Term
Abigail Adams (1744-1818) |
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Definition
- born in massachusetts
- decendent of Quincy Family
- married John Adams in 1764
- Mother of John Quincy Adams
- raised children and and ran farm while husband traveled as a circuit judge
- Shared views with her husband on political matters
- famously requested that the framers of Constitution would "remember the ladies," telling her husband that "all men would be tyrants if they could"
- Also said that there was a need for Alien and Sedition Acts
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Term
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Definition
- born in Massachusetts
- second cousin of Samuel Adams
- graduated from Harvard and started his law practice
- defining moment: was when young watching James Otis' courtroom challenge of British writs of assistance, which was based on natural rights theory.
- Speech filled Adams with want of liberty
- took unpopular stands, like defending British soldiers acussed in the Boston Massacre
- "Facts are stubborn things"
- drafted Massachusetts Constitution and Declaration of Rights
- served in Continental Congress, leading advocate of independence
- seconded the Lee Resolution and served on the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence
- He signed teh Treaty of Paris with Benjamin Flanklin and John Jay
- Urged James Madison to add bill of rights
- first Vice President, second president of U.S in 1796
- kept U.S. out of war with france, but signed the controversial and probably unconstitutional Alien and Sedition Acts to do so
- signed the Judiciary Act of 1801
- died 50 yrs to the day after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence
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Term
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Definition
- Became sixth president in 1834 with John C. Calhoun as V.P. 6 months after dad died
- also studied in Harvard and did law practice
- served as minister to Netherlands and Prussia
- elected to congress in 1803
- served Secretary of State under James Monroe; helped draft monroe doctorine
- since Henry clay also running,gave support to Adams, he appointed him as Secretary of State
- adams faced hostility in Congress because of what many perceived as a "corrupt bargain"
- Andrew Jackson defeated adams in 1828
- Adams best contribution came after presidency
- defenders African passengers of the Spanish slave ship Amistad, arguing that they should be sent home free and not sent back to spain as slaves
- elected to house of Representatives
- against slavery
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Term
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Definition
- During in 1760s became a leader of Patriot resistance to the British govts. attempts to tax the colonies
- organized Sons of Liberty with James Otis and John Hancock
- took lead in resisting Stamp Act and Townshed Duties
- In 1772 Adams authored the Rights of the Colonists, appealed to the concepts of the rights of Englishmen and natural rights theory
- organized Boston Tea Party, was pardoned for Boston resistance with Hancock
- After shots in Lexington, began Revolution, were going to arrest men but they escaped capture
- helped write massachusetts constitution and articles of confederation
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Term
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Definition
- at first women's rights convention in 1852, declared voting as a right to women
- in 1869, along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Lucy Stone founded the National Woman Suffrage Association
- She and Stanton published a newspaper, "The Revolution"
- after trying to to test the meaning of the 14th amend. by voting, she was arrested,imprisoned, tried, and found guilty for voting
- in 1892 she became second president of Nation American Woman Suffrage Association, which was merged with NWSA
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Term
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Definition
- Appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by Pres. FDR. in 1937
- known for his "strict constructionist" reading of the Constitution
- took the position that 14th amend. required the incorporation of all the Bill of Rights protections to state govts. known as "total incorporation"
- argued that govt can't ban "obscene speech"
- held in New York Times v. United States (1971) that national security didn't allow the govt. to prevent the publication of sensitive information
- upheld strict separation of church and state
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Term
Sir William Blackstone (1723-1780) |
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Definition
- English Jurist, first Vinerian professor of law at Oxford and Solictor General to the Queen
- Before he authored Commentares on the Laws of England widely regarded as the most complete doc. on English Law
- Supreme Court references his writing as a source for knowing the purpose of the Founders when interpreting the Constitution
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Term
William Jenning Bryan (1860-1925) |
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Definition
- practiced law in Nebraska in 1887
- first Democrat elected from Nebraska to the House of Rep.
- lost bid for Senate in 1894, became editor of Democratic newspaper, the Omaha World-Herald
- advocate of "Free Silver" policy, gave "Cross of Gold" speech at 1896 Democatic National Convention
- lost election for presidency 3 times, taking progressive and anti-imperialist stances
- became Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson, but resigned after 2 years because of WWI
- worked to secure prohibition and women's suffrage
- argued for literal interpretation of Bible instead of teaching evolution agains Clarence Darrow in the Scopes Monkey Trial
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Term
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Definition
- studied theology for 2 yrs., but then practiced law
- after serving the Continental Army, began to organize Democratic Party in New York
- ran for president against Thomas Jefferson in 1800 but had equal # of electoral votes, and Alexander Hamilton supported Jefferson, so Burr became VP
- Burr's hate toward Hamilton grew in 1804 when he ran for governor of NY and lost, blamed loss on Hamiliton's political maneuvering
- in July of 1804 he challenged Hamilton to duel and killed Hamilton, he was charged w/ murder, but never was brought to trial
- when spanish were conspiring for control of Mississippi valley, Burr allegedly made plans the governor of Lousiana, James Wilkinson, to support a rebellion
- was arrested and charged with treason, accused of attempting to establish an independent republic in the Southwest
- John Marshall presided over his Virginia trial, Burr was aquitted
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Term
John C. Calhoun (1782-1850) |
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Definition
- after attending Yale, practiced law
- was elected to state legislature and later to the house of rep.
- was VP twice, with John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson
- in 1832 he resigned and was elected to the House of Senate
- favored slavery and its expansion
- he argued that slaves lived better under slavery than as a worker in industrial North
- believed that the states, not the supreme court, could declare acts of Congress unconstitutional
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Term
Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) |
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Definition
- went from poor to rich
- in 1853 founded the Carnegie Steel Comany under Sherman Anti-Trust Act
- later in life hededicated his life to philanthropy
- used his fortune to found the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Carnegie Endwoment for International Peace, and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh
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Term
Charles Carroll of Carollton (1737-1832) |
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Definition
- in 1772 Caroll began the political life
- writing under the name "First Citizen," he rallied colonists to resist against tyranny
- elected to Continental Congress in 1776
- because of him there is protection for religious freedom for all Christians, including Catholics.
- was reelected to Continental Congress, but denied, preferring to serve in the state senate from 1781 to 1800
- last surviving signer of Declar. of Ind.
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Term
Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947) |
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Definition
- studied education and law, and became high school principal
- after became superintendent and newspaper reporter, and soon became lecturer for the woman's suffrage
- Succeeded Susan B. Anthony as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1900
- urged Woodrow Wilson to support an amendent to the Constitution securing the right to vote for women
- came up with a strategy to work on suffrage, known as "winning plan"
- opposed efforts of boycotting Democratic candidates who refused to support suffrage
- big role in securing 19th amend., after she founded the League of Women Voters and advocated child labor laws
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Term
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Definition
- became farm worker after eighth grade because his father was injured
- founded the National Farm Workers Association, later called United Farm Workers
- the union fought for contracts, safe conditions, higher wages, and job security for union members
- led a nationwide boycott of grapes to increase support for the his union
- Chavez's perseverance brough the lives of migrant workers to national attention
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Term
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Definition
- served in the Kentucky state legislature and was elected to the US House of Rep five times, each time as Speaker of the House
- He and John C. Calhoun worked to pass the Tarriff of 1816 to help both N. and S. recover after War of 1812
- became known as the Great Compromiser
- Clay was a slaveowne, but favored emancipation, and return of slaves to Africa
- came up with Missouri Compromise, maintained balance b/w slave and free states
- became Secretary of State after giving support to John Quincy Adams
- ran for president a total of 5 times, lost every time
- helped create Whig Party which opposed the new Democratic Party, which was led by Andrew Jackson
- elected to Senate in 1831, later he helped establish the Compromise of 1850
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Term
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Definition
- after attending Oxford and Yale, he served as Attorney General and then Governor of Arkansas before being elected President in 1992
- led country during period of peace and prosperity.
- his agenda included seeking laws protecting the jobs of people who had to care for ill family members, legislation restricting certain gun sales, and strengthening environmental protection policies
- advocated international free trade, sent forces to Bosnia and Iraq
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Term
Clarence Darrow (1857-1938) |
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Definition
- lawyer and civil rights advocate
- famously known for defending John T. Scopes in the "Scopes Monkey Trial" against William Jenngings Bryan
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Term
Jefferson Davis (1808-1889) |
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Definition
- Served in Black Hawk War, returned to become a cotton planter
- allowed his slaves to grow and serve their own food, treated them well
- supporter of slavery and a strong advocate of the rights of states against federal interference, represented Mississippi in Senate and House of Rep.
- gave in to secession in 1861 and became president of the Confederate States of America
- after Civil War, he was indicted for treason, but years later charges agains him were dropped
- was re-elected to the Senate, but was unable to take office under 14th amend.
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Term
John Dickinson (1732-1808) |
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Definition
- served in both Delaware and Pennsylvania assemblies
- believed to be the author of Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania (1767-1768) which called for resistance to British policies while urging reconciliation
- wrote America's first patriotic song, "The Liberty Song"
- in 1775, he and Jefferson worte Declaration of the Causes of Taking Up Arms, which was a doc. assuring the King that colonists were not raising an army to establish independence
- helped draft the Articles of Confederation
- served as governor in Delaware and Pennsylvania
- in 1786, he chaired the Annapolis Convention and later headed Delaware's delegation to Constitutional Convention
- known as "Penman of the Revolution"
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Term
Stephen Douglas (1813-1861) |
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Definition
- in the 1830s and 1840s he served in various Illinois offices
- emerged as a leader of Democratic Party
- represented Illinois in House of Rep from 1843-47 and in Senate from 1847 till death
- favored westward expansion and the compromise of 1850
- belived in "popular sovereignty"
- proposes the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854
- ran for reelection to the senate against Abraham Lincoln and won, debates were calle the Lincoln-Douglas debates
- died when shots were fired on Fort Sumter
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