APUSH Unit VI for ACHS

King Cotton

refers to the economic and social dominance of the cotton industry in the Southern United States during the 19th century. cotton became a major cash crop, and its production was heavily reliant on slave labor

Paternalism

a social and political ideology prevalent in the antebellum South that justified slavery by arguing that slaveholders were benevolent protectors and caregivers for enslaved individuals, suggesting a hierarchical and paternal relationship

Yeoman

an independent farmer or landowner who owned smaller amounts of land and did not rely on enslaved labor

American Colonization Society

formed in 1816, it aimed to encourage the voluntary emigration of free African Americans to Africa, with the establishment of Liberia as a colony for resettlement

George Fitzhugh

a pro-slavery social theorist in the 19th century who defended slavery and advocated for a hierarchical social structure in which the master-slave relationship was central

“Sambo”

a derogatory term used to stereotype African Americans, often portraying them as submissive, docile, and content with their enslavement

Nat Turner

the leader of a slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831 which resulted in the deaths of numerous white individuals and led to harsher slave codes in the South

The Impending Crisis

a book written by Hinton Rowan Helper in 1857 that argued against the institution of slavery, claiming it hurt the economic interests of non-slaveholding whites in the South

William Lloyd Garrison

a prominent abolitionist and the editor of "The Liberator," a newspaper that played a crucial role in promoting the anti-slavery movement

The Liberator

an abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison in 1831, advocating for the immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves

Frederick Douglass

an escaped slave who became a leading abolitionist, speaker, and writer

Harriet Tubman

an escaped slave who became a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, helping numerous slaves escape to freedom. she also played a role as a nurse, scout, and spy during the Civil War

The Underground Railroad

a network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans to escape to freedom in the Northern states and Canada

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

a novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852, depicting the harsh conditions faced by enslaved individuals and contributing to the anti-slavery sentiment in the North

“Free Soil” Movement

a political movement in the mid-19th century that opposed the expansion of slavery into the newly acquired territories, arguing for the restriction of slavery to the existing Southern states

Three-Fifths Compromise

an agreement at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 that counted each enslaved individual as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of representation and taxation

Fugitive Slave Act

a series of laws passed in the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries that required the capture and return of escaped slaves to their owners

Slave Codes

laws enacted in Southern states to regulate the institution of slavery, defining the rights and responsibilities of enslaved individuals and reinforcing the power of slaveholders

David Walker’s Appeal

a pamphlet that called for the immediate end of slavery and urged enslaved individuals to rebel against their oppressors

Chattel

property, often referring to enslaved individuals as legal property to be bought, sold, and owned by others

Gabriel Prosser

leader of an aborted slave rebellion in Virginia in 1800, which planned to march on Richmond but was betrayed before it could take place

Amistad Case (1839)

a legal case involving a group of enslaved Africans who revolted against their captors on the ship Amistad. the case ultimately led to their freedom and became a symbol in the abolitionist movement

Dred Scott v. Sandford

a landmark Supreme Court case in 1857 that ruled enslaved individuals were not U.S. citizens and could not sue in federal court, further exacerbating tensions over slavery

American Anti-Slavery Society

founded in 1833 by William Lloyd Garrison and others, it was a prominent abolitionist organization advocating for the immediate and complete emancipation of all slaves

Denmark Vesey

a free African American who planned a large-scale slave rebellion in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1822