US History: Antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction Key Concepts

Antebellum Era

Period before the Civil War in the United States.

Election of 1844

Election that led to the presidency of James K. Polk.

Election of 1860

Election that resulted in Abraham Lincoln becoming president.

Slave Codes

Laws that enforced the subjugation of enslaved people.

Freemen

Individuals who were formerly enslaved but are now free.

Segregation

Social separation of races in various public and private spaces.

Plantation Slaves

Slaves primarily working on cotton plantations.

Urban Slaves

Slaves who worked in shops and factories, sometimes living apart from their masters.

Fugitive Slaves

Slaves who escaped to Northern free states.

Sabotage

Actions taken by slaves to damage equipment or disrupt operations.

Slave Rebellions/Revolts

Violent uprisings by enslaved people against their oppressors.

Nat Turner's Rebellion

A violent revolt led by Nat Turner in 1831, resulting in the deaths of 60 white individuals.

Underground Railroad

Network of secret routes and safe houses for fugitive slaves.

Harriet Tubman

A key figure in the Underground Railroad, known as 'Moses.'

King Cotton

Phrase indicating the economic dominance of cotton in the Southern economy.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across the continent.

Texas Revolution

Conflict in 1836 where Texans declared independence from Mexico.

Battle of the Alamo

1836 battle where Mexican forces defeated Texan defenders.

Battle of San Jacinto

Decisive battle where Sam Houston defeated Santa Anna.

Republic of Texas

Independent nation formed after the Texas Revolution.

Mexican-American War

Conflict from 1846 to 1848 driven by U.S. expansionist desires.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Treaty that ended the Mexican-American War and ceded large territories to the U.S.

Wilmot Proviso

Legislation aimed at banning slavery in territories acquired from Mexico.

Oregon Dispute

Border conflict with Britain resolved by agreeing to the 49th parallel.

Legacy of President James K. Polk

Expansion and acquisition of territory under his presidency.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws aimed at resolving disputes over slavery in the Mexican Cession territory.

California Admission

California was admitted as a Free State, causing discontent in the South.

Mexican Cession Territory

Slavery in this territory would be decided by Popular Sovereignty, which upset the North.

Texas Compensation

Texas was given $10 million for a strip of land given to New Mexico.

Slave Trade Ban

The slave trade was banned in Washington, DC.

Fugitive Slave Law

A harsher law that made it easier for Southerners to recover runaway slaves without trial.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that became the most influential anti-slavery work.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Legislation that led to 'Bleeding Kansas' and repealed the Missouri Compromise.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that allowed territories to decide the slavery issue for themselves.

'Bleeding Kansas'

Violence between abolitionists and pro-slavery settlers in Kansas.

Republican Party

Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery Whigs and Democrats, including abolitionists.

Know-Nothing Party

An anti-immigration party in the 1850s that was particularly anti-Irish and anti-Catholic.

Dred Scott Decision

A Supreme Court ruling that stated Scott was still a slave and African-Americans were not citizens.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

A series of debates focusing on slavery between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas.

John Brown's Raid

An attempt by abolitionist John Brown to start a slave uprising by attacking Harper's Ferry.

Lincoln's Views

Lincoln believed slavery was immoral but did not aim to destroy it by any means.

Southern Secession

Seven Southern states seceded after Lincoln's election, starting with South Carolina.

Confederate States of America

Proclaimed in February 1861 by the seceding Southern states.

Civil War Start

The Civil War began in April 1861 and lasted until April 1865.

Abraham Lincoln

President of the United States during the Civil War.

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States of America.