APUSH Chapter 13

Who was commissioned to design the statue for the Capitol dome in 1855?

Thomas Crawford.

What symbol did Thomas Crawford propose for the Statue of Freedom?

A female figure wearing a liberty cap.

Why did Jefferson Davis object to the liberty cap?

It was a symbol of liberty associated with freed slaves and he feared it would create controversy.

What symbol replaced the liberty cap?

A feathered helmet, representing military power.

Who assembled the Statue of Freedom in Maryland?

Philip Reed, a slave craftsman.

When was the statue installed atop the Capitol?

1863, during the Civil War.

What idea justified westward expansion in the 1840s?

Manifest destiny, the belief that the US was destined to expand to the Pacific Ocean.

How did the economic depression of 1837 influence westward migration?

It encouraged people to seek new opportunities in the West.

How many settlers traveled to Oregon between 1840 and 1860?

Nearly 300,000 settlers.

What hardships did settlers face on the Oregon Trail?

Disease, starvation, and natural barriers like the Rocky Mountains.

What trade route linked Santa Fe, New Mexico, to the US in 1821?

The Santa Fe Trail.

What happened to Catholic mission lands in California in 1834?

They were dissolved and transferred to Mexican ranchers (Californios).

Who led American settlement efforts in Texas after 1820?

Stephen Austin, following his father Moses Austin’s plans.

What event marked the start of the Texas Revolt in 1835?

The Mexican government sent troops to enforce authority, sparking rebellion.

What was the significance of the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836?

Texas won independence, forcing Santa Anna to recognize it.

What slogan popularized James K. Polk’s campaign promise about Oregon?

"Fifty-four forty or fight!"

What were Polk’s major goals as president?

Reduce tariffs, reestablish the treasury system, settle Oregon, and acquire California.

What event led Congress to declare war on Mexico?

Polk claimed Mexico shed blood on American soil in disputed territory.

What treaty ended the war, and what did the US gain?

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; the US gained California, New Mexico, and more.

How was expansionism linked to racial ideology?

It emphasized Anglo-Saxon superiority over blacks, Indians, Hispanics, and Catholics.

Why did Americans reject annexing all of Mexico?

Concerns about assimilating its non-white, Catholic population.

How much land did the US gain from the Mexican War?

Over 1 million square miles, larger than the Louisiana Purchase.

What issue arose from the new territorial acquisitions?

The divisive issue of slavery’s expansion into the West.

What did Ralph Waldo Emerson predict about taking Mexican territory?

He warned it would poison the US, comparing it to swallowing arsenic.

How did slavery affect the political system in the 1840s?

It disrupted national unity and pushed the nation toward civil war.

What happened to Methodists and Baptists during this period?

They split into northern and southern branches over slavery by 1844-1845.

What was the Wilmot Proviso of 1846?

A proposal to prohibit slavery in all territory acquired from Mexico.

Who supported and opposed the Wilmot Proviso?

Northerners supported it; Southerners opposed it.

What did the failure of the Wilmot Proviso in the Senate highlight?

The growing sectional division in the US.

Why was the Free Soil Party formed in 1848?

To oppose slavery’s expansion into new territories.

Who were their presidential and vice-presidential candidates?

Martin Van Buren and Charles Francis Adams.

What was the appeal of the Free Soil movement to northerners?

It promised economic opportunities and opposed competition with slave labor.

Who proposed the idea of popular sovereignty, and what was it?

Lewis Cass proposed letting settlers decide on slavery in their territories.

What was significant about the Free Soil Party in the 1848 election?

It demonstrated growing anti-slavery sentiment in politics.

What were the five key provisions of the Compromise of 1850?

• California admitted as a free state.

• Slave trade abolished in Washington, DC.

• Fugitive Slave Law introduced.

• Territorial decisions on slavery left to local settlers.

• Federal government assumed Texas’s debt.

What was the Fugitive Slave Act?

It allowed federal agents to capture alleged fugitives without jury trials and required citizen assistance.

What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

It created territorial governments for Kansas and Nebraska, repealing the Missouri Compromise, and introduced popular sovereignty.

What political consequences followed the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

• Shattered Democratic Party unity.

• Collapsed the Whig Party.

• Led to the rise of the Republican Party.

What did the Appeal of the Independent Democrats argue?

That the Act violated the Missouri Compromise and aimed to expand slavery westward.

How did the Fugitive Slave Act strain North-South relations?

It highlighted southern prioritization of slavery over states’ rights and caused widespread resistance in the North.

What did the Free Soil ideology emphasize?

Preventing new slave states and promoting economic opportunities in the West for free labor.

How did sectional tensions escalate after 1850?

Sectional divisions intensified due to debates over new territories, political party fractures, and resistance to slavery’s expansion.

What caused the political transformation in the Northern economy?

The disruption of slavery in traditional political parties and the rise of the Republican Party linked to economic and social changes.

What was the main catalyst for economic growth between 1843 and 1857?

The expansion of the railroad network, with track mileage increasing from 5,000 miles (1848) to 30,000 miles (1860).

What was the impact of railroads on the Northwest and Northeast by 1860?

Trade in the Northwest shifted from the South to the East, and the regions became politically and economically unified under the Republican Party.

How did industrial production grow in Northern society?

It expanded along the Atlantic Coast (Boston to Baltimore) and in the Great Lakes region (Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Chicago), with rapid growth in coal mining, iron manufacturing, and railroad expansion.

What characterized the Southern economy compared to the North?

The Southern economy focused on cotton production and wealth for slaveholders, without experiencing the broader economic changes seen in the North.

What led to the rise of the Know-Nothing Party in the 1840s?

Nativism, or hostility toward immigrants (especially Catholics), and fears about their impact on public schools and reform movements.

What were the key goals of the Know-Nothing Party?

Reserving political office for native-born Americans, opposing the Catholic Church, and combining anti-Catholic and antislavery attitudes.

How were immigrants treated in terms of voting rights and discrimination?

Immigrants, especially Irish Catholics, faced job and housing discrimination but gained voting rights quickly due to white male suffrage, unlike non-white individuals who were excluded.

What was central to the Republican Party's "Free Labor" ideology?

Contrasting the North’s “free society” with the South’s “slave society,” emphasizing economic independence and opportunity as essential to freedom.

What did Republicans believe about the expansion of slavery into the West?

It would bar northern free laborers and limit opportunities for social advancement, so they insisted on keeping slavery out of the territories.

What was "Bleeding Kansas," and what impact did it have?

A violent conflict in Kansas over slavery, with fraudulent proslavery elections and attacks on free-soil strongholds, discrediting the policy of popular sovereignty and bolstering Republican support.

What was the significance of the Election of 1856?

James Buchanan won, but the election marked the rise of the Republican Party as a northern-focused party, while the Democrats weakened and the Whigs collapsed.

What was James Buchanan's political background before becoming president?

Buchanan served in Pennsylvania’s legislature, held positions in both houses of Congress, and was Secretary of State under President James K. Polk.

What was Buchanan's main belief as president?

Buchanan was a staunch supporter of the Union and aimed to calm sectional tensions during his presidency.

What was the impact of Buchanan’s leadership?

Buchanan's administration marked the collapse of the party system and failed to resolve sectional tensions, exacerbating them instead.

What was the Dred Scott case about?

Dred Scott, an enslaved man, sued for freedom after living in free territories, arguing that residence on free soil made him free.

What was the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Dred Scott decision?

The Court ruled that Black people could not be U.S. citizens, that Scott remained a slave, and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in territories.

What was Buchanan’s involvement in the Dred Scott case?

Buchanan encouraged Justice Robert C. Grier to join the southern majority in the decision.

How did the Dred Scott decision affect the political landscape?

It weakened the Republican platform, undermined the popular sovereignty doctrine, and was celebrated by the South as a victory for slavery.

What happened to Dred Scott and his family after the decision?

Scott was emancipated, died in 1858, Harriet lived until 1876, and Lizzie lived to age 99, witnessing the civil rights movement.

What was Buchanan’s stance on slavery in the Lecompton Constitution battle?

Buchanan tried to admit Kansas as a slave state but faced strong opposition from Stephen Douglas and Republicans.

Who were the candidates in the 1858 Illinois Senate race?

Stephen Douglas, who supported popular sovereignty, and Abraham Lincoln, who opposed the expansion of slavery.

What was Lincoln's view on slavery?

Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery and believed it was a "monstrous injustice" but was willing to compromise to preserve the Union.

How did Lincoln view the concept of "free labor"?

Lincoln believed in upward mobility and equal natural rights for all, including Black individuals, to the fruits of their labor.

What was the central theme of the Lincoln-Douglas debates?

The clash over the definition of freedom, with Lincoln opposing slavery and Douglas advocating for popular sovereignty.

What was the outcome of the 1858 Illinois Senate election?

Douglas won reelection to the Senate, but Lincoln gained national attention and increased his reputation.

What was John Brown’s role in the abolitionist movement?

Brown was an abolitionist known for his violent actions, including leading the Pottawatomie Creek massacre and the raid at Harpers Ferry.

What was the significance of John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry?

The raid was an attempt to incite a slave revolt, but it failed, leading to Brown’s execution and making him a martyr for the antislavery cause.

What was the rise of Southern nationalism about?

Southern nationalists, facing tensions over slavery and Union policies, pushed for secession and the expansion of slavery into new territories.

What was the conflict at the Democratic Convention of 1860?

The convention was split between Northern Democrats supporting Stephen Douglas and Southern Democrats advocating for John C. Breckinridge, leading to a fractured party.

Who did the Republicans nominate for president in 1860?

The Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln, despite initial support for William H. Seward.

How did Lincoln win the 1860 election?

Lincoln won the election due to a split in the Southern vote and a strong showing in the North, despite having no support in 10 southern states.

What was the result of the 1860 election in terms of sectional divide?

The election revealed deep sectional divisions, with Lincoln carrying the North and Breckinridge winning most of the South.

Why did Southern states view Lincoln’s election as a threat?

They feared Republican dominance, growing antislavery sentiment in the North, and potential appeals to non-slaveholders in the South.

What was the main motivation behind Southern secession?

To preserve slavery and the southern way of life, framed as a struggle for independence from a government hostile to their interests.

What was the Crittenden Compromise and its outcome?

It proposed amendments to protect slavery and extend the Missouri Compromise line, but it was rejected by seceding states and not passed.

What triggered the start of the Civil War?

Confederate forces bombarded Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, after Lincoln’s attempt to resupply it, leading to the war's start.

What was Lincoln's position on secession and slavery during his inaugural address?

Lincoln rejected secession’s legality, promised not to interfere with slavery in existing states, and warned that the South held the “momentous issue of civil war.”

What did Alexander H. Stephens say was the cornerstone of the Confederacy?

He stated that slavery and white supremacy were the “cornerstone” of the Confederacy.