US History Unit 4

What was the Wilmot Proviso?

A proposal to ban slavery in any territory gained from Mexico after the Mexican-American War.

What was the Free-Soil Party’s slogan?

“Free soil, free speech, free labor, free men.”

What issue dominated the election of 1848?

Slavery in the territories.

What did the Compromise of 1850 do?

Admitted California as a free state, strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act, and allowed popular sovereignty in some territories.

Who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin and why was it important?

Harriet Beecher Stowe; it increased Northern opposition to slavery.

How did the South respond to Uncle Tom’s Cabin?

Claimed it misrepresented slavery.

What was “Bleeding Kansas”?

Violent conflict between proslavery and antislavery settlers over popular sovereignty.

Which new parties gained strength during the 1850s?

Know-Nothing Party and Republican Party.

What did the Supreme Court decide in the Dred Scott case?

African Americans were not citizens; Congress could not ban slavery in territories.

Who was Chief Justice in the Dred Scott decision?

Roger B. Taney.

What was the Lecompton Constitution?

A proslavery constitution for Kansas.

What did the Lincoln-Douglas debates focus on?

Slavery’s expansion into the territories.

What caused increasing North-South differences?

Conflicts over slavery, tariffs, and political power

What happened during John Brown’s raid?

He attempted to seize weapons at Harper’s Ferry to spark a slave revolt.

What were the four candidates in the election of 1860?

Douglas (Northern Democrat), Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), Lincoln (Republican), Bell (Constitutional Union).

Which states first seceded?

Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas

What event started the Civil War?

The attack on Fort Sumter

Which side had more economic and human resources?

The North.

What were the Union’s military strategies?

Anaconda Plan, control the Mississippi, capture Richmond.

What were the Confederacy’s strategies?

Defensive war, seek foreign recognition.

What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?

Freed slaves in Confederate states in rebellion

What was the significance of First Bull Run?

First major battle; proved the war would be long and difficult.

Who led Union victories in the West early in the war?

Ulysses S. Grant (Forts Henry & Donelson, Shiloh).

Why was Antietam significant?

Bloodiest single day battle; gave Lincoln victory to announce emancipation.

What happened at Gettysburg?

Major Union victory; turning point of the war in the East.

What happened at Vicksburg?

Union took control of the Mississippi, splitting the Confederacy.

What were key wartime laws in the North?

Homestead Act, Land Grant College Act, National Banking Act.

What did Lincoln suspend during the war?

Habeas corpus

Why did the Southern economy collapse?

Blockades, inflation, shortages, and destruction.

How did Southern women’s roles change?

Took on more labor and responsibilities as men fought.

What was Sherman’s March to the Sea?

Union march through Georgia using total war to destroy Southern resources.

Where did Lee surrender?

Appomattox Court House.

Who assassinated Lincoln?

John Wilkes Booth.

What were major issues after the Civil War?

Rebuilding the South, integrating freedmen, restoring states.

How did Presidential Reconstruction differ from Congressional?

Presidential was lenient; Congressional was stricter and protected Black rights

What did the 13th Amendment do?

Abolished slavery.

What did the 14th Amendment do?

Granted citizenship and equal protection.

What was the Freedmen’s Bureau?

Agency to assist freed slaves with education, food, and labor contracts.

What were Black Codes?

Southern laws restricting the rights of freedmen.

What was sharecropping?

System where freedmen rented land for a portion of their crop; kept many in debt.

Why was education important to freedmen?

Symbol of freedom and opportunity.

Who were carpetbaggers?

Northerners who moved South during Reconstruction.

What was the Ku Klux Klan?

White supremacist group using terror to stop Black political participation.

What did the Force Acts of 1870 & 1871 do?

Tried to suppress the KKK.

What ended Reconstruction?

The Compromise of 1876 and removal of federal troops.

What was the legacy of Reconstruction?

Temporary Black political gains, but rise of Jim Crow and segregation.