USH study guide

Sectionalism in Economics

  • North: Industrial, factories, supported tariffs.

  • South: Agricultural, reliant on slavery, opposed tariffs.

  • Economic differences fueled regional tensions.

Sectionalism in Politics (National Bank)

  • North supported the National Bank for economic stability.

  • South opposed it, seeing it as favoring the North.

  • Highlighted regional distrust in federal policies.

Trail of Tears

  • Forced removal of Native Americans (1830s).

  • Indian Removal Act under Andrew Jackson.

  • Thousands died during the journey to Oklahoma.

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

  • 1831 slave rebellion in Virginia.

  • Led to stricter slave laws across the South.

  • Increased fear of uprisings among slaveholders.

Compromise of 1850

  • California entered as a free state.

  • Stricter Fugitive Slave Act enacted.

  • Popular sovereignty in new territories to decide slavery.

First Shots Fired on Fort Sumter

  • April 12, 1861: Confederates attacked the fort in South Carolina.

  • Marked the start of the Civil War.

Monroe Doctrine

  • Declared in 1823 by President James Monroe.

  • Opposed European interference in the Americas.

  • Asserted U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

Regional Economy Differences

  • North: Factories, trade, industrial growth.

  • South: Plantations, cotton, slavery-based economy.

  • West: Frontier farming, resources, territorial expansion.

Andrew Jackson and His Policies

  • Champion of the "common man."

  • Opposed National Bank; Indian Removal Act.

  • Expanded presidential power through vetoes.

The War of 1812

  • Causes: Impressment of sailors, trade restrictions, British-Native alliances.

  • Boosted U.S. nationalism despite a stalemate.

  • Treaty of Ghent ended the war (1815).

The Nullification Crisis

  • South Carolina opposed federal tariffs (1832).

  • Jackson threatened force to preserve union.

  • Resolved with a compromise tariff.

Documents of the Revolution (Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc.)

  • Declaration of Independence: Declared freedom from Britain (1776).

  • Constitution: Established federal government framework (1787).

  • Bill of Rights: First 10 amendments, protecting individual freedoms.

Slave Codes

  • Laws restricting slaves’ movement, education, and rights.

  • Designed to prevent rebellion and maintain control.

Overview of the Civil War

  • 1861–1865 conflict between Union and Confederacy.

  • Main causes: Slavery and states’ rights.

  • Union victory ended slavery and preserved the nation.

13th, 14th, 15th Amendments

  • 13th: Abolished slavery (1865).

  • 14th: Citizenship and equal protection (1868).

  • 15th: Voting rights for Black men (1870).

Alien & Sedition Acts

  • Passed in 1798 during Federalist presidency.

  • Restricted criticism of the government.

  • Made citizenship harder for immigrants.

Chinese Exclusion Act

  • Passed in 1882 to ban Chinese immigration.

  • First U.S. law targeting a specific ethnic group.

Supreme Court Ruling in Dred Scott v. Sanford

  • Enslaved people were property, not citizens (1857).

  • Congress couldn’t ban slavery in territories.

  • Deepened sectional divisions.

Supreme Court Ruling in Worcester v. Georgia

  • Ruled Native American tribes were sovereign nations (1832).

  • Jackson ignored it, leading to forced removal policies.