Social Studies Final Review 2 Flashcards
(16 cards)
The edge of settled territory, constantly moving westward as Americans expanded into new lands. It shaped American culture, values, and economy
Frontier
Backcountry – Remote, undeveloped regions inland from the Atlantic coast, especially in the Carolinas and Virginia, where many settlers felt politically and economically marginalized.
Backcountry
Major frontier regions by 1800 where many Americans migrated for fertile land and independence from coastal control.
Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys
A person who bought large areas of cheap land in hopes of selling it later at a profit, often pushing westward as land values rose.
Land Speculator
A law that granted land (usually 160 acres) to settlers for free as long as they lived on and improved the land.
Homestead Act (1862)
A phrase symbolizing the belief that America’s opportunity and future lay in westward expansion; made popular by editor Horace Greeley.
“Go West, young man”
One of the first major economic activities in the Far West; trappers and traders often acted as early explorers and opened paths for settlers.
Fur Trade
Law passed under Andrew Jackson that authorized the federal government to relocate Native American tribes from their ancestral lands to areas west of the Mississippi River.
Indian Removal Act (1830)
The forced removal and tragic migration of the Cherokee and other tribes from their homelands to designated “Indian Territory” (present-day Oklahoma), resulting in great suffering and death.
Trail of Tears
Conflicts in which Andrew Jackson led military campaigns against Native tribes during the War of 1812 and afterward, resulting in land cessions to the U.S.
Creek and Seminole Wars
A Native American tribe known for adopting many aspects of white American culture; despite treaties, they were forcibly removed from their land in the 1830s
Cherokee Nation
A region in the Far West claimed by both Britain and the U.S.; Spain gave up its claims in 1819. It became a major destination during westward expansion.
Oregon Territory
The 1803 land deal between the U.S. and France that doubled the size of the country and opened vast territory for exploration and settlement
Louisiana Purchase
Growing economic, political, and social differences between the North, South, and West that would eventually lead to the Civil War.
Sectional Differences
The U.S. population tripled during this period, fueled by migration and high birth rates, increasing the demand for land and expansion.
Population Boom (1812–1852)
