Social Studies TAKS Review

1. Social Studies TAKS Review Vocabulary & Content

2. Republic, Representative Government, Representative Democracy Power is held by the people and exercised through the efforts of representatives chosen by the people

3. 1776 On July 4th of this year, fifty-six representatives from the thirteen colonies met and unanimously approved the Declaration of Independence

4. Federalists Those in favor of ratification of the Constitution and a strong central (federal) government

5. Declaration of Independence This document was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It established the 13 colonies as independent states, free from rule by Great Britain.

6. Thomas Jefferson Author of the Declaration of Independence

7. 1861-1865 The American Civil War was fought during these years.

8. Fort Sumter, SC Civil War began here

9. Appomattox Court House Civil War ended here; Lee surrendered to Grant

10. Anaconda Plan Lincoln’s plan to conquer the South and win the Civil War for the Union

11. Northwest Ordinance Enacted in 1787, it is considered one of the most significant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It established a system for setting up governments in the western territories so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original 13 states.

12. Quote from 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 unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. . .

13. To protect people’s rights The purpose of government according to the Declaration of Independence

14. The people According to the Declaration of Independence, where a government gets its power from (“consent of the governed”)

15. Emancipation Proclamation Taking effect in January of 1863, it declared that all slaves in rebellious Confederate states would be free

16. Magna Carta This document, signed by King John of England in 1215, is the cornerstone of English law and justice. It declared that the king and government were bound by the same laws as other citizens of England.

17. Founding Fathers Men who played a major role in declaring U.S. independence, fighting the Revolutionary War, or writing and adopting the U.S. Constitution. They include Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison.

18. Mercantilism A set of economic principles based on policies which stress government regulation of economic activities to benefit the home country. This was one cause of the American Revolution.

19. Plantation System A system of agricultural production based on large-scale land ownership and slave labor. This system focused on the production of cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane.

20. Industrial Revolution During this rapid period of industrial growth, more and more countries adopted mass production. Handmade goods were quickly replaced by machine-made goods. Factory laborers replaced craftsmen and home production.

21. Anti-Federalist Those who were opposed to (against) the ratification of the Constitution because they feared the power of the national government in the new federal system, and because they favored states’ rights.

22. Unalienable rights These rights are fundamental or natural guaranteed to people naturally instead of by the law. They include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

23. Articles of Confederation This document was the nation’s first plan of government adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1781. This document gave most of the government power to the states, not the federal government.

24. Marbury v. Madison This was the first judgement by the Supreme Court which supported the federal system of government. In 1803, Chief Justice John Marshall, a Federalist, strengthened the powers of the court by establishing the principle of judicial review (the power to of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional).

25. Federalist Papers A series of essays written by three leading Federalists - James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay - to promote the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

26. Limited Government In this type of government everyone, including all authority figures, must obey laws. Constitutions, statements of rights, and other laws define the limits of those in power so that rulers cannot take advantage of their elected, appointed, or inherited positions.

27. Abolitionist movement This movement concentrated on ending slavery in the United States.

28. Battle of Vicksburg The Union gained control of the Mississippi River in this turning point battle of the Civil War.

29. Abraham Lincoln President of the Union during the Civil War, believing his main goal was to save the Union (although he added the abolition of slavery to Union goals when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation).

30. Ulysses S. Grant Most important Union general during the Civil War.

31. Jefferson Davis President of the Confederate States of America.

32. Robert E. Lee Most important Confederate general

33. Increased Effect a British blockade had on American manufacturing during the War of 1812

34. Battle of Gettysburg Union victory turned back a Southern invasion of Pennsylvania; this battle in 1863 marked a turning point in the Civil War because the South would never again be able to take the offensive.

35. Samuel Adams Leader of the Sons of Liberty in Boston, responsible for protests leading to the American Revolution

36. Benjamin Franklin Helped with the Declaration of Independence, negotiated the French alliance, negotiated the Treaty of Paris, 1783 following the American Revolution, and helped write the Constitution of the United States.

37. George Washington Commander of the Continental Army (American army) during the American Revolution.

38. Thomas Paine Wrote Common Sense, a pamphlet that inspired the Declaration of Independence, and The Crisis, encouraging Americans to keep fighting during the American Revolution.

39. Free enterprise system An economic system in which individuals depend on supply and demand the profit margin to determine what to produce, how to produce, how much to produce, and for whom to produce. (The opposite to government control such as mercantilism.)

40. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut This document was the first written constitution in America.

41. Federalism The division of power between the federal or central government and the states within a country.

42. Constitutional Convention This meeting was held for the purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation, but instead resulted in a new plan of government. 39 of the 55 delegates who attended signed the new document - the U.S. Constitution.

43. Philadelphia The location where the Second Continental Congress met to sign the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutional Convention met.

44. 1787 The year the Constitutional Convention met and proposed the U.S. Constitution.

45. Gold Rush of 1849 Event responsible for the great growth in population of California; by 1850 California was ready to be admitted as a state.

46. Fugitive Slave Law Part of the Compromise of 1850 that required slaves caught anywhere in the United States to be returned to their owners in the South.

47. Missouri Compromise of 1820 First compromise dealing the expansion of slavery; Maine became a free state and Missouri became a slave state; slavery was outlawed in the remaining northern part of the Louisiana Purchase.

48. “Bleeding Kansas” Event describing the fighting when a territory in the Louisiana Purchase was allowed to decide slavery by popular sovereignty (letting the voters decide); both sides cheated in the election and violence ensued.

49. Uncle Tom’s Cabin Anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe describing the evils of slavery.

50. Raid on Harper’s Ferry Abolitionist John Brown tried to capture the United States army arsenal here to get guns to arm slaves in Virginia for a slave uprising.

51. Andrew Jackson Hero of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812.

52. Remain neutral Advice Washington gave to the United States in his Farewell Address about foreign alliances.

53. Democratic-Republican Party One of the first 2 political parties, evolving out of the Anti-Federalists; believing that most power should belong to the states; led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

54. Federalist Party One of the first 2 political parties; believed in a strong central government; led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams.

55. Democratic Party Political party founded by Andrew Jackson and still in existence today; the party of the “common man”

56. Republican Party Political party founded in the 1850’s to oppose the spread of slavery into the territories; still in existence today.

57. Civil disobedience Henry David Thoreau advocated this process of defying the law or policies of a government when a person believes the laws are unjust.

58. Civic virtue People who exemplify this quality go beyond their obligations by taking an active role in improving the community and the experiences of other members of the community.

59. Republicanism A principle of government, with elected representatives serving at the will of the people.

60. Mayflower Compact This document was written in 1620 prior to the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Bay in Massachusetts. The males who signed agreed to majority rule and participate in a government in the best interests of all members of the colony.

61. New England Colonies Colonial region that was the coldest, rocky & hilly, ill suited for agriculture; colonists specialized in fishing, whaling, & shipbuilding.

62. Southern colonies Colonial region with the warmest climate, widest plains, and richest soil; colonists specialized in cash crop agriculture - tobacco, indigo, and rice.

63. Middle Colonies Colonial region including New York (taken over from the Dutch), Germans, English Quakers, and other European ethnic groups; colonists specialized in growing grains and making iron products.

64. Freedom of religion Reason why the colonies of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Maryland were founded.

65. Georgia Last and most southern English colony; founded as a refuge for debtors and to protect the Carolinas from the Spanish in Florida.

66. Money, wealth, riches, or gold Reason for founding many of the English colonies, including the first English colony - Virginia.

67. Tobacco First cash crop to make money for Virginia and the other Southern colonies.

68. Eli Whitney Invented the cotton gin and the idea of interchangeable parts.

69. Nullification Crisis Southern states declared federal protective tariffs null and void, believing in the theory of states’ rights proposed by John C. Calhoun. President Jackson threatened to use federal troops to collect tariffs.

70. Henry Clay The “Great Compromiser” solved the Nullification Crisis with a compromise tariff; he also wrote the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise of 1850.

71. Judicial review Provides for the judicial branch of the government to determine if laws are constitutional.

72. 15th Amendment This amendment granted black men the right to vote.

73. English Bill of Rights In 1689, this document guaranteed certain rights to Englishmen and established the idea of limited government in the minds of the colonists who later wrote the U.S. Constitution.

74. Monroe Doctrine A statement of foreign policy which proclaimed that Europe should not interfere in affairs within the United States or in the development of other countries in the Western Hemisphere (in return, the U.S. would not interfere in Europe).

75. 1607 In this year representatives of the Virginia Company established the first permanent English settlement in North America. The settlement was called Jamestown in honor of King James I of England.

76. Separation of powers The division of a central government into two or more branches, each having its own responsibilities and authorities.

77. Dred Scott v. Sanford A landmark Supreme Court decision which confirmed the status of slaves as property rather than citizens, denied citizenship to free blacks, and stated that Congress had no power to outlaw slavery in any territory.

78. Bill of Rights The first ten amendments to the Constitution, ratified in 1791.

79. Individual rights Principle of government - people have rights protected by the Bill of Rights, including freedom of speech and press.

80. Reform movements Worked to change society for the better; focused on improving conditions for the poor, enslaved, imprisoned, women, and the disabled.

81. 1803 In this year, President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Purchase from France, more than doubling the size of the United States.

82. Gettysburg Address Speech given by Abraham Lincoln which captured the spirit of liberty and morality ideally held by citizens of a democracy - “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

83. Protective tariff A tax on an imported product designed to protect local industries.

84. 14th Amendment This amendment declared that all persons born or naturalized in the United States were entitled equal rights, regardless of the race, and that their rights were protected at both the state and national levels. This became the basis of the civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s.

85. French and Indian War This struggle between the British and the French in the colonies of North America was part of a worldwide war know that the Seven Years War. It led to British taxation of the American colonies to pay the war debt.

86. Manifest Destiny An expression from the 1840’s - many people believed it was the “God-given” right of the United States to own land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This idea led to annexing Texas, acquiring Oregon, and the Mexican War.

87. Checks and balances A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent the abuse of power.

88. 13th Amendment This amendment ended slavery in the United States.

89. Popular sovereignty The idea that political power rests with the people who can create, alter, and abolish government. People express themselves through voting and free participation in government.

90. King George III King of England during the American Revolution

91. George Washington President of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the first President of the United States.

92. “No taxation without representation!” Cause of the American Revolution; belief that people should not be taxed unless they elected the representatives who determined their taxes

93. Parliament Name for British (English) lawmakers

94. Battle of Lexington & Concord First battle of the American Revolution; British troops marching out of Boston to confiscate guns and ammunition stockpiled by colonists were met by colonial militia.

95. Battle of Saratoga Turning point of the American Revolution; American victory convinced the French to ally with Americans

96. Valley Forge Horrible winter camp endured by Washington’s army, suffering from cold, disease, and hunger.

97. Battle of Yorktown Last battle of the American Revolution - American army, French army, and French navy forced the British to surrender

98. Treaty of Paris, 1783 Britain officially recognized the United States as an independent country and agreed that the western boundary would be the Mississippi River.

99. Great Compromise Constitutional compromise giving the United States a two-house legislature - the Senate where each state has 2 votes and the House of Representatives where each states’ votes are based on population.

100. 3/5 Compromise Constitutional compromise where 5 slaves were counted as 3 people for the purposes of determining Representatives in Congress

101. Electoral College Group of delegates from each state that actually selects the President

102. Virginia House of Burgesses First representative assembly (legislature) in the English colonies, 1619

103. Mexican War War between the United States and Mexico, 1846-1848. Fought over the annexation of Texas and resulted in the United States gaining California and the rest of the Southwest.

104. Temperance Reform movement aimed at ending the sale of alcohol and stopping people from drinking

105. Suffrage The right to vote

106. Women’s rights Reform movement led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony

107. Sectionalism The differences between the North and South that led to each side being more loyal to their region of the nation than to the nation as a whole; one cause of the Civil War.

108. South Region of the country in the 1800’s that specialized in cotton plantation agriculture based on slave labor.

109. John C. Calhoun His theory of states’ rights justified South Carolina’s attempt to nullify the federal tariff and led to the Nullification Crisis.

110. Daniel Webster Spokesman for the North, supporting a strong federal government and protective tariffs.

111. North Section of the country in the 1800’s that was heavily industrialized, urban, in favor of protective tariffs, and opposed slavery.

112. Andrew Jackson President responsible for the removal of the Cherokee and other Native Americans from their homes in the east to reservations west of the Mississippi River.

113. “Trail of Tears” The forcible removal of Cherokees to reservations west of the Mississippi River; a journey that resulted in many deaths and much suffering.

114. John Wilkes Booth Actor who assassinated President Lincoln in revenge for the South losing the Civil War.

115. Amendment An official change or addition to a law or government document

116. Increased Effect the Industrial Revolution had on the amount of goods produced.

117. Decreased Effect the Industrial Revolution had on the price of goods produced.

118. Cotton gin Machine that quickly cleaned cotton fibers, separating seeds and other trash; led to a dramatic increase in cotton agriculture and slave labor to tend the cotton fields.

119. Robert Fulton Invented the steamboat

120. Export Goods sold outside the country

121. Rural Relating to the countryside, or outside the city

122. Import Goods brought from sellers in other countries.

123. Blockade To cut off supplies; to surround an enemy (particularly by sea) and prevent any movement in or out

124. Urban Relating to the city, in or of the city

125. Ratify To officially approve

126. Veto The power of the President to reject a bill passed by Congress

127. Legislative branch Branch of government that makes laws

128. Judicial Branch Branch of government that interprets laws and punishes lawbreakers

129. Executive Branch Branch of government that enforces laws.

130. Political Relating to politics, government, or law

131. Economic Relating to money, taxes, and production of goods and services.

132. Primary source An original document, artifact, picture, journal, cartoon from the time period in which an event occurred or a record from a person who participated in the event.

133. Boston Tea Party Event leading to the American Revolution where members of the Sons of Liberty destroyed 3 shiploads of tea in Boston harbor in protest over the Tea Tax.

134. Textile mill Factory for producing cloth or clothing

135. Interchangeable parts Parts machine-made to be so nearly identical that they can easily be replaced or substituted for each other; resulting in much faster manufacturing and repair

136. Boston Massacre Event leading to the American Revolution, where 5 colonists in an angry mob were killed by British soldiers guarding a tax office in Boston.

137. Stamp Act A tax on paper documents; one of the direct taxes which formed the basis of colonial complaints leading to the American Revolution.

138. James Madison “Father of the Constitution” - Federalist responsible for most of the ideas in the Constitution and also for writing most of the Bill of Rights.

139. Secondary source Information that comes from a second-hand source (encyclopedia, textbook, etc.)