Manifest Destiny
Belief (coined in the 1840s) that the U.S. was divinely ordained to expand westward to the Pacific; justified territorial expansion, Native removal, and war with Mexico, while intensifying sectional conflict over slavery.
John L. O’Sullivan
Journalist who coined the term Manifest Destiny; framed expansion as God-given and inevitable, shaping public opinion in favor of westward growth.
Oregon Trail
Major overland route to Oregon, California, and Utah; enabled mass migration west and symbolized opportunity despite extreme hardship.
Homestead Act (1862)
Granted 160 acres of land to settlers willing to farm it for five years; encouraged western settlement and favored free-soil ideology.
Webster–Ashburton Treaty (1842)
Resolved U.S.–British border disputes in Maine and Minnesota; reduced tensions with Britain.
49th Parallel
Boundary established in 1846 dividing U.S. and British Canada in the Oregon Territory; avoided war with Britain.
Mexican Cession
Land gained by the U.S. after the Mexican-American War, including California and the Southwest; reignited slavery debates.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
Ended the Mexican-American War; Mexico ceded vast territory to the U.S., confirming American continental expansion.
Gadsden Purchase (1853)
U.S. bought land from Mexico for a southern railroad route; reflected continued expansionist goals.
Stephen F. Austin
Leader of American settlement in Texas under Mexican rule; symbolized early U.S. expansion into Mexican territory.
Antonio López de Santa Anna
Mexican president and general; fought Texas rebels, defeated at San Jacinto, captured by Sam Houston.
Sam Houston
Leader of Texas independence movement; defeated Santa Anna, later became president of the Republic of Texas.
The Alamo
1836 siege where Texan defenders were killed by Mexican forces; became a rallying cry (“Remember the Alamo”).
James K. Polk
Expansionist president (1845–1849); oversaw annexation of Texas, Oregon settlement, and Mexican-American War.
“Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!”
Slogan demanding full U.S. control of Oregon; Polk compromised instead, avoiding war with Britain.
Bear Flag Republic
Short-lived revolt by American settlers in California against Mexican rule; preceded U.S. annexation.
Spot Resolutions
Lincoln’s challenge to Polk’s claim that Mexico attacked U.S. soil; questioned legitimacy of the Mexican-American War.
Slave Codes
Laws restricting the rights of enslaved people; reinforced racial hierarchy and control in the South.
3/5 Compromise
Counted enslaved people as three-fifths for representation; increased Southern political power.
Northwest Ordinance (1787)
Banned slavery north of the Ohio River; set precedent for federal control over slavery in territories.
Missouri Compromise (1820)
Admitted Missouri as slave, Maine as free; established 36°30′ line, temporarily balancing sectional power.
Wilmot Proviso
Proposed banning slavery in Mexican Cession; failed but intensified sectional conflict.
Free-Soil Movement
Opposed extension of slavery into western territories; sought opportunity for free white labor.
Compromise of 1850
Series of laws admitting California as free, strengthening Fugitive Slave Law, and allowing popular sovereignty; temporarily eased tensions but largely appeased the South.
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Untitled Deck55
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Unit 545
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Unit 5 part 238
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Reconstruction46
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Unit 1 Colonization and Exploration27
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Unit 2 Colonial America9
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Unit 3 Revoluntionary Era11
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Unit 4 Forming a New Government10
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Unit 5 Early National Period11
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Antebellum America55
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Civil War and Reconstruction19
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Social and Religious Movements4
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AMSCO Gilded Age Quiz36
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Gilded Age151
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Federal Action Gilded Age20
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People Gilded Age26
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Protests/Strikes Gilded Age11
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Republicans Gilded Age9
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Democrats Gilded Age11
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Imperialism48
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Quiz72
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Progressive Era & Domestic Reform16
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Imperalism & WWI14
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1920s Politics, Culture, and Conflict14
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Quiz Unit 7B29
