Ch. 8-14 & Essay Question Flashcards
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a land acquisition made by the United States from France in 1803 under President Thomas Jefferson. The Louisiana Territory encompassed the region west of the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border. This doubled the size of the United States at the time. The Louisiana Purchase was significant because it provided opportunities for westward expansion and settlement, as well as it strengthened the nation economically through transportation and trade.
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a conflict between the United States and Great Britain. It was fought over British attempts to restrict U.S. trade as well as the British Navy seizing American sailors. Moreover, the British supported Native American resistance to westward American expansion. The War of 1812 was significant as the defeat of the British strengthened its military capabilities. It also weakened Native American resistance to westward expansion.
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the belief withheld in the 19th-century that white Americans were destined by God to settle the entire continent of North America. This belief was central in the justification of westward expansion, but it had lasting ramifications on indigenous peoples, as the migration of European Americans led to their displacement. Manifest Destiny was also a substantial contribution to tensions and conflicts within North America that consequently shaped the United States’ geographical borders.
Cult of Domesticity
The “Cult of Domesticity,” was a set of cultural ideals that emerged in the 19th-century United States. It emphasized that piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity were of significance to proper womanhood. Women were expected to maintain sexual purity before marriage, be religious, submit to their husbands and male authority figures, and be homemakers. The “Cult of Domesticity,” was significant as it influenced the social expectations and roles of women and reinforced the idea that women were to be distinct from spheres dominated by men.
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was a legislative agreement that admitted Missouri to the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state. The compromise sought to maintain a balance between slave and free states in the United States. It temporarily eased tensions between the North and South over the expansion of slavery, but laid the groundwork for events leading up to the Civil War.
Democracy in America
“Democracy in America,” refers to Alexis de Tocqueville’s work on the subject of American democracy. In his works, Tocqueville explores the strengths and weaknesses of the American democratic system and the social and political implications of democracy. Further, he highlighted the significance of liberty and equality in American life. “Democracy in America,” was significant as it contributed to a deeper understanding of democracy, politics, and individualism.
The “Peculiar Institution”
The “Peculiar Institution” historically refers to slavery in the southern United States prior to the Civil War. The phrase was often used in avoidance of directly addressing the controversial issue of slavery, which was deeply ingrained in the Southern economy and culture. The significance of the “Peculiar Institution” is that it created economic, social, and political divide between the Northern and Southern states. It played a pivotal role in states’ rights, territorial expansion, and the extension of slavery into new territories.
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes, safe houses, and individuals that helped enslaved people in the Southern states reach freedom in the Northern states and Canada. The Underground Railroad played a crucial role in the abolitionist movement and the fight against slavery. It empowered African Americans to actively participate in their own liberation. Moreover, it symbolized resistance to oppression as it inspired individuals to question the morality of the practice.
American Colonization Society
The American Colonization Society was organized in 1816 to promote the voluntary emigration of free Blacks to Africa. The society believed that resettling Blacks in Africa would contribute to the solution of racial tensions and conflict in the United States. Thus, it established the nation of Liberia in 1822 as a homeland for them. The American Colonization Society was significant because it emphasized the idea the African Americans and whites could not coexist peacefully in the United States. It also led to the independence of Liberia, which was the first and only African republic founded by African Americans.
American Anti-Slavery Society
The American Anti-Slavery Society was an abolitionist organization founded in 1833. It advocated for the immediate end of slavery as equal rights and opportunities for Black Americans. It was significant as it engaged in various forms of political activism and published materials that exposed the realities of slavery and argued for its abolition.
The Mexican War
The Mexican War was a conflict between the United States and Mexico over territorial disputes originating from the annexation of Texas in 1845. The war took place between 1846 and 1848. Both the United States and Mexico wanted control over California and New Mexico. Its outcome was the Treaty of Guadalupe that recognized the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas. It also extended the United States to the Pacific coast, seizing a significant portion of Mexican territory. This led to economic hardships and political instability within Mexico.
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott v. Sandford was a legal case that took place in 1857. Dred Scott was an enslaved African American who had been taken by his owner to live in a free state. After his owner passed away, he sued for his freedom on the grounds that he had lived in free territory where slavery was prohibited. The Supreme Court ruled against him however, stating that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not considered citizens. The decision was significant as it intensified tensions between the Northern and Southern states. In declaring that enslaved people could not be citizens of the U.S., it essentially opened the door to the expansion of slavery into territories that had once been free.
Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. It declared the emancipation of all enslaved individuals in the Confederate states. Although it was not a constitutional guarantee for the freedom of all enslaved individuals, it was significant as it reshaped the moral and political landscape of the nation. Furthermore, it shifted the focus of the Civil War from preserving slavery to also addressing the issue of slavery.
Second American Revolution
The “Second American Revolution” is a term used to refer to the American Civil War, which took place between 1861 and 1865. It is referred to as this due to the profound and transformative changes it brought about in American society. This includes the abolition of slavery and a significant shift in the balance of power between the federal government and the states. It also granted equal protection to all citizens, regardless of race, redefining national identity.
Essay Question
The notion of democracy refers to a system of government in which the power is vested in the hands of the people. Over time, the definition of democracy has changed; it has been shaped by historical events, socioeconomic changes, and the inability to provide? equality and representation to all individuals. Throughout American history, the interpretation and application of democracy have undergone significant transformations.
During early European colonization, democratic principles were often limited to self-governing communities where white landowning males had significant power? During the revolutionary period, the creation of the united states as an independent country and the creation of the constitution, for instance, saw … however, democracy was exclusionary, as voting rights and political participation were for white property owning males? The exclusion of african americans and women, particularly, reflected power structures of the time. As the nation expanded, moreover, so did the struggle to define and extend democratic principles. In the colonial era, the seeds of American democracy were sown as settlers established local assemblies and experimented with self-governance. However, this early democratic spirit was not universally inclusive, as many colonies upheld restrictive voting rights based on property ownership, gender, and race.
The civil war was both a conflict over the preservation of the union and a struggle for the rights of blacks in america. The issue of slavery underscored the contradiction between the democratic principles adopted by the nations founders and the exclusion of an entire population based on race. The emancipation proclamation and reconstruction era sought to address some of these injustices, but the promises of equality were short lived as the reconstruction gave way to the jim crow laws in the south. While the Constitution aimed to create a more stable and centralized government, it also embedded democratic principles in the form of representative governance.
In the mid 20th century, the civil rights movement pushed for inclusivity and equal rights which began to reshape american democracy. Legislation such as the civil rights act of 1964 and the voting rights act of 1964 and the voting rights act of 1965 aimed to dismantle institutionalized racism and discrimination, extending the democratic promise to african americans and other marginalized groups.
In conclusion, the evolution of democracy in america from colonization through the civil war is a narrative of struggle, progress, and contradiction. It began as a concept limited to a privileged few and gradually expanded through periods of reform and upheaval. Yet, the exclusionary practices embedded in American society, particularly in the form of slavery and racial discrimination, have posed significant hurdles to the realization of a fully inclusive democracy.
