APUSH test

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

A slave rebellion in Virginia led by Nat Turner in 1831; resulted in harsher slave laws.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand westward, leading to territorial expansion and conflicts like the Mexican-American War.

Texas Annexation

The joining of Texas to the U.S. in 1845, leading to tensions with Mexico and the Mexican-American War.

Oregon Territory

Established as a result of a treaty with Britain in 1846, setting the U.S.-Canada border at the 49th parallel.

Mexican Cession

Land gained from Mexico after the Mexican-American War in 1848; intensified the slavery debate.

Wilmot Proviso

Proposed legislation in 1846 to ban slavery in the territory gained from the Mexican Cession; failed but raised tensions.

Crittenden Compromise

The last attempt in 1860 to prevent the Civil War by allowing slavery below the 36°30′ line; ultimately failed.

Bleeding Kansas

A series of violent conflicts from 1854 to 1859 over slavery in Kansas due to popular sovereignty.

John Brown’s Raid

An attempt in 1859 by John Brown to start a slave rebellion at Harpers Ferry, which resulted in his execution and martyrdom.

Compromise of 1850

A package of legislation that admitted California as a free state and strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act.

Sectionalism

The growing division between North and South over issues like slavery, economy, and politics, which led to the Civil War.

Ostend Manifesto

A secret plan in 1854 to buy or take Cuba from Spain, abandoned after public backlash.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Legislation in 1854 that allowed popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska, repealing the Missouri Compromise.

Popular Sovereignty

The concept that territories should determine their own stance on slavery, leading to violence in Kansas.

Stephen Douglas

A Senator who promoted popular sovereignty and debated Lincoln; his actions increased sectional tensions.

Abraham Lincoln

The 16th U.S. president who led the Union during the Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Debates in 1858 over slavery, helping Lincoln gain national recognition.

Fugitive Slave Act

A law passed in 1850 requiring the return of escaped slaves, which angered the North and bolstered abolitionist movements.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

An 1852 anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that enhanced Northern opposition to slavery.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

The author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, whose work fueled anti-slavery sentiment.

Dred Scott Decision

A 1857 Supreme Court ruling stating that African Americans were not citizens and Congress couldn't ban slavery in territories.

Whig Party

A political party that opposed Andrew Jackson and collapsed over the slavery issue.

Free Soil Party

A political party opposing slavery’s expansion into western territories; later absorbed into the Republican Party.

Constitutional Union Party

A political party formed in 1860 aimed at avoiding secession and focusing on preserving the Union.

Democratic Party

A political party dominated by pro-slavery factions in the South prior to the Civil War.

Know-Nothing Party

An anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic political party that declined in the 1850s.

Republican Party

Founded in 1854 to oppose slavery's expansion, with Abraham Lincoln as its first successful presidential candidate.

Edmund Ruffin

A southern secessionist known for firing the first shot at Fort Sumter.

Sojourner Truth

A former slave and abolitionist who advocated for women's rights and the end of slavery.

Harriet Tubman

A leader of the Underground Railroad who helped escaped slaves find freedom.

Henry Highland Garnet

A black abolitionist who encouraged slave rebellion against southern masters.

Secession

The act of southern states leaving the Union after Lincoln's election, leading to the Civil War.

Confederate States

The southern states that seceded and formed the Confederacy under Jefferson Davis.

Union States

Northern states that remained loyal to the U.S. during the Civil War.

Border States

Slave states that did not secede from the Union, including Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia.

Henry Clay

Known as the 'Great Compromiser'; crafted key agreements like the Missouri Compromise and Compromise of 1850.

Martin Van Buren

The 8th U.S. president and Free Soil Party candidate in 1848.

William Henry Harrison

The 9th U.S. president who died one month after taking office.

John Tyler

The 10th U.S. president who supported the annexation of Texas.

John Quincy Adams

The 6th U.S. president known for his post-presidency fight against slavery in Congress.

James K. Polk

The 11th U.S. president who led American expansion efforts, including Oregon and the Mexican Cession.

Zachary Taylor

The 12th U.S. president and a war hero from the Mexican-American War, opposed to the expansion of slavery.

Sumner-Brooks Affair

An incident in 1856 where Senator Charles Sumner was beaten by Representative Preston Brooks over an anti-slavery speech.