Exam III

Corrupt Barrgain

Adams became president in 1824 after Henry Clay backed him in the House, and Jackson’s supporters saw it as a corrupt deal.

Formation of the Democratic Party

Jackson’s supporters formed the Democratic Party to oppose elite control and support the “common man.”

Andrew Jackson’s Appeal to the Public

Jackson appealed to voters as a tough, self‑made war hero who fought for ordinary white Americans.

Worcester v. Georgia

The Supreme Court said Georgia couldn’t control Cherokee land, but Jackson ignored the ruling.

Indian Removal Act of 1830

A law allowing the government to force Native tribes west, leading to the Trail of Tears.

Nullification & Calhoun’s States’ Rights Argument

Calhoun argued states could cancel federal laws like tariffs; South Carolina threatened secession.

Jackson’s Opposition to the Second Bank

Jackson believed the Bank gave too much power to wealthy elites and vetoed its recharter.

Why Cotton Became More Profitable Than Tobacco

The cotton gin, high demand, and better soil made cotton more profitable than tobacco.

Southern Economy

The South relied on slavery and cash crops, especially cotton, with little industry.

The “Second Middle Passage”

The forced movement of enslaved people from the Upper South to the Deep South for cotton labor.

Southern Support for Slavery

Most white southerners supported slavery because it upheld the cotton economy and reinforced racial hierarchy.

Tenant Farmers & Sharecroppers

Poor farmers who rented land or worked for a share of the crop, keeping them in long‑term debt.

Planter Elites / Planter Class

A small group of wealthy slaveholders who controlled most southern land, politics, and cotton production

The Invisible Institution

A secret system of enslaved people’s religious practices that blended African traditions with Christianity.

“Cotton is King”

A slogan showing cotton’s huge economic power in the South and its influence on national politics.

Van Buren’s Continuation of Jackson’s Policies

Van Buren continued Jackson’s limited‑government approach and faced the Panic of 1837 without major federal intervention.

Death of William Henry Harrison

Harrison died one month into office in 1841, making John Tyler president unexpectedly.

Immigration 1840–1860

Millions of Irish and German immigrants arrived, increasing northern population and labor supply.

Agricultural Technology in the 1800s

New inventions like the steel plow and mechanical reaper boosted farm productivity and western settlement.

Pre‑Emption Act of 1841

Allowed squatters to buy western land cheaply before it was offered to the public.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand west to the Pacific for land, power, and progress.

Mexico’s Refusal to Recognize Texas Independence

Mexico never accepted Texas as independent and warned that U.S. annexation would mean war.

The Alamo

A 13‑day siege where Mexican forces killed all Texan defenders, becoming a symbol of resistance.

U.S.–Mexican War & Westward Expansion

A war sparked by border disputes and expansion goals; the U.S. gained huge western territories.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Ended the Mexican‑American War; Mexico gave the U.S. the Southwest and recognized Texas as American.

Settlement in Oregon & California

Americans moved west for farmland, trade, and opportunity, increasing U.S. claims to both regions.

The California Gold Rush

The 1848 gold discovery brought thousands of migrants, rapidly growing California’s population and economy.

California Statehood

California entered as a free state in 1850, upsetting the balance between free and slave states.

Fugitive Slave Act

Required citizens to help capture escaped enslaved people and punished anyone who aided runaways.

Dred Scott Decision

The Supreme Court ruled that Black people were not citizens and Congress couldn’t ban slavery in territories.

Bleeding Kansas

Violent clashes between pro‑slavery and anti‑slavery settlers caused by popular sovereignty in Kansas.

Harper’s Ferry

John Brown’s failed 1859 raid to start a slave uprising; it scared the South and increased tensions.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel that exposed slavery’s cruelty and increased Northern anti‑slavery sentiment.

Election of Abraham Lincoln & Southern Secession

Lincoln’s 1860 win led Southern states to secede because they feared slavery would be restricted.

Anaconda Plan

The Union’s strategy to blockade the South, control the Mississippi River, and squeeze the Confederacy.

Importance of the Border States

Border states stayed in the Union and provided key population, industry, and strategic locations.

Bushwhackers & Jayhawkers

Bushwhackers were pro‑Confederate guerrillas; Jayhawkers were anti‑slavery fighters in Kansas/Missouri.

Criticism of the Draft (North & South)

Both sides faced anger because the wealthy could avoid service, making the draft seem unfair.

New York Draft Riots

Violent 1863 riots by mostly Irish immigrants protesting the Union draft and racial tensions.

Capture of New Orleans

A major 1862 Union victory that gave control of the Mississippi River’s key southern port.

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln declared enslaved people in Confederate‑held areas free, shifting the war toward ending slavery.

Gettysburg Address

Lincoln’s short speech redefining the war as a fight for equality and preserving a nation “of the people.”

The 13th Amendment

A constitutional amendment that permanently abolished slavery in the United States.

West Virginia Statehood

West Virginia broke away from Confederate Virginia and joined the Union as a free state in 1863.

North vs. South Economies

The North’s industrial economy and the South’s agricultural, slave‑based economy created deep sectional tension.

North: factories, wage labor, urban growth.

• South: cotton, slavery, rural elite.

• Different goals → conflict over tariffs and slavery expansion.

Andrew Jackson’s Legacy

Jackson expanded democracy for white men but abused power and harmed Native Americans.

Popular appeal as “common man.”

• Indian Removal Act and Bank War.

• Strengthened presidency but divided the nation.

Mexican‑American War & Sectional Tension

The war’s new territories reignited the slavery debate and worsened sectional divisions.

U.S. gained land → question: free or slave?

• Wilmot Proviso failed → angered South.

• Set stage for Civil War politics.

Kansas‑Nebraska Act

The act’s “popular sovereignty” destroyed compromise and led to violence.

Repealed Missouri Compromise.

• Allowed settlers to vote on slavery.

• Caused “Bleeding Kansas” and party splits.

Literature & Public Opinion on Slavery

Anti‑slavery literature shaped Northern views and deepened sectional divides.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin stirred empathy and outrage.

• Southern backlash defended slavery.

• Print culture fueled polarization.

Emancipation Proclamation’s Impact

It changed the war’s purpose from preserving the Union to ending slavery.

Freed slaves only in Confederate areas.

• Gave Union moral cause and weakened South.

• Encouraged Black enlistment and global support.