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37 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Southern colonies
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Largely dependent on agriculture (farming), both small farms and large plantations.
Heavily dependent on slave labor and indentured servant labor Enacted Slave Codes (laws) to control slave population |
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Battle of Saratoga
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Turning point in American Revolutionary War
Patriot armies led by General Gates and Benedict Arnold defeat British army of General Burgoyne Helped win support from France, Spain, and other foreign powers to American cause |
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Treaty of Paris (1783)
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Great Britain recognizes independence of United States, ending American Revolutionary War
Set new borders of U.S.: From Great Lakes in the North to Mississippi River in the West to Florida in South |
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Northwest Ordinance of 1787
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Passed by Confederation Congress under the Articles of Confederation
Created Northwest Territory for settlement (present day Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin) Created system for bringing new states into the Union |
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Articles of Confederation
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National government created in 1776 by Committee of Thirteen
Created Confederate Congress with limited federal powers. Did NOT establish a president or court system. Allowed Congress to make coins, borrow money and negotiate treaties Did NOT allow Federal government to tax or to provide troops for national defense |
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Declaration of Independence
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Authored mainly by Thomas Jefferson
Expressed that all men possessed "inalienable rights" to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" Argued that King George III had violated these rights by passing unfair laws and taxing the colonies without representation Argued that colonies had right to break away from Great Britain and form their own union of Independent States Approved and signed by Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 |
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Constitutional Convention
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Held in 1787 in Philadelphia to improve the Articles of Confederation
Delegates included Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and James Madison, sometimes known as the "Father of the Constitution" Developed first draft of what would be the United States Constitution Included the controversial "3/5ths Compromise", which resolved dispute over slave representation in congress by allowing 3/5th of a state's slave population in its overall population count |
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The Great Compromise
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Resolved debate between "Large State" Virginia Plan for a two house (bicameral) legislature based on state population and "Small state" New Jersey Plan for a one house (unicameral) legislature based on equal (two votes each) representation for each state
Established both an upper house (the Senate, with each state having two votes) and a lower house (the House of Representatives, votes based on population) to balance the two plans |
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Three Fifths Compromise
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Agreement to resolve debate over slave representation in Congress
Southern States wanted slaves to count fully, Northern states wanted slaves to count for taxes but not representation. Compromise allowed states to count 3/5th of their slave population for representation in Congress Northern delegates also agreed not to wait 20 years before seeking to end the slave trade |
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First Amendment Rights
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Establishment Clause: Congress cannot make a law establishing a state religion (freedom of religion)
Freedom of Speech Right to Assemble Right to petition government for a redress of grievances |
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Separation of Powers
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The Constitution divided the federal government into three branches, each designed to "balance" each other to keep any one branch from becoming too powerful
The legislative branch (Congress) makes the nation's laws The executive branch (headed by President) enforces laws Congress passes The judicial branch (system of federal courts headed by the U.S. Supreme Court) reviews cases and hears appeals from lower courts. |
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Federalist Papers
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Co-authored by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison under the name "Publius"
Written to convince states to ratify the new Constitution (particularly holdout states like New York) Strongly influenced public debate over the Constitution during ratification |
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Judicial Review
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Power of the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether a law passed by Congress in unconstitutional
Established by Marbury vs.Madison case |
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Louisiana Purchase
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Bought from France's Napoleon Bonaparte in 1803 under Thomas Jefferson's presidency
Almost doubled the size of the United States,opening vast new territory for expansion and exploration |
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War of 1812 (causes)
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Britain's impressment (forcing to serve in the British navy) of U.S. sailors
Interference of American trade (contrary to American sovereignty and independence) British aid to Native Americans in Northwest conflict with U.S. Pressure in Congress by "War Hawks" to protect American honor |
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Treaty of Ghent
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Ended the War of 1812 between Britain and the U.S.
Each nation returned the territory it conquered during the war Signed before the last battle of the War, the Battle of New Orleans |
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Battle of New Orleans
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Overwhelming defeat of British invasion by American forces in the War of 1812
Launched military and political career of American commander General Andrew Jackson Fought after Treaty of Ghent formally ended hostilities |
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Embargo
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Banning of trade against another country
The Embargo Act of 1807 banned trade against Britain and France in response to their capturing of U.S. ships. |
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Missouri Compromise
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Introduced in Congress by Henry Clay in 1820
Allows Maine to enter as a free state, Missouri to enter as a slave state Slavery is prohibited an any new territories north of the 36 degree 30 minute line |
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Trail of Tears
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President Jackson ignored U.S. Supreme Court decision in Worcester v. Georgia and orders U.S. troops to remove Cherokee from the South to Western Indian territory
One fourth of the 18,000 Cherokee died during the 800 mile march |
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Jacksonian America
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In early 1800s many states remove property requirements to vote allowing many more white men to vote.
New nominating conventions allow more people to be active in electing their candidates Start of the modern political party system |
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Manifest Destiny
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The view that the U.S. had a special mission to expand westward
Largely disregarded the previous western settlement of Native Americans |
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Abolitionist Movement
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Movement started by Americans who wanted the complete end of slavery in the United States
Leaders included William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglas |
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popular sovereignty
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Allowance of voters in a territory to vote on whether to allow slavery
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Wilmot Proviso
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Proposed by Representative David Wilmot during Mexican War
Called for the abolition of slavery in all parts of the Mexican Cession While it failed to become law, it demonstrated the growing sectionalism of the country |
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Compromise of 1850
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Proposed by Henry Clay in Senate
Allowed California to enter as a free state, and The territories of Mexican Cession (NM, AZ, UT) to decide slavery issue based on popular sovereignty End of slave trade (though not slavery) in Washington, DC New, stronger Fugitive Slave Law |
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Kansas Nebraska Act
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Sponsored by Stephen Douglas in the Senate
Created Kansas and Nebraska territories, both decide slavery through popular sovereignty No more 36 degree 30 minute line per Missouri Compromise Causes rush of settlers into Kansas, violence |
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Uncle Tom's Cabin
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Authored by abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe
Depicted cruelty of slavery Sold millions of copies, sparked outrage in South and persuaded northerners to abolitionist cause |
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Bleeding Kansas
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Pro slavery and abolitionist groups rush to settle in Kansas and form government
Two separate governments divided into armed camps form John Brown's Pottawatomie Massacre of pro-slavery supporters begin months of deadly violence |
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Creation of Republican Party
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Caused by Kansas-Nebraska Act
Abraham Lincoln an early leader of the Party |
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Dred Scott Decision
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U.S. Supreme Court application of Judicial review (deciding that Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional)
Decision legalized slavery throughout the United States Court decided that Scott was not a citizen and could not sue for his freedom in federal court |
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Mexican Cession
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The western part of North America acquired by the United States after their War with Mexico
Included present day California, Nevada, and Utah |
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Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
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Signed by the United States as Mexico formally concluding the Mexican War.
Resulted in the U.S. acquiring much of Mexico's territories in North America (the Mexican Cession) |
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Secession
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A State's formal withdrawal from the Union, generally by legislative vote
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union before the Civil War |
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Fugitive Slave Act
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Passed as part of the Compromise of 1850
Required people in free northern slates to return runaway (fugitive) slaves to their owners or be criminally prosecuted. |
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John Brown's Raid
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Raid on Harper's Ferry, Virginia in 1854 by abolitionist John Brown
Attempt to capture weapons from the federal armory and start a slave rebellion Resulted in Brown's capture and execution Polarized northern and southern opinion on the issue of slavery |
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Election of 1860
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Resulted in a win for the Republican Party and Abraham Lincoln as President
Caused South Carolina to secede from the Union Resulted in other southern states seceding and forming the Confederate States of America |