Review of Key Historical Events: Dred Scott and Kansas

These flashcards cover significant terms and concepts related to key historical events discussed in the lecture notes, particularly focusing on issues surrounding slavery and politics leading up to the Civil War.

Emancipation Proclamation

Issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, it declared the freedom of all slaves in Confederate-held territory.

Bleeding Kansas

A series of violent civil confrontations in the United States between 1854 and 1861, over the legality of slavery in Kansas.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the settlers of a territory have the right to decide whether to allow slavery.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

The 1857 Supreme Court case that ruled African Americans could not be American citizens and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

An 1854 act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, allowing settlers to determine if they would allow slavery.

Franklin Pierce

The 14th President of the United States (1853-1857), known for his support of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

John Brown

An abolitionist who believed in armed insurrection to overthrow the institution of slavery in the United States.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

A series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1858, focusing on the issue of slavery.

Republican Party

Founded in the 1850s, the party opposed the expansion of slavery into the territories.

Gadsden Purchase

The 1854 purchase of land from Mexico to facilitate a southern transcontinental railroad.