Roots of US
Colonists formed their own local governments like the House of Burgesses to help make their own form of this type of government.
The first U.S. plan for government was the Articles of Confederation, but it was replaced by this document in 1787.
US Constitution
The Louisiana Purchase was important not just for size, but because it gave the U.S. full control of this water trade route.
Mississippi River
This invention by Eli Whitney made it easier to remove seeds from cotton and increased the demand for slave labor.
Disagreements over slavery, tariffs, and state power caused Southern states to do this after Lincoln was elected.
Secede
This document announced the colonies’ break from Britain and listed their reasons for leaving.
Declaration of Independence
Using "We the People" as the opening words to the Constitution, the founders ensured this principle was the primary characteristic of the government in which the people rule
Popular Sovereignty
This was one major outcome of the War of 1812 was the growth of this — when Americans began making more goods at home.
manufacturing or the Industrial Revolution
This 1849 event led to rapid population growth in California and increased tensions over whether new states would allow slavery.
Gold Rush
This wartime order freed slaves in Confederate states, shifting the purpose of the Civil War toward ending slavery.
Emancipation Proclamation
Colonies in the South grew crops like tobacco and rice, which increased the need for this type of labor.
Slave Labor
This compromise created Congress with two houses: one based on population and one with equal votes per state.
The Great Compromise
The Indian Removal Act led to this forced journey, where thousands of Native Americans died.
Trail of Tears
The Second Great Awakening inspired many people to join these kinds of movements that tried to improve society.
Reform Movements
After the Civil War, these laws were passed in Southern states to limit the rights of freed African Americans.
The Black Codes
This document, signed by the Pilgrims, was a social contract and the first form of self-government in the New World.
Mayflower Compact
The system where each branch of government has its own powers and can stop the others is called this.
Checks and Balances
This event during George Washington’s presidency showed that the new federal government could enforce its laws when it put down a rebellion.
Whiskey Rebellion
This man-made waterway in New York helped connect western farmers to eastern markets, boosting trade and transportation.
The Erie Canal
This 1854 law let settlers decide if slavery would be allowed in their territory, leading to violence in “Bleeding Kansas.”
Kansas-Nebraska Act
In 1773, this colonial protest to parliamentary laws led to the Intolerable Acts that closed the Boston Harbor.
Boston Tea Party
This is the process that allows the Constitution to be changed as needed over time found in Article five.
Amendment process
Andrew Jackson opposed this national financial institution, believing it favored the wealthy and hurt ordinary citizens.
National Bank
This belief said it was the obvious fate of the U.S. to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
Manifest Destiny
This system of secret routes and safe houses helped slaves escape to freedom in the North.
The Underground Railroad
The phrase “no taxation without representation” means colonists were angry they had no voice in this legislative group.
Parliament
This group supported the new Constitution and believed a strong central government would help the country stay united.
The Federalists
This controversial Act enforced by John Adams was seen as a direct attack on free speech.
Sedition Act
Many women became active in this reform movement fighting to reduce alcohol consumption
Temperance Movement
This amendment to the Constitution gave formerly enslaved people citizenship and promised equal protection under the law.
14th Amendment