Manifest Destiny, Sectionalism, and Civil War Overview

Irish immigrants

Fled famine, settled in cities, supported Democrats.

German immigrants

Diverse groups, settled in Old Northwest, formed communities.

Nativist backlash

Fear of job loss and cultural dilution.

Know-Nothing Party

Opposed immigration, rooted in nativist sentiments.

Manifest Destiny

Belief in U.S. expansion, racial superiority.

Oregon Territory

Acquired via treaty, established 49th parallel.

Texas Annexation

Led to Mexican-American War and territorial gains.

Mexican-American War

U.S. victory, resulted in Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Homestead Act

Granted 160 acres to settlers farming 5 years.

Pacific Railroad Act

Funded transcontinental railroad, boosted national market.

Gold Rush

1848 event, influx of population and immigrants.

Buffalo extermination

Caused by railroads and demand for hides.

Sand Creek Massacre

1864 event, over 100 Native Americans killed.

Battle of Little Bighorn

Sioux victory over Custer in 1876.

Wilmot Proviso

Attempted to ban slavery in Mexican territories.

Compromise of 1850

California free state, strict fugitive slave law.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Repealed Missouri Compromise, introduced popular sovereignty.

Dred Scott v. Sanford

Ruled African Americans not citizens, slavery constitutional.

John Brown's Raid

Failed revolt, heightened Southern fears of North.

Election of 1860

Lincoln's win led to Southern secession.

Pro-Slavery Arguments

Claimed slavery was a civilized, superior system.

Abolitionist Movement

Grew in strength, sought to end slavery.

Emancipation Proclamation

Shifted war focus to ending slavery.

Reconstruction Act of 1867

Established military districts, Black suffrage, new constitutions.

Johnson's Impeachment

Attempted removal over Tenure of Office Act.

Reconstruction Amendments

13th, 14th, and 15th amendments expanded rights.

Jim Crow laws

Enforced racial segregation post-Reconstruction.

Plessy v. Ferguson

Legalized segregation under 'separate but equal' doctrine.