Unit 1: American History, Slavery, and Civil War Key Concepts

Objective

Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions - factual.

Subjective

Based on personal feelings and experiences.

Inquiry

An act of looking for information or to learn by questioning or investigating.

Marc Bloch's Definition of History

History is the science of mankind and time.

Scientific Method in History

Historians use the scientific method to research history - finding stories.

Historians

Look backwards, use processes to uncover the truth, use evidence to create a representation of the past.

Archaeologists

Focus on physical objects, such as bones and rocks, and specialize in people who did not document their history.

Historians vs. Archaeologists

Historians focus on writing, while archaeologists focus on physical objects.

Writing

Defined as a system of symbols that record spoken language.

Primary Source

Original documents or evidence from the time being studied.

Secondary Source

Textbooks and biographies that interpret or analyze primary sources.

Causes of Division

American Slavery, Westward Expansion, Regional and Cultural Differences, The Compromise (1850), Fugitive Slave Act (1850), Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852), Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), Dred-Scott Decision, John Brown's raid of Harpers Ferry (1859), Abraham Lincoln Election.

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Stated that all states north of the Ohio River in Northwest territory would be free states.

Louisiana Purchase

Purchased from France in 1803 for $15 million, covering 530,000,000 acres.

Republic of Texas

An independent country formed in a revolt against Mexico, later becoming the 28th state.

Mexican American War

Served as training grounds for the Civil War, with the goal of making Mexico sell the American cession in 1848.

Black Belt

A region in the South known for its black soil, which was ideal for growing cotton.

Cotton Gin

Invented to help efficiency but increased the need for slaves to pick cotton.

Major Slave Crops

Rice, tobacco, sugarcane, and cotton.

Southern Cities

There were southern cities, with New Orleans being the largest.

Southern Factories

There were southern factories, but not as many as in the North.

Southern Culture vs. Northern Culture

Both believed in individual liberties and rights, had pride and patriotism, and a group of wealthy elites.

Wealth Distribution

The richest 1% held 25% of the wealth in both the North and South.

Racism

Not just a southern phenomenon; it existed in both regions.

Economic Differences

North was industrialized and urban, while the South was agricultural and rural.

Cotton Profitability

Cotton was the most profitable crop in the U.S.

Slavery

Slaves were essential for the economy, yet their treatment was inhumane.

Indentured Workers

A source of labor in the colonies, replaced by African slavery.

White Lion

Pirated slave ship that arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, trading 'prisoners' for food and supplies.

Indentured Servants

Laborers who worked for a fixed term of 4-7 years, primarily in the 1600s.

Atlantic Slave Trade

The trade of slaves primarily from West Africa to the Caribbean and South America.

Triangular Trade

Trade system (1500s-1800s) that facilitated the exchange of goods and slaves between different countries.

Middle Passage

The sea journey undertaken by slave ships from West Africa to the Americas, lasting 1-3 months.

Muscle Atrophy

Condition where muscles weaken due to lack of movement, common during the Middle Passage.

U.S. Slavery Duration

Slavery in the U.S. lasted from 1619 to 1865.

Slave Trade End

The official end of the slave trade in the U.S. occurred in 1808, although smuggling continued.

13th Amendment

Constitutional amendment that abolished slavery in the U.S. in 1865.

Hereditary Slavery

System where children of enslaved mothers were automatically enslaved, regardless of the father's status.

Compromise of 1850

Series of acts that attempted to balance slave and free states, delaying the Civil War by 10 years.

Fugitive Slave Act

Law requiring that escaped slaves be returned to their owners, causing tension between North and South.

Underground Railroad

Network aiding runaway slaves to reach Canada, primarily involving safehouses in the North.

Harriet Tubman

Former slave who played a crucial role in the Underground Railroad, helping many slaves to freedom.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

1854 legislation allowing popular sovereignty to decide on slavery in Kansas and Nebraska.

Bleeding Kansas

Period of violent conflict in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions from 1854 to 1859.

Abolitionists

Individuals who opposed slavery and sought to end it, often angered by laws like the Fugitive Slave Act.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that highlighted the brutality of slavery and sold 300,000 copies in its first year.

Fugitive Slave Consequences

Incentives and penalties related to aiding runaway slaves, particularly affecting the North.

Slave Population Growth

Increase in the number of enslaved individuals due to hereditary slavery practices.

Dred Scott Decision

A legal case where Dred Scott, a Missouri slave, sued for his freedom after traveling to free Illinois and Wisconsin, but ultimately lost as the court ruled he had no rights to sue.

John Brown

An abolitionist who was active in Bleeding Kansas, responsible for the Pottawatome Massacre, and attempted to incite a slave revolt at Harpers Ferry in 1859.

Results of Harpers Ferry

John Brown was seen as a martyr for the anti-slavery cause in the North, while the South feared more uprisings against slavery.

Election of 1860

A presidential election where Lincoln collected less than 40% of the popular vote, and the Republican Party was created in 1856 to prevent the expansion of slavery.

Lincoln + Abolishing Slavery

Lincoln personally wanted to abolish slavery but politically did not pursue it, offering to bring back southern states and proposing financial compensation to slave owners.

Withdrawal of South

The event where federal troops at Fort Sumter refused to surrender to Confederate forces, leading to the start of the Civil War.

Dates of Secession

The timeline of southern states seceding from the Union in 1860, including South Carolina on Dec. 20 and Texas on Feb. 1.

Marc Bloch's Definition of History

History is defined as the science of mankind in time.

Historians and Evidence

Good historians, like Batman, look at evidence to recreate past events and uncover the truth.

Archaeologists vs. Historians

Both study the past, but archaeologists are relied upon for ancient cultures or people that did not record their history.

Primary Source Example

A textbook is not an example of a primary source.

Historian's Craft

The historian's craft is both a science and an art, using the scientific method to analyze evidence and incorporating art and photographs in their research.

Labor Source in English Colonies

The main labor source used in the English colonies in the 1600s was indentured servants.

First Africans in Jamestown

The first Africans arrived in Jamestown, VA in 1619.

Final Destination for Slaves

The majority of slaves from West Africa were sent to the Caribbean and South America.

Middle Passage Duration

On average, the middle passage took 1-3 months.

Cash Crop Increasing Slave Labor

Cotton was the cash crop that increased the need for slave labor in the first half of the 19th century.

Pottawatome Massacre

An event led by John Brown during Bleeding Kansas, resulting in violence against pro-slavery settlers.

Harpers Ferry

A location where John Brown attempted to lead a slave revolt by giving slaves guns.

Chief Justice Roger Taney

The Chief Justice who ruled against Dred Scott, stating he was still a slave and had no rights.

Major Andersen

The Union commander at Fort Sumter who refused to surrender the fort to Confederate forces.

Confederate P.G.T Beauregard

The Confederate general who took over Fort Sumter after the Union surrendered.

Lincoln's Southern Roots

Lincoln was considered a moderate and had slight southern roots, being from Kentucky.