People
11th President of the United States. Known for territorial expansion mainly through Texas Annexation and the Mexican-American War.
James K. Polk
Series of folktales featuring animals told by Uncle Remus about the power of brains over brawn
Br’er Folktales
A system of power in which white people are considered or treated as superior to all other racial and ethnic groups, and therefore have the right to be the dominant group.
White supremacy
The idea that the U.S. is destined by God to expand from coast to coast spreading democracy, capitalism and Christianity
Manifest Destiny
A tax on imports from other nations designed to protect American interests by making foreign goods more expensive than domestic goods
Tariff or Tariff of Abominations
Known as the president of the “Common Man,” and advocated for their rights at the expense of the rights of people indigenous to the Americas. He passed the Indian Removal Act.
Andrew Jackson
The Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee and Seminole nations lived in the Southeast on fertile land, desired by white settlers; forcing the relocation of natives to land west of the Mississippi River
Indian Removal Act
The moving of a group of people from their original place or position, for instance, for instance, indigenous people from their homeland onto reservations through Indian Removal.
Displacement
Part of Compromise of 1850; required that all escaped enslaved people be returned to their enslavers
Fugitive Slave Law
The first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution
Bill of Rights
16th President of the United States (1861-1865). Leader of Republican Party, which was created in 1854 and was anti-slavery. Became president in 1861; 7 Southern states seceded in response and formed Confederacy
Abraham Lincoln
When gold was discovered in the Black Hills Indian Reservation in South Dakota, whites invaded the Sioux and Cheyenne lands and drove them on the warpath.
Battle of Little Big Horn
An economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners rather than by the government.
Capitalism
Vote by the people. Supported by Stephen Douglas in which members of a territory could choose whether or not to allow slavery
Popular Sovereignty
Filling of federal gov’t jobs with persons loyal to the party of the president. Started with Andrew Jackson during his first term.
Spoils system
Democratic nominee for president 1860, defeated by Lincoln. Famous for Lincoln-Douglas Debates. Advocate of popular sovereignty.
Stephen Douglas
Series of three conflicts in Florida between Seminole nation and escaped enslaved people settled in Florida who unified against the U.S. government who wanted to displace them.
Seminole Wars
System that forced Native Americans onto land with designated boundaries to Native American nations moved from their own land into the West after Indian Removal
Reservation System
1857 Supreme Court case deciding African-Americans couldn’t sue in federal court because they weren’t citizens
Dred Scott v. Sandford
In 1790, the United States limited access to US citizenship to free white immigrants (people from Western Europe) who had lived in the US at least 2 years. First act to racialize American citizenship
Naturalization Act
Leaders of the Northern army, including George McClellan, William Tecumseh Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant
Union Generals
Supreme Court case ruling by John Marshall that the laws of Georgia did not apply to the Cherokee Nation because they were an independent nation with their own laws.
Worcester v. Georgia
Form of colonialism which seeks to replace the original population of a colonized territory with a new society of settlers
Settler colonialism
The act of withdrawing from an organization or alliance, such as the withdrawal of the southern states from the Union, starting with South Carolina.
Secession
Violent conflict about slavery 1854-1861; Missouri pro-slavery “Border Ruffians” & anti-slavery “Free Staters” battled over slavery
Bleeding Kansas