Unit 2

Seneca Falls Convention

Seneca Falls Convention

Organized by Cady Stanton and Mott, one of the first feminist conventions in America held in a church at Seneca Falls

Women’s Rights Overlaps

Abolition, Temperance, Suffrage, and Quakers

Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions

The document published by the Seneca Falls Convention asking for marriage, divorce, property, education, and voting rights

Why was the right to vote controversial at the Seneca Falls Convention?

it was a controversial issue because they believed if there was more focus on this than other rights, there would be no progress, while others thought it was the way to get more rights because if their voice were heard in the government then more bills supporting women would pass

Republican Motherhood

the idea that men and women should occupy different spheres of the republic; men are into politics and law, anything outside the home. Meanwhile, women are meant to raise and educate children

“civilly dead”

once married, women were seen as “civilly dead” under the law because their rights would be given to their husband

Divorce

Although not common, if a man and woman got divorced, the man immediately got full custody of the children.

Property

Women were not allowed to own property and any property that a woman inherited would go immediately to her husband

Education

Although women were responsible for the education of their children, they were not allowed the opportunity to attend university

Married Woman’s Property Act of New York

a law in New York giving married women the right to own property separately from their husbands, and was pushed for fathers who were suspicious of irresponsible sons-in-law who would steal their land

Why were mills a popular place to work for women?

the pay was much higher than other jobs at the time because the mill owners wanted the industry to grow

What would women do with their mill salaries?

send it to male relatives for their education

What were the working conditions in the mills like?

Because there were few labor laws, the girls worked for 14 hours with two half hour breaks for meals and recieved no employment benefits like healthcare and pensions

What happened when wages for Lowell Mill Girls were lowered?

the girls attempted to strike but were unsuccessful because it would be easy for the businesses to find replacements for them since the job was in high demand so they went back to work with the lowered wages

Why was the mill industry so influential?

Girls were leaving their father’s farms for months at a time and living independently with other girls

What was Andrew Jackson’s upbringing like?

He was born to an unknown family with no money, and at ten years old the American Revolution started where he was captured by the British and sent to live with an abusive officer while his brother died on a prisoner of war ship alongside his mother, who was trying to visit him

How did Jackson’s childhood influence him?

He was different from the other presidents, who came from money and were often Virginia, characterizing him as a president of commoners. Additionally, his trauma from the American Revolution led to a life-long hatred of the British

How did Jackson first grow his political career?

He moved to Tennesse, considered the land of opportunity, and held several government posistions which led to him becoming an officer in the War of 1812

Jackson and the Creek Tribe

Jackson was an officer in the War of 1812 and was sent to the border of Georgia and Florida to fight the Creek tribe aligned with the British, and he successfully defeated the tribe to gain 23 million acres of land for the United States and boosted his reputation throughout the Union

Battle of New Orleans

the last major battle of the War of 1812, the Americans under Jackson defeat the British even though the peace treaty was already signed in Belgium, but the news hadn’t reached the States yet. This battle makes Jackson a household name throughout the Union

“Old Hickory”

when Jackson was marching back from defeating the Creek tribe, he marches on foot with his soldiers and inspires a sense of equality, and the soldiers are reminded of hickory trees, which are known for being strong

First Seminole War

Jackson is summoned to make peace with the Seminole tribes and Spaniards near the Southern border

Adam-Onís Treaty

because of the war, Spain worried about their ability to govern the Florida region and then decided to give it to America

Candidates of the 1824 Election

J.Q. Adams, Jackson, Crawford, and Clay

John Quincey Adams

had the opposite upbringing compared to Andrew Jackson. As the son of a president, he was educated in Europe, knew several languages, was trained in diplomacy, became the American diplomat for several European countries and had several connections

How was Andrew Jackson known during the 1824 election?

for being a war hero, tough, and one of the common people. Additionally, he got into several duels and killed a few people and was also known as a hothead

Tie in the 1824 Election

Although Jackson won the popular vote, nobody got the majority of electoral votes, so the choice went to the House of Representatives, where Clay was the Speaker of the House and influenced the vote in favor of J.Q. Adams, who he preferred over Jackson

“Corrupt Bargain”

J.Q. Adams became president because of Clay’s influence, who he made his secretary of state, which was seen as a stepping stone to the presidency. Jackson was furious over the election results and felt that it was a scheme by other politicians with connections to keep their power

Jackson’s wife

while campaigning, his wife faced severe backlash for not completely divorcing her first husband before marrying Jackson and was extremely affected by the rude comments against her

Nullification Theory

the idea that a state can reject a federal law if it disagrees with it, which goes against the basis of the US Government

John C. Calhoun

from South Carolina, the nullification state, had a position in the House of Representatives and Senate, was Andrew Jackson’s first Vice President, and is known for being a primary author of the Nullification Theory

South Carolinian Economy

an export-based economy dependent on importing pre-Civil War

South Carolina Nullification

the threat from South Carolina to null a tariff act passed by Congress they disagreed with, South Carolinians thought Congress was siding with the North and disadvantaging the South

Proclamation against Nullification

Jackson released a proclamation in 1832 in response to claims of nullification by South Carolina, where he constantly quotes historical American sources showing that the founders intended for America to be a permanent Union, and brings up how the situation compares to the Articles of Confederation, which the Constitution replaced because the states held too much power

Compact Theory

a theory promoted by Calhoun and others who believed in nullification that the Constitution is based on a compact, if the states entered into the Constitution and the Union, they reserve the right to declare independence, which goes against the very idea of American unity that the colonists fought for in the Revolution

How did the Nullification crises end?

Henry Clay, a known compromiser, passed the Compromise Tariff Bill, which lowers the tariff over ten years so the federal government still gets money while South Carolina was satisfied

Why was the Nullification Crises important?

Because the United States was still a young nation, the threat of secession threatened the idea of the American experiment. Additionally, the Southern states still feared a strong national government that could outlaw slavery and destroy their economy

Why is Nullification Theory unconstitutional?

Because Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress to implement uniform taxes and two tariff acts passed by Congress, governing with the consent of the people, is not a long train of abuses that can justify seceding the Union

Manifest Destiny

the belief that Americans are destined to expand westward because they are a unique country and they are bringing “light” and civilization to the West and “illuminating” those in the “dark” and is also a rallying cry against the threat of Catholic México

John O’Sullivan

Coins the phrase “Manifest Destiny” in 1845, based on the belief God is on the colonizer’s side because America is unique

The Louisiana Territory

Owned first by France, taken over by Spain, and given back to France under the pretense that France wouldn’t give it to anybody else. But when Napolean ascends the throne, he decides not to grow the French Empire in the West because of Haitian independence making it hard to have a base

The Lousiana Purchase

To fuel his European wars, Napolean suddenly decides to sell the Louisiana territory to America for a cheap $15 million, betraying Spain

Lewis and Clark Expedition

Explorers sent out by Thomas Jefferson to explore the new territory for two and a half years and, while exploring, became heavily reliant on Indigenous knowledge

Missouri Controversy

Missouri wanted to be admitted to the Union as a slave state since it already had a slave population of 10k, but it was over the agreed 36^o 30 latitude

James Tallmadge

from New York, wanted slavery prohibited gradually in Missouri because of the already present slave population by having every child being born to a slave be freed on their 25th birthday

Balance in the Senate

Since the North had control of the House of Representatives because the admission of Missouri as a slave state would also tip off the careful balance of 11 slave states and 11 free states in the Senate

The Tallmadge Amendment

the amendment that would lead to the gradual outlawing of slavery in Missouri, passes in the House of Representatives but dies in the Senate

Missouri Compromise

1820, Missouri is admitted as a slave state while Maine is admitted as a free state to keep the balance of power

Clay in the Missouri Crises

a vital compromiser because he’s a unionist and usually doesn’t favor each side publically, but is a slave owner as an abolitionist

Self Preservation vs. Justice

the fight between abolitionists and slave owners over whether slavery should be abolished

“A wolf by the ear”

an expression used by Jefferson to describe slavery, something so dangerous you can’t hold onto forever but you can’t let it go

Haitian Revolution

slaves successfully revolt against French masters and declare independence, leading to France giving up on Western colonization

Impact of the Haitian Revolution in America

Fear from the Haitian revolution spread over to the US, and slave owners feared that if they freed their slaves, their former slaves would kill them

Diffusion Theory

a theory by Jefferson that after possible emancipation, the former slave population should be spread out in new territories to lower the chance of fighting between whites and former slaves

First vs. Second Generation of Americans

The first generation of Americans are divided over the morality of slavery, but the second generation was focused on how it impacted the union because their profits grew immensely because of slavery

What does Jefferson think of the second generation of Americans?

Jefferson is strongly against the second generation and believes they’re destroying fundamental American principles, which could lead to the death of the Union at 44 years old

Méxican Independence

México declares independence from Spain, creating a new government on the American border

Santa Anna

considered the New World Napolean, a general and the first president of México ruled for 30 years like a dictator

Why do Americans move to the Méxican region of Texas?

the soil is good for cotton, so they bring their slaves and set up farms, eventually becoming the vast majority in Texas, so Santa Anna tries to prevent the immigration but struggles because of how far away Texas is from the capital

When does Texas declare independence from México?

1836

The Alamo

a group of Americans in Texas fortify an old Catholic missionary during their fight for independence and are destroyed by the forces of Santa Anna

Why is the Alamo important?

Although Americans lost the battle, they won the war, showing the fighting spirit and rugged individualism of Texas

What happens when Texas becomes an independent republic?

Some Americans start looking into making it an American state

Sam Housten

the first president of the Republic of Texas and an overall influential politician

Why did some Americans want to make Texas an American state?

Texas is a good source of cotton, Manifest Destiny, a lot of Americans lived in Texas, America already shared a border so it would be easier to lead than an overseas territory, and there was the threat of Great Britain cutting off trade with the US for cotton in favor of Texan cotton that had no tariffs

Why did some Americans not want to make Texas an American state?

Adding it as a state would create another imbalance between slave states and free state, and it could lead to a potential war with México over the border

Conflict over the Texan Border

When Texas became an American state in 1845, the US believed that the Texan border was the Río Grande, but the Méxicans believed it was at the Nueces River

James K. Polk

American president elected in 1844, is known as “Young Hickory” because he was seen as a successor to Jackson

“American blood has been spilled on American soil”

Zachary Taylor, a general sent by Polk to monitor the dispute on the border, sends back a message that the nearby Méxican army has attacked American forces, a message he relays to Congress to get their approval to declare war on México

“exact spot”

Congressman Lincoln of the Whig Party opposing President Polk asks Polk the exact spot where blood was spilled

Advantages of each side

México had a numerical advantage in terms of troops, but America was better at strategy because many generals were from West Point

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The treaty that ended the Méxican-American war, declaring America the victor and giving America most of México’s northern land while America paid México $15 million in terms of reimbursement

The California Gold Rush

the year after the Méxican-American war, gold is discovered in the region of California, leading to a massive rush of people into the land, quickly making California a state as it meets the population requirement

Zachary Taylor

A major general during the Méxican-American war who was elected president after the war but was president for less than a year because he died of food poisoning

The Indian Removal Act

a controversial federal law passed in 1830 strongly opposed by the Whig Party that permitted the removal of Native tribes, ignoring the decision by the Supreme Court to let the tribes stay on their land

Reasons the Indian Removal Act was passed

the tribal lands were along major rivers, which were considered the highways of the day and America was focused on growing economically, there was also gold discovered on Cherokee land, the cotton belt also is on Indigenous land, and Manifest Destiny

Jackson’s opinion of Native Americans

He believes they are “savage hunter-gathers” who will never assimilate into the American way of life and that the tribes should be grateful the government decided not to annihilate them like the northern tribes but to give them land and some reimbursement

Cherokee Tribe before the Trail of Tears

had become an agricultural society with a written language, constitution, and newspaper

Georgian Settlers

Settlers in Georgia started moving into Cherokee land given by treaties signed by the federal government, upsetting the Cherokee while the government of Georgia did nothing to guarantee the treaties

Threat of the tribes

Jackson is known for viewing tribes as internalized external threats, and throughout his presidency does as much as possible to get them out of their land. Tribes also typically ally with the British believing they would let them keep their lands, and Jackson hates the British. America has also been busy either fighting the Native tribes or the British as long as they’ve been a country, and Jackson wants to end the fighting.

Trail of Tears

In 1838, the last Cherokees who refused to leave were forced out of their land to move to Oklahoma, with widespread death along the journey

Role reversal between colonists and tribes

in early America, the tribes took pity on the suffering colonists and decided not to wipe them out and instead help them, but now the roles are reversed and the colonizers instead decide to push the tribes out of their land