Mexican War and Its Aftermath

These flashcards highlight key vocabulary and concepts related to the Mexican War, its aftermath, and the evolving debates over slavery in the United States.

Mexican War

A conflict fought between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848, which resulted in significant territorial gains for the U.S.

Abolitionists

A group of individuals who fought against slavery and sought to end the institution, some of whom opposed the Mexican War due to concerns over expansion of slave territory.

Free Soil Party

A political party that emerged in the 1840s advocating for free soil, free labor, and opposing the expansion of slavery into the territories.

Popular Sovereignty

The principle that the government's power is derived from the people, which was suggested as a method for deciding the status of slavery in new territories.

Gold Rush

A mass migration of people to California in 1849 following the discovery of gold, which intensified the conflict over the status of slavery in the new territories.

Sectionalism

A tendency among different regions of the U.S. to develop distinct economic, political, and social identities, leading to increased friction over issues such as slavery.

Compromise of 1850

A package of five separate bills passed by the U.S. Congress in September 1850, which aimed to defuse sectional tensions by addressing issues related to territories gained in the Mexican War.

Dred Scott Case

A landmark Supreme Court case in 1857 where it was ruled that African Americans could not be American citizens and that Congress lacked authority to ban slavery in U.S. territories.

Moral Lens of Slavery

An ethical perspective that evaluates slavery not just as a political issue, but as a fundamental question of right and wrong.

Economic questions of slavery

Considerations about how slavery impacted the economy, particularly in terms of labor, production, and competition between free and slave labor.