Key Terms: Political Terms Flashcards
Who were the Pilgrim Fathers? What were they the originators of?
People who set up colonies in Massachusetts in 1620
What was the Declaration of Independence? When was it created?
4th July 1776, Identified the idea of liberty and little government intervention from the Government
What did the US Constitution do? When was it made?
Created in 1787. Put the Declaration of Independence in to law, advocating for freedom and there to be no monarchy
What is the Federal System of Government?
When there is a central government for a nation but also each state has their own government
What is the Electoral College? How do they determine the overall amount of votes?
The people who’s votes count for deciding who will be the next President. Decided by the number of Electoral College votes in each state.
What does it mean if there is a laissez-faire political structure?
The idea that the government will not interfere in business growth
What is Isolationism?
The policy of keeping out of foreign affairs
What is Segregation?
The separation of African Americans from White Americans
What is an Abolitionist?
Someone who campaigns for the end of slavery
When was the Monroe Doctrine made? What was it?
Created in 1823 and said that Europe were not allowed to intervene with Latin America
What is Manifest Destiny?
The idea that Americans have always believed they were destined to conquer the rest of America
What is the Confederation? (Not the Civil War one)
The joining of different states from 1867-71 to strengthen Canada, which had recently gained independence from Britain
What is a Secretary of State?
The member of the cabinet who is responsible for foreign affairs and relations
Define Colonisation? (or else)
The forming of colonies where people go to in order to expand their territory
What was the California Gold Rush?
The discovery of gold in Sutters Mill in 1849 leading to a full scale attempt at finding as much gold as possible
What was the Bureau of Indian Affairs and when was it set up?
Set up in 1824 to better regulate work with Native Americans in the War Department
What is Impeachment?
The process by which a President can be removed from their position as President due to a crime that they have committed.
Define Emancipation in the USA context
The freeing of slaves in 1865
What was Reconstruction?
The period from 1865-77 where there was an attempt to rebuild the USA after the Civil War
What was Radical Reconstruction?
The policies introduced by Radical Republicans to do Reconstruction
What is an example of a Radical Policy of Reconstruction?
Having a Northern Military Presence in Southern States in order to enforce Reconstruction
What were the Black codes?
Laws implemented by the new Southern governments of the USA
What did the Black codes initially ban?
Interracial marriage, the ability for a black person to testify against a white person in court
Freedmens Bureau
Organisation initially set up for only a year by Lincoln and Congress to help African Americans get on their feet after being liberated from Slavery
What did the 13th Amendment do? What loophole was there?
Officially banned slavery, apart from when it was a punishment for a crime
What did the 14th Amendment do?
Forced all government officials to respect the equal rights of African Americans
What did the 15th Amendment do?
Gave everyone equal voting rights regardless of skin colour
Who were The Redeemers?
People who fought in the South against Southern Governments who they felt had been imposed on them
What was the Tweed Ring? What 3 things did it control?
A money laundering organisation which controlled the courts, treasury and ballot box
What was the Spoils system?
Where the winning political party after an election gives government jobs to its voters as a reward for supporting them
What is Patronage?
The act of giving loyal supporters of your political party roles in the government
What is Patronage also known as?
The ‘Spoils System’
What were Stalwarts?
A section of the Republican party that existed briefly after the period of Reconstruction
Who were Mugwumps? What did they oppose?
People who supported the Republican Party and heavily opposed political corruption
What was the Gilded Age?
The label given to the period of growth in the USA in the late 19th century
What was the Solid South?
The consistency of the Democrats dominating Southern states in elections from 1870 to 1960
What does NNC stand for?
National Nominating Convention
What was the National Nominating Convention?
A convention held by the Republicans and Democrats during the election years where the parties decide on their candidates and their policies
What was Pork-barrel politics?
A term describing the way that politicians passed out federal government funds to reward people who helped them in elections
What was Tammany Hall?
A political organisation which helped Irish immigrants gain a larger USA political presence from 1850 to 1960
What was the Treaty of Fort Laramie?
A treaty made between the USA and Native Americans, where Native American tribes wished to live in peace
What were the Alabama Claims?
The demanding of funds for damages to be given to the USA from Britain who attacked Union Merchant Ships
What is Progressivism?
Doctrine developed in the early 1900s by Teddy Roosevelt which considered the rights for workers
