CPUSH Unit 2: The Early Republic to Reconstruction Study Guide

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering the Early Republic, Jacksonian Era, Manifest Destiny, Antebellum Sectionalism, Civil War, and Reconstruction.

Who served as the first President of the United States, and what were his years in office?

George Washington, who served as President from $1789$ to $1797$.

What three crucial precedents were established by President George Washington?

The two-term limit, creating a cabinet, and maintaining foreign neutrality.

What four original cabinet positions were established under President George Washington, and who filled them?

Secretary of State (Jefferson), Secretary of the Treasury (Hamilton), Secretary of War (Knox), and Attorney General (Randolph).

What caused the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion, and what did President Washington's response demonstrate?

Western Pennsylvania farmers protested against a federal excise tax on whiskey; Washington firmly suppressed it, proving the strength of the new federal government under the Constitution.

What two warnings did George Washington emphasize in his Farewell Address?

He famously warned against political parties (factions) and permanent foreign alliances.

What was the purpose of the Alien & Sedition Acts passed under President John Adams in 1798?

Four laws passed by Federalists to restrict immigration and criminalize criticism of the government.

Which state resolutions were drafted in direct response to the controversial Alien & Sedition Acts?

The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions.

Why was the presidential Election of 1800 termed the 'Revolution of 1800'?

It marked the first peaceful transition of political power from one party (Federalists) to another (Democratic-Republicans).

What were the purchase price and geographic results of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803?

The US purchased the territory from France for $15\text{ million}$, doubling the size of the nation and securing control of the Mississippi River.

What three major issues caused the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain?

British trade restrictions, impressment of American sailors, and British support for Native American resistance.

What were two major national consequences of the War of 1812 for the United States?

It increased American nationalism and stimulated domestic industrial manufacturing.

What warning was established by President James Monroe in the Monroe Doctrine of 1823?

It warned European nations not to colonize or interfere in the Western Hemisphere, establishing the US as a dominant power in the Americas.

Which president championed the 'common man' and made extensive use of the spoils system?

President Andrew Jackson (7th President, $1829$-$1837$).

How did Jacksonian Democracy expand political participation for the common man?

By expanding voting rights (suffrage) to all white men through the removal of property-ownership requirements.

What occurred during the Nullification Crisis of 1832-1833, and how did President Jackson respond?

South Carolina, led by John C. Calhoun, declared federal tariffs unconstitutional and void; Jackson threatened military force, asserting federal supremacy.

What policy did the Indian Removal Act of 1830 authorize?

The forced relocation of Native American tribes from the Southeast to territories west of the Mississippi River.

What tragic event directly resulted from the enforcement of the Indian Removal Act?

The Trail of Tears.

What was the Second Great Awakening, and what did it emphasize?

A massive religious revival movement in the early-to-mid 1800s that emphasized personal salvation.

Which major social reform movements were sparked by the Second Great Awakening?

Temperance, abolition, and women's rights.

Who organized the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, and what document was produced there?

Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized the convention, which produced the Declaration of Sentiments.

What foundational document did the Declaration of Sentiments model, and what famous assertion did it make?

Modeled after the Declaration of Independence, it famously asserted that 'all men and women are created equal.'

What was the 19th-century concept of Manifest Destiny?

The widespread belief that the United States was divinely ordained to expand its territory across the North American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean.

What key territorial additions and military leadership defined President James K. Polk's presidency?

He successfully added the Oregon Territory and led the nation during the Mexican-American War, achieving core Manifest Destiny goals.

What conflict sparked the outbreak of the Mexican War ($1846$-$1848$)?

A border dispute over Texas.

What were the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ending the Mexican War?

Mexico ceded the Southwest (Mexican Cession) to the United States for $15\text{ million}$.

How is Sectionalism defined in the antebellum period?

Growing loyalty and devotion to the interests of one's own region (North, South, or West) rather than to the nation as a whole.

Who invented the cotton gin in 1793, and what was its impact on Southern labor?

Eli Whitney; it made cotton processing highly profitable, which dramatically increased the demand for enslaved labor.

What was the goal of antebellum abolitionists, and who were three prominent leaders of the movement?

Reformers who sought the immediate emancipation of all enslaved people; key figures included William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman.

What were the consequences of Nat Turner's 1831 slave rebellion in Virginia?

Over $50$ white people were killed, causing widespread panic in the South and leading to much stricter slave codes restricting literacy and assembly.

What were the three main provisions of the Missouri Compromise of 1820?

Missouri entered as a slave state, Maine entered as a free state, and slavery was banned in the Louisiana Territory north of the $36^\circ 30'$ parallel.

What were the five bills included in the Compromise of 1850?

Admitted California as a free state, created Utah/New Mexico territories with popular sovereignty, settled Texas borders, ended the slave trade in D.C., and enacted a strict Fugitive Slave Act.

What did the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 require, and what reaction did it produce in the North?

It required northern citizens and law enforcement to assist in capturing and returning runaway slaves, causing deep resentment and outrage in the North.

What was the Underground Railroad?

A secret, informal network of escape routes and safe houses run by abolitionists to help enslaved people escape to free states or Canada.

What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 establish, and what prior law did it repeal?

Introduced by Stephen Douglas, it repealed the Missouri Compromise line and allowed popular sovereignty to determine the status of slavery in Kansas and Nebraska.

What was 'Bleeding Kansas'?

A series of violent confrontations between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers who rushed into Kansas Territory to influence the popular sovereignty vote.

What three major determinations were made by the Supreme Court in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)?

African Americans were not citizens, Congress had no power to ban slavery in territories, and the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional.

What was the objective and outcome of John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859?

John Brown raided a federal arsenal in Virginia to spark an armed slave revolt; it failed, but deeply polarized the North and South.

What was Abraham Lincoln's primary goal at the outbreak of the Civil War?

To preserve the Union, not to end slavery.

How did emancipation become a military objective for President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War?

It became a secondary, military objective later in the war with the Emancipation Proclamation.

What key victories and military accomplishments defined General Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War?

He secured key victories in the West (Vicksburg) and successfully forced Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House.

Where did General Robert E. Lee formally surrender to Union General Ulysses S. Grant?

Appomattox Court House.

What military tactics did Union General William Tecumseh Sherman employ during his 'March to the Sea'?

Total war tactics through Georgia to destroy infrastructure and break the civilian morale of the Confederacy.

Which Confederate military force did General Robert E. Lee command?

The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.

What event on April 12, 1861, officially marked the beginning of the Civil War?

The Confederate bombardment of Ft. Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina.

Why was the Battle of Antietam in September 1862 historically significant?

It was the bloodiest single day in US military history, and the Union tactical victory allowed Lincoln to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.

What was the strategic outcome of the Union victory at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863?

A decisive siege victory that gave the North complete control of the Mississippi River, cutting the Confederacy in half.

Why is the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863) considered the turning point of the Civil War?

It ended General Lee's final northern invasion and inflicted devastating casualties on the Confederacy.

What were the military and political results of the Union victory at the Battle of Atlanta in July 1864?

Sherman captured a vital Confederate transportation hub, boosting Northern morale and securing President Lincoln's re-election.

What were the provisions of Abraham Lincoln's 10% Plan for Reconstruction?

A lenient plan focused on quick healing that required $10\%$ of voters in a southern state to take a loyalty oath.

How did President Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction Plan address wealthy Southern planters?

It was lenient, pardoned wealthy planters, and allowed southern states to pass discriminatory laws.

What did the Radical Republicans' Plan (Congressional Reconstruction) impose on the South?

A punitive plan that placed the South under military rule and required protection for freedmen's civil rights.

What was the purpose of the Freedmen's Bureau established in 1865?

To assist newly emancipated African Americans and poor whites in the South by providing food, housing, medical aid, legal assistance, and establishing schools.

What were the primary goals of the Radical Republicans faction during Reconstruction?

Completely restructuring Southern society, punishing former Confederates, and securing full civil and voting rights for freedmen.

What were the Black Codes passed by Southern states immediately after the Civil War?

Discriminatory laws designed to restrict the freedom of African Americans and compel them to work in a labor economy based on low wages or debt.

Why was President Andrew Johnson impeached in 1868, and what was the trial's outcome in the Senate?

He was impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act after firing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton; he was acquitted in the Senate by a single vote.

What did the 13th Amendment accomplish upon ratification in 1865?

It constitutionally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States, except as a punishment for a crime.

What guarantees were established by the 14th Amendment upon ratification in 1868?

It granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US and guaranteed equal protection under the laws, overturning the Dred Scott decision.

What voting protection was established by the 15th Amendment upon ratification in 1870?

It prohibited voting discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

What was the Ku Klux Klan and what methods did it use after being founded in 1865?

A white supremacist terrorist organization that used widespread violence, intimidation, and murder to prevent freedmen from exercising their political and civil rights.

What was the Compromise of 1877 and what did it bring to an end?

An unwritten deal settling the disputed 1876 election: Democrats accepted Rutherford B. Hayes as president in exchange for the complete removal of federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.