Study Guide for U.S. History

What is sectionalism

Disagreements between the different regions

How did sectionalism lead to the Civil War?

The North and the South, with their different economic systems, were competing for new lands in the Western territories. At the same time, a growing number of Northerners wanted to restrict slavery. Even the Southerners who disliked slavery resented Northern interference in their affairs. These differences between the North and the South grew into sectionalism, and this exaggerated loyalty to a particular region split the country.

Economic systems and methods of living in the North, South, and West

North-

industrial

factory

tariffs

South-

the cotton kingdom

agricultural

wanted no tax

West-

selling land

independent farms

gold rush

Political views about gov. in North, South and west

North

wanted a strong national gov

federal gov was above all else

South

states had the rights to leave

State had more power than federal

West

wanted gov funding

Views in slavery in the North, South and West

north: slavery was evil

south: slavery was essential to the economy

west: some slaves were free others were not

Advances in the north, south and west

North: had the most factories

transportation

South: cotton gin/agriculture

west: transportation like roads,railways, waterways etc

Traditions in north, south and west

North: political freedom, less religious

South: very religious, less educated

West: family-orientated business

How did Northerners view Southerners?

They viewed them as violent, lazy, and poorly educated people who were made brutal by the presence of slavery.

How did Southerners view Northerners?

They saw grasping, money-oriented people who didn’t care about religion or family and meddled in everyone’s affairs.

What was the Missouri Compromise?

It kept the number of slave states and free states the same, keeping an even number in Congress

**What was the purpose of the Missouri Compromise, and was it an effective solution?**

Admitting Missouri as a slave state gave the south one more state than the north. Adding Maine as a free state balanced things out again. Though the Missouri Compromise managed to keep the peace for the moment, it failed to resolve the pressing question of slavery and its place in the nation's future.

Tariffs of Abominations

the nickname given to a tariff by southerners who opposed it

why did southerns oppose tariffs

Angered their European traders and they thought it was unfair

Nullification

A state's refusal to recognize an act of Congress that it considers unconstitutional

South Carolina nullification ordinance

Repudiated the unconstitutional federal tariffs acts of 1828 and 1832, declaring them "null, void, and no law." If federal of stories try to use force to collect the tariffs, South Carolina would secede from the union.

Was South Carolina allowed to succeed from the union

not at first but it was the first state to leave when the civil war started

force bill

1833 - Authorized President Jackson to use the army and navy to collect duties on the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832. South Carolina's ordinance of nullification had declared these tariffs null and void, and South Carolina would not collect duties on them. The Force Act was never invoked because it was passed by Congress the same day as the Compromise Tariff of 1833, so it became unnecessary. South Carolina also nullified the Force Act.

Indian removal act

(1830) a congressional act that authorized the removal of Native Americans who lived east of the Mississippi River

Trail of tears

The Cherokee Indians were forced to leave their lands. They traveled from North Carolina and Georgia through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas-more than 800 miles (1,287 km)-to the Indian Territory. More than 4, 00 Cherokees died of cold, disease, and lack of food during the 116-day journey.

Cherokee

\n a group of native Americans who fought the Indian removal act in court and won but the state disregarded this fact

What was Andrew Jackson a strong advocate of

harsh indian removal

What impeachable executive action did Andrew Jackson do with regard to Indian “Removal”?

Jackson forced Native American out of their land without government treaties. This action defined federal law and was against the government policy. President Jackson also went against the “Indian removal Act” which he signed by forcefully removing Native Americans from their home.

What was Andrew Jackson’s response to the nullification crisis?

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Jackson prepared troops to forcefully remove native Americans from their homes

In what ways did the South Carolina tariff crisis foreshadow issues that would lead to the Civil War?

it revealed the deep divisions between the North and the South and showed they could cause enormous problems, such as slavery

How did President Jackson violate the constitutional principle of checks and balances in the way he addressed “Indian Removal”?

he went against the supreme courts ruling which could have led to his impeachment

What factors made the South distinct from the rest of the United States during the early nineteenth century?

\n their economy was solely based on slavery

Peculiar Institution:

\n A phrase used by whites to refer to slavery, without actually saying the word slavery

John C. Calhoun

claimed that the quality of life for people of color was worse in the North than it was in the South. Claimed that the South quality of life greatly improved in every aspect

Abolitionist

A person who wanted to end slavery

What were the racial hierarchies in the Old South?

Southerners w/Slaves

Southerns without slaves

free blacks

enslaved humans

Why did so few immigrants move to the South when they arrived in the US?

they did not have enough money

How did the myths present in Mary Henderson Eastman’s novel *Aunt Phillis’s Cabin* fit into the overall myth of the Old South?

It made the South seem like a place run by southern belles and aristocratic men that lived in white-columned mansions. It portrayed many people as a culture full of grace and honor.

the mythology of the Old South: the myth v. the reality

Myth: “Slavery supposedly benefited enslaved people”

Reality: The reality is much darker - the south is rooted in an immoral economic system dependent on the exploitation of blacks and the displacement of Native Americans

Harriet Beecher Stowe’s portrayal of the South

Uncle toms cabin portrayed the truth about slavery. That it was inhumane and brutal

“Biography” of a white planter

White planters were seen as ambitious self-made men who believed they were better than enslaved humans

Upper South

Climate & geography distinguished from lower south; emerged out of economic crisis in the 1850s by diversifying agriculture, urbanization, and expansion of manufacturing and trade; single-crop; tobacco--> wheat & corn Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas

Border South States

Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri

Lower South

states of , Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, some parts of Texas, and South Carolina

How did cotton production and the enslavement of human labor impact the economic and social development of the South?

cotton production **boosted** the economy and brought in tons of **money** for the U.S. Cotton became what the South was known for and the most **profitable cash crop** in the U.S. As the **demand** for cotton grew, so did the **demand for slaves**

“Cotton Kingdom”

the **backbone** of the U.S. economy.cotton-producing region of the Southern United States. In the beginning of the 19th century, cotton became the most **profitable cash crop** in the South,

The two main causes for the growth of The Cotton Kingdom

emergence of steamboats spreading of slavery

British textile mills

cotton was **unable** to be grown in Britain so, it was transported by ship and delivered to **“mill girls”** to be made into fabric and thread.

the cotton gin

A machine for cleaning the seeds from cotton fibers, invented by Eli Whitney in 1793

importance of steamboats and the Mississippi River in transporting cotton

Hundreds of **steamboats** left southern ports **loaded with cotton** and other local items and returned from the north. Mississippi's steamboats **aided the slave trade** by transporting cotton and **enslaved African Americans** to markets

The role of the Old Southwest to cotton production

People began to move to this area due to the **cheap cost of land and slaves.** Many southern men were excited to **thrive financially.** By the 1830s, the Old Southwest had produced **⅔ of all cotton.**

How did the cotton boom expand slavery?

forced migration, by **luring** thousands of white males from the North and from slave states along the Atlantic coast who came to make a **quick** fortune, **cotton sparked a “gold rush.”**

What did John Quincy Adams say about this expansion?

the nation’s devotion to **liberty** and **equality** was **damaged** by the **expansion of the slave** states.

Reasons for the profitability of cotton

\-easily produced

\-easy transportation

profitable

Cause of the civil war

slavery

What were the major groups within southern white society and why did each group support the expansion of slavery?

the plain white folk, which were the large middle class of independent farmers in the South. Some had slaves and some were able to borrow them from the planters. The poor white class were the economically disadvantaged white people in the South.

planter

owner of a plantation with at least 20 enslaved people.

Plantation Mistress

Matriarch of a planter's household, responsible for supervising the domestic aspects of the estate.

plain white folk

Yeoman farmers who lived and worked on their own small farms, growing food and cash crops to trade for necessities

poor whites

They rented farm land from landowners and paid for rent with crops. Owned no slaves, but could vote.

What were the cultural expectations placed on planters?

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Planters controlled economic, political and social life. They acted like the region’s leader.

What percentage of Southern whites were defined as planters?

1 in 30 people were planters (about 3% of Southern whites)

Life of the plantation mistress and social expectations

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helping the enslaved when sick, and occasionally providing things for special occasions

overseers

people who watch over and direct the work of slaves

drivers

usually a white man but occasionally an enslaved black man—a "driver"—promoted to the position by his master

Reasons why the “Plain White Folk” and “Poor Whites” would want the system of slavery in the South to continue.

because it benefitted them

difference between poor white folk and plain white folk

poor- were laborers and had individual farms and did not "own" slaves

plain- had farms and slaves

What was the impact of slavery on African Americans, both free and enslaved, throughout the South?

Slavery created a longlasting and critical impacted throughout the southern united states. Slavery caused the serperation of neumerous familes throughout the southern united states which is an effect still felt to this day as families continue to reconnect. Slavery caused the destruction of human rights and caused enslaved African Americans to be treated as less then human. Slavery also created a persisting effect of rascsim throughout the united states that is still felt. Although formally enslaved people were considered free they still experienced these effects and suffered because of slavery.

slave codes

Laws that controlled the lives of enslaved African Americans and denied them basic rights.

mulattoes

a person of mixed white and black ancestry, especially a person with one white and one black parent.

domestic slave trade

the trade of enslaved people among states of the United States

why did the number of enslaved human rise over time

because the economy was increasing and slavery was the economy

how could an enslaved person become free

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purchase there freedom or be released

when was the domestic slave trade outlawed

1808

What did it mean to be “sold down the river”?

To be sold to plantation owners south of the Mississippi River.

The importance of New Orleans to maintaining the system of slavery

New Orleans was a mass center in the aspect of slavery. This costal city alone had twety slave trading bussiness that worked directly to “trade” and “sell” people for a profit.

fancy trade

A process by which female slaves called "fancy maids" were sold at auction into concubinage or prostitution.

Separation of families

slave families were often split and sold to different owners across the country

How did the experiences of enslaved persons differ, and what was the impact of slavery on women in particular?

Women were expected and required to work in a field all day long, and then return to do the housework at night. Women were sexually abused and raped by their owners. The slave owners wanted them to have as many children as possible and they were even rewarded for being pregnant.

field hands

Slaves who toiled in the cotton or cane fields in organized work gangs.

Why did the lives of enslaved persons differ greatly?

the amount of money a owner effected the living conditions of enslaved people

Why did White people make a public spectacle of punishing enslaved persons, particularly the rural enslaved population?

they wanted to inflict fear into any enslaved person who was considering rebelling or escaping

What was life like for enslaved persons in urban areas?

The enslaved people that lived in urban houses were more likely to be fed better, clothed, and they got more privileges than other enslaved people. They got to interact with their slave owenrs, as well as police officers, shopkeepers, their neighbors, and even just random strangers

Slavery as a way of life–the day to day existence of enslaved persons

Enslaved people had to work long hard hours in the fields and as artisan, craftsman and so much more.

How did enslaved peoples respond to the inhumanity of their enslavement?

The hardships the slaves faced were so evil and so brutal that the enslaved people decided to rebel together, and they began to rebel against the injustices they faced on a daily basis.

spirituals

\n Religious folk songs that blended biblical themes with the realities of slavery

everyday resistance

efforts to resist or obstruct authority that are not clearly organized over time, such as work stoppages, slowdowns, and sabotage

vigilante groups

A self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community, without legal authority because the legal authorities are inadequate.

The dynamic of the slave family (another form of resistance)

A nuclear family consists of a couple and their children. The essential idea of a nuclear family is for the couple to provide for their familial unit. Enslaved children of these families had no childhood, children as young as 5 years old were put to work doing odd jobs such as picking cotton, de-weeding gardens/fields, running errands, etc. Enslaved families were very fragile.

German Coast Uprising:

1811 Leader: Charles Deslondes The largest slave revolt in American history occurred on a piece of land.It was one of the largest population of enslaved people in North America. These workers suffered and lived in hard working conditions. On January 8th, a group of enslaved people led by Charles Deslondes broke into their owners house out of revenge. More enslaved people came together and gathered weapons then going into New Orlean’s setting houses on fire and killed the White people

Denmark Vesey Revolt

A failed revolt by Denmark Vesey to steal arms and lead slaves to freedom. It failed due to loyal slaves. The revolt scarred the South, and made them even more coercive on the manners of slavery.

Nat Turner’s Rebellion:

Nataniel Turner → a slave educated in religion, reading, and writeing and was born in 1800 and was hung in 1831. Owned by Benjamin Turner.Nathaniel Turner led slaves in a rebellion against white slave owners on August 21, 1831. Fifty-five white people died, and fifty-six black people were executed. Two hundred people were accused of partaking in the rebellion. Turner was inspired by God to rebel and the eclipse of the sun that day.

How did Southern states respond to Nat Turner’s rebellion?

established harsher slave codes (Slaves were prohibited from bearing arms or from defending themselves. They could not own property. They were not allowed to testify in court against a white person, and could not serve on juries. They could not enter into any legal contracts, including marriage.)

Fredrick Douglass (1817-1895)

American abolitionist and writer, he escaped slavery and became a leading African American spokesman and writer.

*How did the Abolitionist Movement begin and continue to grow throughout the United States from the 1820s-1850s, and how did it influence politics?*

it created new movements and parties

American Colonization Society

A Society that thought slavery was bad. They would buy land in Africa and get free blacks to move there. One of these such colonies was made into what now is Liberia. Most sponsors just wanted to get blacks out of their country.

Immediate Abolitionism

The idea that enslaved Africans should be emancipated immediately and given all the rights due to them as American citizens without delay.

the liberator

An anti-slavery newspaper written by William Lloyd Garrison. It drew attention to abolition, both positive and negative, causing a war of words between supporters of slavery and those opposed.

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American Anti-Slavery Society

Founded in 1833 by William Lloyd Garrison and other abolitionists. Garrison burned the Constitution as a proslavery document. Argued for "no Union with slaveholders" until they repented for their sins by freeing their slaves.

The liberty party

A former political party in the United States; formed in 1839 to oppose the practice of slavery; merged with the Free Soil Party in 1848

Why did leaders of the free Black community denounce the colonization idea?

they explained that the U.S. was their native land. They also believed they had the right to US citizenship just like everyone else.

Where did the fight against slavery begin and how did it spread to the United States?

the first movement was the A.C.S. (American Colonization Society) in D.C.Their goal was to transport freed enslaved people back to Africa.Some saw this as a way to end slavery. Some saw it as a way to get rid of unwanted people.

How and why did the anti-slavery movement shift from advocating a gradual end to slavery to immediate abolitionism?

Slavery in the southern states were rapidly growing. Anti-slavery organizations scratched their idea of a gradual end to slavery and introduced immediate abolitionism. Every northern state had abolished slavery by the 1820s

Grimke Sisters

were 19th-century American Quakers, educators and writers who were early advocates of abolitionism and women's rights.

The importance of an anti-slavery third party candidate

formed after skepticism spread among AASS.Decided by founders that political action was the best way to battle slavery.1840, party formed and nominated a candidate, James Gillespie Biney.Birney lost election with only 7,000 votes.

Wilmot Proviso

Bill that would ban slavery in the territories acquired after the War with Mexico