The Road to Secession: Key Events and Concepts

These flashcards cover significant events, acts, and concepts related to the road to secession in the 1850s, focusing on the expansion of slavery, political movements, and key historical figures.

What was the primary message of the Wilmot Proviso in 1846?

Northerners opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories.

What was the Free Soil Party established for?

To oppose the expansion of slavery into new territories.

Who were the main political groups involved in the Free Soil movement?

Anti-slavery northern Democrats, Whigs, and members of the Liberty Party.

What was the Compromise of 1850 intended to address?

Sectional tensions regarding the status of territories and Free/Slave state balance.

What was the central issue in the presidential elections of 1848 and 1852?

Avoiding the slavery issue.

Which state was admitted as a free state as part of the Compromise of 1850?

California.

What law was considered the most controversial part of the Compromise of 1850?

The Fugitive Slave Act.

What did Uncle Tom's Cabin accomplish in terms of public sentiment?

It generated anti-slavery sentiment in the North and abroad.

What was the main outcome of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854?

Repealed the Missouri Compromise and instituted popular sovereignty.

What significant event was referred to as 'Bleeding Kansas'?

Violent conflicts over whether Kansas would be a free or slave state.

What was the Dred Scott decision's main ruling?

Black Americans were not citizens and had no rights to bring suit.

How did Abraham Lincoln view the split between free and slave states?

America cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.

Who was John Brown and what did he aim to achieve?

Abolitionist who led a raid at Harper's Ferry to incite a slave uprising.

What was the significance of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates?

They highlighted the national division over slavery and popular sovereignty.

What was the main theme of the 1860 presidential election?

The division over slavery among different political factions.

Why did South Carolina secede from the Union?

They perceived Lincoln's election as a threat to slavery.

What event marked the start of the Civil War?

The attack on Fort Sumter.

What ideology opposed the expansion of slavery, viewing it as a threat to free labor?

Free Soil ideology.

What was the Slave Power Conspiracy?

The belief that the South was conspiring to expand slavery and entrench its power.

Who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin and what was its impact?

Harriet Beecher Stowe; it intensified anti-slavery sentiments.

What did the term 'popular sovereignty' refer to in the context of the territories?

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

What was the outcome of the 1860 election?

Abraham Lincoln was elected president, leading to Southern secession.

What was the importance of Personal Liberty Laws for Northern states?

They aimed to protect escaped slaves and prevent their capture.

How did the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 affect free Black individuals?

It allowed slave catchers to capture free Black people and denied them the right to testify.

What was the effect of John Brown's raid on the national sentiment regarding slavery?

It heightened tensions and polarized opinions on both sides.

In what way did the Kansas-Nebraska Act impact political parties?

It contributed to the formation of the Republican Party.

What role did sectional balance play in the politics of the 1850s?

It influenced compromises and intensified conflicts regarding slavery.