Chapter 13 APUSH Terms

Key vocabulary from Chapter 13 in AMSCO

Free-Soil Movement (1848-1865)

1) This was formed in response to the Wilmot Proviso and the U.S. gaining more land after the Mexican-American War.

2) This did not seek to abolish all slavery, but instead wanted to stop the spread of slavery to new territories.

3) Supporters of these beliefs were often small white farmers and immigrants who did not want to compete with slaves for jobs in western territories.

Stephen Douglas (1850s)

1) Illinois Senator who was a strong advocate for popular sovereignty, which said that the people should vote on whether or not to allow slavery in a new territory.

2) During the election campaign for the Illinois senate in 1858, he debated Abraham Lincoln on the issue of slavery in what became known as the Lincoln-Douglas Debates. He defeated Lincoln for the senate seat.

3) Ran for president in the election of 1860 as a Democrat. Some Southerners wanted him to take a more aggressive stance on protecting slavery which split the Democratic party in the election. Lincoln defeated him for the presidency.

Know-Nothing party (1850s)

1) This group formed in reaction against the influx of Irish and German immigrants arriving to the United States.

2) Its main purpose was to oppose immigration.

3) It never won any national elections and waned in popularity.

Underground Railroad (1840-1860)

1) Informal network of volunteers that helped runaway slaves escape from the South and reach free-soil Canada.

2) Seeking to halt the flow of runaway slaves to the North, Southern planters and congressmen pushed for a stronger fugitive slave law. This stronger fugitive slave law became part of the Compromise of 1850.

3) The most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad was Harriet Tubman. She made 13 separate trips to Maryland and helped rescue 70 slaves.

Compromise of 1850 (1850)

1) This was created by Henry Clay because California wanted to become a state, which would upset the balance between slave and free states.

2) It allowed for California to become a free state and enacted a tougher Fugitive Slave Act.

3) The most controversial aspect of it was the Fugitive Slave Act because many Northerners did not want to be forced to return runaway slaves to the South.

Fugitive Slave Law (1850)

1) This required the North to return runaway slaves to the South, which appeased many Southerners and calmed tensions in the South after California was admitted as a free state in 1850.

2) Northerners opposed this law, which led to an increase in participation in the Underground Railroad, which was a network of safe houses designed to help slaves escape the South.

3) Some Northern states attempted to weaken this law by passing "personal liberty laws" that required escaped slaves to have a jury trial and prevented state officials from assisting in the capture of runaway slaves.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852)

1) This novel was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and showed the human side to slavery.

2) The book depicted slave owners in a vicious and cruel manner, making readers empathetic to slaves.

3) It was the second-best-selling book of the 19th century (behind the Bible) and was so controversial that it was banned in parts of the South.

George Fitzhugh (1850s)

1) He was one of the most influential proponents of slavery in the 19th century through writing.

2) He argued that blacks were morally inferior to whites and could not survive in a free society.

3) He defended slavery by claiming that slaves were more free and enjoyed a better life than a factory-worker in the North.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

1) This was proposed by Stephen Douglas who advocated for these territories being settled by popular sovereignty.

2) People within these territories got to vote if slavery would be allowed or not. Southerners supported the act, because it allowed slavery to potentially expand north of the Missouri Compromise line.

3) As a result, many pro and anti-slavery advocates poured into the region which resulted in 55 deaths and was known as “Bleeding Kansas”.

Founding of the Republican party (1854)

1) This was a response against the Kansas-Nebraska Act as many angry Northerners joined this group.

2) Its main purposes were to not allow slavery to spread to new territories and to promote business.

3) This group originally drew almost all of their support from the North, and Abraham Lincoln was the first president elected from this group.

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

1) This Supreme Court case involved a slave arguing for his freedom after living in a free territory.

2) The court ruled that, as a slave, he had no right to sue in a court of law because he was not a citizen.

3) It also ruled the Missouri Compromise as unconstitutional because it excluded slavery from territories like Wisconsin. Therefore, this court ruling opened the possibility of slavery in all U.S. territories.

John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry (1859)

1) He led a raid on a federal arsenal, hoping to arm slaves and start a rebellion in Virginia.

2) The raid was unsuccessful, and he was tried and executed for treason.

3) Many in the South were frightened of similar events in the future. Meanwhile, in the North, he became a martyr and a hero to the abolitionist cause.

Election of 1860 (1860)

1) The Democrats were divided over their candidates and split their support among two candidates, whereas the Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln.

2) Lincoln won the election.

3) As a result of Lincoln’s victory, South Carolina was the first state to secede from the union.