History P3 - Chapter 4.1 - Sectional Tensions and Political Change

What was the Northern economy based on?

Manufacturing, trade, and banking.

What was the Southern economy based on?

Plantations and cash crops (cotton, tobacco, rice).

What type of labour did the North rely on?

Wage labour.

What type of labour did the South rely on?

Enslaved African Americans.

How did the North view tariffs?

Supported high protective tariffs to protect industries.

How did the South view tariffs?

Opposed high tariffs because they needed cheap imports and to export cotton.

How did the North invest in infrastructure?

Railroads, canals, and ports.

What did the South focus on instead of infrastructure?

Plantations.

What banking system did the North favour?

A national banking system.

What banking system did the South prefer?

State-controlled banks.

How was the Southern economy tied to slavery?

Dependent on slavery; cotton vital for exports.

How was the Northern economy tied to slavery?

Industrial economy with growing abolitionist sentiment.

Why did expansion of slavery into new territories cause conflict?

It created political and economic tensions between North and South.

What was the Tariff of 1857?

Lowered tariffs slightly, but South still unhappy.

Why did the South resist federal funding for infrastructure?

Believed it mainly benefited the North.

What happened after the Mexican-American War regarding slavery?

Expansion into new territories reignited disputes.

What was the Compromise of 1850?

Admitted California free, stricter Fugitive Slave Law, popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico.

What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)?

Allowed popular sovereignty, leading to “Bleeding Kansas.”

What were the political consequences of economic conflict?

Increased sectionalism, Democrats pro-slavery, Republicans anti-slavery.

What was the purpose of the Compromise of 1850?

Reduce tension between free and slave states after the Mexican-American War.

Which state was admitted free under the Compromise of 1850?

California.

How was slavery decided in New Mexico and Utah under the Compromise?

By popular sovereignty.

What happened to Texas in the Compromise of 1850?

Border dispute settled, and federal government assumed its debt.

What happened to the slave trade in Washington D.C.?

It was abolished (symbolic victory for the North).

What happened to the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850?

It was strengthened as a concession to the South.

What did the Fugitive Slave Act require of citizens?

All citizens had to assist in capturing runaway slaves.

What rights were denied to alleged fugitive slaves?

The right to a jury trial.

Why were commissioners biased in Fugitive Slave cases?

They were paid more if they returned alleged slaves than if they freed them.

How did the Fugitive Slave Act impact the North?

Increased abolitionist resistance, personal liberty laws, Underground Railroad expanded.

How did Northerners view the Fugitive Slave Act?

As the South imposing slavery on free states.

How did the South view the Fugitive Slave Act?

It protected their property rights and strengthened their confidence in federal support.

What were the consequences of the Fugitive Slave Act?

Deepened sectional divisions and set the stage for further conflict.

What led to the collapse of the Whig Party?

Divisions over slavery.

Which law directly led to the creation of the Republican Party?

The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854).

What was the central aim of the Republican Party?

To oppose the expansion of slavery into western territories.

Which groups came together to form the Republican Party?

Anti-slavery Whigs, Free Soilers, and Northern Democrats.

Why was the formation of the Republican Party significant politically?

It replaced the Whigs as the main Northern party.

Why was the Republican Party sectional?

It had almost no support in the South, highlighting growing sectionalism.

How did the Republican Party impact the slavery debate?

It gave political weight to anti-slavery and free soil arguments.

How successful was the Republican Party by 1860?

It had grown rapidly, electing Abraham Lincoln president.

What consequence did Lincoln’s election have?

It triggered Southern secession.

How did the Republican Party strengthen Northern identity?

It tied industrial and economic interests to anti-slavery ideology.

What were the overall consequences of the Republican Party’s rise?

It heightened sectional tensions, polarized politics, and laid the foundation for the Civil War.