Founding the Nation
What two groups debated the ratification of the Constitution?
Federalists & Anti-Federalists
What 1803 land deal doubled the size of the U.S.?
The Louisiana Purchase
What was the primary cause of the Civil War?
Slavery and sectionalism
What term describes wealthy businessmen accused of exploiting workers and corrupting politics?
Robber barons
What was Manifest Destiny?
The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand from coast to coast
What was the impact of Shays' Rebellion?
It exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and led to calls for a stronger national government.
What did the Embargo Act of 1807 attempt to do?
Halt trade with foreign nations to avoid war, but it hurt the U.S. economy.
What happened at Fort Sumter?
The first shots of the Civil War were fired there in 1861.
What was the government’s approach to business during the Gilded Age?
Laissez-faire: hands-off, few regulations
What treaty ended the Mexican-American War?
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
What did Thomas Paine argue for in Common Sense?
He argued the colonies should declare independence from Britain.
What were two causes of the War of 1812?
Impressment of sailors and interference with American trade
What was the result of the Dred Scott case?
It declared that African Americans were not citizens and Congress couldn’t ban slavery.
What did muckrakers do?
What was the “corrupt bargain”?
During the 1824 Election John Quincy Adams would become president and would name Clay Secretary of State
What was the Alien and Sedition Acts' main impact?
They restricted free speech and immigration, and increased tensions between political parties.
What was the goal of the Monroe Doctrine?
To prevent further European colonization in the Americas
What did the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments do?
13th: Abolished slavery; 14th: Equal protection & citizenship; 15th: Voting rights for Black men
What reform came after The Jungle was published?
The Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act
What was the Spoils System?
Jackson’s practice of giving government jobs to political supporters
What Enlightenment idea is reflected in the Declaration of Independence’s assertion that governments derive power from the "consent of the governed"?
Social Contract Theory
What are the 3 parts of Henry Clay’s American System?
National bank, protective tariffs, internal improvements
What was the effect of Plessy v. Ferguson on Reconstruction's progress?
It upheld racial segregation through the "separate but equal" doctrine.
What was the goal of the Dawes Act?
Assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into private property
What crisis resulted from Jackson’s destruction of the National Bank?
Panic of 1837