Colonial Period 1607-1776
This document, signed in 1620, established a form of self-government for Pilgrims in New England.
The Mayflower Compact
This 1781 document created a weak central government with most power held by the states.
Articles of Confederation
This economic plan by Henry Clay called for a national bank, protective tariffs, and internal improvements.
The American System
This 1820 agreement attempted to maintain the balance between free and slave states.
Missouri Compromise
This labor organization, led by Samuel Gompers, focused on skilled workers and collective bargaining.
American Federation of Labor
This 1676 rebellion in Virginia highlighted tensions between frontier settlers and colonial elites.
Bacon's Rebellion
This 1786 uprising of Massachusetts farmers showed the weaknesses of the Articles government.
Articles of Confedertation
This 1807 law halted American trade with foreign nations in an attempt to avoid war.
Embargo Act
This Supreme Court decision ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in territories.
Dred Scott v. Sanford
This practice involved controlling every step of production, from raw materials to distribution.
Vertical integration
This 1730s–1740s religious revival emphasized emotional preaching and challenged established churches.
The First Great Awakening
These essays, written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, supported ratification of the Constitution.
The Federalist Papers
This informal political deal gave John Quincy Adams the presidency and Henry Clay the position of Secretary of State, angering Andrew Jackson’s supporters.
Corrupt Bargain
This abolitionist led a raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859.
John Brown
This violent 1894 strike against a railroad company led to federal intervention by President Cleveland.
Pullman Strike
This British law taxed printed materials and led to widespread colonial protest with the phrase “no taxation without representation.”
The Stamp Act
This compromise created a bicameral legislature with representation based on population in one house and equal representation in the other.
The Great Compromise
This 1823 policy warned European nations not to interfere in the Western Hemisphere.
Monroe Doctrine
This document issued by Lincoln freed enslaved people in Confederate states.
Emancipation Proclomation
This term refers to journalists who exposed corruption and social problems in the early 1900s.
Muckrakers
This 1754 proposal by Benjamin Franklin attempted to unify the colonies under one government for defense during the French and Indian War, but was rejected by both colonial assemblies and the British government.
Albany Plan of Union
These 1798 laws limited free speech and targeted immigrants, leading to strong opposition from Jefferson and Madison.
Alien & Sedition Acts
This early 19th-century reform movement sought to reduce alcohol consumption in American society.
Temperance Movement
This agency was created to help formerly enslaved people with education and resources.
Freedman's Bureau
This president’s “New Freedom” program focused on breaking up trusts and lowering tariffs.
Woodrow Wilson