Non-Intercourse Act
A U.S. law passed in 1809 that replaced the Embargo Act of 1807, prohibiting trade only with Britain and France rather than all foreign nations.
Erie Canal
A historic waterway in New York, completed in 1825, that connected the Hudson River with Lake Erie, facilitating trade and westward expansion.
Battle of Fallen Timbers
A decisive 1794 battle in Ohio where U.S. forces defeated Native American tribes, leading to the Treaty of Greenville and opening up the Northwest Territory for American settlement.
Adams-Onis Treaty
An 1819 agreement between the U.S. and Spain that ceded Florida to the U.S. and defined the boundary between the U.S. and New Spain.
Hartford Convention
A series of meetings from 1814 to 1815 in which New England Federalists discussed grievances concerning the War of 1812 and political problems arising from the federal government's increasing power.
Monroe Doctrine
A U.S. foreign policy statement made in 1823 declaring opposition to European colonialism in the Americas and asserting U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere.
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
A battle in 1814 where Andrew Jackson's forces defeated the Creek Nation, leading to the Treaty of Fort Jackson and significant territorial gains for the U.S.
Panic of 1819
The first major financial crisis in the U.S., marked by bank failures, unemployment, and a slump in agriculture and manufacturing, leading to widespread economic hardship.
Treaty of Ghent
The treaty signed in 1814 that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and Britain, restoring pre-war borders but not addressing the issues of impressment and neutral shipping rights.
Missouri Compromise
An 1820 agreement that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state while establishing a line (36°30' latitude) dividing future free and slave territories.
American System
An economic plan championed by Henry Clay in the early 19th century that advocated for a strong banking system, protective tariffs, and federally funded transportation projects.
Democrats
A political party formed in the early 19th century, originally led by Andrew Jackson, advocating for states' rights and a limited federal government.
National Republicans
A political party in the early 19th century that emerged from the Democratic-Republican Party, supporting strong federal government and economic development policies.
Petticoat Affair
A social scandal in President Andrew Jackson's administration involving the wives of cabinet members, highlighting the role of women in politics and society during the era.
Spoils System
A practice where political party leaders reward loyal supporters with government jobs, famously used by President Andrew Jackson to strengthen party loyalty.
Tariff of Abominations
A nickname for the Tariff of 1828, which imposed high duties on imports and was opposed by the Southern states due to its economic impact on the South's economy.
Nullification
The doctrine asserting that states have the right to declare federal laws unconstitutional and void, prominently invoked during the Nullification Crisis over the Tariff of 1832.
Indian Removal Act
An 1830 law signed by President Andrew Jackson that authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral homelands in the southeastern U.S. to territories west of the Mississippi River.