APUSH Period 5 Vocab

American Party

A political party known for nativism and opposition to immigration and Catholicism.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

An influential novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe highlighting the horrors of slavery.

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

A violent slave uprising led by Nat Turner in Virginia in 1831.

Wilmot Proviso

A failed bill proposing the abolition of slavery in territories acquired after the Mexican-American War.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws aimed at resolving the tensions related to slavery in new territories.

Henry Clay

A prominent politician known for his role in the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850.

Fugitive Slave Act

A law that enforced the return of escaped enslaved individuals to their owners.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

An 1854 law that allowed states to determine the legality of slavery through popular sovereignty.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle allowing states to decide on the legality of slavery by voting.

Dred Scott Decision

Supreme Court ruling stating that black people could not sue for their freedom.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

A series of debates focusing on the issue of slavery between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.

Election of 1860

A pivotal election that led to the secession of Southern states after Lincoln's victory.

Nullification/Secession

The act of a state withdrawing from the Union in response to federal policies.

Bleeding Kansas

A series of violent conflicts in Kansas between pro- and anti-slavery factions.

Freeport Doctrine

Stephen Douglas's assertion that local territories could decide on slavery through popular sovereignty.

Harper’s Ferry

A failed raid led by abolitionist John Brown intended to incite a slave uprising.

Crittenden Compromise

Failed proposal aimed at preserving slavery in Southern states to avoid civil war.

Republicans (1860s)

Political party that emerged in opposition to slavery and was led by Abraham Lincoln.

Democrats (1860s)

Political party divided over issues of slavery, with Northern and Southern factions.

John Tyler

The 10th president known for his support of states' rights and the annexation of Texas.

Zachary Taylor

The 12th president who opposed the expansion of slavery into newly acquired territories.

Millard Fillmore

The 13th president who supported the Compromise of 1850 but had a weak presidency.

Franklin Pierce

The 14th president known for his pro-slavery policies and attempts to maintain the Union.

James Buchanan

The 15th president whose inaction contributed to the growing divisions leading to the Civil War.

Black Codes

Laws enacted in the South to restrict the rights of newly freed African Americans.

Morrill Land Grant

Federal land grants for public colleges intended to promote education in agriculture and mechanical arts.

Homestead Act

1862 law providing 160 acres of land to settlers who would cultivate it for five years.

National Banking Act

An act that established a system of national banks and a uniform currency.

Lincoln’s 10% Plan

A lenient Reconstruction proposal allowing Southern states to rejoin the Union once 10% of voters swore allegiance.

50% Plan (Wade-Davis Bill)

Proposal requiring 50% of Southern voters to take an oath of allegiance before state readmission.

Andrew Johnson

The 17th president known for his lenient Reconstruction policies and conflict with Congress.

Freedmen’s Bureau

Agency established to assist newly freed slaves with food, housing, education, and legal support.

13th Amendment

Constitutional amendment abolishing slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

Constitutional amendment granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.

15th Amendment

Constitutional amendment prohibiting racial discrimination in voting rights.

Civil Rights Act of 1866

Legislation defining American citizenship and protecting rights of African Americans.

Tenure of Office Act

Act limiting the president's power to remove civil officers without Senate approval.

Scalawags

Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party.

Carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved to the South post-Civil War, often seen as opportunists.

Redeemers

A political coalition in the South aimed at removing Republicans and restoring white supremacy.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Sharecropping/Lien System

Agricultural system where tenants farmed land for a share of the crop, leading to increased debt.

Election of 1876/Compromise of 1877

Agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 election and ended Reconstruction in the South.

Free Soil Party

A political party formed in the 1840s advocating against the expansion of slavery into the western territories.