Unidad 6 Exam Preparation Notes

Notes from Unidad 6

Andrew Jackson as President

  • Perception by National Republicans

  • Viewed as a danger due to his overreach of power.

  • Concerns over his negative views on the National Bank.

  • Democratic-Republican Party's Schism

  • Post-1824 Election: Split into two factions: Democrats (supporting Jackson) and National Republicans (supporting John Quincy Adams).

  • Popularity among the American People

  • Celebrated as a war hero, dedicated to his country, and demonstrated hard work towards goals.

  • Elected as the seventh president due to favorable characteristics recognized by the public.

Spoils System

  • Definition
  • A practice of rewarding political supporters with government positions.
  • Involves replacing government employees with supporters of the winning candidate.

Voting Rights Changes

  • Expansion
  • Originally, only land-owning white men could vote.
  • By the 1828 elections, voting rights expanded to include all white men, regardless of property ownership.

Cherokee v. Georgia

  • Background and Legal Dispute
  • Georgia attempted to seize Cherokee land due to gold discovery.
  • Supreme Court case Worcester v. Georgia: Ruled in favor of the Cherokee Nation's sovereignty.
  • Despite the ruling, President Jackson's administration coerced Cherokees into signing the Treaty of New Echota in 1835, leading to forced removal.

Forced Migration of Native Americans

  • Result of Jackson's Policies
  • Jackson ignored Supreme Court decisions, enabling Georgia to forcibly remove Cherokees.

Indian Removal Act

  • Purpose
  • Law passed to facilitate the relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands, especially in the Southeast.

Trail of Tears

  • Description
  • The forced relocation route taken by Cherokees to Oklahoma, resulting in significant suffering and numerous deaths.

Manifest Destiny

  • Concept
  • 1840s belief that it was America's destiny to expand from ocean to ocean.

Gadsden Purchase

  • Details
  • Acquired approximately 29,670 square miles from Mexico in 1853 for $10 million.
  • Significant for furthering U.S. territorial expansion.

Northern Economy

  • Transformation
  • Regions becoming industrialized with the establishment of numerous factories.
  • Population shift from rural areas to cities for employment, greatly increasing urban populations (out of 31 million, 23 million lived in the North).

Southern Economy

  • Agricultural Focus
  • Primarily relied on agriculture for economic sustenance.

Western Economy

  • Emergence of Key Cities
  • Cities like St. Louis and Cincinnati became commercial hubs due to proximity to rivers and trade routes.

Compromise of 1850

  • Conflict Between North and South
  • Southern states advocated for the continuation of slavery in new territories, which northern states opposed.

Mexican-American War Causes

  • Trigger Event
  • The Texas Revolution was identified as the primary reason for the onset of the war.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

  • Outcomes
  • Mexico recognized Texas as part of the U.S. The established border was the Rio Grande.
  • Mexico ceded territories including present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.

Irish Immigration

  • Reason for Migration
  • Devastating potato blight in the 1840s leading to widespread famine in Ireland prompted emigration to the U.S.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)

  • Founding
  • Founded by Joseph Smith in New York: promoted communal living and sought to avoid substance that negatively impacted the mind.
  • Advocated for polygamy as an acknowledged practice.

Contributions of German Immigrants

  • Cultural Influences
  • Introduced processed foods (like sausages and ham), beer, polka music, and the concept of kindergarten into American culture.