APUSH Chapter 14

Free Soil Party

Formed in 1848 by Northern antislavery forces, advocating for the Wilmot Proviso and a homestead act to provide small farms on public lands.

Conscience Whigs

Whigs who opposed slavery on moral grounds, mainly based in New England.

Cotton Whigs

Whigs who supported slavery and later joined the Democrats.

Compromise of 1850

Proposed by Henry Clay, it admitted California as a free state, organized Utah and New Mexico based on popular sovereignty, and included a tougher fugitive slave law.

Daniel Webster’s 7th of March Speech

Webster's speech supporting the Compromise of 1850, arguing against restricting slavery in the Mexican Cession.

Death of Taylor/President Millard Fillmore

Taylor's death allowed Fillmore to sign the Compromise of 1850, which Taylor would have vetoed.

Fugitive Slave Law of 1850

Part of the Compromise of 1850, it denied fleeing slaves a trial by jury and imposed penalties on Northerners aiding slaves.

Underground Railroad

Network aiding slaves' escape to freedom, organized by abolitionists using safe houses.

Harriet Tubman

Conductor on the Underground Railroad who rescued over 300 slaves in numerous trips to the South.

Impact of Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that intensified Northern opposition to slavery and influenced the start of the Civil War.

Personal Liberty Laws

Laws passed in Northern states to prevent enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law.

Compromise of 1850 and the Civil War

The Compromise delayed the Civil War, allowing the North to strengthen its advantages.

Election of 1852

Democrats won with Franklin Pierce, endorsing the Compromise of 1850, leading to the decline of the Whigs.

Gadsden Purchase

In 1853, the U.S. bought land from Mexico for a southern railroad route into California.

Stephen A. Douglas

Proposed organizing Kansas and Nebraska based on popular sovereignty, leading to "Bleeding Kansas."

Republican Party

Formed in 1854 to oppose slavery expansion, composed of Free Soilers, anti-Douglas Democrats, and Conscience Whigs.

Lecompton Constitution

Pro-slavery constitution for Kansas rejected by voters, leading to delays in statehood.

Emigrant Aid Societies

Groups like the New England Emigrant Aid Society sent settlers to Kansas armed with rifles to oppose slavery.

John Brown at Pottawatomie Creek

Abolitionist who led the killing of pro-slavery men in Kansas, sparking violence.

Bleeding Kansas

Conflict over slavery in Kansas, marked by violence and illegal governments.

Sumner/Brooks Affair

Preston Brooks beat Charles Sumner in the Senate over insults to South Carolina, highlighting tensions over slavery.

Election of 1856

Democrats won with Buchanan, Republicans opposed slavery, and the Know-Nothing Party focused on anti-immigrant sentiments.

American or Know-Nothing Party

Formed to oppose Catholic immigrants, advocating restrictions on immigration and naturalization.

James Buchanan/Doughface President

Buchanan, a Northerner with Southern sympathies, faced secession threats but took no action.

Dred Scott Case

A ruling which declared an escaped slave property, denied his citizenship, and invalidated the Missouri Compromise.

Lincoln/Douglas Debates

Series of debates in 1858 between Lincoln and Douglas, raising Lincoln's profile despite Douglas winning the Senate seat.

Lincoln's stance on slavery

Lincoln opposed the extension of slavery into the territories but did not advocate for social and political equality for blacks, and believed Congress could not abolish slavery in the South.

Douglas's view on slavery

Douglas opposed the extension of slavery into the territories and supported popular sovereignty as a way to prevent its spread without disrupting the Union.

Freeport Doctrine

Douglas's response in Freeport, Illinois, where he stated that while the Dred Scott decision allowed slavery in theory, the people of a territory could prevent it in practice by not enacting laws necessary for slavery to function.

John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry

Brown's failed attempt in 1859 to spark a slave rebellion by attacking the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, leading to his execution for treason and differing reactions from Northerners and Southerners.

Election of 1860

The election where Lincoln, representing the Republican Party, won by opposing the expansion of slavery into territories, promising not to interfere with slavery in states, and advocating for other policies like a protective tariff and free homestead farms.

Clayton-Bulwer Treaty

An agreement between the US and Britain in 1850 to prevent conflicts over trade routes in Central America, ensuring that neither country would fortify or control isthmian waterways exclusively.

Commodore Matthew C. Perry

Arrived in Japan in 1853-1854, he used a mix of force and diplomacy to convince the Japanese to sign a treaty allowing American commercial access after the country had been closed to outsiders for centuries.