Unit 5 (all) APUSH

Nat Turner's Rebellion (1831)

An 1831 slave revolt led by Nat Turner in Virginia, where enslaved people attacked and killed approximately 60 white people, making it one of the most significant slave rebellions in U.S. history. Turner's rebellion intensified Southern fears of slave uprisings, leading to stricter slave laws and increased repression of African Americans.

Second Great Awakening (1790s-1840s)

A religious revival movement in the early 19th century that emphasized personal faith and salvation. The movement inspired widespread social reforms, including temperance, prison reform, and especially the abolitionist movement, as many believed in the moral imperative to end slavery.

Abolitionist (1830s-1860s)

A person or activist advocating for the immediate end of slavery in the United States. Influential abolitionists included Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Abolitionists used speeches, writings, and organizing efforts to oppose slavery on moral and religious grounds, often sparking significant social and political tension.

Free Labor (1830s-1860s)

An economic system based on the belief that labor should be freely chosen and compensated, as opposed to slave labor. It was championed in the North, where free labor became associated with independence, opportunity, and social mobility, contrasting sharply with the Southern reliance on slave labor.

Slave Labor (1600s-1865)

A labor system in which enslaved African Americans were forced to work without wages and were treated as property. In the antebellum South, slave labor was the backbone of the agricultural economy, especially in the production of cotton, sugar, and tobacco.

King Cotton (1820s-1860s)

A term describing the dominance of cotton as the primary cash crop in the Southern economy. "King Cotton" became a slogan expressing the South's economic power and its belief that cotton production was vital for both the American and global economy, especially as the North and Europe relied heavily on Southern cotton for their textile industries.

"Positive good" (1837)

A phrase used by pro-slavery advocates like John C. Calhoun to justify slavery as beneficial for both enslaved people and slaveholders. Proponents argued that slavery provided enslaved people with structure and care, while benefitting the Southern economy and culture, framing it as a "positive good" rather than a "necessary evil."

Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)

A series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the Illinois Senate race. Lincoln, a Republican, argued against the spread of slavery, while Douglas promoted "popular sovereignty," allowing states to decide on slavery. These debates raised Lincoln's national profile and highlighted the growing sectional divide over slavery.

Union (1861-1865)

The term used to refer to the Northern states and those loyal to the United States government during the Civil War. The Union, led by President Abraham Lincoln, fought to preserve the nation and later to abolish slavery.

Confederacy (1861-1865)

A group of Southern states that seceded from the United States in 1860-61 to form the Confederate States of America, led by President Jefferson Davis. The Confederacy fought to protect states' rights and maintain slavery, leading to the Civil War with the Union.

Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

A Confederate general and commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, known for his tactical skill and leadership during the Civil War. Lee was respected by both North and South for his military ability and ultimately surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant in 1865, marking the end of the war.

Stonewall Jackson (1824-1863)

A Confederate general known for his fearlessness and skilled command. Nicknamed "Stonewall" for his stand at the First Battle of Bull Run, Jackson was a key leader under Robert E. Lee until his death in 1863 from friendly fire.

Jefferson Davis (1808-1889)

The President of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Davis, a former U.S. senator and secretary of war, struggled to unify the Southern states and provide effective leadership amid internal conflicts and resource shortages.

Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885)

A Union general who became the commanding general of the Union Army in 1864. Known for his aggressive tactics and willingness to engage Confederate forces continuously, Grant accepted Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House in 1865, ending the Civil War.

Sherman's "March to the Sea" (1864)

A military campaign led by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, in which Union troops marched from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, destroying infrastructure and supplies along the way. This campaign aimed to cripple the South's war resources and morale, embodying the concept of "total war."

Total War (1864-1865)

A strategy used by the Union, especially under General Sherman, that aimed not only to defeat Confederate armies but to destroy the South's economic and social structure. Total war involved targeting civilian infrastructure and resources to break the Southern will to continue fighting.

Emancipation Proclamation (1863)

An executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, declaring all enslaved people in Confederate-held territories to be free. The proclamation reframed the Civil War as a struggle for abolition and encouraged African Americans to join the Union Army.

Gettysburg Address (1863)

A short but impactful speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln in November 1863 at the dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield. In it, Lincoln honored fallen soldiers and reaffirmed the Union's commitment to winning the war, redefining the war's purpose as a fight for a "new birth of freedom."

African American participation in Reconstruction (1865-1877)

During Reconstruction, African Americans voted, held public office, and built institutions like schools and churches. This marked progress toward equality but faced violent opposition.

Rise of the 1st KKK (1865)

The Ku Klux Klan, formed by former Confederates, used violence to intimidate Black voters and restore white control in the South.

Reconstruction's impact on women (1865-1877)

Reconstruction sparked debates on women's rights. While Black men gained voting rights, women remained excluded, fueling the suffrage movement.

Reconstruction (1865-1877)

The period after the Civil War aimed at rebuilding the South and integrating freed slaves into society. It saw advances in Black rights but faced intense resistance.

13th Amendment (1865)

Abolished slavery in the United States, ending forced labor except as criminal punishment.

14th Amendment (1868)

Granted citizenship to all born in the U.S. and ensured equal protection under the law, aiming to protect freed slaves' rights.

15th Amendment (1870)

Guaranteed that voting rights could not be denied based on race, giving African American men the right to vote.

Sharecropping (1860s-1940s)

A farming system where landowners rented land to poor farmers (often freed slaves) in exchange for a share of the crop, often trapping them in debt.

Segregation (late 1800s)

The enforced separation of races, especially in the South, following Reconstruction, leading to widespread discrimination against African Americans.

Black Codes (1865-1866)

Laws passed in the South to limit the freedom of African Americans, aiming to control labor and behavior post-slavery.

Jim Crow laws (late 1800s-1960s)

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation, solidifying second-class status for African Americans.

Battle of Little Bighorn (1876)

A conflict where Sioux and Cheyenne warriors defeated U.S. troops, symbolizing Native resistance to U.S. expansion.

Seward's Folly (1867)

The purchase of Alaska from Russia, initially criticized as foolish but later valued for its resources.

Exodusters (1879)

African Americans who migrated from the South to Kansas to escape racism and find better opportunities after Reconstruction.

Carpetbaggers (1865-1877)

Northerners who moved South after the Civil War, often to help with Reconstruction, but seen by Southerners as opportunists.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902)

A leading women's rights activist who pushed for women's suffrage during and after Reconstruction.

Annexation of Florida (1819)

The U.S. gained Florida through the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 with Spain. Spain ceded Florida in exchange for the U.S. renouncing claims to Texas. This expanded U.S. territory and fulfilled part of the nation's Manifest Destiny goal of spreading across the continent.

Cherokee v. Georgia (1831)

This Supreme Court case ruled that Native American tribes were not foreign nations but "domestic dependent nations." Although it did not help the Cherokee in keeping their lands, it set the tone for future legal interpretations regarding Native American sovereignty.

Worcester v. Georgia (1832)

The Supreme Court ruled that Georgia could not impose its laws on Cherokee tribal lands, affirming Native American sovereignty. President Andrew Jackson ignored the ruling, leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee along the Trail of Tears.

Annexation of Texas (1845)

Texas was annexed by the U.S. after it gained independence from Mexico. This move, completed under President Polk, was controversial as it intensified debates over the expansion of slavery and helped lead to the Mexican-American War.

Manifest Destiny (1840s-1850s)

This term refers to the belief that the U.S. was destined to expand westward across the North American continent. It was used to justify American territorial expansion, including the annexation of Texas, Oregon, and lands taken from Mexico after the Mexican-American War.

The Gold Rush (1848-1855)

The discovery of gold in California led to a massive influx of settlers and accelerated the push for statehood. California's rapid growth as a free state inflamed sectional tensions over slavery.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws passed to balance the interests of slave and free states following the Mexican-American War. It included the Fugitive Slave Act and admitted California as a free state, while leaving the status of slavery in other territories to popular sovereignty, deepening sectional tensions.

Whigs and Democrats on Slavery (1840s-1850s)

The Whigs were divided on slavery, with Northern Whigs generally opposing its expansion, while Southern Whigs supported it. Democrats, especially Southern Democrats, largely supported slavery and its expansion, seeing it as a key economic system for their agrarian lifestyle.

Mexican-American War and Slavery (1846-1848)

Led to the acquisition of vast new territories, which reignited debates over the expansion of slavery. The question of whether slavery would be allowed in these new territories deepened the sectional divide between the North and South.

Platform of the Free Soil Party (1848)

Opposed the expansion of slavery into the Western territories, arguing that free men on free soil constituted a morally and economically superior system. Their motto was "Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor, and Free Men."

Election of Lincoln (1860)

Was a turning point in U.S. history. Running on a platform opposed to the spread of slavery, his victory led to Southern states seceding from the Union, directly leading to the Civil War.

Know-Nothing Party (1850s)

Also known as the American Party, was anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic. It gained popularity in the 1850s, particularly in the North, where fears of increasing immigrant populations (particularly Irish Catholics) were growing.

Mexican Cession (1848)

Land ceded by Mexico to the U.S. after the Mexican-American War through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It fueled the debate over whether new territories would permit slavery, increasing tensions between the North and South.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

This act allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to vote on whether to allow slavery ("popular sovereignty"). It led to violence in Kansas and further divided the nation over slavery.

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

A Supreme Court case that ruled African Americans, whether free or enslaved, were not U.S. citizens and had no rights. It declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, which increased North-South tensions over slavery.

Republican Party (Founded in 1854)

Formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, it opposed the expansion of slavery into western territories. The party grew rapidly and its success helped Abraham Lincoln win the presidency in 1860.

Anti-Immigrant Nativism (1850s)

A movement favoring native-born Americans over immigrants, leading to discrimination against Irish and German immigrants. Nativist groups like the Know-Nothing Party sought to limit immigration and diminish immigrant influence.

Anti-Catholic Nativism (1850s)

Part of the nativist movement, it focused on opposing Catholic immigrants, especially Irish Catholics. Many Protestants believed that Catholicism was incompatible with American democracy.

Panic of 1857

An economic depression caused by over-speculation in railroads and land, and the decline of international markets. It affected the North more than the South, reinforcing Southern confidence in their cotton-based economy.

Harper's Ferry (1859)

An armed raid led by abolitionist John Brown in an attempt to start a slave revolt by seizing a federal arsenal. Brown's failed raid and subsequent execution made him a martyr in the North and intensified sectional divisions.

Homestead Act (1862)

Offered 160 acres of free public land to settlers in the West. It encouraged westward expansion, though many settlers faced difficult conditions. The act also contributed to the displacement of Native American tribes.

Sand Creek Massacre (1864)

A brutal attack by the U.S. Army on a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho village in Colorado. This event highlighted the violent treatment of Native Americans during westward expansion and increased tensions between settlers and tribes.

The Liberator (1831-1865)

An abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison that called for the immediate emancipation of enslaved people. It played a key role in spreading anti-slavery sentiment in the North.