Exploring Pre-Civil War Politics and Slavery

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to pre-Civil War political tensions, slavery issues, and key figures and events leading up to the American Civil War.

Wilmot Proviso

An 1846 proposal to ban slavery in territories acquired from Mexico.

Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

Law that mandated citizens to assist in the capture of runaway slaves and imposed penalties for aiding their escape.

Free Soil Party

A political party formed in the 1840s to oppose the expansion of slavery into the territories.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that illustrated the harsh realities of slavery and heightened anti-slavery sentiments.

Compromise of 1850

A package of five bills aimed at resolving the territorial and slavery controversies arising from the Mexican-American War.

Bleeding Kansas

A series of violent political confrontations in the United States involving anti-slavery and pro-slavery elements that took place in Kansas Territory.

Stephen Douglas

U.S. senator known for his support of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed territories to decide on the legality of slavery.

Liberty Laws

State laws passed in Northern states to counter the Fugitive Slave Act.

California Gold Rush

A mass migration to California in 1849 following the discovery of gold, leading to increased demand for statehood.

Possession of Slaves

Under the Fugitive Slave Act, it was legal for a slaveholder to pursue enslaved people into free states.