The Road to Civil War and Reconstruction

Vocabulary terms and definitions related to the Road to Civil War and Reconstruction.

Election of 1844

An election where James K. Polk won, promoting expansionism over Henry Clay's cautious approach.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the settlers of a territory should have the right to decide on the issue of slavery.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

The agreement that ended the Mexican-American War and ceded California, New Mexico, and Texas to the U.S. for $15 million.

Wilmot Proviso

A proposal to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico, which passed in the House but was defeated in the Senate.

Fugitive Slave Act

A law that mandated strong measures to return runaway slaves and intensified slavery debates in the North.

Bleeding Kansas

A series of violent events involving abolitionists and pro-slavery elements that took place in Kansas-Nebraska Territory.

Dred Scott Decision

A Supreme Court ruling declaring that African Americans were not citizens and Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories.

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln's executive order issued in 1863 declaring the freedom of all slaves in Confederate-held territory.

Reconstruction

The period following the Civil War during which the U.S. attempted to reintegrate Southern states and address the rights of freed slaves.

14th Amendment

An amendment granting citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist group founded during Reconstruction, known for using violence to intimidate blacks and Republican supporters.

Military Reconstruction Act

Legislation that imposed martial law in Southern states and required them to draft new constitutions ensuring black suffrage.

15th Amendment

An amendment prohibiting the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race.

Sherman's March to the Sea

A military campaign led by General Sherman that involved a devastating march across Georgia to undermine Confederate morale.

Formation of the Republican Party

A political party formed in the 1850s by anti-slavery activists that became a major force in U.S. politics during the Civil War.

Gadsden Purchase

The 1854 agreement in which the U.S. acquired land from Mexico for the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad.