The North and the South

Sectionalism

Growing political, economic, and social divisions between regions in the United States.

Industrialization

The rapid development of industry in the North after 1812, characterized by the factory system and wage labor.

Transportation Revolution

A period of rapid growth in the speed and convenience of transportation, including steamboats, canals, railroads, and telegraphs.

King Cotton

Refers to cotton as the dominant cash crop in the Southern economy, making it highly profitable.

Cotton Gin

An invention by Eli Whitney in 1793 that made cotton production more profitable and intensified slavery.

Abolitionism

A movement to end slavery and promote equal rights for all.

Republican Party

A political party that rose in the North in the 1850s, opposed to the expansion of slavery.

Nullification Theory

John C. Calhoun's idea that states could nullify federal laws deemed unconstitutional.

Free-Soilers

Individuals who opposed the expansion of slavery into the western territories for moral, racial, and economic reasons.

Compromise of 1850

A set of laws aimed at settling disputes over slavery and territories acquired from Mexico.

Dred Scott Decision

An 1857 Supreme Court ruling that declared African Americans were not citizens and Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories.

Yeoman Farmers

Small landholders in the South who did not own slaves and were part of the majority white population.

Jacksonian Democracy

A political movement that expanded white male suffrage and promoted the interests of the common man.

Interchangeable Parts

Manufactured parts that are identical and can be used in place of one another in manufacturing.

Telegraph

A communication system developed in the 1840s that revolutionized long-distance communication.