Who’s Who and Vocabulary in TEKS
1. Magna Carta – The cornerstone of English justice, signed in 1215 declaring the
same law bound the king and government as other citizens of England.
2. 1607 – Jamestown, Virginia, first permanent English settlement established by
Virginia Company. John Smith helped them through the “starving time” by
enacting military rule. John Rolfe introduced tobacco, which also helped them
succeed.
3. Representative government – A government in which power is held by the
people and exercised through the efforts of representatives elected by the
people.
4. Virginia House of Burgesses – Jamestown, Virginia. First representative
government in the colonies and used as a model by other colonies
5. Mayflower Compact – Drafted by the Pilgrims in 1620, it declared that the 4l
males who signed it would abide by majority rule and follow the voluntary
government set up for Plymouth, Massachusetts.
6.
Fundamental Orders of Connecticut – First written constitution in the
American colonies that set a precedent for written constitutions in the colonies.
7. William Penn – Established Pennsylvania as a refuge for Quakers, believed in
religious freedom and opposed warfare, wanted fair treatment for Native
Americans. Attracted different ethnic groups because of their tolerant attitudes.
8. Plantation System – System of large-scale agriculture in the Southern
colonies. Production is a cash crop such as rice, tobacco, cotton, and indigo
and depends on slave labor.
9. Triangular Trade – A system of trading steps in colonial times in which each
step exchanged one item for a more valuable one. One trade route might begin
in New England with rum and iron sent to Africa, in exchange for slaves (middle
passage) sent to the West Indies, where they were exchanged for sugar and
molasses, which would go back to New England to make rum.
10. English Bill of Rights – Passed in 1689 to limit the power of the monarchy
and to establish a system of government in which the people and the parliament
share power with the monarchy.
11. First Great Awakening – Movement in the 1730’s and 1740’s in response to
the strict teachings of the Puritans. The Great Awakening preached personal
salvation by good works and encouraged men and women to take an active
role in their own personal salvation.
12. Mercantilism– The economic system of Europe in the 1500’s and 1600’s,
which favored a balance of exports over imports and included the belief that
colonies should benefit the home country by supplying raw materials and
providing markets for finished goods.
13. French and Indian War – A war between England and France for control of
the Ohio Valley that began in the colonies in 1754. In 1763 the Treaty of Paris
gave the British all lands east of the Mississippi River and eliminated France as
a rival in North America.
14. Benjamin Franklin – Known for his many inventions, writing Poor Richard’s
Almanac, the Albany Plan, his famous Join or Die cartoon, the Declaration of
Independence. He also served as an envoy to France during the American
Revolution. He helped draft the Treaty of Paris at the end of The Revolutionary
War, and was the oldest member at the Constitutional Convention.
15. King George III– Crowned King during the French and Indian War. He took an
aggressive policy with the colonists during the American Revolution. He
struggled with mental illness and was not considered an effective leader.
16. George Washington – First saw military duty during the French and Indian
War and later became Commander of the Continental Army in the American
Revolution. His leadership and success as the American General made him a
natural choice as the nation’s first President.
17. Sam Adams – One of the most important rebels in the events leading to the
American Revolution. He strongly opposed the taxation policies of England and
helped organize the Sons of Liberty, the Committees of Correspondence and
later supported the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution.
18. Patrick Henry – His famous “Give me Liberty or Give me Death” speech to
the Virginia House of Burgesses clearly marked him as a man opposed to the
tyrannical policies of England. Later refused to attend Constitutional
Convention because he feared a strong central government.
19. Thomas Paine – His pamphlet, Common Sense, inspired the colonists
towards the idea of complete freedom from England and its monarchy. It
encouraged people to want to break the ties and fight for independence. During
a dark time in the war his pamphlet The American Crisis inspired the soldiers
and encouraged enlistments in the Continental Army.
20. 1776 – July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress formally approved the
Declaration of Independence.
21. Declaration of Independence – Document adopted by the Second
Continental Congress calling for the thirteen colonies to be free and
independent. The document was written to explain to the world why the
colonies were breaking away from Great Britain and to emphasize the power of
the people to control their own government. Thomas Jefferson is given credit
for most of the writing of the document.
22. Unalienable Rights – Those rights listed in the Declaration of Independence
that cannot be taken away: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
23. Thomas Jefferson – writer of the Declaration of Independence .
24. Marquis de Lafayette – French aristocrat who between 1776 and 1779 played
an important role in the American Revolution. He became one of George
Washington’s most trusted advisors and helped win the battle at Yorktown to
end the Revolutionary War.
25. John Paul Jones – Considered the founder of the U.S. Navy. His famous
quote, “I have not yet begun to fight”, occurred when he commanded the
Bonhomme Richard and defeated the British Serapis in battle.
26. Articles of Confederation – The nation’s first written plan of government was
weak because the Congress lacked the power to tax, to regulate trade, or to
control coining money. The states held most of the power. Instead of revising this
plan a new constitution was written in 1787.
27. Northwest Ordinance – This law established a system for governing the western
territories so they could join the Union as equals to the original 13 states. When
there are 60,000 inhabitants they could write a state constitution, which had to
provide for a representative government and it prohibited slavery in the states
applying for statehood.
28. 1787 – 55 Delegates met in Philadelphia to revise the Articles, but instead they
drafted, debated, compromised and wrote a new constitution.
29. Philadelphia Convention of 1787 – At this meeting to revise the Articles of
Confederation the discussions were kept secret. Arguments over representation in
Congress were solved by the Great Compromise, which provided for a bicameral
legislature. There was a concern that the new government was too powerful and
had no bill of rights to protect the citizens. These debates led to the development
of Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Delaware was the first to ratify the
Constitution, New Hampshire was the 9th to make it official, eventually all 13
approved once the Bill of Rights was approved.
30. Founding Fathers – This term applies to individuals who played a major role in
declaring U.S. independence, fighting the Revolutionary War, or writing and
adopting the U.S. Constitution. Founding fathers include Thomas Jefferson,
George Washington, and James Madison.
31. Federalism – Federalism is the distribution of power between a federal
government and the states within a union.
32. Civic Virtue – Citizens are obligated to be active, loyal, supportive members of
the community. Those with civic virtue take a more active role in improving the
community and the experiences of others.
33. George Mason – As a delegate from Virginia to the Constitutional Convention he
delivered many speeches but then refused to sign the Constitution because it did
not include a Bill of Rights.
34. James Madison – “Father of the Constitution” and author of the Bill of Rights. He
supported a strong central government that became the platform for the Federalist
Party. Elected President in, 1808, he presided through the War of 1812 and
escaped Washington D.C. in August 1814, when the British invaded and set the
public buildings afire.
35. Federalists Papers – These are a series of 85 essays written by James Madison,
Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay to explain the new government under the
Constitution and to convince states to ratify it.
36. Federalists and Anti-Federalists – Those favoring ratification of the Constitution and
adoption of a strong federal government were called Federalists. Those opposed,
feared the power of the national government and were called Anti-Federalists. They
wanted more protections for the rights of the states and the individual.
37. United States Constitution - One of the foundations of the American system of
government is the use of a written constitution defining the values and principles of
government and establishing limits of power. In over 200 years there have only been
27 amendments to our Constitution, but it also adapted to the needs of generations of
Americans through customs, traditions, and interpretations.
38. Limited Government – Everyone, including all authorities, must obey the laws.
Constitutions and other laws, this defines the limits of those in power so they cannot
take advantage of their elected or appointed positions.
39. Republicanism- This is a philosophy of limited government with elected
representatives serving at the will of the people. Republicanism says that the only
legitimate government is one based on the consent of the governed.
40. Separation of Powers – The U.S. Constitution outlines the powers of the three
branches. The legislative branch is the congress, which makes the laws. The
executive branch is the president, who carries out the laws with the help of the cabinet
and agencies. The judicial branch consists of the courts, which interpret and apply
the laws.
41. Checks and Balances – The U.S. Constitution authorizes each branch of
government to share its powers with the other branches and thereby check their
activities and power. The President can veto legislation passed by Congress, but
Congress can override the veto. The Senate confirms major appointments made by
the President and the courts may declare acts passed by Congress as
unconstitutional.
42. Individual Rights - Many opposed the Constitution in 1787 because they believed it
did not offer adequate protection of individual rights. The Bill of Rights was created to
correct this. As public opinion changes, more amendments have been added to free
the slaves and protect their rights and to extend voting rights to women.
43. Bill of Rights – The first ten amendments to the Constitution were ratified in 1791.
The first amendment contains the five basic freedoms of: speech, religion, press,
assembly, and petition. The next amendments guarantee other freedoms including
the right to a fair trial, right to reasonable bail, the right to bear arms, protection from
unreasonable searches or cruel and unusual punishment.
44. Naturalized Citizen – A naturalized citizen is a person of foreign birth who is granted
full citizenship.
45. Alexander Hamilton – Wrote the Federalist Papers endorsing the Constitution. He
was appointed Washington’s First Secretary of the Treasury, supported strong
national government, and establishment of the National Bank.
46. Tariff Policies – Governments raise money by levying tariffs or taxes on imported
goods. Generally northerners favored the tariff because it helped protect them from
foreign competition but southerners opposed tariffs because they were more
dependent on foreign trade.
47. Washington’s Farewell Address - After serving two terms George Washington
decided not to run for a third term. In his last speech as President he warned against
three important issues: 1. The rise of political parties. 2. Fear of sectionalism or
political divisions based on geographic loyalties. 3. Long term involvement in
European problems.
48. John Marshall – Served as Supreme Court justice for 34 years. He reviewed many
early cases and in his opinions gave more power to the judicial branch and to the
national government over the state government. He established the power of judicial
review.
49. Judicial Review – The power of the Supreme Court to determine that a law can be
declared unconstitutional. In our federal system of government the judicial branch is
responsible for interpreting and applying laws and ensuring they are constitutional.
50. Marbury v. Madison – The first judgment by the Supreme Court, which supported the
federal system of government. In 1803 John Marshall upheld and strengthened the
power of the judiciary in this case.
51. Thomas Jefferson –He was our nation’s first Secretary of State and one of the
early supporters of the Democrat/Republican party that supported state’s rights
over the strong central government supported by the Federalists. As third
president, he purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, and also imposed
the unpopular Embargo Act that paralyzed trade for over one year. He and John
Adams died on July 4, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of
Independence.
52. 1803 – The United States bought the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon
Bonaparte, ruler of France, for $15 million dollars, or less than 3 cents per acre.
This purchase more than doubled the area of the United States.
53. War of 1812 – Often called the “Second War for Independence”, this war was the
United States attempt to make European powers respect U.S. policies. At this time
both the warring nations of Great Britain and France were not respecting American
rights to trade and remain neutral in the war. President Madison asked Congress
to declare this war to stop impressments and violations of U.S. rights at sea and
British encouragement of Indian rebellion in the Western territories. The United
States strategy included conquering Canada in order to reduce the dominance of
Great Britain in North America. The burning of Washington D.C., the writing of the
Star Spangled Banner, the Treaty of Ghent, and Andrew Jackson’s famous battle
of New Orleans, two weeks after the peace treaty was signed are all historical
events from this war.
54. McCulloch v. Maryland – in 1819, Maryland was opposed to the establishment of a
national bank and challenged the authority of the federal government to establish one.
The Supreme Court ruled that the power of the federal government was supreme over
that of the states and that the states could not interfere.
55. Gibbons v. Ogden – in 1824, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution gave
control of interstate commerce to the U.S. Congress, not the individual states.This
judgment, once again, strengthened the power of the national government over the
states.
56. James Monroe – During two relatively peaceful terms as President of the U.S.,
1817-1824, the Missouri Compromise was signed, which temporarily solved the
issue of slavery in the West. In the Monroe Doctrine the United States declared
that European powers should not colonize or interfere in the affairs of nations in
the Western Hemisphere.
57. Monroe Doctrine – In 1823,this statement of foreign policy proclaimed that
Europe should not interfere in affairs within the United States or in the
development of other countries in the Western Hemisphere, and the United States
would not interfere in European affairs.
58. Henry Clay – He was known as the “Great Compromiser” for his ability to
smooth sectional conflict through balanced legislation. Both a senator and
representative from Kentucky and Speaker of the House, he favored internal
improvements and westward expansion. In 1820 he sponsored the Missouri
Compromise, which temporarily solved the slavery issue in the West. His
compromise on the tariff settled the Nullification Crisis in 1832, another a major
sectional issue before the Civil War.
59. Industrial Revolution – Steam power was more reliable than waterpower.
Handmade goods were replaced by machine-made, which were produced faster
and cheaper. This increased the supply of products and made them affordable to
more people.
60. Frederick Douglass – A leading African-American abolitionist, he was an
escaped slave, known as a fine orator who wrote and lectured about the horrors of
slavery.
61. Protective Tariff - This is a high customs duty (tax) on imports, which is designed
to encourage people to buy American made products; this promotes the
development of new American industries.
62. Free Enterprise – After American independence, mercantilism was replaced with
free enterprise as the economic system. Free enterprise is the freedom of
individuals and businesses to operate and compete with a minimum of
government interference or regulation. In America we can set up our own
business, own our resources, and make a profit.
63. Daniel Webster – As a Congressman from the northeast, he was known for his
speaking ability and commitment to preserving the union of states. He participated
in the Webster-Hayne debate over the doctrine of nullification.
64. Points of View/Political Parties - The growth of political parties started because of
different interpretations of the Constitution, from the Federalist/Anti-Federalists,
Democrats under Andrew Jackson, Republicans with Abraham Lincoln.
65. Andrew Jackson – First famous as a hero in the War of 1812, at the battle of New
Orleans. Because of increased voting and campaigning, he’s known as a symbol of
expanding democracy and the common man’s rise to power. As president, he
increased the power of the executive branch, using vetoes, the spoils system, and
kitchen cabinet. His harsh treatment of Native Americans led to their removal to the
West.
66. Removal / Settlement of Native Americans – Most Indian tribes were removed from
lands east of the Mississippi River. Many Cherokees died along the Trail of Tears, as
they were forced to move to the area of Oklahoma.
67. Nullification Crisis – The high protective tariff of 1828 hated by the South, they
called it an “abomination”. South Carolina declared it unconstitutional and “null and
void”. They refused to enforce it and threatened to secede. A compromise lowered
the tariff gradually. John Calhoun, Southern and Daniel Webster, Northern, had
opposite viewpoints.
68. John C. Calhoun – As a strong supporter of states’ rights from South Carolina, he led
opposition to the Tariff of 1828.They declared the tariff null and void in the state and
threatened to secede, this angered President Andrew Jackson. Years later in 1860
South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union which began the Civil
War over the state’s rights issue.
69. Manifest Destiny – A popular expression from the 1840s that the U.S. would expand
across the continent, from Atlantic to Pacific. This is associated with the presidential
campaign of James K. Polk, when he favored getting Oregon and Texas. The
Mexican War, Mexican Cession, also helped the US achieve their goal.
70. Second Great Awakening – This movement reinvigorated church membership in the
1800s, emphasizing a personal approach to faith as opposed to more rational beliefs.
This led to the humanitarian efforts to reform society.
71. Reform Movements – Efforts to change society for the better increased in the early
1800s. These included reforms for Education, Prisons, Slavery, Women’s Rights, and
Temperance (limiting alcohol).
72. Elizabeth Cady Stanton – She spent her life seeking equal rights for women and
helped organize the convention at Seneca Falls, where the Declaration of Rights of
Women was written in 1848. With Susan B. Anthony, she promoted women’s
suffrage.
73. Henry David Thoreau – He was a leading American writer and philosopher who
lived at Walden Pond, where he wrote an essay “Civil Disobedience”. He also
lectured and wrote against slavery.
74. Civil Disobedience – Passive resistance that urges people to challenge laws they
consider unjust by refusing to obey them.
75. Abolitionists Movement – Quakers in Pennsylvania established the first anti-slavery
groups. Later William Lloyd Garrison formed the American Anti-Slavery Society and
published the newspaper, The Liberator.
76. Free Blacks – Many moved to the North, where they were free, but still lived in an
atmosphere of racial prejudice and discrimination. Life was more difficult in the South,
where they had very few rights.
77. Dred Scott v. Sandford – In 1857, this landmark Supreme Court case defined the
status of slaves as property and not citizens. Chief Justice Roger Taney wrote that
Dred Scott was not free and had no right to sue in federal court.
78. Popular Sovereignty – This is the concept that political power rests with the people,
who express themselves through voting and participating in government. In the
1850s people in the territories would vote to decide if their state would be free or
slave.
79. 1861-1865 – The Unites States Civil War began on April 12, 1861, with the firing on
Fort Sumter and ended with the Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House in
April 1865. Bull Run, Antietam, the turning point at Gettysburg, the fall of Vicksburg,
and Sherman’s march through the South are famous battles.
80. Ulysses S. Grant – Famous as the commander of the Union army during the Civil
War he led the North to victory. His popularity resulted in his election as the 18th
president, but he was unprepared for that job.
81. Robert E. Lee – He gained recognition for his outstanding military leadership during
the Civil War. When the South seceded, Lincoln offered him the command of Union
forces but Lee refused, he resigned from the U.S. Army and returned to Virginia to
serve with Confederate forces. After his surrender to Grant at Appomattox, he urged
southerners to pledge allegiance to the north and to rebuild the nation.
82. Jefferson Davis – As president of the Confederate States he tried to lead the
southern states during the Civil War, despite the lack of consensus among
southerners. He continued to support the confederate cause after the war.
83. Abraham Lincoln – President during the Civil War. He helped build the Republican
Party and debated Stephen Douglas for the Illinois Senate seat in 1858.He lost that
election, but became a rising political star and won the Republican nomination and
Presidency in 1860, reelected in 1864 and assassinated in 1865. He managed to
preserve the unity of the U.S. and took steps to abolish slavery, but was assassinated
before he could implement post war plans.
84. Emancipation Proclamation - Issued in 1862 by Abraham Lincoln declaring that all
slaves in the rebellious Confederate States would be free. This was a gradual freeing,
as it did not apply to slaves living in border areas or states occupied by Federal
troops. All slaves were not free until the ratification of the 13th amendment in 1865.
85. Gettysburg Address – Abraham Lincoln gave this address at the dedication of the
national cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where the Battle of Gettysburg was
fought.
86. Reconstruction – The period from 1867-1877 when the U.S. confronted the process
for readmitting the southern states to the Union and integrating the freed slaves into
society.
87. Radical Reconstruction Congress – A group of Radical Republicans wished to
punish the South for the Civil War and allow all freemen, including blacks, full
citizenship and voting rights. They also wanted to seize land from the plantation
owners to redistribute to freedmen and fund schools for African Americans. The
Reconstruction Act of 1867 marked the beginning of Reconstruction. The 14 th
amendment or the Civil Rights Bill of 1866
was part of the process.
88. 13th Amendment – Passed in1865 as part of Reconstruction, it legally forbade
slavery in the U.S. without compensation to slave owners.
89. 14th Amendment – Passed in 1866 as part of Reconstruction and known as the Civil
Rights Bill it protected the rights and involvement of citizens in government. It
declared all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. (except Indians) were citizens,
and were entitled to equal rights and due process of law regardless of their race. It
wasn’t until the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s that unequal treatment of blacks
and women was truly addressed, but this was a start.
90. 15th Amendment – Ratified in 1870, during Reconstruction, it granted black men the
right to vote. Women suffragettes were opposed because it defined the right to vote
as a male right. Thus, gender remained an issue until 1920 when the 20th amendment
allowed women the right to vote.