AP US History Flashcards Flashcards

7617392048	Columbian Exchange	Refers to the exchange of plants and animals between the New World and Europe following the discovery of America in 1492. New World crops such as corn, tomatoes, and potatoes had a dramatic effect on the European diet. At the same time, Old World domesticated animals such as horses, cows, and pigs had a dramatic effect on life in the New World.	0
7617392049	Mercantilism	Was the economic philosophy of Great Britain in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Like other mercantile powers, Great Britain sought to increase its wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by establishing a favorable balance of trade with its colonies.	1
7617392050	Half-Way Covenant	The Puritans established this to ease requirements for church membership. It allowed the baptism of the children of baptized but unconverted Puritans.	2
7617392051	Enlightenment	Was an eighteenth-century philosophy stressing that reason could be used to improve the human condition. Thinkers such as Thomas Jefferson stressed the idea of natural rights. This can clearly be seen in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."	3
7618131647	Deism	The belief that God created the universe but allowed it to operate through the laws of nature. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin believed that natural laws could be discovered by the use of human reason.	4
7618131648	The First Great Awakening	This term refers to a wave of religious revivals that spread across the American colonies during the 1730s and 1740s.	5
7618131649	Republican Government/Republicanism	The belief that government should be based on the consent of the people. Inspired the American revolutionaries of the eighteenth century.	6
7618131650	Separation of Powers	This term refers to the division of power among the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government. Alexander Hamilton defended the principle of this when he wrote, "There is no liberty if the power of judging be not separated from the legislative and executive powers..."	7
7618433347	Checks and Balances	This term refers to a system in which each branch of government can check the power of the other branches. For example, the president can veto a bill passed by Congress, but Congress can override the president's veto.	8
7618433348	Judicial Review	The Supreme Court can strike down an act of Congress by declaring it unconstitutional. This principle was established in the case of Marbury v. Madison.	9
7618433349	Internal Improvements/American System	Term referring to the development of a national transportation system. The American System refers to a set of proposals designed to unify the nation and strengthen its economy by means of protective tariffs, a national bank, and internal improvements such as canals and new roads. Henry Clay was the chief proponent of the American System.	10
7618433350	Cult of Domesticity/Republican Motherhood	This idea refers to the idealization of women in their roles as wives and mothers. This concept suggested that women would be responsible for raising their children to be virtuous citizens of the new American republic.	11
7618433351	Transcendentalism	Was a philosophical and literary movement of the 1800s that emphasized living a simple life and celebrating the truth found in nature and in personal emotion and imagination. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were the foremost transcendentalist writers.	12
7619032030	Perfectionism	The belief that humans can use conscious acts of will to create communities based upon cooperation and mutual respect. Utopian communities such as Brook Farm, New Harmony, and Oneida reflected the blossoming of perfectionist aspirations.	13
7619032031	The Second Great Awakening	This term refers to a wave of religious enthusiasm that spread across America between 1800 and 1830. Middle-class women played an especially important role in this by making Americans aware of the moral issues posed by slavery.	14
7619032032	Jacksonian Democracy	This term refers to a set of political beliefs associated with Andrew Jackson and his followers. Included respect for the common sense and abilities of the common man, expansion of White male suffrage, appointment of political supporters to government positions, and opposition to privileged Eastern elites.	15
7619174050	Nullification	Legal theory that a state in the United States has the right to nullify (invalidate) any federal law that the state deems unconstitutional. John C. Calhoun was the foremost proponent of the doctrine of nullification. Inspired by his leadership, a convention in South Carolina declared the tariffs of both 1828 and 1832 unenforceable in that state	16
7619174051	Manifest Destiny	The term refers to the 19th-century belief that the United States would inevitably expand westward to the Pacific Ocean.	17
7619174052	Popular Sovereignty	The principle that the settlers of a given territory have the sole right to decide whether or not slavery will be permitted there. Led to a divisive debate over the expansion of slavery into the territories. The first great test occurred in Kansas	18
7619174053	Jim Crow Laws	These were post-Civil War laws and customs designed to discriminate against African-Americans	19
7619174054	Social Gospel	Refers to a 19th-century reform movement based on the believe that Christians have a responsibility to actively confront social problems such as poverty. Led by Christian ministers, advocates argued that real social change would result from dedication to both religious practice and social reform	20
7619174055	Gospel of wealth	This was the belief that the rich were the guardians of society's wealth and , as such, had a duty to serve society in humane ways. Andrew Carnegie was the foremost advocate.	21
7619174056	Social Darwinism	This term refers to the belief that there is a natural evolutionary process by which the fittest will survive. Wealthy business and industrial leaders used this to justify their success. John D. Rockefeller used this to justify his success: "The growth of a large business corporation is merely survival of the fittest... The American Beauty rose can be produced in the splendor and fragrance which brings cheer to its beholder only by sacrificing the early buds which grow up around it. This is not an evil tendency in business. It is merely the working out of a law of nature and a law of God	22
7619273283	Frontier Thesis	This term refers to the argument by historian Frederick Jackson Turner that the frontier experience helped make American society more democratic. Turner especially emphasized the importance of cheap, unsettled land and the absence of landed aristocracy. Here is an illustrative quote: "From the beginning of the settlement of America, the frontier regions have exercised a steady influence toward democracy... American democracy is fundamentally the outcome of the experience of the American people in dealing with the West..."	23
7619273284	New immigrants	This term refers to the massive wave of immigrants who came to America between 1880 and 1924. The old immigrants came primarily from England, Germany, and Scandinavia. The new immigrants came primarily from small farms and villages in southern and eastern Europe	24
7619273285	Nativism	Favored the interests of native-born people over the interests of immigrants. The Know-Nothings were the first nativist political party. Nativist's directed their hostility against Irish and German Catholic immigrants	25
7619273286	Muckrakers	These were early 20th century journalists who exposed illegal business practices, social injustices and corrupt urban political bosses Leading muckrakers included Upton Sinclair, Jacob Riis, and Ida Tarbell.	26
7619273287	Taylorism	This was a system of scientific management developed by Frederick W. Taylor. Sought to develop a disciplined labor force by eliminating wasted motion	27
7619528674	Vertical integration	Occurs when a company controls both production and distribution of its product. For example, Andrew Carnegie used this to gain control over the US steel industry	28
7619528675	Horizontal integration	Occurs when one company gains control over other companies that produce the same product	29
7619528676	Hoovervilles	These were slums or shantytowns inhabited by unemployed and homeless people during the great depression	30
7619528677	Laissez-faire economics	This is an economic philosophy stating that economic activities should be largely free of governmental interference, regulations, and restraint. It is interesting to note that it was supported by leaders who, ironically, also supported protective tariffs.	31
7619528678	Isolationism	Was a US foreign-policy calling for Americans to avoid entangling political alliances. During the 1930s, isolationist drew support from ideas expressed in Washington's farewell address. The Neutrality Acts of the 1930s were expressions of a commitment to isolationism.	32
7619528679	Containment	Was the name for a US Cold War foreign-policy designed to contain or block the spread of Soviet influence. George F. Kennan was an American diplomat and specialist on the Soviet union who wrote an influential article advocating that the United States focus its foreign policy on containing the spread of Soviet influence	33
7619528680	McCarthyism	This term refers to the making of public accusations of disloyalty without sufficient evidence. Senator McCarthy played on the fears of Americans by claiming that Communists had infiltrated the U.S. State Department and other federal agencies. Senator McCarthy's accusations helped create a climate of paranoia, as Americans became preoccupied with the perceived threat that posed by alleged Communist subversives working in the United States.	34
7619528681	Domino Theory	This theory refers to the belief that if one country falls to communism, its neighbors will also be infected and fall to communism. For example, the fall of South Vietnam would lead to the loss of all of south east Asia The following statement by an American Secretary of State illustrates the domino theory: "If Indo-China were to fall and if it's fall led to the loss of all of Southeast Asia, then the United States might eventually be forced back to Hawaii, as it was before the Second World War"	35
7619528682	Massive Retaliation	This was a military doctrine associated with President Eisenhower's secretary of state John Foster Dulles. In the event of an attack by the Soviet Union or any other hostile power, the United States would retaliate with massive force, including nuclear weapons. The threat of massive retaliation was designed to deter an enemy from launching an initial attack.	36
7619528683	Black Power	This movement of the 1960s advocates that African Americans establish control of their political and economic life. Key advocates of Black Power included Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, and Huey Newton.	37
7619528684	Hawks and Doves	Hawks supported US involvement in the Vietnam War and believed America should increase military force to win the war. Doves opposed the Vietnam war and believed the United States should withdraw it's forces from Vietnam	38
7619528685	Détente	The term refers to the relaxation of tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union; it was introduced by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and President Richard Nixon. Examples of détente include the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT), expanded trade with the Soviet Union, and President Nixon's trips to China and Russia.	39
7619528686	Reaganomics	Refers to the economic policies of President Ronald Reagan; it is also called supply side economics. President Reagan hoped to promote growth and investment by deregulating business, reducing corporate tax rates, and lowering federal tax rates for upper and middle income Americans	40