Studied by 8 people
Manifest Destiny
The belief that the United States was destined to expand its borders westward to the Pacific Ocean due to the superiority of American institutions and a God-given mission.
Westward Migration
The movement of settlers to the Western territories, fueled by motivations such as access to natural resources, economic opportunities, and religious refuge.
Oregon Trail
A route to Oregon country used by thousands of wagon trains heading west, lasting up to 6 to 8 months and settling the boundary between the U.S. and Canada.
California Gold Rush
The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848, attracting settlers from Europe and Asia seeking quick wealth and leading to the growth of cities like San Francisco and LA.
Homestead Act of 1862
Legislation offering 160 acres of land for $10 to families who could improve the land after 5 years, attracting urban dwellers, immigrants, and formerly enslaved African Americans.
Transcontinental Railroad
Constructed in 1869, linking the East Coast to the West Coast, facilitating travel, stimulating settlement in the Great Plains, and boosting trade with Asia.
Mexican-American War
A conflict from 1846-1848 resulting in the U.S. acquiring territories in the West, raising questions about slavery, Native Americans, and Mexicans in the newly acquired lands.
Compromise of 1850
A series of legislative measures aimed at resolving the issue of slavery in the newly acquired territories, following controversies over the extension of slavery in the Mexican cession.
Free Soil Movement
Advocated for keeping the Mexican Cession free from slavery and prohibiting plantation owners from buying vast tracts of land.
Compromise of 1850
Proposed by Henry Clay, allowed California to enter as a free state and used popular sovereignty in New Mexico and Utah territories to determine the status of slavery.
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
Allowed slave owners to reclaim escaped slaves from northern states, leading to bounty hunters capturing runaways and endangering free African Americans.
Irish Immigration
Occurred due to the Potato Famine, faced discrimination in cities, formed ethnic enclaves, and established Catholic schools to maintain their identity.
Free Soil Party
Emerged from the Free Soil movement, opposed the expansion of slavery in the West, and attracted those who believed slavery undermined the free labor market.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Series of debates in the Illinois Senate race in 1856 between Abraham Lincoln (AL) and Stephen Douglas (SD) focusing on slavery and popular sovereignty.
Freeport Doctrine
Stephen Douglas' response to the Dred Scott decision, stating that slavery would not exist where people voted it down.
Election of 1860
Abraham Lincoln's victory without any Southern electoral votes, leading to secession of most slave states and the start of the Civil War.
Emancipation Proclamation
Lincoln's decision to free enslaved individuals in rebellious states after the Union victory at Antietam, shifting the purpose of the Civil War.
Reconstruction
Efforts post-Civil War to redefine citizenship and rights, including the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments granting African Americans citizenship, equal protection, and voting rights.
Reconstruction Amendments
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution aimed to abolish slavery, grant birthright citizenship, and ensure male suffrage, respectively.
Sharecropping
A system where former enslaved individuals exchanged labor for a share of crops, often leading to exploitation and limited economic opportunities.
Ku Klux Klan
A domestic terrorist group founded in 1866 that used violence, including lynchings, to intimidate and suppress African Americans and Northern influences in the South.
Jim Crow Laws
State laws that enforced racial segregation and discrimination, denying African Americans access to public facilities and social mobility.
Compromise of 1877
An unwritten political deal that effectively ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South, allowing Southern Democrats to regain power and implement discriminatory practices like Jim Crow laws.
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