Period 5 :)

Manifest Destiny

19th-century belief that U.S. expansion across the continent was inevitable and justified.

Mexican-American War

Conflict (1846–1848) over U.S. territorial expansion resulting in significant land gains.

Abolitionists

Advocates for the immediate end of slavery.

Nullification

Doctrine asserting that states can nullify federal laws deemed unconstitutional.

Slavery as a Positive Good

Pro-slavery argument claiming that slavery benefits society and the enslaved.

Secession

The act of states withdrawing from the Union, leading to the Civil War.

Compromise of 1850

Set of laws intended to resolve disputes over slavery and territory.

Dred Scott Case

1857 Supreme Court decision ruling that African Americans could not be U.S. citizens.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Legislation allowing territories to decide on slavery through popular sovereignty.

Second American Party System

Political era marked by competition between Democrats and Whigs.

Free-Soil

Political stance opposing the expansion of slavery into new territories.

Confederacy

The coalition of Southern states that seceded during the Civil War.

Union

The Northern states that remained loyal during the Civil War.

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln’s 1863 declaration freeing slaves in Confederate-held territories.

13th Amendment

Constitutional amendment abolishing slavery.

14th Amendment

Amendment granting citizenship and equal protection under the law.

15th Amendment

Amendment prohibiting voting restrictions based on race.

Sharecropping System

Labor arrangement where tenants work land in exchange for a share of the crops.

Radical Republicans

Political faction advocating for strong rights for freed slaves during Reconstruction.

Black Codes

Laws enacted in the post-Civil War South to restrict African American rights.