Bar: A term that encompasses all certified lawyers—those who have passed all official requirements (the bar exam) to be certified as lawyers.

Confederacy: The Southern states that ceded from the United States during the 1860s and formed the Confederate States of America (CSA).

Federalist Party: An American political party of the late eighteenth century that supported a strong national government.

Midterm elections: Congressional elections that occur halfway through a presidential term. These elections can affect the president's dealings with Congress. A president is elected every four years; representatives (members of the House of Representatives), every two years; and senators, every six years.

Missouri Compromise: Legislation passed in 1820 that designated which areas could enter the Union as free states and which could enter as slave states. Repealed in 1854.

Secession: Formal withdrawal from an existing organization.

Whig Party: A political party that existed roughly...