Unit 5/Period 5 (1844-1877) Review Flashcards

These flashcards cover important terms and concepts from the lecture notes on U.S. history from 1844 to 1877, including significant events, laws, and figures.

Texas Revolution

A conflict from 1835-1836 where American settlers in Texas rebelled against Mexican rule after restrictions were placed on them.

Battle of the Alamo

A pivotal event during the Texas Revolution where Texian defenders fought bravely against the Mexican Army.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the expansion of the United States across the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

Mexican-American War

A conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846-1848 following the U.S. offer to buy California and New Mexico.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

The 1848 treaty that concluded the Mexican-American War, granting the U.S. territory including California and New Mexico.

Compromise of 1850

A set of laws passed to balance the interests of free and slave states, including admitting California as a free state.

Fugitive Slave Act

A law from 1850 that allowed for the capture and return of runaway slaves to their owners.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Author of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin', a novel that brought the realities of slavery to a wider audience in the North.

Gadsden Purchase

A 1853 agreement in which the U.S. acquired land from Mexico to facilitate the construction of a southern transcontinental railroad.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

A series of debates in 1858 between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas regarding slavery and its expansion.

Emancipation Proclamation

An executive order by President Lincoln in 1863 that declared the freedom of all slaves in Confederate-held territory.

Thirteenth Amendment

An amendment passed in 1865 that abolished slavery in the United States.

Reconstruction

The period after the Civil War focused on rebuilding the South and integrating formerly enslaved people into society.

Jim Crow Era

A period from 1877 to 1964 characterized by laws enforcing racial segregation and disenfranchisement of African Americans.