Studied by 23 people
Sectionalism
Loyalty to a part rather than the whole of a country due to differing opinions over political, economic and social topics.
E.g. The North, The South.
If American Nationalism is put second, then it is easier to disregard. This was the case when Southern states began seceding. They put their wants before that of the country’s.
Manifest Destiny
The belief that the United States had a divine, God-given mission to extend its power and civilization.
Missouri Compromise of 1820
A plan created by Henry Clay to handle westward expansion and the issue of slave expansion.
Missouri enters the Union as a slave state,
Maine enters the Union as a free state,
In the future, slavery would be prohibited in Louisiana territory North of the 36° 30’ line.
How did Texas become an independent province?
In 1823, after Mexico won its independence from Spain, many American settlers migrated to Texas — a Mexican province. The American settlers refused to obey Mexican laws. In March 1836, Sam Houston led American settlers to revolt against Mexico and declare Texas an independent republic.
What was the impact of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842?
Following a dispute between rival lumber workers on the Maine-Canada border, U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster and British Ambassador Lord Alexander Ashburton negotiated to split the disputed territory between Main and British Canada and settled the boundary of the Minnesota territory.
How was Oregon territory claimed by the U.S.?
In 1844, President James K. Polk signed an agreement with the British to divide the Oregon territory at the 49th parallel. This agreement was passed in 1846 to avoid conflict with the British while the Mexican-American war was still ongoing.
What was the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848 ended the Mexican-American war. It established Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas and California and New Mexico as U.S. territories.
What was the biggest driver of expansion?
Many people migrated to the West in search of gold after it was discovered in California in 1848.
What were opposing views on the expansion of slavery?
In 1848, radical Northerners organized the Free Soil Party with the goal of preventing slave expansion.
Other Northerners sought to keep the west a land of opportunity for Whites only.
Wealthy Southern plantation owners viewed attempts to restrict the expansion of slaver as violations of their constitutional rights.
Popular/Squatter Sovereignty
Lewis Cass’s idea that people of a given territory should decide whether to allow slavery.
Compromise of 1850
An agreement to address the expansion of statehood and slavery in the West following the Mexican-American War.
Admit California to the Union as a free state,
The Utah and New Mexico territories would decide if they were free or slave states by popular sovereignty,
The Texas border was settled,
Slavery was banned in Washington D.C.,
Stricter Fugitive Slave Laws were enforced in Northern states.
Fugitive Slave Act
An act that required state governments to cooperate in capturing escaped slaves.
Anyone accused of being an escaped slave received a federal bench trial without a jury, resulting in some free African Americans being forced into slavery.
This act gave legal authority for citizens to report suspicious behavior.
Moreover, this act caused slavery to become a national problem instead of a regional one confined to the South.
Personal Liberty Laws
Laws passed by Northern states attempting to nullify the Fugitive Slave Act.
The Underground Railroad
A network of abolitionists that secretly helped slaves escape to freedom by setting up hiding places and routes to the North.
How did Uncle Tom’s Cabin influence Americans?
Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) by Harriet Breecher Stowe informed and angered Northerners and Europeans of the brutal conditions in Southern plantations.
Southerners were angered, claiming it was a misrepresentation of plantation conditions.
Literature such as this increased tension between the North and the South, encouraging the Southern succession movement.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
An act proposed by senator Stephen A. Douglas to win the support of Southerners. This act divided the Nebraska territory into the Nebraska and Kansas territories and let settlers decide by vote whether the territories were to be free or slave states.
This act effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820.
“Bleeding Kansas”
A nickname given to the Kansas territory after violent fighting broke out between proslavery and antislavery settlers.
The issue increased tensions between Northern and Southern Democrats. Eventually, fighting broke out within the senate — a place where individuals were supposed to discuss conflict peacefully, not fight.
This caused the Northern and Southern factions of the Democratic Party to split and completely destroyed the Whig Party.
Why was the Republican Party formed and by whom?
The Republican Party was formed by former members of the Whig and Democratic Party who opposed the spread of slavery in the territories
Know-Nothings/Nativists
A political party active in the 1850s to limit the power of immigrants.
Dred Scott vs. Sanford (1857)
Dred Scott was a slave who was taken to the free territory of Wisconsin. He argued that his residency on free land made him a free citizen.
The Supreme Court decided against Scott, stating:
African Americans were not U.S. citizens,
African Americans were property, not people, and slavery could not be interfered with by Congress,
The Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional because it excluded slavery north of the 36º 30’ line.
The Supreme Court’s decision validated Southerners’ argument for slavery and affirmed that slavery was a national problem.
Harpers Ferry
A raid, led by anti-slavery radical John Brown, where a group of men infiltrated the armory of Harpers Ferry, Virginia, and stole weapons to give to slaves, leading a wave of freedom into the Deep South.
What was the importance of the Lincoln-Douglass debates?
The Lincoln-Douglass debates gave insight into who Lincoln was, allowing him to gain a following.
Abraham Lincoln
The 16th President of the U.S., elected in 1860.
Lincoln pushed for stopping slave expansion and slowly diminishing the role of slavery in the South. Lincoln’s views on slavery were seen as the main cause of Southern succession.
What was the Crittenden Compromise?
The Crittenden Compromise was the last effort to keep the Union together before Southern states seceded. It called for:
Restoring the Missouri Compromise line,
Compensation for owners of runaway slaves,
Repealing “Personal Liberty” laws in the North,
Inserting the word “slavery” into the Constitution.
When did the Southern states secede from the Union?
In December 1860, following Lincoln’s election, a special convention was held in South Carolina were it was unanimously decided for South Carolina to secede. Soon after, many other Southern states seceded.
Confederate States of America
The confederation formed in 1861 by the Southern states after seceding from the Union. (South Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana).
Fort Sumter
In April 1861, South Carolina open fired on Union troops after Lincoln sent provisions of food to the small federal garrison at Fort Sumter, signaling the beginning of the Civil War.
This led more Southern states to secede after it was clear that force would be used to end slavery.
Border State
Slave states within the Union that didn’t secede. (Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware).
How did the Union maintain control over the border states and why was it important to do so?
The Union maintained control over the border states through military force. This was to prevent the Confederacy’s population from increasing by 50% and the North’s strategic position from weakening.
Anaconda Plan
A three-part strategy created by General Winfield Scott:
Use the U.S. Navy to blockade Southern Ports, cutting of trade with the Confederacy and suffocating the Confederate economy,
Take control of the Mississippi River,
Train an army to conquer Richmond, Virginia.
Blockade
The effective Northern effort to strangle the South’s economy and dethrone “King-Cotton,” by disabling the South’s ability to export cotton.
What were some differences between the Union and the Confederacy during the war?
Military Differences:
The Union had a much greater population,
The Confederacy had more experienced generals,
The Confederacy had to fight a defensive war while the Union had to fight an offensive war and invade the South,
The Confederacy was familiar with the land they were fighting on while the Union fought on unfamiliar land,
The Confederacy and had to travel shorter distances to transport troops and supplies.
Economic Differences:
The Union controlled much of the country’s banking, factories, railroads and farmland.
The Confederacy’s economy relied mostly on cotton exportation.
How did new technologies aid the North before and during the Civil War?
The invention of the telegraph along with the growth of railroads sped up communication and transportation across the country. Moreover, railroads united the commercial interests of the North and the Midwest by increasing their interconnectedness.
Additionally, railroads provided the North strategic advantages during the Civil War. They allowed the Union to quickly transport goods and soldiers where needed.
What was the significance of the 1st Battle of Bull Run/Manassas?
The 1st Battle of Bull Run/Manassas (July 1861) was the first major loss for the Union and victory for the South. The battle showed the Union that the war would be harder than initially thought.
What was the significance of the Battle of the Ironclads (The Monitor vs. The Merrimac)?
The Battle of the Ironclads (1862) demonstrated new technology used in battle.
What was the significance of the Battle of Antietam?
On September 17, 1862, the first day of the Battle of Antietam, nearly 23,000 soldiers died. This was the bloodiest singe day of the Civil War. This battled signified that the war would be costly, especially in terms of men.
Emancipation Proclamation
On January 1st, 1863, after the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln issued an executive order to free slaves in all belligerent states. By belligerent, Lincoln meant the states which were at war with the Union. The 13th amendment was still required to free slaves in border states and ensure the executive order could not be repealed.
Contraband
A term used to refer to runaway slaves who turned up at Union army camps. Many earned freedom after the war.
54th Massachussets Regiment
The first all black regiment allowed to participate in active combat in the Union army. Although they still faced discrimination, unequal pay, and limited resources, they out-performed expectations in battle.
What was the significance of the Battle of Vicksburg?
In 1863, General Ulysses S. Grant split his army in two and sieged the heavily fortified city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. His victory gave the Union full control of the Mississippi River, allowing the Union to cut of trade with the South, thus causing inflation to skyrocket in Southern states.
Siege
A military operation of surrounding or attacking a fortified place, often over a sustained period.
Inflation
An increase in the supply of currency relative to the goods available, leading to a decline in the purchasing power of the currency. (Depreciation of currency).
What was the significance of the Battle of Gettysburg
The goal of the Confederacy during the Battle of Gettysburg (1863) was to gain recognition and support from Britain or France by conquering New York City. By taking control of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the Confederacy would have easier access to New York City.
During the battle, the Union used the high-ground of cemetery hill to their advantage, winning the battle.
This crushed the South’s hope of defeating the North.
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln’s famous speech where he honored soldiers who had died and served in the Battle of Gettysburg. He refocussed the troops by reaffirming the importance of the Union and its principles of democracy and equality.
This speech helped encourage Union troops to keep fighting for the Union.
What was the significance of Sherman’s March?
In 1864, William Tecumseh Sherman led 100,000 men throughout the South, using total war techniques to decrease Southern support for the Confederacy. Sherman and his men burned homes, cotton fields, barns, and everything else the Confederacy could use to survive.
Total War
A war that involves the complete mobilization of resources and people (using resources and people completely for the purpose of war), affecting the lives of all citizens in the warring countries, even those not connected to military operations.
When did Lee surrender and where?
On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered at Appomattox Virginia.
Militia Act
An act used for military recruitment. It set quotas for local governments, enticing them with cash payments.
This act signed up almost 1 million men.
Conscription
The first conscription/draft law in U.S. history required all able bodied men from the ages 17-45 to serve for 3 years. It exempted certain occupations and allowed those that could afford it to pay a fee to get out of it.
Homestead Act
An act of Congress to encourage western settlement during the war. This act gave each settler 160 acres of land at low costs on the conditions that the landowner must occupy that land for 5 years, improve the land, and pay a small fee to the government (around $10-30).
This act helped raise funds for the war and encouraged expansion.
Reconstruction (1863-1877)
The period after the Civil War during which Northern political leaders created plans for governance of the South and a procedure for Southern states to rejoin the Union.
Scalawag
A derogatory term used for white Southerners who collaborated with Northern Republicans during Reconstruction, often for personal profit.
Carpetbagger
A derogatory term used for Northerners who went to the South immediately after the Civil War to gain political or other advantages from the disorganized condition in the South.
What did the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction require of Southerners for their state to be readmitted into the Union?
On December 8, 1863, Lincoln proposed his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction. This required:
10% of voters in formerly Confederate states to accept emancipation and swear loyalty to the Union,
The highest ranking Confederate officers could not vote or hold office unless pardoned by the President,
for the state to be readmitted into the Union.
This effectively required Southern states to rewrite their constitutions to abolish slavery.
Wade-Davis Bills
An 1864 plan for Reconstruction that denied the right to vote or hold office for anyone who had fought for the Confederacy, and increased the percent of voters who had to swear loyalty to the Union to 50%. Lincoln refused to sign this bill, thinking it was too harsh.
Freedman’s Bureau
A federal government agency, established in 1865, that aided Black and White Americans by providing food, education, healthcare, housing, and employment.
When, where, and by whom was Lincoln assassinated?
Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, by actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C..
13th Amendment
An amendment passed in 1865 that abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crimes for which the person in question shall have been duly convicted.
Why was it important for the 13th Amendment to be made, especially before Southern states were readmitted to the Union?
It was important for the 13th Amendment to be made so that slavery would be abolished in border states. Had the 13th Amendment not been ratified before Southern states were readmitted to the Union, it would have been very difficult to ratify since Southerners wouldn’t be willing to completely give up slavery.
Black Codes
Legal systems implemented by Southern states after the Civil War in attempt to maintain White Supremacy and restrict the rights of African Americans in the South.
Some black codes include:
African Americans could not testify against whites in court,
African Americans must sign work agreements or they could be arrested for vagrancy,
A person convicted of a crime, no matter how minor, could be rented from the government by a landowner to be used for slave labor.
These codes essentially forced African Americans back into the same slave conditions they had just been freed from.
Sharecropping
A system of agriculture where a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on that land. Southern plantation owners used sharecropping to maintain White Supremacy in the South.
Segregation
The separation or isolation of a race, class, or group.
Segregation was used by Southerners in an attempt to maintain White Supremacy following the end of slavery.
Integration
The intermixing of people of different races and backgrounds in an effort to build a singular American society.
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The first law enacted by the U.S. Congress clearly defining U.S. citizenship and affirming that all citizens are equally protected by the law.
14th Amendment
An amendment ratified in 1868 which declared all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. citizens and required all states and the federal government to uphold the rights of citizens. Additionally, it prohibited Confederate officials to hold U.S. office.
What did Congress’ Reconstruction Acts do?
The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 placed the South under military control and increased the requirements for readmission into the Union: Southern states must ratify the 14th amendment and place guarantees for the voting rights of individuals regardless of race.
Impeach
To charge a public official with a crime or misdemeanor.
In 1867, Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act which prohibited the president from removing a federal official or military commander without Senate approval. Regardless, President Andrew Johnson attempted to dismiss the Secretary of War, resulting in his attempted impeachment.
15th Amendment
An amendment ratified in 1870 which provided suffrage (right to vote) for African American males.
The 15th amendment was created after Republicans realized how much African Americans’ votes impacted their chances of maintaining control of the White House.
Ku Klux Klan
A White-Supremacist hate-group founded by Nathan Bedford Forrest in the 1860s. The Ku Klux Klan was made up of former Confederate soldiers who aimed to intimidate Black voters and run Republicans out of office.
Enforcement Acts
Acts which prohibited states from discriminating against voters on the basis or race and gave the federal government the power to supersede the state courts and prosecute violations of the law.
Redeemer
A term used for opponents of the Republican program in the South who fought politically to “redeem” the South by taking back Southern states. Redeemers were mostly former slave owners.
Compromise of 1877
A response to the Election of 1876 where a clear winner was not elected due to neither candidate having a majority. As a result, the issue was sent to the House of Representatives to decide on the winner. In return for becoming president, Hayes must:
Withdrawal all remaining federal troops from the South,
Appoint a Southerner in his cabinet,
Provide funding for a transcontinental railroad in the South.
This compromise effectively ended Reconstruction and led to many African Americans loosing rights due to the decrease in Republican support in the South.
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