Non Dates history terms

Whigs

A political party active in the mid-19th century that emerged in opposition to the Democratic Party.

Republicans

A political party founded in 1854, opposing the expansion of slavery into the territories.

Democrats

A major political party in the United States, historically supporting agrarian interests and states' rights.

Know Nothings

A nativist political movement in the 1850s that opposed immigrants and followers of the Catholic Church.

Sectionalism

An exaggerated devotion to the interests of a particular region over the interests of the country as a whole.

Cotton Gin

A machine invented by Eli Whitney in 1793 that revolutionized the cotton industry by mechanizing the separation of cotton fibers from seeds.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people.

The Liberator

An abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison in 1831 advocating for the immediate emancipation of all slaves.

Refers to '_____ of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,' an autobiography recounting his life.

Narrative of the Life

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney

The fifth Chief Justice of the United States, known for the Dred Scott decision.

Stephen Douglas

A U.S. Senator from Illinois who advocated for popular sovereignty and was a major proponent of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Abraham Lincoln

The 16th President of the United States who led the nation during the Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

John C. Breckinridge

A Southern politician who served as vice president and was the Democratic candidate for president in 1860, advocating for slavery in the territories.

Thomas Jefferson

The third President of the United States and primary author of the Declaration of Independence.

Andrew Jackson

The seventh President of the United States known for his populist appeal and the Indian Removal Act.

Frederick Douglass

An escaped slave who became a prominent activist, author, and public speaker for abolition and civil rights.

William Lloyd Garrison

A radical abolitionist and journalist who founded 'The Liberator' and advocated for immediate emancipation.

John Brown

An abolitionist known for his raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859, attempting to initiate a slave revolt.

Eli Whitney

An inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin, which revolutionized the cotton industry.

John C. Calhoun

A prominent U.S. politician and pro-slavery advocate who served as Vice President and was a strong supporter of states' rights.