AP U.S. History Unit 4 Review Notes (1800-1848)

Introduction

• Overview of Unit 4 content
• Part of the Ultimate Review Packet for AP U.S. History
• Focus on key themes and events from 1800 to 1848

Main Themes

1. Expansion of U.S. Role in World Affairs
2. Transformation of Society and Economy
3. Growing Democratic Impulses

Political Context

• Election of Thomas Jefferson (1800)
• Ongoing debates between Democratic-Republicans and Federalists
  • Issues: Foreign relations and federal power

Foreign Relations

• Barbary Pirates
  • U.S. paid tribute to Barbary states for protection of merchant ships
  • Jefferson opposed paying bribes; led to conflicts
  • Negotiated reduced payments after escalated tensions

Scope of Federal Power

• Strict vs. Loose Constructionism
  • Democratic-Republicans: strict interpretation of the Constitution
  • Federalists: broader interpretation
• Louisiana Purchase (1803)
  • Jefferson ordered acquisition of land for navigation rights
  • Monroe negotiated purchase for $15 million; Jefferson faced constitutional dilemma
  • Justified the purchase to promote agrarian vision and remove Indians westward

Exploration and Mapping

• Lewis and Clark Expedition
  • Explored newly acquired territory (1804-1806)
  • Zebulon Pike explored southern territories (1806)

Expansion of Federal Power

• Marbury v. Madison (1803)
  • Established principle of judicial review
• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
  • Confirmed that federal law supersedes state law

War of 1812

• Causes of War
  • British impressment of American sailors
  • Seizure of American merchant ships
  • Perceived British support for Native American resistance
• Impact
  • Growth of nationalism
  • Demise of the Federalist Party
  • Highlighted U.S. weaknesses, leading to economic improvements (American System)

Henry Clay's American System

1. Federally funded internal improvements (vetoed by Madison)
2. Protective tariffs
3. Second Bank of the United States

Regional Tensions and Compromises

• Missouri Compromise (1820)
  • Maintained balance of free and slave states
  • Established 36°30' line as boundary for future slavery

U.S. Foreign Policy

• Monroe Doctrine (1823)
  • Declared Western Hemisphere as U.S. sphere of influence
  • Opposed European colonization

Market Revolution

• Definition: Linking of northern industries with western and southern farms
• Advances in agriculture, industry, transportation, and communication
• Innovations: cotton gin, interchangeable parts, steamboats, canals, railroads

Changing American Society

• Population shifts due to immigration (1840-1850)
  • Significant Irish and German immigrant influx
• Growth of urban industrial cities
  • Emergence of a class of laboring poor living in tenements
  • Cultural institutions established by immigrants
• Cult of Domesticity for women
  • Women’s roles confined to home and family
• Emergence of a middle class with disposable income

Expansion of Democracy

• Voting rights initially limited to property-owning white males
• Panic of 1819 fueled demand for broader suffrage
  • Working classes sought to hold politicians accountable
• Seneca Falls Convention (1848)
  • Marked the beginning of organized women's rights movement

Distinct American Culture

• Development of American identity through literature, philosophy, art, and religion
• Transcendentalism
  • Emphasis on nature and human moral perfection
  • Key figures: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau
• Second Great Awakening
  • Major religious revival movement
  • Led to increased social reform movements (temperance, abolitionism)

Abolitionism and Social Reform

• Growth of abolitionist movement in the North
  • Key figures: William Lloyd Garrison and the American Anti-Slavery Society
• Seneca Falls Convention
  • Women's rights movement intertwined with abolitionism

Conclusion

• Summary of key developments in Unit 4
• Importance of understanding the dynamic changes in politics, society, and culture during this period
• Encouragement to use these notes for exam preparation and review

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• Remember to review the Ultimate Review Packet for more detailed information and study aids.