APUSH 1844-1860

Chinese Immigrants

Initially came to America leaving their families and jobs, attracted by the California Gold Rush to have the possibility to get quick money, they ended up staying In America creating businesses.

Tejanos

Mexican residents of Texas that helped the Americans fight in the Mexican-American War, later the Americans didn’t trust them anymore with the possibility they were spies

Stephen F. Austin

Known as the 'Father of Texas,' was an American empresario who led the second colonization of the Texas region by bringing 300 families from the United States in order to obtain land from the Mexican government. He advocated for Texas becoming an independent territory, leaving Mexico.

Martin Van Buren

While he was president and during his nomination for presidency in 1844 he refrained from talking about annexation while in Texas to get on the side of both the North and the South.

William Henry Harrison

While he was president in 1840-1841 he refrained from talking about annexation while in Texas to get on the side of both the North and the South.

Andrew Jackson

While he was president from 1828-1836 he refrained from talking about anything that would bring controversy towards the north and south sections. He delayed recognizing the new Republic.

John L. O’Sullivan

Democratic editor that created the name “Manifest Destiny”, he believed in spreading the belief of racial purity and that God gave the U.S. a democracy and the development of liberty to spread it to other people.

Henry Clay

Feared territorial expansion would threaten the stability of the union, therefore was not a fan of the manifest destiny. He was a presidential candidate in 1844 for the WHIG party.

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

Became the dictator of Mexico while Texas was losing control over their territory, he led many armies into Texas to establish power and fought against the Americans.

Davy Crockett

Tennessee congressman that participated in defending the Alamo with a group of patriots

Sam Houston

General of American troops that kept a small force during the Mexican American War and defeated the Mexican army in the Battle of San Jacinto.

John Tyler

Served as president after Harrison died. He persuaded Texas to apply for statehood.

James K. Polk

Represented Tennessee in the House of Representatives and was a member of the Democratic party. He Became president in 1844 and entered office with a list of goals. One of his goals was to make Texas a state after it had applied for statehood, which allowed it to become a state in the United States.

Zachary Taylor

Considered a “hero of the Mexican War” after Polk had sent him to fight in multiple battles throughout the war, one being when he moved across the Nueces River, into the Rio Grande. He later ran as president in 1848 and won, serving one term.

John Slidell

Polk dispatched him to request to purchase New Mexico and California but it was rejected, starting the war after Polk had gotten angry.

Ulysses Grant

Officer in the Mexico War that believed the war was one of the most unjust wars of all time and it is considered a moral crime.

Stephen W. Kearny

Led a small army during the war and successfully captured Santa Fe, after he obtained Santa Fe he joined a conflict already happening in California bringing the american forces together.

John C. Fremont

Led an armed exploring party by american settlers in California, he was later joined by Kearny.

Nicholas Trist

the president's envoy sent by James K. Polk to negotiate a settlement with the Mexican government during the Mexican-American War. His diplomatic efforts culminated in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848, which ended the war and led to the U.S. acquisition of territories that include California and New Mexico.

Winfield Scott

Finest soldier during the Mexico-American War. He launched a campaign along with Polk and assembled an army at Veracruz where they advanced to Mexico City and suffered little to no casualties.

David Wilmot

Anti Slavery democrat that believed there should be no slavery in any land acquired by Mexico. He created the Wilmot Proviso.

James Marshall

Found traces of Gold on John Sutter’s Sawmills

John Sutters Sawmills

found traces of gold on his sawmills, he decided to try his best to supress the news because he was scared of the potentially chaotic turnout. Unfortunately, the news spread fast and thousands of people came.

Daniel Webster

Believed in getting rid of the slave trade and not slavery itself, going along with Clay’s ideas. He was apart of the compromise of 1850 and later became the secretary of state.

William H. Seward

From New York, he wanted to eliminate slavery rather than the ideals of the union. He was a strong advocate for anti-slavery policies and played a crucial role in the early anti-slavery movement.

Stephen A. Douglass

Democratic senator from Illinois who was primarily focused on sectional interests and political gains. He is known for his role in the debate over slavery and territorial expansion, particularly with the introduction of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed territories to decide for themselves whether to allow slavery.

Millard Fillmore

Succeeded Zachary Taylor as the 13th President of the United States after Taylor's death in 1860. He is known for his support of the Compromise of 1850, which aimed to resolve tensions between free and slave states. During his presidency, he faced significant sectional conflict and his attempts at compromise were ultimately seen as inadequate by both sides.

Franklin Pierce

Won the 1852 presidential election as a Democrat and chose to avoid the issue of slavery, focusing instead on territorial expansion and the need to unify the country. His presidency is often criticized for its inability to effectively address the growing tensions over slavery, and events during his time in office contributed to the increasing divide between North and South. His presidential advisors convinced him to send the Ostend Manifesto and take over Cuba by force rather than make an offer.

James Gadsen/Gadsen Purchase

Southern railroad builder that was sent by Jefferson to Mexico to persuade the Mexican government for a large area of land in exchange for 10 million dollars. The land acquired through the Gadsen Purchase included parts of present-day southern Arizona and New Mexico, and it was intended to facilitate a southern transcontinental railroad. This purchase increased sectional tension between the North and South, as the status of slavery in the new territories became a contentious issue.

John P. Hale

Free-Soil party nominee in 1852 that was anti-slavery and refused to accept the Compromise of 1850. He was known for his strong opposition to the expansion of slavery into the territories and advocated for free soil policies.

John Brown

One of the biggest abolitionist, he believed he was sent by God to get rid of slavery. Brown brought his songs to Kansas from Ohio so they could fight against the pro-slavery settlers. He ended up gathering 6 followers (4 being his son) and killed 5 pro-slavery settlers in the Potawatomie Creek. This event led to a bad reputation towards the Free-staters. He left the free-staters on the street so others would see it and learn a lesson.

Andrew P. Butler

Senator in South Carolina that defended slavery and was heavily criticized by Charles Sumner.

Preston Brooks

Member of the House of Representatives that was enraged by Charles Sumner’s speech that belittled his uncle, Andrew P. Butler. Enraged, he approached Sumner at his desk and beat him with a cane.

Charles Sumner

Passionate opponent against slavery made a speech called “The Crime Against Kansas” that in one part criticized Andrew B. Butler. This made his nephew, Preston Brooks angry and got himself beaten with a cane that forced him to leave the senate for four years.

Nat Turner

Led an uprising in Virginia that terrified southern whites, eventually bringing them closer together.

Thomas R. Dew

Professor at William and Mary College that helped produce a new intellectual defense against slavery.

James Buchanan

Won the 1856 presidential election. He was a reliable democrat and was out of town during the recent controversies taking place, which made him a good candidate because he hadn’t picked a side. He was the oldest president and incredibly indecisive that led to a large depression.

John Sandford

Brother in Law of Scott’s enslaver that appealed Dred Scotts ruling so he could take claim over him since he was considered “property”/

Roger Taney

Chief Justice in the supreme court that ruled Dred Scott shouldn’t even be able to be in court because he wasn’t an actual citizen since he was African American. He determined that Scott was considered property and Sanford was able to obtain him.

Robert E. Lee

Surrounded John Brown and his followers at the U.S. Arsenal in Harpers Ferry,

Abraham Lincoln

Criticized the civil war and believe slavery was morally wrong. He won the election of 1860 as a republican.

Henry David Thoreau

Horrified by the war and refused to pay taxes to support what the government was doing with the money (funding the war)

Emigration Brokers

Loaned migrants money for passage to California so they could go to the California Gold Rush.