Manifest Destiny and Sectionalism

A set of flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on Manifest Destiny and Sectionalism, including important events, figures, and ideological beliefs.

Sectionalism

The division of the United States into distinct regions (North, South, West) with different economies and cultures, leading to conflicts.

Missouri Compromise

An agreement in 1820 that allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance in the Senate.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that Americans were destined by God to expand across the continent, symbolizing the ideology that justified territorial expansion.

James K. Polk

The 11th President of the United States who promoted westward expansion, annexing Texas and acquiring territory after the Mexican-American War.

Annexation

The act of adding territory to an existing political unit, such as Texas being added to the United States in the 1840s.

Oregon Treaty

The 1846 agreement between the United States and Great Britain that divided the Oregon Territory between the two nations.

Fifty-four forty or fight

A slogan used by Polk during his campaign that referred to the northern boundary of the Oregon Territory, asserting U.S. claims.

Cultural Clashes

Conflicts that arose between the North and South in the United States over issues such as slavery, ultimately leading to the Civil War.

Congressional Balance

The approach taken by Congress to maintain equal representation between free and slave states, especially during state admissions.

Expansionism

The policy of territorial or economic expansion that characterized U.S. policy in the 19th century, including the acquisition of lands.