Adams-Onís Treaty 1819 treaty between the US and Spain that ceded Florida to the US; ended any Spanish claims to Oregon, and unrecognized Spanish rights in the American Southwest

American System economic plan sponsored by nationalists in Congress; it was intended to capitalize on regional differences to spur US economic growth and the domestic production of goods previously bought from foreign manufacturers

annul to declare a law or contract invalid

Antimasonic Party political party formed in 1827 to capitalize on popular anxiety about the influence of the Masons; it opposed politics as usual without offering any particular substitute

aqueduct elevated structure raising a canal to bridge rivers, canyons, or other obstructions






Bank War the political conflict that occurred when Andrew Jackson tried to destroy the Second Bank of the United States, which he thought represented special interests at the expense of the common man

Black Hawk Sauk leader who brought his people back to their homeland in Illinois; he was captured in 1832 when US troops massacred his followers

bloc group of people united for common action

blue laws local legislation designed to enforce Christian morality by forbidding certain activities, including traveling, on Sunday






caricature exaggerated image of a person usually enhancing their most uncomplimentary features

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia 1831 Supreme Court case concerning Georgia’s annulment of all Cherokee laws; Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that Indian tribes did not have the right to appeal to the Supreme Court

Cumberland Road national highway built with federal funds; it eventually stretched from Maryland to Illinois and beyond






Daniel Webster Massachusetts senator and lawyer who was known for his forceful speeches and considered nullification a threat to the Union

dark horse political candidate who has little organized support and is not expected to win

Dartmouth College v. Woodward 1819 Supreme Court case that established the precedent that private contracts are sacred and cannot be modified by state legislatures

demilitarization removal of military forces from a region and the restoration of civil control

Democrats political party that brought Andrew Jackson into office; it recalled Jeffersonian principles of limited government and drew its support from farmers, craftsmen, and businessmen






electorate portion of the population that possesses the right to vote

Era of Good Feelings (1816-1823); a period when the decline of the Federalist Party and the end of the War of 1812 gave rise to a time of political cooperation

Erie Canal 350-mile canal from Buffalo to Albany; revolutionized shipping in New York State.






federal Indian agents government officials who were responsible for negotiating treaties with Native American groups; at this time they were employed by the War Department

Five Civilized Tribes term used by whites to describe the Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Creek, and Chickasaw Indians, many of whom were planters and merchants

Fletcher v. Peck 1810 Supreme Court case growing out of the Yazoo affair in which the majority ruled that the original land sale contract rescinded by the Georgia legislature was binding; establishing the superiority of contracts over legislation






George Guess (Sequoyah) Cherokee silversmith and trader who created an alphabet that made it possible to transcribe the Cherokee language according to the sounds of its syllables

Gibbons v. Ogden 1824 Supreme Court case that established the absolute authority of Congress in matters of interstate commerce






Indian Removal Act 1830 legislation providing for the removal of all Indian tribes east of the Mississippi and the purchase of western lands for their resettlement

influence peddling using one’s influence with people in authority to obtain favors or preferential treatment for someone else, usually in return for payment

installment partial payments of a debt to be made at regular intervals until the entire debt is repaid






Kitchen Cabinet President Jackson’s informal advisers, who helped him shape both national and Democratic Party policy






lock section of canal with gates at each end, used to raise or lower boats from one level to another by admitting or releasing water; locks allow canals to compensate for changes in terrain






market economy economic system based on the buying and selling of goods and services, in which prices are determined by the forces of supply and demand

Martin Van Buren New York politician known for his skillful handling of party politics; he helped found the Democratic Party and later became 8th president of the US

Masons international fraternal organization with many socially and politically prominent members, including a number of US presidents

McCulloch v. Maryland 1819 Supreme Court case that established the precedent that federal authority is superior to that of individual states and that states cannot control or tax federal operations within their borders

Missouri Compromise 1820 law proposed by Henry Clay admitted to Missouri to the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state and banning slavery in the Louisiana Territory north of latitude 36°30’

Monroe Doctrine 1823 statement by President Monroe declaring the Americas closed to further European colonization and discouraging European interference in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere






Napoleonic Wars 1803 to 1815 wars in Europe waged by or against Napoleon

Natchez Trace road connecting Natchez, Mississippi, with Nashville, Tennessee; it evolved from a series of Indian trails

Nicholas Biddle president of the Second Bank of the United States; he struggled to keep the bank functioning when President Jackson tried to destroy it

nullification refusal by a state to recognize or enforce a federal law within its boundaries






Osceola Seminole leader in Florida who opposed removal of his people to the west and led resistance to US troops; he was captured by treachery while bearing a flag of truce






Panic of 1819 financial panic that began when the Second Bank of the United States tightened credit and recalled government loans

payload part of a cargo that generates revenue, as opposed to the part needed to fire the boiler or supply the crew

pet banks state banks into which Andrew Jackson ordered federal deposits to be placed to help deplete the funds of the Second Bank of the United States

plurality in an election with 3 or more candidates, the number of votes received by the winner when the winner receives less than half of the total number of votes cast

protective tariff tax on imported goods intended to make them more expensive than similar domestic goods; thus protecting the market for goods produced at home

public domain land owned and controlled by the federal government

public prosecutor lawyer appointed by the government to prosecute criminal actions on behalf of the state






repossession reclaiming of lands or goods by the seller or lender after the purchase fails to pay installments due

retaliatory tariff tariff on imported goods imposed neither to raise revenue nor control commerce, but to retaliate against tariffs charged by another nation

retrenchment in government, the elimination of unnecessary jobs or functions for reform or cost-cutting purposes

revenue stamps stickers affixed to taxed items by government officials indicating that the tax has been paid

runoff election final election held to determine a winner after an earlier election has eliminated the weakest candidates






special interest person or organization that seeks to benefit by influencing legislators to support particular policies

specie coins minted from precious metals

spoils jobs or other rewards for political support

standard-bearer recognized leader of a movement, organization, or political party

survey to determine the area and boundaries of land through measurement and mathematical calculation






Tariff of 1816 1st protective tariff in US history; its purpose was to protect America’s fledgling textile industry

Tariff of Abominations 1828 tariff package designed to win support for anti-Adams forces in Congress; its passage discredited Adams but set off sectional tension over tariff issues

Thomas Hart Benton US senator from Missouri and legislative leader of the Democrats; he was a champion of President Jackson and a supporter of westward expansion

Trail of Tears forced march of the Cherokee people from Georgia to Indian Territory in the winter of 1838, during which thousands died

Treaty of New Echota 1835 treaty by which a minority faction gave all Cherokee lands east of the Mississippi to the US government in return for $5 million and land in Indian territory

tribute payment of money or other valuables that one group makes to another as the price of security

turnpike road on which tolls are collected at gates set up along the way; private companies hoping to make a profit from the tolls built the first turnpikes






unilateral undertaken or issued b only one side and thus not involving agreement with others






Virginia Dynasty term applied to the US presidents from Virginia between 1801 to 1825: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe






Worcester v. Georgia 1832 Supreme Court case concerning the arrest of two missionaries to the Cherokees in Georgia; the Court found that George had not right to rule in Cherokee territory