Antebellum America & Civil War Study Guide

Manifest Destiny

Belief that America should expand its territory from coast to coast.

Pony Express

Mail and news delivery service between Missouri and California, mainly operated by skinny orphaned teen boys.

Election of 1844

Democratic candidate Polk wins, advocating for the annexation of Texas and the Oregon boundary dispute.

Mexican-American War

Conflict from 1845-1848 resulting in the acquisition of California and New Mexico by the U.S.

Wilmot Proviso

Congressional proposal to ensure new territories are free of slavery, aiming to prevent conflicts like the Missouri crisis.

Free-Soil Party

Political group supporting the Wilmot Proviso and opposing the expansion of slavery into new territories.

Dred Scott v

Supreme Court case declaring all territories allow slavery and deeming anti-slavery laws unconstitutional.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Series of debates in 1858 showcasing Lincoln as a radical abolitionist and discussing the issue of slavery in territories.

Emancipation Proclamation

Lincoln's order to free Southern slaves as a military effort to weaken the Confederacy and change the purpose of the Civil War.