Antebellum America: Democracy, Expansion, and Reform (1800-1848) Glossary

The movement demanding the immediate and complete end of slavery in the United States.

A waterway completed in 1825 connecting Lake Erie to the Hudson River, transforming American commerce.

An 1830 law authorizing forced relocation of southeastern Native nations west of the Mississippi.

The expansion of white male political participation through elimination of property voting requirements under Andrew Jackson.

The 1803 acquisition of 828,000 square miles from France, doubling U.S. territory.

The 19th-century belief that American expansion across the continent was inevitable and divinely ordained.

The economic transformation connecting regional economies through new transportation and communication networks.

An 1820 agreement admitting Missouri (slave) and Maine (free), prohibiting slavery north of 36-30 in the Louisiana Territory.

The doctrine that a state could declare a federal law void within its borders, championed by South Carolina in 1832-33.

A Protestant religious revival (early 1800s-1840s) emphasizing personal salvation and inspiring reform movements.

The first major women rights convention (1848), producing the Declaration of Sentiments.

The forced march of the Cherokee Nation (1838) from the Southeast to Indian Territory, during which approximately 4,000 died.

The 1848 treaty ending the Mexican-American War, transferring roughly one-third of Mexican territory to the U.S.

A secret network of routes and safe houses helping enslaved people escape to freedom in the North and Canada.

A proposed 1846 amendment to ban slavery in territory acquired from Mexico; never passed the Senate.