History flash cards

Whigs

Party emerged in the 1830s purely to focus on opposing the policies of Andrew Jackson. They disliked “manifest destiny”

Republicans

Party formed in 1854, formed to oppose the exttension of slavery to the new territories.

Democrats

Their dominanant worldview was social conservation and economical liberalism with a branch on populism (“common people” often in opposition to a perceived elite) and was strongest in the rural south.

Know Nothings

Pledged to vote for no one except native-born protestants, had no opinion on slavery.

Sectionalism

The idea that individual communities of people create individual sections and loyalties within a larger policy.

Cotton Gin

Invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, sped up the profuction of cotton, leading to more slaves in the south.

Popular sovereignty

A principle where voters decide whether or not to permit slavery.

The Liberator

Garrison’s abolitionist journal (1834)

Narrative of his life

Published in 1845, best-seller written by Frederick Douglas

Manifest Destiny

That god intended for the US to occupy north america from the atlantic to the pacific

Three-fifth’s compromise

1789, constitutional argument counting 3/5 of enslaved people for state representation.

Electoral College

1787, Determines presidential elections, compromise between the election of the president by a vote in congress and election by popular vote of qualified citizens. Elector number is 2 per state and further electors depend on population.

Louisiana purchase

1803, Event where Napolean Bonaparte directed his emissaries to offer the French louisiana territory to Americans because of the need for funds to fight the British.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

1854, meant to quiet national argument over slavery by letting western territories decide whether to accept the practice without the federal government.

Texas revolution

1836, white settlers declare Texas independent as the “lone star republic”

Mexican-American war

1846-1848, president Polk ordered troops into territory recognized as a Mexican territory and he declares mexico attacked and asks congress for a declaration of war.

Mexican cession

1848, Mexico gives up; California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, & portions of Colorado and Wyoming

Dred Scott v. Stanford

1856-1857, the US supreme court ruled that black people, whether enslaved or free, were not US citizens and could not sue in federal court.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

1848, Brought an official end to the Mexican-American war

Missouri Compromise

1820, drew a line from east to west along the 36th parallel, dividing the nation into half free and half slave.

Fugitive slave act

1850, federal and local law enforcement in all states were required to enforce legislation and arrest suspected fugitive slaves. Anyone aiding an enslaved person escape from bondage would be improsined and fined.

Compromise of 1850

The admission of California as a “free state” provided for a territorial government for Utah and New Mexico, established boundary between Texas and US, called for abolition of slave trade in DC and amended the fugitive slave act.

Southern Succession

1860-1861, South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.
(threat of sucession by Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and north carolina)

Crittenden Compromise

1860-1861, failed amendment aimed at preventing the american civil war by permanently protecting slavery. Proposed reinstating Missouri compromise’s 36 30’ line to divide free and slave territories, strictly enforcing the fugitive slave act and permanently banning congress from interfering with slavery in the states.

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney

Wrote infamous opinion that it lacked jurisdiction to take Scott’s case because he was, or had been a slave

Stephen Douglas

presidential candidate representing the northern democrats

Abraham Lincoln

Became a new leader of the Republican party, believed slaves were humans with the right to life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, meaning the right to not be enslaved, not the right to citizenship. Believed white race was superior

John C. Breckinridge

Vice-president nominated by southern democrats at rival conventions, pro-slavery

Thomas Jefferson

Leader of the Democratic-Republican party and was a lifelong slaveholder, while he believed slavery was morally evil, he didn’t believe in immediate emancipation.

Andrew Jackson

Ran for president, policy of eaual political power for all, known as Jacksonian Democracy.

Frederick Douglas

Abolitionist who joined the Massachusetts anti-slavery society, believed in emancipation of slavery. Former slave.

William Lloyd Garrison

Abolitionist who believed slavery was both a sin and a crime, wanted immediate abolition

John Brown

Abolitionist who committed himself to eradicating slavery, believed god intended on imposing ‘a restraining fear’ on his proslavery neighbors

Eli Whitney

Inventor of the cotton gin

John C. Calhoun

Powerful politicial who denounced the tariff of abdominations in the south carolina exposition and protest, he believed it was unconstitutional, unequal, and oppressive.

Events in chronological order (old-new)

1. Louisiana Purchase - 1803

2. Missouri Compromise - 1820

3. Compromise of 1850

4. Kansas-Nebraska Act - 1854

5. Dred Scott v. Sanford - 1856-1857

6. Abraham Lincoln’s election - 1860

State map