America in the World
An 1803 land deal in which the United States bought a vast territory from France, doubling the size of the nation. The purchase, which included land from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, was seen as essential for the nation's westward expansion. It provided the U.S. with valuable resources, sparked exploration, and set the stage for future territorial conflicts and the spread of settlement.
Overland Trails
A successful slave revolt in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (now Haiti) that took place from 1791 to 1804, leading to the establishment of the first independent black republic. Led by figures like Toussaint Louverture, enslaved Africans fought against French colonial forces and abolished slavery in the process. The revolution had significant global impact, inspiring other slave uprisings and altering colonial policies, while also influencing the abolition movement in the Americas.
Haitian Revolution
A protective tariff passed in 1828 that raised duties on imported goods to protect northern industries, but it angered Southern states, who relied on foreign trade. Southerners, especially in South Carolina, called it the "Tariff of Abominations" because they believed it unfairly benefited the North while harming the South's economy. This controversy contributed to the nullification crisis, where South Carolina threatened to nullify the tariff and assert state sovereignty.
Tariff of Abominations
The right to vote in elections, typically granted to citizens of a country. It is considered a key element of democratic participation and is often extended to all adult citizens, though eligibility can be restricted by factors like age, citizenship status, and sometimes gender or race. The expansion of this institution was a major political and social development of the Jacksonian Era.
Franchise
This law established a system for governing the western territories and admitting new states into the Union, following the United States' independence. It outlined the process for territories to become states once their population reached a certain level and ensured the protection of civil liberties and the prohibition of slavery in the new territories. The ordinance was significant for shaping the expansion of the United States and laying the groundwork for future statehood in the American West.
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
A popular slogan in the 1840s, used by candidate James K. Polk as he was running for president, expressed the demand for full control of disputed land in the Pacific Northwest, which was jointly occupied by the United States and Britain. It reflected the willingness of some Americans to go to war to claim the entire area up to a specific northern latitude. However, the dispute was peacefully settled in 1846 when a compromise set the boundary at the 49th parallel.
"Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!"
An 1803 land deal in which the United States bought a vast territory from France, doubling the size of the nation. The purchase, which included land from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, was seen as essential for the nation's westward expansion. It provided the U.S. with valuable resources, sparked exploration, and set the stage for future territorial conflicts and the spread of settlement.
Louisiana Purchase
The first major financial crisis in the United States, occurring after the War of 1812, was triggered by a combination of speculative lending, bank failures, and a sharp drop in agricultural prices. Many people, particularly farmers, faced foreclosure and bankruptcy as the national bank tightened credit, leading to widespread economic hardship. The panic led to calls for banking reform and contributed to the rise of political movements focused on protecting the rights of ordinary citizens against economic instability.
Panic of 1819
A political confrontation in the early 1830s between the state of South Carolina and the federal government over tariffs that South Carolina deemed unconstitutional. South Carolina declared that it could nullify federal laws within its borders, which led to a standoff with President Andrew Jackson, who threatened military action. The crisis was resolved through a compromise tariff, but it highlighted growing tensions over states' rights and the issue of federal authority.
Nullification Crisis
A major slave uprising that occurred in South Carolina in 1739, when a group of enslaved Africans seized weapons and killed several colonists in an attempt to escape to Spanish-controlled Florida, where freedom was promised to runaway slaves. The rebellion was quickly suppressed, and the leaders were executed, but it led to stricter slave codes and increased fear of further uprisings among Southern planters. The event highlighted the tensions and resistance within the enslaved population and contributed to the tightening of slavery laws in the colonies.
Stono Rebellion
A U.S. naval officer best known for leading an expedition to Japan in 1853, which opened the country to American trade after more than two centuries of isolation. His show of military force, including a fleet of warships, convinced Japanese leaders to sign a treaty that allowed limited trade with the United States. This event marked a significant shift in Japan's foreign policy and contributed to its modernization.
Commodore Matthew C. Perry
An 1820 agreement between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States that aimed to maintain the balance of power between free and slave states. It admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while also establishing a geographic line (the 36°30′ parallel) that divided the Louisiana Territory, with slavery prohibited north of the line. While it temporarily eased tensions, it ultimately failed to resolve the deeper issue of slavery, which continued to divide the nation.
Missouri Compromise
A conflict between the United States and Great Britain, lasting from 1812 to 1815, primarily caused by British restrictions on U.S. trade and the impressment of American sailors into the British navy. The war also involved Native American resistance to American expansion, as Britain supported Native tribes in the western frontier. Though the war ended in a stalemate with the Treaty of Ghent, it fostered a sense of national pride and led to the decline of the Federalist Party, which had opposed the war.
War of 1812
A law passed in 1830 under President Andrew Jackson that authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river. The law aimed to open up land for white settlement and economic development but led to the suffering and death of thousands of Native Americans during the journey, known as the Trail of Tears. It significantly disrupted Native American cultures and led to a loss of ancestral lands.
Indian Removal Act
The brutal transatlantic journey that forcibly transported enslaved Africans to the Americas from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Conditions aboard the ships were horrific, with overcrowding, disease, and abuse leading to a high death rate among the captives. This segment of the broader Atlantic slave trade had profound social, cultural, and economic impacts on both Africa and the Americas, contributing to the growth of the plantation economy in the New World.
Middle Passage
An 1854 agreement between the United States and Japan that ended Japan's two-century policy of isolation. The treaty allowed for the establishment of American consulates in Japan and opened two ports to American ships for trade. It marked the beginning of Japan's engagement with the Western world and set the stage for its rapid modernization.
Kanagawa Treaty
The land ceded by Mexico to the United States in 1848 as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War. It included present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of several other southwestern states. This acquisition significantly expanded the United States and intensified debates over the expansion of slavery into new territories.
Mexican Cession
Two Native American leaders who sought to unite various tribes in the early 19th century to resist U.S. expansion into Native lands. One was a skilled military leader who aimed to form a confederacy of tribes to oppose American encroachment, while the other was known as the Prophet and promoted a spiritual movement to reject European influence and return to traditional Native ways. Their efforts culminated in the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, where U.S. forces defeated their confederation, weakening their resistance to American expansion.
Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa
A political struggle in the 1830s between President Andrew Jackson and the supporters of the Second Bank of the United States, which Jackson viewed as a corrupt and undemocratic institution. Jackson vetoed the recharter of the bank and removed federal deposits, instead distributing them to smaller state banks, known as "pet banks." This conflict led to a significant shift in American banking policy and contributed to the rise of more localized banking systems.
Bank War
This invention, created by Eli Whitney in 1793, revolutionized cotton production by efficiently separating cotton fibers from seeds. It dramatically increased the speed of cotton processing, leading to the growth of the cotton industry and the expansion of slavery in the South. The cotton gin played a pivotal role in shaping the U.S. economy, contributing to the rise of cotton as a dominant cash crop and intensifying sectional divisions over slavery.
Cotton Gin
An 1853 agreement in which the United States purchased land from Mexico, located in present-day southern Arizona and New Mexico. The land was acquired to facilitate the construction of a southern transcontinental railroad, which was seen as essential for national transportation. This purchase finalized U.S. territorial expansion across the continent, though it was controversial due to its high cost and the ongoing tensions with Mexico.
Gadsden Purchase
A proposal introduced in 1846 that aimed to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico following the Mexican-American War. Although it passed in the House of Representatives, it was defeated in the Senate, highlighting the growing sectional divide between the North and South. The proposal intensified debates over the expansion of slavery and contributed to the political tensions leading up to the Civil War.
Wilmot Proviso
A political movement and party formed in the 1840s focused on preventing the expansion of slavery into new territories and states. It attracted many northern anti-slavery activists, who argued that free land should be available to white settlers and not enslaved labor. While the party never gained significant national power, it played a crucial role in shaping the debates over slavery and contributed to the formation of the Republican Party.
Free Soil Movement/Party
State banks that were selected by President Andrew Jackson to receive government deposits after he dismantled the Second Bank of the United States in the 1830s. These banks were favored by Jackson and his allies, who believed they supported the common people and were less corrupt than the national bank. However, the practice led to economic instability and contributed to the Panic of 1837, a financial crisis.
Pet Banks
This term refers to the development of infrastructure projects, such as roads, canals, and bridges, designed to improve transportation and communication within the United States during the early 19th century. These projects were seen as essential for promoting economic growth, facilitating trade, and connecting rural areas with urban markets. The debate over funding and the role of the federal government in such projects became a key issue in the political landscape of the era, particularly during the presidency of James Madison.
Bacon's Rebellion