Jacksonian Democracy
This practice of giving government jobs to political supporters was a hallmark of Andrew Jackson’s presidency.
What was the Spoils System
This rivalry defined the era: one party favored states’ rights and the common man, the other supported industry and a strong federal government.
What was the Democrat vs. Whig rivalry?
This network of Protestant organizations sought to restore moral order by targeting issues like drunkenness and poverty.
What was the Benevolent Empire?
This leading transcendentalist wrote “Nature” and encouraged Americans to trust themselves spiritually.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
This celibate religious group founded by Mother Ann Lee is known for simple living, equality, and ecstatic worship.
What are Shakes?
What was the Kitchen Cabinet?
Henry Clay championed this economic program of tariffs, internal improvements, and a national bank.
What was the American System?
Charles Grandison Finney preached this idea that humans can choose salvation through personal decision and effort.
What is Moral Free Agency (Finney)?
This transcendentalist wrote Walden and encouraged civil disobedience against unjust laws.
Henry David Thoreau
This perfectionist community practiced complex marriage and communal child-rearing under John Humphrey Noyes.
What is the Oneida Community?
This 1830 law authorized the removal of Native American tribes east of the Mississippi, leading to the Trail of Tears.
What was the Indian Removal Act (1830)?
Jackson deposited federal money into these state institutions after dismantling the national bank.
What are Pet Banks?
Founded in 1826, this reform group pushed for moderation or abstinence from alcohol.
What is the American Temperance Society?
This belief emphasized the uniqueness and inner potential of each person in American culture.
What is Individualism
This religious movement, founded by Joseph Smith, emphasized continuing revelation and gathered followers in the West.
Who are Mormons (Joseph Smith)?
This crisis erupted when South Carolina tried to invalidate federal tariffs, prompting Jackson to threaten military force.
What is the Nullification Crisis?
Southerners gave this nickname to the 1828 tariff they believed unfairly harmed their economy.
Tariff of Abominations (1837)
This anti-immigrant sentiment grew in response to rising numbers of Irish and German newcomers.
What is/are Nativism / Nativist Movements
This famous essay by Emerson urged people to follow their inner voice rather than conform to society.
What is Self Reliance?
This radical abolitionist published The Liberator and demanded immediate emancipation.
Who is William Lloyd Garrison?
This political struggle centered on Jackson’s veto of Henry Clay’s plan to recharter the national bank.
What was the Bank War?
This deep economic downturn began shortly after Jackson left office and crippled Martin Van Buren’s presidency.
What was the Panic of 1837?
This transformation reshaped America’s economy with canals, factories, railroads, and new forms of labor.
What was Market Revolution?
This short-lived utopian community near Boston attempted to combine transcendentalist ideas with communal living.
What is Brook Farm
This formerly enslaved man became one of America’s greatest abolitionist speakers and writers.
Who is Frederick Douglass?