APUSH un 5 pt1.2

Annexation of Florida (1819)

The U.S. gained Florida through the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 with Spain. Spain ceded Florida in exchange for the U.S. renouncing claims to Texas. This expanded U.S. territory and fulfilled part of the nation's Manifest Destiny goal of spreading across the continent.

Cherokee v. Georgia (1831)

This Supreme Court case ruled that Native American tribes were not foreign nations but "domestic dependent nations." Although it did not help the Cherokee in keeping their lands, it set the tone for future legal interpretations regarding Native American sovereignty.

Worcester v. Georgia (1832)

The Supreme Court ruled that Georgia could not impose its laws on Cherokee tribal lands, affirming Native American sovereignty. President Andrew Jackson ignored the ruling, leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee along the Trail of Tears.

Annexation of Texas (1845)

Texas was annexed by the U.S. after it gained independence from Mexico. This move, completed under President Polk, was controversial as it intensified debates over the expansion of slavery and helped lead to the Mexican-American War.

Manifest Destiny (1840s-1850s)

This term refers to the belief that the U.S. was destined to expand westward across the North American continent. It was used to justify American territorial expansion, including the annexation of Texas, Oregon, and lands taken from Mexico after the Mexican-American War.

The Gold Rush (1848-1855)

The discovery of gold in California led to a massive influx of settlers and accelerated the push for statehood. California's rapid growth as a free state inflamed sectional tensions over slavery.

Compromise of 1850

A series of laws passed to balance the interests of slave and free states following the Mexican-American War. It included the Fugitive Slave Act and admitted California as a free state, while leaving the status of slavery in other territories to popular sovereignty, deepening sectional tensions.

Whigs and Democrats on Slavery (1840s-1850s)

The Whigs were divided on slavery, with Northern Whigs generally opposing its expansion, while Southern Whigs supported it. Democrats, especially Southern Democrats, largely supported slavery and its expansion, seeing it as a key economic system for their agrarian lifestyle.

Mexican-American War and Slavery (1846-1848)

The Mexican-American War led to the acquisition of vast new territories, which reignited debates over the expansion of slavery. The question of whether slavery would be allowed in these new territories deepened the sectional divide between the North and South.

Platform of the Free Soil Party (1848)

The Free Soil Party opposed the expansion of slavery into the Western territories, arguing that free men on free soil constituted a morally and economically superior system. Their motto was "Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor, and Free Men."

Election of Lincoln (1860)

Abraham Lincoln's election was a turning point in U.S. history. Running on a platform opposed to the spread of slavery, his victory led to Southern states seceding from the Union, directly leading to the Civil War.

Know-Nothing Party (1850s)

The Know-Nothing Party, also known as the American Party, was anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic. It gained popularity in the 1850s, particularly in the North, where fears of increasing immigrant populations (particularly Irish Catholics) were growing.