U.S History Midterm Study Guide

Why did the nation divide over sectional issues?

Because of sectionalism, the most derisive issue is slavery.

What is annexation?

Annexation is adding territory to one's own, usually by using force.

Why did Texas want to be annexed by the United States?

Texas feared going to war with Mexico and had enormous debt they wanted America to pay.

What is the problem with the border in Texas?

Mexico and the U.S. disagreed on the border; the U.S. thought it was the Rio Grande, while Mexico thought it was the Nueces.

What are the constitutional compromises that divided the nation?

The ⅗ Compromise, Slave Trade Compromise, and Fugitive Slave Law.

What is the ⅗ Compromise?

It allows slave owners to count ⅗ of their slaves as citizens for taxation and representation.

Why is Harriet Beecher Stowe's story criticized?

She relied on second-hand accounts and never witnessed slavery first-hand.

What principles of the United States are challenged by slavery?

Slavery violated principles in the Constitution, denying human rights and freedoms.

What problem arose when Missouri wanted to be a slave state?

There were no more free states to maintain the balance.

How did the Missouri Compromise solve the problems?

It made Maine a free state and set the 36/30 line for future states.

Why didn't Lincoln abandon Fort Sumter?

It was Federal Property, and he vowed to protect all Federal property.

Why did the Upper South leave the Union?

They left after Lincoln called for troops to suppress the rebellion.

What did political parties fear in the 1848 Election?

They feared mentioning slavery might split their voters.

Why was the Whig candidate not worried about the Southern vote?

Zachary Taylor was from the South and owned slaves, so Southerners trusted him.

What reason did secessionists believe they had to leave the nation?

They believed they had the right to leave because they agreed to join the nation initially.

Why did Republicans pass over William Seward?

He was a radical republican seeking immediate abolition, which the party feared would lose Southern support.

What are abolitionists?

People who viewed slavery as morally wrong and wanted to end it.

How extensive did some people think manifest destiny should be?

Some believed it should include all land from the Atlantic to the Pacific and all of the Western Hemisphere.

Which part of the nation had a majority of the railroad tracks?

The majority of the tracks are located in the North.

What do telegraphs do for businesses?

Telegraphs increase communications and help businesses produce goods for a growing population.

What is contained in the Compromise of 1850?

California as a free state, popular sovereignty in Nebraska and New Mexico, end of slave sales in D.C., Texas paid $10 million, and a new Fugitive Slave Law.

What is popular sovereignty?

When citizens are allowed to vote on slavery or any other issue.

What was the purpose of the Gadsden Purchase?

To acquire land for a southern route for a transcontinental railroad.

Why do prisons grow during the Civil War?

Due to the number of military prisoners taken captive.

Why do both sides accidentally shoot their own people at the Battle of Bull Run?

Both sides had similar uniforms and flags.

What did Northern troops do to escape at the Battle of Bull Run?

They fled, dropping their equipment, which allowed them to run faster.

Why does Lee choose to fight at Gettysburg?

Because it has 10 roads leading into the city, making movement easier.

What new responsibilities did women take on during the Civil War?

They worked in factories to support the war and their families.

What prevented General Burnside from quickly marching to Richmond?

He was delayed waiting for bridging materials behind enemy soldiers.

What error did Hooker initially make that cost him the battle of Chancellorsville?

Hooker pulled his army into the woods, preventing his superior cannons from defeating Lee.

How do the soldiers of the 54th Massachusetts demonstrate their level of loyalty?

They volunteered to fight at Fort Wagner, with half of the unit killed even after their officer died.

What are McClellan's special abilities?

McClellan specialized in organizing and training troops.

How did the Confederates finally defeat the Union position at the sunken road in the Battle of Shiloh?

By concentrating massive artillery fire to shatter the Federal line after repeated infantry assaults failed.

Who are Clara Barton and Dorothea Dix?

Clara Barton supplied medical care and founded the Red Cross; Dorothea Dix advocated for women to be nurses.

What makes Vicksburg so tough to beat?

It was surrounded by the Mississippi River and swamps, with only the heavily protected east side as a point of attack.

Why does Grant attack the city of Petersburg that was south of Richmond?

To cut Lee's supply lines and starve his army into submission.

What did the 13th amendment do?

It freed all slaves.

What does the word 'Shoddy' mean?

Shoddy work refers to products made purposely faulty to encourage repeat purchases.

What were the Confederates hoping for in November of 1864?

They hoped for a peace candidate, McClellan, to win the election, but he lost due to lack of Southern votes.

What rumor did General Sherman start in South Carolina?

He spread rumors that the government would give African American families 40 acres and a mule.

What institution do Freedmen look to for organization and mutual help?

The Freedman's Bureau and the church.

Why was Lincoln willing to allow Jefferson Davis and his cabinet to escape to Cuba?

To avoid the need for imprisonment or execution.

What do many African Americans do after the war?

Most stay in the South looking for lost relatives.

Who are Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce?

They were the first black U.S. Senators elected to the Federal Senate.

Why do Southern factories grow slowly?

They failed to expand and only produced raw goods, while the North made finished goods.

Why does Grant win the election in 1868?

He won due to his war record and overwhelming support from black Americans.

Why does the Civil Rights Bill of 1875 fail?

The government began withdrawing from the South, making it unable to maintain peace.

How are the southern rail lines changed after the war?

They were changed from narrow to standard gauge and rebuilt with steel.

What are the conditions of the Reconstruction Act of 1867?

The South was put under military control, divided into districts, and forced to hold elections.

What was the truth about carpetbaggers?

They were businesspeople looking to encourage factory development in the South.

Who were the first opponents of reconstruction?

The Ku-Klux-Klan, who dressed as ghosts to scare freedmen and carpetbaggers.

What does the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson establish in the South?

It established segregation under the principle of 'separate but equal.'

What did the 14th amendment give to the freedmen?

It provided equal protection under the laws and ensured due process.

How could the South end Reconstruction despite new constitutions protecting Freedmen's rights?

Through KKK violence and political techniques by redeemers to suppress black voters.

Who does the military use to fight the Indians?

The military includes veteran soldiers, Black soldiers (buffalo soldiers), and rival Indian tribes as scouts.

What are Indian schools designed to do?

They are designed to teach white culture and integrate Native Americans into white society.

What are the methods used by mining companies to extract minerals?

Hydraulic mining and hard rock mining.

What is hydraulic mining?

A method where a high pressure hose erodes the side of a mountain to wash minerals into a trough.

What is hard rock mining?

A method where miners dig into a hill, add supporting beams to prevent cave-ins, and use a rail to move ore.

Why did farmers use windmills?

To pump water from the ground up to the surface for wells.

What is a Texas longhorn?

A durable animal immune to the tick that carries Texas fever, capable of traveling long distances with little water.

Which group of Indians offered the greatest challenge to the military?

The Apaches, known for their guerrilla tactics and ability to retreat into Canada.

What were the conditions to receive offers made by the Homestead Act?

Pay a $10 survey fee, be 21 years old or head of a household, be a citizen or filing for citizenship, build a home at least 12 by 14, and farm land for 5 years.

What happened at the Little Big Horn?

Custer and 647 men attacked 2,000 Sioux and Cheyenne warriors, resulting in the death of 240 soldiers.

Why were the Nez Perce forced out of Idaho?

They cooperated with the government in Oregon, but white farmers pushed for their removal after a murder of a settler.

Why were the Navajo ultimately successful?

They were allowed to pursue their own economic pursuits after being moved and succeeded.

What dry farming techniques could increase crop production?

Dig irrigation ditches, use wells, eliminate weeds, plant drought-resistant crops, and plow deeply.

Why is land near train tracks more valuable?

It reduces travel distance, making it more accessible and valuable.

How did the Civil War push people to the West?

Farmers and former slaves moved west due to destruction, while immigrants sought cheap land.

Who were the first cowboys and ranchers?

Mexicans, also known as vaqueros.

What was the Ghost Dance?

A belief among Indians that it would bring back dead buffalo and chiefs and cause white men to disappear.

What did the Morrill Land Grant Act do?

It provided land to states to support colleges, promoting population growth and agriculture.

What is open range?

Free grazing lands.

What did Edison's lab focus on?

Inventing the first long-lasting light bulb.

What is different about the American Federation of Labor?

It only accepted skilled workers, separating them from unskilled laborers.

Why did oil prices rise and fall drastically?

High profits attracted many small companies, which quickly failed as the market changed.

What is Social Darwinism?

The belief that society selects the fittest individuals, influencing how business owners treated workers.

What is vertical integration?

A business strategy where a company controls every part of the production process.

Why did the Sherman Anti-trust Act fail?

It lacked a clear definition of 'monopoly,' making it hard to enforce.

Why did the North begin building the transcontinental railroad in 1862?

The Civil War necessitated the construction.

When did the North start building the transcontinental railroad?

In 1862.

Why was the Brooklyn Bridge necessary?

To connect the growing populations of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

What is the talking telegraph?

It is the old-fashioned name for the telephone, invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876.

Why didn't Western Union buy the talking telegraph?

They thought the phone was just a 'rich man's toy' that wouldn't be used for serious business.

Why is the I-Beam important for building modern cities?

It provides structural strength while being lighter than a solid block of metal, essential for constructing tall skyscrapers.

Who will the Knights of Labor exclude from their union?

They specifically refused to let Chinese workers or other Asian immigrants join.

Why did many Southern blacks move North in the late 1800s?

To look for industrial jobs and escape harsh exclusion in Southern factories.

Why were women working in factories in the late 1800s?

Poor and immigrant women worked to survive, while middle-class women worked to earn extra money for consumer goods.

What did John D. Rockefeller do by 1899?

He dominated the oil industry, controlling 90% of all oil refineries in the U.S.

What is the Bessemer steel-making process?

A method to turn iron into steel by removing impurities using limestone as a cleanser.

How did Carnegie build his steel industry without knowing the business?

He hired knowledgeable managers and invested in updated equipment.

What is a dynamo?

A machine that produces electricity by converting mechanical power into electrical power.

What is capitalism?

An economic system where private individuals and companies own and control property and production to make a profit.

What are stocks?

They represent part ownership in a company.

Why are farmers experiencing falling prices?

Improvements in technology led to overproduction and increased competition.

What are granges and why did their cooperatives fail?

Granges were social groups for farmers that formed cooperatives, which failed due to small profits.

How did the Wabash decision harm the efforts of the granges?

It stripped away their power to control railroad prices through state laws.

What did the Interstate Commerce Act do to help farmers?

It put the federal government in charge of railroads and regulated their rates.

Why do tariffs hurt farmers?

They raise prices on farm machinery by eliminating competition from foreign goods.

Why did American factories raise prices on farm machinery?

Because foreign manufactured goods were taxed, creating no competition.