Unit 5 timeline

James K. Polk

Democrat, expansionist president elected in 1844.

Texas annexation

In 1845, Texas was annexed by the United States.

Manifest Destiny

A widespread ideology in 1845 that justified U.S. territorial expansion.

Oregon Treaty

An agreement in 1846 between the U.S. and Britain on the 49th parallel border.

Mexican-American War

Conflict that began in 1846 between the U.S. and Mexico.

Wilmot Proviso

Proposed ban on slavery in the Mexican Cession, failed in 1846.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Ended the Mexican-American War in 1848 and ceded land to the U.S.

Mexican Cession

Land ceded to the U.S. from Mexico as a result of the 1848 treaty.

Seneca Falls Convention

The beginning of the women’s rights movement in 1848.

Free Soil Party

Political party formed in 1848 opposing the expansion of slavery.

Compromise of 1850

Legislation addressing slavery and territory issues, including California entering as a free state.

Nashville Convention

Event in 1850 where Southern leaders threatened secession.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe published in 1852 that highlighted the horrors of slavery.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

1854 legislation that repealed the Missouri Compromise and established popular sovereignty.

Republican Party

Political party formed in 1854 in response to the expansion of slavery.

Bleeding Kansas

Violent conflicts in 1856 over the issue of slavery in Kansas.

Dred Scott v. Sandford

1857 Supreme Court case ruling that slaves are property and Congress cannot ban slavery in territories.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

1858 debates highlighting slavery as a central issue in U.S. politics.

John Brown’s Raid

Failed raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859 that increased Southern fears of a slave uprising.

Abraham Lincoln

Republican president elected in 1860 who opposed slavery expansion.