APUSH Unit 5 Part 1

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)

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)

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)

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)

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.

Mexican Cession (1848)

Land ceded by Mexico to the U.S. after the Mexican-American War through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It fueled the debate over whether new territories would permit slavery, increasing tensions between the North and South.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

This act allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to vote on whether to allow slavery ("popular sovereignty"). It led to violence in Kansas and further divided the nation over slavery.

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

A Supreme Court case that ruled African Americans, whether free or enslaved, were not U.S. citizens and had no rights. It declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional, which increased North-South tensions over slavery.

Republican Party (Founded in 1854)

Formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, it opposed the expansion of slavery into western territories. The party grew rapidly and its success helped Abraham Lincoln win the presidency in 1860.

Anti-Immigrant Nativism (1850s)

A movement favoring native-born Americans over immigrants, leading to discrimination against Irish and German immigrants. Nativist groups like the Know-Nothing Party sought to limit immigration and diminish immigrant influence.

Anti-Catholic Nativism (1850s)

Part of the nativist movement, it focused on opposing Catholic immigrants, especially Irish Catholics. Many Protestants believed that Catholicism was incompatible with American democracy.

Panic of 1857

An economic depression caused by over-speculation in railroads and land, and the decline of international markets. It affected the North more than the South, reinforcing Southern confidence in their cotton-based economy.

Harper's Ferry (1859)

An armed raid led by abolitionist John Brown in an attempt to start a slave revolt by seizing a federal arsenal. Brown's failed raid and subsequent execution made him a martyr in the North and intensified sectional divisions.

Homestead Act (1862)

Offered 160 acres of free public land to settlers in the West. It encouraged westward expansion, though many settlers faced difficult conditions. The act also contributed to the displacement of Native American tribes.

Sand Creek Massacre (1864)

A brutal attack by the U.S. Army on a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho village in Colorado. This event highlighted the violent treatment of Native Americans during westward expansion and increased tensions between settlers and tribes.

The Liberator (1831-1865)

An abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison that called for the immediate emancipation of enslaved people. It played a key role in spreading anti-slavery sentiment in the North.