Antebellum Period

Manifest Destiny

The belief that America had a divine mission to spread westward.

Oregon Territory

The territory from California to the southern border of Alaska claimed by multiple countries including Spain, Great Britain, Russia, and the US.

Texas War for Independence

A war fought between American settlers in Texas against the Mexican government, resulting in the establishment of the Republic of Texas.

Battle of the Alamo

A pivotal event during the Texas War for Independence where Mexican General Santa Anna defeated American settlers.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The treaty that ended the Mexican War, establishing the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas and giving the US control of New Mexico and California.

Industrialization

The process of economic and social change that transforms a society from agrarian to an industrial one.

Abolitionist Movement

A movement aimed at ending slavery, significantly driven by African Americans and supported by groups like the Quakers.

Free Soilers

A political group opposed to the expansion of slavery into the new territories.

Sectionalism

The division of society into regions or sections, often used to describe the growing divide between the North and the South in the US.

Slave revolts

Attempts by enslaved people to resist and overthrow their captivity, such as those led by Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, and Nat Turner.

Gadsden Purchase

A land purchase in 1853 where the US acquired territories in southern New Mexico and Arizona.

Texas annexation (1845)

The incorporation of the Republic of Texas into the United States as a state, contributing to tensions over slavery.

King Cotton

A term used to signify the economic dominance of cotton in the Southern economy prior to the Civil War.

Triangular Slave Trade

The trade system involving slaves, cash crops, and manufactured goods between West Africa, the Americas, and Europe.

Underground Railroad

A secret network that helped enslaved African Americans escape to freedom; famously associated with figures like Harriet Tubman.

Political parties in the 1850s

The emerging parties including the Whigs, Democrats, and the newly formed Republican Party, shaping US political landscape before the Civil War.

Civil War (1860-1865)

A conflict between Northern states (Union) and Southern states (Confederacy) primarily over issues including slavery.