APUSH Ch 13 Vocabulary

Manifest Destiny

term coined by John L. O'Sullivan which was based on the idea that the United States should expand from East to West Coast

Stephen Austin

American intermediary who moved to Texas and encouraged settlement of Americans into Mexican territory. He was imprisoned briefly for allegedly promoting revolt.

Santa Anna

1830's Mexican dictator that reduced states rights in return for a stronger national government. His policies will anger many Americans living in Texas.

Sam Houston

Defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto and won Texas Independence. Would become first President of Texas and he sought annexation of the country by the United States.

Alamo

Battle in which many Texans and frontiersman such as Davie Crockett were killed during the Texan Revolution.

Tejanos

Mexican residents which fought for the Independence of Texas but were discriminated against after Independence and largely driven out of Texas.

San Jacinto

Battle won by Sam Houston in which Santa Anna was defeated and forced to give Texas Independence.

Oregon Territory

Western Disputed territory between the United States and Britain in which President Polk would compromise over, setting the boundary at the 49th parallel rather than demanding the 54-40 line.

James Polk

Democratic President who defeated Henry Clay in the election of 1844 and was responsible for declaring war on Mexico and negotiating a border of the new Oregon territory.

Oregon Trail

path out west which started mostly in Independence Missouri where wagon trails made a 2000 mile journey to the west coast.

54-40 or fight

slogan in regards to the American border of the Oregon territory insinuating we would be willing to go to war over the border issue.

Zachary Taylor

Led an American force to the disputed territory between the Nueces and Rio Grande River which provoked a conflict with Mexican forces leading to a declaration of war by the United States.

John Sliddell

American Envoy to Mexico which was sent to purchase the disputed territory between Texas and Mexico. Effort was unsuccessful.

Stephen Kearney

American officer which captured Sante Fe with no resistance and then moved toward California during the "Bear Flag" Revolution.

Winfield Scott

General that led American forces from Tampico to Mexico City and never lost a battle. Forced the surrender of Mexico and signing of Guadalupe Hidalgo treaty.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Signed between U.S and Mexico ceding Mexican cession lands to the U.S. for 15 million dollars.

Wilmot Proviso

Pennsylvania legislator introduced this amendment to bill provided money for Mexican cession lands stating that slavery would be prohibited in the new territories. Bill passed in House but failed in the Senate.

Free Soil Party

Political organization which emerged endorsing the Wilmot Proviso. They chose Martin Van Buren as their candidate for President in 1852 gaining 10% of popular vote.

California Gold Rush

Movement which started when this valuable metal was found in California based upon its discovery at Sutter's Mill. led to increase in California's population and encouraged immigration of many from East Asia and elsewhere.

49ers

Gold Rush migrants who went to California in the year 1849.

Sutter's Mill

Place is CA where Gold was first discovered

Compromise of 1850

Unsuccessful attempt by older guard politicians negotiate this legislation led to emergence of a new wave of politicians such as Stephen Douglas which successfully passed all measures of the bill, including: CA was admitted as a free state, territorial governments were established in land from Mexico, and a new more effective Fugitive Slave law was passed.

Henry Clay

Ran for President unsuccessfully in 1844, well known politician and negotiator but he failed to secure a deal on the Compromise of 1850.

William Seward

NY Senator that opposed compromise on slavery. Supported altogether elimination of the institution. Was one of the new politicians that emerged to help pass the compromise of 1850.

Jefferson Davis

Mississippi Senator that criticized the North for caring more about money than ending the institution of slavery. Defended southern policy of slavery as an economic interest and opposed the anti-slavery measures of the Compromise of 1850.

Stephen A Douglas

IL Senator which was instrumental in negotiating the Compromise of 1850. He was more interested in economic needs of his region and pressed for the development of the intercontinental railroad being built in the North with a major terminus in Chicago, IL.

Personal Liberty Laws

Laws passed preventing the deportation of fugitive slaves in the North.

Franklin Pierce

Democratic President who defeated Winfield Scott in the election of 1850, he attempted to avoid the issue of slavery as best he could.

Young America

President Pierce's movement to spread American Democracy throughout the world (and divert attention from the issue of slavery)

Ostend Manifesto

letter which was sent to Pierce encouraging the U.S. to seize Cuba by force. Letter was leaked to press and Pierce was criticized for attempting to add a pro-slave territory to the U.S. by abolitionists.

Transcontinental Railroad

transportation system which connected east and west coast of the United States, politicians disagreed over where in the country the line should be located.

Gadsden Purchase

Jefferson Davis negotiated the purchase of this territory from Mexico in what is today Southern Arizona. This was to clear a path for developing the transcontinental railroad in the South.

Kansas Nebraska Act

proposed by Stephen Douglas this would open and organize settlement of two unorganized regions east of Chicago to open the territory to the development of the transcontinental railroad. Slavery was to be decided in the regions through popular sovereignty. This removed the Missouri Compromise, divided Northern Democrats, destroyed the Whig party and led to the creation of the new Republican Party.

Bleeding Kansas

(1856) a series of violent fights between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in Kansas who had moved to Kansas to try to influence the decision of whether or not Kansas would a slave state or a free state.

Pottawatomie Massacre

(May 24, 1856) the slaughter of 5 pro-slavery men in Kansas by John Brown and his followers, in reaction to the Sack of Lawrence; as a result of this event, Kansas collapsed into a civil war and over 200 citizens were killed as pro and antislavery advocates attacked each other

Brooks/Sumner incident

Incident over Southern honor in which a Northern speech insulted a relative of a southerner who proceeded to violently beat him with a cane in his Senate office.

Slave Power Conspiracy

Northern free laborers felt the south's institution of slavery could destroy the openness of free market capitalism and thus the north should fight to stop the spread of slavery and extend democratic ideals to all sections of the country.

Calhoun's defense of slavery 1837

argued the South should stop apologizing for the institution of slavery and defend it as a positive good. Argued slaves lived in better conditions than northern poor industrial workers.

James Buchanan

Won the election of 1856, The 15th President of the United States (1857-1861). He tried to maintain a balance between proslavery and antislavery factions, but his moderate views angered radicals in both North and South, and he was unable to forestall the secession of South Carolina on December 20, 1860.

John C Fremont

an American military officer, explorer, the first candidate of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States, and the first presidential candidate of a major party to run on a platform Of stopping the spread of slavery. Made a large impact in the election of 1856.

Dried Scott decision

Supreme Court case in which a slave sued for his freedom on the grounds that since his master had taken him to live in free territories, he should be free. The controversial decision of the U.S. (Led by Roger Taney) Supreme Court stated that no slave could be a U.S. Citizen. As a non citizen and a slave viewed as property, he was not entitled to file suit. The Court also ruled that congress had no power to exclude slavery from the territories; therefore, the Missouri Compromise and other legislation limiting slavery were unconstitutional.

Lecompton Constitution

the pro-slavery constitution suggested for Kansas' admission to the union supporting the existence of slavery in the proposed state and protected rights of slaveholders. It was supported by Buchanan but rejected by Kansas, making Kansas an eventual free state.

Lincoln Douglas debates

During the race to become Senator of IL, Lincoln asked to have multiple debates with Douglas. Certain topics of these debates were slavery, how to deal with slavery, and where slavery should be allowed. Although Lincoln lost the election to Douglas, he was known throughout the country because of the debates eventually leading to his candidacy with the Republican Party for President.

John Brown's raid

1859; incident in which abolitionist John Brown and 21 other men (some of which were his sons) captured a federal arsenal in harpers ferry, Virginia, in hopes of starting a slave rebellion. It was unsuccessful &put down by Robert E Lee.

Election of 1860

Presidential Election that ended with Abraham Lincoln as President, the Southern states began to secede forming the Confederate States of America with Jefferson Davis as their President.
Republican - Abraham Lincoln. Democrat - (northern) Stephan A. Douglas, (southern) John C. Breckenridge. Constitutional Union - John Bell. Issues were slavery in the territories (Lincoln opposed adding any new slave states).