Origins of the American Civil War

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts regarding the origins of the American Civil War, focusing on causes, key events, and ideological divisions.

Slavery

The central issue dividing the North and South, leading to deep sectionalism.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America, fueling territorial growth and raising tensions over slavery.

Missouri Compromise (1820)

A legislative agreement to maintain Senate balance by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, producing geographical boundaries for slavery.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

Legislation that allowed popular sovereignty to decide on slavery in Kansas and Nebraska, which led to violent conflicts known as Bleeding Kansas.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

A Supreme Court ruling that declared African Americans were not U.S. citizens and Congress could not ban slavery in the territories.

Abolitionism

A movement aimed at ending slavery, significantly influencing Northern sentiment and increasing Southern fears of economic and social collapse.

Bleeding Kansas

A series of violent confrontations in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions as a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Sectionalism

The growing cultural, economic, and ideological divide between the North and South, resulting in distinct regional identities.

Fort Sumter

The site of the first military engagement of the Civil War, where Confederate forces attacked Union troops, officially beginning the conflict.

Confederate States of America

A collection of Southern states that seceded from the Union, formed in 1861, with Jefferson Davis as its president.

Underground Railroad

A secret network aiding enslaved people in escaping to free states and Canada, supported by abolitionists like Harriet Tubman.

Compromise of 1850

Legislation aimed at resolving tensions over newly acquired territories that allowed California to enter as a free state and included the Fugitive Slave Act.

How was the issue of slavery addressed between 1820 and 1850?

Slavery was addressed through several key events, including the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which allowed new territories to decide on the legality of slavery.

How and why did sectional divisions widen between 1850 and 1856?

Sectional divisions widened due to the implementation of the Fugitive Slave Act, growing abolitionist movements in the North, violent conflicts in Kansas (known as 'Bleeding Kansas'), and differing economic interests between the North and South.

Q: What was the Missouri Compromise, and how did it address slavery?

A: It allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining Senate balance. It also prohibited slavery north of the 36°30′ latitude line in the Louisiana Purchase territory, except Missouri.

Q: Why was the Missouri Compromise necessary?

A: Missouri’s application for statehood as a slave state in 1819 threatened the balance of 11 free and 11 slave states, sparking a heated debate over slavery’s expansion.

Q: How did westward expansion contribute to the slavery debate?

Q: How did westward expansion contribute to the slavery debate?
A: Every new territory raised the question of whether slavery would be allowed, leading to political conflicts and compromises like the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850.

Q: What was Manifest Destiny, and how did it affect sectional tensions?

Q: What was Manifest Destiny, and how did it affect sectional tensions?
A: The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America. As new territories were acquired, debates over the expansion of slavery intensified.

Q: How did the annexation of Texas (1845) impact sectional tensions?

A: Texas was admitted as a slave state, angering Northerners and contributing to the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), which further reignited the slavery debate.

Q: What were the key provisions of the Compromise of 1850?

• California entered as a free state.

• Utah and New Mexico territories used popular sovereignty to decide slavery.

• The Fugitive Slave Act was strengthened.

• The slave trade (but not slavery) was banned in Washington, D.C.

Q: How did the Fugitive Slave Act (1850) escalate tensions?

A: It required Northerners to assist in capturing escaped slaves, angering abolitionists and increasing sectional divisions.

Q: How did the abolitionist movement grow between 1820 and 1850?

A: Figures like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom’s Cabin) raised awareness about slavery’s cruelty, increasing Northern opposition and Southern defensiveness.

Q: What role did the Underground Railroad play in sectional tensions?

Q: What role did the Underground Railroad play in sectional tensions?
A: It helped enslaved people escape to freedom, enraging Southern slaveholders and deepening the North-South divide.

Q: What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and why was it controversial?

A: It repealed the Missouri Compromise and allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to vote on slavery (popular sovereignty), leading to violent conflict.

Q: What was "Bleeding Kansas"?

Q: What was "Bleeding Kansas"?
A: A series of violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas, proving that popular sovereignty failed as a solution to the slavery debate.

Q: What did the Supreme Court rule in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)?

Q: What did the Supreme Court rule in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)?
A:

1. African Americans were not U.S. citizens and had no right to sue.

2. Congress could not prohibit slavery in federal territories, making the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.

Q: How did the Dred Scott decision impact sectional tensions?

Q: How did the Dred Scott decision impact sectional tensions?
A: It outraged Northerners, as it effectively allowed slavery to expand anywhere, while Southerners saw it as a victory.

Q: Why was the Republican Party formed in 1854?

Q: Why was the Republican Party formed in 1854?
A: It was created by anti-slavery activists in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, uniting Northern opposition to slavery’s expansion.

Q: How did Southerners react to the rise of the Republican Party?

Q: How did Southerners react to the rise of the Republican Party?
A: They saw it as a direct threat to their way of life and became more committed to protecting slavery.

Q: Who was John Brown, and what did he attempt at Harpers Ferry?

Q: Who was John Brown, and what did he attempt at Harpers Ferry?
A: He was a radical abolitionist who led an armed raid on a federal arsenal in Virginia, attempting to start a slave rebellion.

Q: How did John Brown’s Raid impact sectional tensions?

Q: How did John Brown’s Raid impact sectional tensions?
A: It made him a martyr in the North but increased Southern fears of a Northern-led slave uprising, pushing them closer to secession.

Q: How did economic differences contribute to sectional tensions?

Q: How did economic differences contribute to sectional tensions?
A: The North was industrial and favored tariffs, while the South relied on agriculture and slave labor, opposing tariffs that hurt their economy.

Q: How did states’ rights arguments factor into sectionalism?

Q: How did states’ rights arguments factor into sectionalism?
A: Southern states emphasized states' rights to defend slavery and resist federal interference, leading to conflicts over federal authority.

Q: What role did the 1856 election play in increasing sectionalism?

Q: What role did the 1856 election play in increasing sectionalism?
A: The election highlighted the North-South divide, as the Republican Party emerged as a dominant anti-slavery force, increasing Southern fears.