Period 5 (1844-1877)

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across the continent.

54°40′ or Fight!

Refers to the U.S. claim to the Oregon Territory, settled with Britain at the 49th parallel.

Texas Annexation

The act of adding Texas to the United States in 1845, leading to the Mexican-American War.

Mexican-American War

Conflict from 1846 to 1848 sparked by the annexation of Texas.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The 1848 treaty that ended the Mexican-American War and ceded California and the Southwest to the U.S.

Wilmot Proviso

Proposed legislation aimed at banning slavery in territories acquired from Mexico, highlighting sectional tensions.

Compromise of 1850

Legislation that allowed California to enter as a free state and introduced popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the residents of a territory should determine their own laws, particularly concerning slavery.

Fugitive Slave Act

Legislation that made it easier for slave owners to capture runaway slaves, leading to Northern opposition.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

1854 act that allowed popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise.

Bleeding Kansas

Violence between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in Kansas, resulting from the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Republican Party

Political party formed in the 1850s to oppose the expansion of slavery.

Underground Railroad

A network helping enslaved people escape to freedom, famously led by Harriet Tubman.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that converted many Northerners to anti-slavery sentiment.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

1857 Supreme Court case ruling that African Americans were not citizens and Congress couldn't ban slavery in territories.

John Brown’s Raid

An 1859 attempt by abolitionist John Brown to start a slave rebellion by attacking Harper’s Ferry.

Election of 1860

Presidential election in which Abraham Lincoln won, prompting South Carolina's secession.

Civil War Advantages of North

Larger population, more industry, better transportation systems, and financial resources.

Civil War Advantages of South

Strong military leadership, including generals like Robert E. Lee, and a defensive strategy.

Fort Sumter

The site where the first shots of the Civil War were fired in 1861.

Emancipation Proclamation

The 1863 executive order by Lincoln that freed slaves in rebel states.

Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's speech redefining the Civil War as a struggle for freedom and equality.

Lincoln’s 10% Plan

Proposed that if 10% of voters in a Southern state took an oath of loyalty, they could establish a new government.

Andrew Johnson’s Plan

Reconstruction plan that pardoned many Confederates but lacked protections for freedmen after Lincoln's assassination.

Radical Republicans

A faction of the Republican Party that advocated for strong measures against the South and full rights for African Americans.

Freedmen’s Bureau

An agency established to aid former slaves with education, food, and medical care.

13th Amendment

The amendment ratified in 1865 that abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment

The amendment that granted citizenship to all persons born in the U.S., including former slaves.

15th Amendment

The amendment prohibiting voting discrimination based on race.

Reconstruction Successes

Notable achievements such as African Americans holding public office and improvements in Southern infrastructure.

Reconstruction Failures

Failures included the rise of white supremacist groups, restrictive laws like Black Codes, and the end of federal protections for African Americans.

Compromise of 1877

The agreement that ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South.