Period 4: 1800-1848

The new republic struggled to define and extend democratic ideals

in the face of rapid economic, territorial, and demographic changes.

Key Concept 1

-The United States developed the world’s first modern mass

democracy and celebrated a new national culture, while Americans sought

to define the nation’s democratic ideals and to reform its institutions to

match them.

Key Concept 2

-Developments in technology, agriculture, and commerce

precipitated profound changes in U.S. settlement patterns, regional

identities, gender and family relations, political power, and distribution of

consumer goods.

Key Concept 3

-U.S. interest in increasing foreign trade, expanding its

national borders, and isolating itself from European conflicts shaped the

nation’s foreign policy and spurred government and private initiatives.