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| 13th Amendment | this amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as punishment for a crime |
| 14th Amendment | this amendment grants citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States, regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin of their parents; it guarantees equal protection under the law and guarantees due process |
| 15th Amendment | this amendment prevents the denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous enslavement |
| Abolitionist Movement | a political effort to end slavery in the United States |
| agrarian | The time before the Industrial Revolution when farming was the primary source of income. It also refers to the social and economic structures that developed around agriculture |
| American System | An economic plan proposed by Henry Clay following the War of 1812, aiming to strengthen the national economy through a combination of protective tariffs, a national bank, and federal funding for internal improvements like roads and canals, essentially seeking to unify the nation by fostering economic interdependence between different regions. |
| antebellum | This means "before the war" and is used to describe the time period in US history before the Civil War |
| black codes | A series of restrictive laws enacted by Southern states immediately after the Civil War, designed to limit the freedom and civil rights of formerly enslaved African Americans |
| catalyst | A person, event, or idea that significantly accelerates or triggers a major change or development, acting as a driving force without being directly affected by the change itself |
| Civil War | The conflict fought between the Northern states (Union) and the Southern states (Confederacy) from 1861 to 1865 |
| Compromise of 1850 | A set of laws passed by the US Congress that aimed to resolve tensions between free and slave states by admitting California as a free state, establishing territorial governments in Utah and New Mexico where residents would decide on slavery using popular sovereignty, and strengthening the Fugitive Slave Act, essentially allowing for the return of escaped slaves to their owners; all in an effort to maintain a balance between the North and South on the issue of slavery |
| Compromise of 1877 | An informal agreement between southern Democrats and allies of the Republican Rutherford Hayes to settle the result of the presidential election and marked the end of the Reconstruction era. |
| cotton gin | Invented by Eli Whitney, this is a machine that separates cotton seeds from cotton fibers |
| creation of the Republican Party (1854) | emerged to combat the expansion of slavery into western territories after the passing of the Kansas–Nebraska Act |
| Declaration of Sentiments | a document drafted in 1848 that called for women's rights and equality |
| Democrats | This was the party of the "common man". It opposed the abolition of slavery. From 1828 to 1848, banking and tariffs were the central domestic policy issues. |
| Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) | A landmark US Supreme Court case in 1857 where the court ruled that enslaved people were not considered citizens of the United States and therefore could not sue for their freedom in federal court, effectively upholding the legality of slavery in US territories and further escalating tensions leading to the Civil War. |
| Election of 1860 | This was one of the most pivotal presidential elections in American history. It pitted Republican nominee Abraham Lincoln against Democratic Party nominee Senator Stephen Douglas, Southern Democratic Party nominee John Breckinridge and Constitutional Union Party nominee John Bell. The main issue of the election was slavery and states’ rights. |
| Election of 1876 | Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican) defeated Samuel J. Tilden (Democrat) in the controversial presidential election. Although Tilden won the popular vote, he fell one vote shy of winning an Electoral College majority, with the electoral votes of Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina still in dispute, as well as one electoral vote in Oregon. In order to resolve the conflict, Congress created an Electoral Commission that eventually decided the election in favor of Hayes. |
| Emancipation Proclamation | A declaration by President Abraham Lincoln that enslaved people in the Confederate states were free. It was issued on January 1, 1863, during the American Civil War. |
| expansion of slavery | This primarily involved the spread of the institution westward, fueled by the cotton industry's growth following the invention of the cotton gin, leading to increased demand for slave labor, and eventually causing significant tension between free and slave states that culminated in the Civil War |
| factory system | This was a method of manufacturing where large numbers of workers are brought together in a centralized location, using powered machinery and a division of labor to mass-produce goods, significantly changing production from small-scale home-based workshops to large-scale, mechanized manufacturing, leading to rapid industrialization and urbanization, but often accompanied by poor working conditions for laborers; it marked a pivotal shift in American business practices |
| free soil ideology | This was focused on opposing the expansion of slavery into the western territories of the United States. |
| Freedman's Bureau | This was a federal agency established by Congress in 1865 to assist formerly enslaved African Americans in the South following the Civil War, providing them with essential needs like food, shelter, medical care, education, and helping them transition to citizenship by facilitating land purchases, contract negotiations with employers, and family reunification efforts |
| Fugitive Slave Law (1850) | This was part of the Compromise of 1850, was a US law that required all states, including free states, to assist in capturing and returning escaped slaves to their owners, effectively denying runaway slaves the right to a jury trial and significantly increasing tensions between the North and South by forcing free states to actively participate in the enforcement of slavery |
| Impeachment of Andrew Johnson (1868) | The Republican-controlled Congress was deeply dissatisfied with the president's lenient approach to Reconstruction, which they believed was too forgiving towards former Confederate states. The president defied the Tenure of Office Act by firing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, who was seen as a supporter of Congressional Reconstruction plans. This highlighted the power struggle between the executive and legislative branches during Reconstruction |
| Indian Appropriations Act | A series of acts by the U.S. government dealing with land and resources for Native Americans. |
| Indian Removal Act | Law that authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to lands west of the Mississippi River. |
| industrial | Relating to or characterized by industry or manufacturing |
| John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry | An attempt by an abolitionist to start a slave revolt in 1859, which increased tensions leading to the Civil War |
| Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) | Law that allowed for popular sovereignty to decide the issue of slavery in two territories, leading to violence. |
| King Cotton | A slogan used by the South to show the economic and political importance of cotton production in the region. |
| Ku Klux Klan Act (1871) | Law passed to suppress a group and protect African American voting rights during Reconstruction. |
| Louisiana Purchase | The U.S. acquisition of territory from France in 1803, doubling the size of the country. |
| Lowell Mills | Textile mills in Massachusetts that employed young women, marking an early phase of industrialization. |
| Manifest Destiny | The 19th-century belief that the U.S. was destined to expand its territory across North America. |
| marginalized groups | Groups excluded from mainstream social, economic, cultural, or political life. |
| Market Revolution | The expansion of markets and trade in the early 19th century, driven by transportation and industrial innovations. |
| Mexican-American War | A war involving the U.S from 1846 to 1848, resulting in the U.S. gaining significant territory. |
| Missouri Compromise (1820) | An agreement that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance of power in Congress. |
| Monroe Doctrines | A U.S. policy that warned European powers against interfering in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere. |
| Mormon Trail | The route taken by religious pioneers from Illinois to Utah in the mid-1800s |
| Nullification Crisis | A political crisis in the 1830s over South Carolina's attempt to nullify federal tariffs |
| penitentiary | A prison designed for the confinement and reform of criminals |
| popular sovereignty | The idea that the people living in a territory should decide the issue of slavery |
| railroads | A major transportation system that transformed the economy and society in the 19th century |
| reconciliation | The process of restoring friendly relations between groups after conflict. |
| Reconstruction Act of 1867 | Laws passed to reorganize the South after the Civil War, dividing it into military districts. |
| Reservation System | A system of land designated for Native American tribes, often resulting in forced relocation and loss of traditional lands. |
| sectionalism | Loyalty to one's own region of the country, rather than to the country as a whole |
| Seneca Falls Convention | The first women's rights convention in the U.S., held in 1848. |
| steam engines | Engines powered by steam that revolutionized transportation and industry. |
| suffrage | The right to vote in political elections |
| tariffs | Taxes on imported goods |
| telegraph | A system for transmitting messages over long distances using coded signals |
| temperance | A social movement advocating for moderation or abstinence from alcohol |
| Trail of Tears | The forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation from their ancestral lands to present-day Oklahoma. |
| urban | Relating to or characteristic of a city or town |
| westward expansion | The movement of settlers to the American West in the 19th century |
| Whigs | A major political party in the U.S. during the mid-19th century, favoring economic development and a strong federal government |
| Worcester v. Georgia (1832) | A Supreme Court case that ruled that states could not enforce laws on Native American tribes, but was largely ignored by the government |
