📘 Key Terms — Chapter 12: The North and West, 1840–1860

What was the mechanical reaper and who invented it?

A farming invention by Cyrus McCormick that harvested crops quickly.

Why is the mechanical reaper significant?

It increased agricultural productivity and freed up labor for factories, boosting industrialization.

What was the American System?

Henry Clay’s economic plan combining tariffs, a national bank, and infrastructure.

Why did the American System matter?

It promoted manufacturing in the North and improved transport for western farmers.

What is Manifest Destiny?

The belief that the U.S. had a divine right to expand westward.

Why was Manifest Destiny important?

It justified territorial expansion and displacement of Native peoples and Mexicans.

What was the Oregon Trail?

A major route used by settlers moving west to Oregon in the 1830s–40s.

Why did the Oregon Trail matter?

It helped populate the Northwest and fueled U.S. claims to Oregon.

Who were the Mormons and where did they settle?

A religious group founded by Joseph Smith, later led west to Utah by Brigham Young.

Why were the Mormons significant?

They sought religious freedom and built a theocratic society in the West.

What was the Lone Star Republic?

Texas after it won independence from Mexico in 1836, before joining the U.S.

Why is the Lone Star Republic important?

It was a key step in westward expansion and a flashpoint in the slavery debate.

What did the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo do?

It was a 1848 treaty that ended the U.S.-Mexico War.

Why did the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo matter?

It gave the U.S. much of the Southwest and expanded territory by 500,000+ sq. mi.

What was the California Gold Rush?

Mass migration to California (1849–52) after gold was discovered.

Why is the California Gold Rush significant?

It boosted westward expansion, statehood for CA, and increased conflicts with Natives and immigrants.

What was the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments?

A 1848 women’s rights statement inspired by the Declaration of Independence.

Why did the Seneca Falls Declaration matter?

It demanded voting and legal rights for women, launching the women’s rights movement.

What was the American Colonization Society?

A group that wanted to relocate free Blacks to Africa, especially Liberia.

Why is the American Colonization Society historically significant?

It was an early response to slavery and racism but seen as avoiding real equality in America.

What was the Underground Railroad?

A secret network that helped enslaved people escape to the North.

Why did the Underground Railroad matter?

It resisted slavery through direct action and was supported by Black and white abolitionists.

What was the Oneida Community?

A utopian society that practiced communal living and rejected traditional marriage.

Why is the Oneida Community important?

It exemplifies radical social reform and part of wider experimentation with alternative lifestyles.

What were two key agricultural inventions in the 1840s that boosted productivity?

The mechanical reaper and John Deere’s steel plow.

How did new agricultural technology affect industrial change?

It increased farm productivity, freed up labor for factories, and supported urban populations with more food.

What did the federal government do to encourage western settlement and economic growth?

It sold cheap land and gave land grants to railroad companies.

Who benefited from federal land policies in the mid-1800s?

Small farmers, railroad companies, and western settlers.

What is meant by "mechanization" in the context of 19th-century industry?

The use of machines and interchangeable parts to mass-produce goods more efficiently.

How did energy sources like coal support industrial growth?

Coal powered factories and trains, helping expand both manufacturing and transportation.

How did mechanization benefit industry and the labor force?

It allowed production with unskilled labor, made goods cheaper, and increased industrial jobs.

What major infrastructure helped connect farms and factories in the 19th century?

The railroad system, which expanded rapidly from 1850 to 1860.

How did railroads support industrialization?

They moved goods faster and more cheaply, connected rural and urban areas, and boosted the economy.

What communication innovation was linked to railroads starting in 1844?

The telegraph, invented by Samuel Morse, was strung along railroad lines to speed up long-distance communication.