apush ch 17-19

Who succeeded Henry Harrison as President after his death?

John Tyler

What was John Tyler's political affiliation?

Democrat at heart, despite being a Whig president.

What significant financial reform did the Whigs attempt under Tyler?

They attempted to establish a new Bank of the United States, but Tyler vetoed it.

What was the Aroostook War?

A series of skirmishes in 1842 over disputed territory in northern Maine.

What was the outcome of the negotiations between Lord Ashburton and Daniel Webster?

They agreed on a new boundary for Maine that placed the disputed road in Canadian territory.

What was the stance of Mexico regarding Texas after its independence?

Mexico refused to recognize Texas's independence and considered it a province in revolt.

What was a major issue in the presidential campaign of 1844?

The annexation of Texas.

Who won the presidential election of 1844?

James K. Polk

What was Polk's nickname?

Young Hickory

What were Polk's four main goals during his presidency?

1) A lower tariff; 2) Restore the independent treasury; 3) Acquire California; 4) Settle the Oregon Country dispute.

What was the Walker Tariff of 1846?

A tariff-for-revenue bill that reduced the tariff from 32% to 25%.

What did the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo accomplish?

It ceded Texas and California to America for $15 million.

Who was sent by Polk to negotiate the purchase of California?

John Slidell

What event led to the declaration of war on Mexico?

The attack on American troops by Mexican forces.

Which American general won significant victories in the Mexican-American War?

General Zachary Taylor

Who signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?

Nicholas P. Trist

What was the reaction of the antislavery Whigs to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?

They opposed the treaty because they had originally opposed the war.

Which two future Civil War generals gained field experience during the Mexican War?

Captain Robert E. Lee and Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant.

What was the public sentiment towards Britain in the 19th century?

There was a period of public disdain, leading to the 'Third War with England' fought through editorials.

What was the significance of the Caroline incident in 1837?

An American ship carrying supplies to Canadian rebels was sunk by a British ship, leading to ineffective protests from Washington.

What did Britain hope to achieve by supporting Texas's independence?

They aimed to fragment and weaken America and establish Texas as a trading partner.

What was the status of the Oregon Country before the treaties with Spain and Russia?

Four nations claimed parts: Spain, Russia, Britain, and the United States.

What was the significance of the election of 1844 for Manifest Destiny?

It marked a turning point as Democrats strongly supported the idea of expanding American territory.

What was the outcome of the negotiations regarding the Oregon Country?

Britain offered Polk the Oregon Country up to the 49th parallel, which was accepted without conflict.

What was the population of California in 1845 composed of?

Spanish-Mexicans and Indians.

Why were relations between the U.S. and Mexico poor in the mid-1840s?

Due to the annexation of Texas.

Who did Polk send to Mexico City to negotiate the purchase of California?

John Slidell.

What was the amount Polk offered to buy California from Mexico?

$25 million.

What event prompted Polk to ask Congress to declare war on Mexico?

Mexican troops attacked American troops.

What was the outcome of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?

It ceded Texas and California to the U.S. for $15 million.

What was the Wilmot Proviso?

An amendment proposing that territory from Mexico should remain slave-free.

What is popular sovereignty?

The idea that the people of a territory should determine their territory's status of slavery.

Who was the Democratic candidate for presidency in 1848?

General Lewis Cass.

Who did the Whigs nominate for presidency in 1848?

Zachary Taylor.

What significant event occurred in California in 1848?

Gold was discovered, leading to the California Gold Rush.

What did Californians do in response to the influx of people during the Gold Rush?

They drafted their own Constitution and applied for statehood.

Who was Harriet Tubman?

An illiterate runaway slave who helped rescue hundreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad.

What was the congressional debate of 1850 primarily about?

The admission of California to the Union and threats of secession by southerners.

What compromises did Henry Clay propose during the congressional debate of 1850?

A stricter fugitive-slave law and other compromises to maintain the Union.

What was the Fugitive-Slave Law of 1850?

A law stating that fleeing slaves could not testify on their own behalf and were denied a jury trial.

What happened to President Zachary Taylor in 1850?

He died suddenly, leading to Vice President Millard Fillmore taking over.

What was the outcome of the Compromise of 1850?

California was admitted as a free state, while New Mexico and Utah were open to popular sovereignty.

What was the significance of the Compromise of 1850 for the Senate?

It created an imbalance in favor of the North.

Who was the Democratic candidate for president in 1852?

Franklin Pierce.

Who did the Whigs nominate for president in 1852?

Winfield Scott.

What was the Free Soil Party?

A party created by antislavery men of the North who didn't trust Cass or Taylor.

What did the Free Soil Party argue regarding slavery?

That slavery would undermine the chance for the American worker to own property.

What was the impact of the Mexican War on future Civil War generals?

It provided field experience for officers like Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant.

What was the reaction of southerners to California's admission as a free state?

They objected because it upset the balance of free and slave states in the Senate.

What legislation did President Pierce support that aimed to resolve tensions over slavery?

The Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Law.

Who was chosen as the Whig party's candidate for president in 1852?

Winfield Scott.

What was the outcome of the 1852 election?

Franklin Pierce won, marking the end of the Whig party.

What was the significance of the Fugitive Slave Law in the context of the Whig party?

It caused a split in the party between Northern Whigs, who opposed the law, and Southern Whigs, who supported it.

What treaty aimed to prevent the fortification of isthmian waterways by the U.S. or Britain?

The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850.

Who was William Walker and what did he attempt to do in Nicaragua?

A slavocrat who became President of Nicaragua in 1856 and legalized slavery before being overthrown.

What was the Ostend Manifesto?

A document stating that if Spain did not sell Cuba to the U.S. for $120 million, America would take it by force.

What was the Gadsden Purchase?

The acquisition of land from Mexico in 1853 for $10 million to facilitate a southern transcontinental railroad.

What was Stephen A. Douglas's proposal regarding the Nebraska Territory?

To split it into Kansas and Nebraska, with slavery decided by popular sovereignty.

How did the Kansas-Nebraska Act affect previous compromises?

It repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and rejected the Compromise of 1850 by Northerners.

What was the outcome of the Dred Scott decision in 1857?

It permitted slavery in all Western territories, invalidating the Missouri Compromise.

What was the purpose of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'?

To illustrate the horrors of slavery to the North and garner support against it.

Who wrote 'The Impending Crisis of the South' and what was its argument?

Hinton R. Helper argued that non-slaveholding whites suffered the most from slavery.

What was the significance of the New England Emigrant Aid Company?

It funded abolitionists to move to Kansas to influence the state's stance on slavery.

What triggered the violence in Kansas in 1855?

Pro-slavery individuals from Missouri voted in Kansas elections, leading to the establishment of rival governments.

Who was John Brown and what did he do in response to pro-slavery actions?

A fanatical abolitionist who killed five pro-slavery men at Pottawatomie Creek.

What was the Lecompton Constitution?

A pro-slavery document that allowed a vote on slavery but not on the constitution as a whole.

What was the voting process regarding the Lecompton Constitution?

People could vote on whether the constitution would be 'with slavery' or 'without slavery,' but not on the constitution as a whole.

Who succeeded Franklin Pierce as President of the United States in 1856?

James Buchanan, a Democrat.

What was the outcome of the vote on the Lecompton Constitution?

The constitution was approved to include slavery, partly due to a boycott by many abolitionists.

What significant event occurred involving Senator Charles Sumner in 1856?

He was beaten unconscious by Preston Brooks after insulting Brooks' uncle, Senator Andrew Butler.

What was the Democratic platform in the election of 1856?

The platform campaigned for popular sovereignty.

Who was the Republican candidate in the election of 1856?

Captain John C. Fremont.

What was the Dred Scott decision?

The Supreme Court ruled that Dred Scott, a slave, could not sue for his freedom because he was not a citizen, and declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.

What economic event occurred in 1857, and what caused it?

The panic of 1857 was caused by over-speculation in the West and currency inflation due to Californian gold.

What was the purpose of the Homestead Act of 1860?

To provide 160-acre plots of farming land to pioneers for free, although it was vetoed by President Buchanan.

What were the Lincoln-Douglas debates about?

They were a series of debates where Lincoln challenged Douglas on the issue of slavery in territories, leading to Douglas's 'Freeport Doctrine.'

What was John Brown's plan in 1859?

To invade the South, arm slaves, and establish a black free state, which ultimately failed at Harpers Ferry.

What happened during the Democratic National Convention of 1860?

The party split, with Northern Democrats nominating Stephen Douglas and Southern Democrats nominating John C. Breckenridge.

What was the outcome of the election of 1860?

Abraham Lincoln won, but did not secure the popular vote, and 10 Southern states did not allow him on the ballot.

What was the first state to secede from the Union?

South Carolina, in December 1860.

What was the Crittenden Compromise?

Proposed amendments to appease the South by prohibiting slavery north of 36°30' and allowing it south of that line, which Lincoln rejected.

What was the reaction of many Southerners to Lincoln's election?

They feared that the Republican Party would threaten their rights to own slaves and believed their secession would be unopposed.