Ohio Valley region that killed 2,000 settlers. As a result, the British sought peace with the Indians by prohibiting colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Americans saw this ban as an unlawful restriction of their rights and generally ignored it.

Front 33

Samuel Adams

Back 33

Agitator and leader of the Sons of Liberty, who supported independence as soon as the British veered from salutary neglect. He was the primary leader of the Boston Tea Party and later a delegate to the Continental Congress.

Front 34

Seven Years War

Back 34

Fought between England and France, 1756-1763. It was known as the French and Indian War in the colonies, and it started over control of the Ohio River Valley and resulted in France's withdrawal form North America. It was the impetus for Parliament's taxing policy that led to the American Revolution

Front 35

Sons of Liberty

Back 35

Street gangs that formed during the Stamp Act crisis to enforce the boycotts and prevent the distribution and sale of the tax stamps. They were the vanguard of the Revolution as they intimidated British officials with the violence.

Front 36

Stamp Act (1765)

Back 36

A tax on over fifty items such as pamphlets, newspapers, playing cards, and dice.

Front 37

Stamp Act Congress (1765)

Back 37

Met in New York City to protest the Stamp Act. Nine of the thirteen colonies petitioned the king and organized a boycott that eventually helped to force the repeal of the tax. This meeting and action was a major step to colonial unity and resistance of British authority.

Front 38

Sugar Act (1764)

Back 38

Designed to raise revenue by stiffening the Molasses Act (1733), establishing new customs regulations, and trying smugglers in British vice-admiralty courts. This was the first attempt to tax the colonies in order to raise revenue rather than regulate trade. It actually lowered the tax on imported sugar in hopes of discouraging smugglers and thereby increasing collection of the tax.

Front 39

Thomas Jefferson

Back 39

Lead author of the Declaration of Independence. In it, he explained the colonists' philosophy of government and the reasons for independence. He wrote that governments that did not protect unalienable rights should be changed.

Front 40

Thomas Paine

Back 40

Writer of "Common Sense", an electrifying pamphlet of January 1776 calling for a break with England. Written with great passion and force, it swept the colonies and provided a clear rationale for colonial independence.

Front 41

Townshend Acts (1767)

Back 41

Levied taxes on imported items such as paper, glass, and tea. These taxes were designed to address colonial resistance to "internal taxation" like the Stamp Act, which had no connection to trade and was intended only to raise revenue. However, the colonials viewed the Townshend Acts as revenue-raising measures and refused to pay these taxes as well.

Front 42

Virtual Representation

Back 42

Ideas offered by Britain to colonists' demands for representation in Parliament and to establish lawful authority to tax them, the explanation was that Parliament was a collective representation of all Englishmen regardless of where they lived. According to this argument, a group's interest was represented in London by virtue of it being English. Colonial leaders rejected this position.

Front 43

Alexander Hamilton

Back 43

Strong nationalist, first secretary of the treasury. He supported a strong central government and was founder of the Federalist Party.

Front 44

Alien and Sedition Acts

Back 44

Series of acts designed to suppress perceived French agents working against American neutrality. The acts gave the president power to deport "dangerous" aliens, lengthen the residency requirement for citizenship, and restrict freedoms of speech and press.

Front 45

Annapolis Convention

Back 45

Meeting held at Annapolis, Maryland, in 1786 to discuss interstate commerce. Only five states sent delegates, but Alexander Hamilton used the forum to issue a call for the states to meet the next spring to revise the Articles of Confederation. The convention was a stepping-stone to creation of the Constitution.

Front 46

Democratic Republican Party

Back 46

Political party led by Thomas Jefferson. It feared centralized political power, supported states' rights, opposed Hamilton's financial plan, and supported ties to France. It was heavily influenced by agrarian interests in the southern states.

Front 47

Farewell Address

Back 47

Presidential message in which Washington warned the nation to avoid both entangling foreign alliances and domestic "factions" (political parties). The ideas of the address became the basis of isolationist arguments for the next 150 years.

Front 48

Federalist Papers

Back 48

Eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay and published in newspapers to convince New York to ratify the Constitution. Taken together, they are seen as a treatise on the foundations of the Constitution.

Front 49

Federalist Party

Back 49

Political party led by Alexander Hamilton. It favored strong central government, commercial interests, Hamilton's financial plan, and close ties to England. Its membership was strongest among the merchant class and property owners.

Front 50

Great Compromise

Back 50

Broke the impasse at the Constitutional Convention over congressional representation. Congress would consist of two houses - seats in the lower assigned according to each state's population and states having equal representation in the upper chamber.

Front 51

James Madison

Back 51

Strong nationalist who organized the Annapolis Convention, authored the Virginia Plan for the Constitution, and drafted the constitutional amendments that became the Bill of Rights. He was also a founding member of the Democratic Republican Party

Front 52

Jay's Treaty (1794)

Back 52

Agreement that provided England would evacuate a series of forts in U.S. territory along the Great Lakes. In return, the U.S. agreed to pay pre-Revolutionary War debts owed to Britain. The British also partially opened the West Indies to American shipping. It was barely ratified in the face of strong Republican opposition.

Front 53

Loose Constructionist

Back 53

Person who believes that the "elastic clause" of the Constitution gives the central government wide latitude of action. They hold that even powers not explicitly set forth in the Constitution may be exercised if it is "necessary and proper" to carry out powers that are specifically stated.

Front 54

New Jersey Plan

Back 54

Offered by William Paterson to counter the Virginia Plan. It favored a one-house of Congress with equal representation for each state. It maintained much of the Articles of Confederation but strengthened the government's power to tax and regulate commerce.

Front 55

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Back 55

The major success of Congress under the Articles of Confederation that organized the Northwest Territory for future statehood. The law provided territorial status for a region when its population reached 5,000. At 60,000, the territory could petition for statehood with the same rights as existing states. It set into law the procedure for expanding the nation that eventually led to the admission of many other new states. Also, by outlawing slavery in the Northwest Territory, it represented the first action by the national government against the institution.

Front 56

Pinckney's Treaty (1795)

Back 56

Agreement with Spain that opened the Mississippi River to American navigation and granted Americans the right of deposit in New Orleans. Spain agreed to the treaty because it feared that Jay's Treaty included an Anglo-American alliance.

Front 57

Shay's Rebellion

Back 57

An uprising in western Massachusetts between August 1786 and February 1787 that closed the courts and threatened revolution in the state. The central government's inability to suppress the revolt reinforced the belief that the Articles of Confederation needed to be strengthened or abandoned.

Front 58

Strict Constructionist

Back 58

Person who interprets the Constitution very narrowly. They believe that a power not explicitly stated in the Constitution could not be exercised by government. Historically, strict constructionists have hoped to restrict authority of the central government and preserve states' rights.

Front 59

Thomas Jefferson

Back 59

First secretary of state, who led opposition to the Hamilton/Washington plan to centralize power at the expense of the states. After founding the Democratic Republican Party to oppose these plans, Jefferson was elected vice president in 1796 and president in 1800.

Front 60

Three-Fifths Compromise

Back 60

Agreement at the Constitutional Convention that broke the impasse over taxation and representation in the House of Representatives. The delegates agreed to count slaves as three-fifths of a person for both. This formula had been used in 1783 to make financial assessments among the states under the Articles.

Front 61

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Back 61

Reaction against the Sedition Act. Written by Madison for Virginia and Jefferson for Kentucky, they stated that when the national government exceeded its powers under the Constitution, the states had the right to nullify the law. Essentially, the resolutions held that the Constitution was a compact among the states and they were its final arbiter.

Front 62

Virginia Plan

Back 62

Edmund Randolph's and James Madison's proposal for new government that would give Congress increased taxing and legislative power. It called for two houses of Congress - an elected lower house and upper house appointed by the lower house. Because seats in Congress would be apportioned according to the states' populations, this plan was favored by the large states.

Front 63

Whiskey Rebellion

Back 63

Uprising in western Pennsylvania in 1794 over an excise tax levied on whiskey. Farmers saw the tax as an unjust and illegal levy, like the Stamp Act. President Washington crushed the rebellion with overwhelming force and thereby demonstrated the power of the new government to maintain order and carry out the law.

Front 64

XYZ Affair

Back 64

Diplomatic effort by President John Adams to soothe the French, who were upset over Jay's Treaty and American neutrality in the conflict with Britain. Three American delegates to France were told they must offer a bribe before any negotiations could begin. They refused, and the humiliation heightened tensions between the two countries and set off war hysteria in the U.S.

Front 65

Adams-Onis Treaty (1819)

Back 65

Also known as the Florida Purchase Treaty and the Transcontinental Treaty. Under its terms, the U.S. paid Spain $5 million for Florida, Spain recognized America's claims to the Oregon Country, and the U.S. surrendered its claim to northern Mexico (Texas).

Front 66

American System

Back 66

Set of proposals by Henry Clay that called for a national bank, protective tariffs, and internal improvements. Their goal was American economic self-sufficiency.

Front 67

Andrew Jackson

Back 67

U.S. general who defeated the Native Americans at Horseshoe Bend and commanded the victory over the British at New Orleans. He became a national hero as a result of his record in the War of 1812 and later rode that fame to the presidency.

Front 68

Battle of New Orleans

Back 68

A major battle of the War of 1812 that actually took place after the war ended. American forces inflicted a massive defeat on the British, protected the city, and propelled Andrew Jackson to national prominence.

Front 69

Chesapeake-Leopard Affair

Back 69

Incident in 1807 that brought on a war crisis when the British warship Leopard attacked the American warship Chesapeake. Many angry and humiliated Americans called for war.

Front 70

Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819)

Back 70

Case in which the Supreme Court prevented New Hampshire from changing Dartmouth's charter to make it a public institution. The court held that the contract clause of the Constitution extended to charters and that contracts could not be invalidated by state law. The case was one of a series of Court decisions that limited states' power and promoted business interests.

Front 71

Embargo Act (1807)

Back 71

Law passed by Congress stopping all U.S. exports until British and French interference with U.S. merchant ships stopped. The policy had little effect except to cause widespread economic hardship in America. It was repealed in 1809.

Front 72

Fletcher v. Peck (1810)

Back 72

Supreme Court case that established the Court's power to invalidate state laws contrary to the Constitution. In this case, the Court prevented Georgia from rescinding a land grant even though it was fraudulently made.

Front 73

Gibbon v. Ogden (1824)

Back 73

Landmark case in which the Supreme Court struck down a New York law that granted a monopoly to certain steamboats operating between new York and New Jersey. The ruling expanded the powers the Constitution gave Congress to regulate interstate commerce. It was another of the cases during this period whereby the Supreme Court expanded federal power and limited states' rights.

Front 74

Hartford Convention

Back 74

Meeting of New England state leaders in 1814. Among other things, the delegates called for restrictions on embargoes and limits on presidential tenure. The end of the war brought an end to the gathering, but it was later branded as unpatriotic and helped bring on the collapse of the Federalist Party.

Front 75

Henry Clay

Back 75

A leading American statesman from 1810 to 1852. He served as a member of Congress, Speaker of the House, senator, and secretary of state and made three unsuccessful presidential bids. He was known as the Great Compromiser for his role in the compromises of 1820, 1833, and 1850.

Front 76

Impressment

Back 76

The forceful drafting of American sailors into the British navy. This was the principle cause of the War of 1812.

Front 77

John Marshall

Back 77

Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, 1801-1835. Arguably America's most influential Chief Justice, he authored Court decisions that incorporated Hamilton's Federalist ideas into the Constitution. He also established the principle of judicial review, which gave the Court equality with other branches of government.

Front 78

Macon's Bill No. 2 (1810)

Back 78

Modified embargo that replaced the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809. This measure reopened trade with both Britain and France but held that if either agreed to respect America's neutrality in their conflict, the United States would end trade with the other.

Front 79

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Back 79

Court case that established the principle of judicial review, which allowed the Supreme Court to determine if federal laws were constitutional.

Front 80

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Back 80

Supreme Court case in which the Court established the supremacy of federal law over state law. In this case, the Court set aside a Maryland law that attempted to control the actions of the Baltimore branch of the Second National Bank by taxing it. By preventing Maryland from regulating the Bank, the ruling strengthened federal supremacy, weakened states' rights, and promoted commercial interests.

Front 81

Missouri Compromise (1820)

Back 81

Settlement of a dispute over the spread of slavery that was authored by Henry Clay. The agreement had three parts: 1) Missouri became the twelfth slave state, 2) to maintain the balance between free states and slave states in Congress, Maine became the twelfth free state, 3) the Louisiana territory was divided at 36 degrees, 30', with the northern part closed to slavery and the southern area allowing slavery. This compromise resolved the first real debate over the future of slavery to arise since the Constitution was ratified.

Front 82

Monroe Doctrine (1823)

Back 82

Issued to counter a perceived threat from European powers to the newly-independent nations of Latin America. It proclaimed: 1) no new colonization in the western hemisphere, 2) existing colonies would not be interfered with, and 3) the U.S. would not interfere with European affairs. It became the cornerstone of U.S. Latin American policy for the next century.

Front 83

Non-Intercourse Act (1809)

Back 83

Replaced the embargo policy by allowing American trade with all countries except Britain and France. Like the Embargo Act, this attempt to use American trade as an instrument of foreign policy failed. British and French interference with U.S. shipping continued and the Non-Intercourse Act was repealed in 1810.

Front 84

Panic of 1819

Back 84

Severe depression that followed the economic boom of the post-War of 1812 years. The Second National Bank, trying to dampen land speculation and inflation, called loans, raised interest rates, and received blamed for the panic. All this helped divide the commercial interests of the East from the agrarian interests of an expanding West.

Front 85

Second Bank of the United States

Back 85

National bank organized in 1816, it was closely modeled after the first Bank of the United States. It held federal tax receipts and regulated the amount of money circulating in the economy. The Bank proved to be very unpopular among western land speculators and farmers, especially after the Panic of 1819.

Front 86

Treaty of Ghent (1815)

Back 86

Agreement that ended the War of 1812 but was silent on the causes of the war. All captured territory was returned and unresolved issues such as ownership of the Great Lakes were left to future negotiations.

Front 87

War Hawks

Back 87

Young Congressmen in the 12th Congress from the South and West who demanded war with Britain. Led by Henry Clay and John Calhoun, they hoped to annex Canada, defend U.S. maritime rights, and end troubles with Native Americans in the Trans-Appalachian West.

Front 88

Corrupt Bargain

Back 88

Agreement between presidential candidates Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams during the disputed election of 1824. Clay threw his support to Adams in the House of Representatives, which decided the election, and in return, Adams appointed Clay secretary of state.

Front 89

Daniel Webster

Back 89

Noted orator, constitutional lawyer, senator, secretary of state, and major spokesman for nationalism and the union in the 1830s, 1840s, and 1850s.

Front 90

Democratic Party

Back 90

The modern-day, major political party whose antecedents can be traced to the Democratic Republican Party of the 1790s and early 1800s. It was born after the disputed election of 1824, in which all candidates - all Democratic Republicans - divided on issues and by sections.

Front 91

Exposition and Protest

Back 91

Document secretly written by Vice President John Calhoun in support of nullification. Calling on compact theory, he argued the tariff of 1828 was unconstitutional and that South Carolina could lawfully refuse to collect it.

Front 92

"His Accidency"

Back 92

Nickname given to John Tyler in 1841 by his opponents when he assumed the presidency upon the death of William Henry Harrison. The first vice president to succeed to the presidency, his nickname reflected his conflict with the Whig party leaders over rechartering the National Bank, raising the tariff and supporting internal improvements at government expense.

Front 93

Indian Removal Act (1830)

Back 93

Gave the president authority to negotiate treaties with southeastern tribes and to trade their land in the east for territory in the west. It also provided money for land transfer and relocation of the tribes.

Front 94

John C. Calhoun

Back 94

Vice president under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. He wrote "Exposition and Protest" and led the nullification fight in 1832 and 1833. As senator and vice president, he was the leading voice for southern states' rights from 1828 to 1850.

Front 95

John Quincy Adams

Back 95

Son of President John Adams and secretary of state who helped purchase Florida and formulate the Monroe Doctrine and president who supported an activist government and economic nationalism. After Jackson defeated his bid for a second term in 1828, he continued to serve America as a member of Congress.

Front 96

Market Revolution

Back 96

The process that took place in nineteenth-century America in which an economy dominated by small farms and workshops was transformed into an economy in which farmers and manufacturers produced for a distant cash market.

Front 97

Martin Van Buren

Back 97

Senator, vice president, and president of the U.S. The Panic of 1837 ruined his presidency, and he was voted out of office in 1840. He later supported the Free Soil Party.

Front 98

Nullification

Back 98

Theory that the states created the Constitution as a compact among them and that they were the final judge of constitutionality of federal law. The doctrine held that states could refuse to obey or enforce federal laws with which they disagreed.

Front 99

Panic of 1837

Back 99

A major depression that lasted from 1837 to 1844. Crop failures, European financial troubles, and the Specie Circular all contributed to the crash, which helped ruin the presidency of Martin Van Buren.

Front 100

Pet Banks

Back 100

Financial institutions friendly to Andrew Jackson's administration that received federal funds when he vetoed the Second National Bank's recharter in 1832 and removed all government deposits from it.

Front 101

Specie Circular (1836)

Back 101

A federal government action to dampen inflation brought on by land speculation following the closure of the Second National Bank. Jackson issued an order requiring payment for public lands only in gold or silver. This action contracted credit, caused overextended banks to fail, and precipitated the Panic of 1837.

Front 102

Spoils System

Back 102

Practice of appointing people to government positions as a reward for their loyalty and political support.

Front 103

Tariff of Abominations

Back 103

Name given to a high tariff passed in 1828. After years of steadily rising duties, this tariff raised rates on certain goods to an all-time high, leading to the nullification crisis of 1832.

Front 104

Trail of Tears (1838)

Back 104

The removal of some 18,000 Cherokees, evicted from lands in southeastern United States and marched to Indian Territory (Oklahoma).

Front 105

Whigs

Back 105

Political party formed in 1832 in opposition to Andrew Jackson. Led by Henry Clay, it opposed executive usurpation (a strong president) and advocated rechartering the National Bank, distributing western lands, raising the tariff, and funding internal improvements. It broke apart over the slavery issue in the early 1850s.