Key Terms 15/16

Aroostook War

Aroostook War

A border dispute between the U.S. and Britain over the Maine-Canada boundary (1838–1839), resolved through the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842.

Manifest Destiny

The 19th-century belief that the United States was destined to expand across North America, justified by a mission to spread democracy and civilization.

“Fifty-four forty or fight”

A slogan used by American expansionists in the 1840s advocating for U.S. control over the Oregon Territory (at latitude 54° 40') or war with Britain.

Spot Resolutions

Requests by Abraham Lincoln in 1847 for President Polk to specify the spot where American blood had been shed in the Mexican-American War.

California Bear Flag Republic

A short-lived republic established by American settlers in California in 1846 before its annexation by the U.S.

Battle of Buena Vista

A key battle in the Mexican-American War (1847) where U.S. forces defeated a larger Mexican army.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The 1848 peace treaty that ended the Mexican-American War, in which Mexico ceded vast territories to the U.S.

Conscience Whigs

A faction of the Whig Party in the 1840s and 1850s opposed to the expansion of slavery into new territories.

Wilmot Proviso

A proposal in 1846 to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico during the Mexican-American War.

John Tyler

The 10th president of the U.S. (1841–1845) who strongly advocated for the annexation of Texas.

James K. Polk

The 11th president of the U.S. (1845–1849) known for the annexation of Texas and fulfilling the goals of Manifest Destiny.

Stephen W. Kearny

A U.S. Army officer who played a key role in the conquest of California and New Mexico during the Mexican-American War.

John C. Frémont

A U.S. explorer and military officer who led American settlers in California during the Bear Flag Revolt.

Winfield Scott

A U.S. Army general who led the successful campaign in Mexico, including the capture of Mexico City.

Nicholas P. Trist

U.S. diplomat who negotiated the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War.

David Wilmot

A U.S. congressman known for proposing the Wilmot Proviso, which sought to ban slavery in new territories.

breakers

People who used brutal methods to ‘break’ the will of enslaved individuals.

responsorial

A style of call-and-response singing, often seen in African American spirituals.

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

A violent slave uprising led by Nat Turner in Virginia in 1831, resulting in the deaths of 60 white people.

Amistad

An 1839 case where enslaved Africans aboard a Spanish ship rebelled, leading to their freedom granted by the U.S. Supreme Court.

American Colonization Society

An organization promoting the resettlement of free African Americans in Africa, founding Liberia.

Liberia

A country in West Africa founded by the American Colonization Society as a settlement for freed African Americans.

An Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World

A pamphlet by David Walker calling for resistance against slavery and urging Black people to demand freedom.

The Liberator

An abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison advocating for the immediate end of slavery.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

An autobiography by Frederick Douglass detailing his life as an enslaved person and escape to freedom.

Mason-Dixon Line

The boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland, symbolizing the division between free Northern states and slaveholding Southern states.

Gag Resolution

A series of Congressional resolutions in the 1830s that prevented discussion of anti-slavery petitions.

Slave narratives

Written accounts by formerly enslaved individuals describing their experiences under slavery.

Nat Turner

Leader of the 1831 slave revolt in Virginia.

Theodore Dwight Weld

Abolitionist and author of American Slavery As It Is, exposing the brutality of slavery.

William Lloyd Garrison

Founder of The Liberator and leading abolitionist who called for immediate emancipation.

David Walker

Abolitionist who wrote An Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World, urging resistance to slavery.

Sojourner Truth

Former enslaved person and abolitionist known for her “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech.

Frederick Douglass

Former enslaved person who became a prominent abolitionist, writer, and speaker advocating for emancipation.