Untitled Flashcards Set

What caused the Aroostook War?
The Aroostook War was caused by a border dispute between British Canada and Maine over the unclear boundary in the Aroostook River Valley. It was a bloodless conflict resolved diplomatically.

What were the provisions of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty?
The Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842) settled the Maine-Canada border, giving the U.S. more land while Britain secured a trade route. It also resolved other disputes and improved U.S.-British relations.

What were the arguments for and against the annexation of Texas?
Supporters of Texas annexation argued it would expand U.S. territory, fulfill Manifest Destiny, and protect Texas from foreign influence. Opponents feared war with Mexico and the expansion of slavery.

What was the theory of “manifest destiny”?
Manifest Destiny was the belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America, spreading democracy and civilization, often used to justify territorial expansion.

Why were some people opposed to the terms of the Oregon settlement reached by Polk?
Some opposed the Oregon settlement terms because Polk compromised with Britain, setting the border at the 49th parallel instead of demanding the entire Oregon Territory (54°40′), as expansionists wanted.

What factors created tension between the United States and Mexico in the early 1840s?
Tensions grew due to disputes over Texas's annexation, boundary disagreements (Rio Grande vs. Nueces River), American expansionist ambitions, and unpaid debts Mexico owed to U.S. citizens.

What finally prompted the Mexican-American War?
The war began after Mexican troops attacked American soldiers near the Rio Grande, a disputed border region. Polk used this as justification to declare war, claiming American blood was shed on U.S. soil.

What were the provisions of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo?
The treaty ended the war in 1848, recognizing the Rio Grande as Texas's border, ceding California, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of other states to the U.S. in exchange for $15 million.

What was the political platform of the Free-Soil Party?
The Free-Soil Party opposed the expansion of slavery into western territories, believing it threatened free labor and white economic opportunities.

What were the provisions of the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty?
The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (1850) between the U.S. and Britain agreed that neither nation would control or fortify a future canal in Central America, ensuring neutrality.

Why was the Ostend Manifesto controversial?
The Ostend Manifesto proposed that the U.S. should buy or take Cuba from Spain, which angered Northerners as it was seen as a pro-slavery expansionist plot.

What was the significance of the California Gold Rush?
The Gold Rush (1849) led to rapid population growth in California, economic expansion, and pushed California to apply for statehood, intensifying sectional tensions over slavery.

What were the provisions of the Wilmot Proviso?
The Wilmot Proviso proposed banning slavery in any territory gained from Mexico. It passed in the House but failed in the Senate, increasing sectional conflict.

What was the significance of the Supreme Court case Dred Scott v. Sanford?
The 1857 ruling declared that African Americans were not U.S. citizens, Congress couldn’t ban slavery in territories, and the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, favoring the South.

What were the provisions of the Compromise of 1850? How did Stephen Douglas finally get the compromise approved?
The compromise admitted California as a free state, allowed popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico, strengthened the Fugitive Slave Act, and abolished the slave trade in D.C. Douglas got it passed by dividing it into separate bills.

What were the provisions of the Kansas-Nebraska Act? Why was it eventually problematic?
The act allowed popular sovereignty to decide slavery in Kansas and Nebraska, repealing the Missouri Compromise. It led to violent conflict known as "Bleeding Kansas."

What was the significance of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin?
The novel exposed the horrors of slavery, increasing Northern opposition and fueling sectional tensions, while the South condemned it as propaganda.

Why was the Lecompton Constitution controversial?
It was a pro-slavery Kansas constitution that was pushed through despite being unrepresentative of the majority, leading to political conflict.

What was the political platform of the Know-Nothing Party?
The Know-Nothing Party was anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic, focusing on restricting immigration and protecting native-born Americans.

What arguments for/against slavery did Lincoln and Douglas make in their 1858 debates?
Lincoln argued slavery was morally wrong and should not expand, while Douglas supported popular sovereignty, allowing territories to decide.

What role did John Brown play in the abolitionist movement?
John Brown led violent anti-slavery raids, including the Harper’s Ferry raid (1859), attempting to start a slave rebellion. He was executed and became a martyr for abolitionists.

What were the advantages of the Union at the outbreak of the war? What were the advantages of the Confederacy?
The Union had a larger population, stronger economy, industry, and navy. The Confederacy had better military leadership, defensive war advantages, and motivation.

What were the provisions of the Anaconda Plan?
The Union’s strategy to blockade Southern ports, control the Mississippi River, and divide the Confederacy to weaken it economically and militarily.

What were the “border states”? How did they impact Lincoln’s decisions about the war?
Border states (Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware) were slave states that stayed in the Union. Lincoln avoided radical anti-slavery moves to keep them loyal.

Why did Great Britain choose to remain neutral during the war?
Britain remained neutral due to its reliance on Northern grain, strong anti-slavery sentiments, and the failure of Southern cotton diplomacy.

Why did Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation? How did people in the North react to it? How did people in the South react to it?
Lincoln issued it to weaken the Confederacy and gain moral support. The North had mixed reactions; abolitionists supported it, while some feared job competition. The South saw it as a threat.

How did the Union raise funds to pay for the war effort?
The Union used income taxes, war bonds, and printed paper money (Greenbacks) to fund the war.

Why did many people protest the system of conscription used by the North?
The draft favored the wealthy, allowing them to pay for substitutes, leading to protests like the 1863 NYC Draft Riots.

What steps did both Lincoln & Davis take to deal with dissenters?
Lincoln suspended habeas corpus, jailing anti-war activists. Davis arrested critics but faced resistance.

Who were the Copperheads?
Northern Democrats who opposed the war, advocating for peace with the Confederacy.

What key questions had to be addressed during the process known as “Reconstruction”?
Reconstruction had to address how Southern states would rejoin the Union, the status of freed slaves, and the role of the federal government in enforcing new rights.

What kind of reconstruction plan did Lincoln favor? Why?
Lincoln supported the 10% Plan, which allowed Southern states to rejoin once 10% of voters pledged loyalty, aiming for a lenient and quick reunion.

What kind of reconstruction plan did the Radical Republicans favor? Why?
Radical Republicans wanted harsher policies, requiring a majority of white males to pledge loyalty and granting full rights to freed slaves to punish the South and ensure equality.

What kind of reconstruction plan did Andrew Johnson favor? Why?
Johnson’s plan was lenient, pardoning many ex-Confederates and allowing Southern states to rejoin with minimal conditions, leading to the rise of Black Codes.

What were the provisions of the 13th Amendment?
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.

Why did Congress refuse to accept the Southern representatives in December 1865?
Congress refused because many Southern representatives were former Confederate leaders, showing the South had not fully accepted Reconstruction reforms.

What was the purpose of the Freedmen’s Bureau?
The Freedmen’s Bureau provided aid, education, and assistance to freed slaves and poor whites in the South.

What were the provisions of the 14th Amendment?
The 14th Amendment granted citizenship to all people born in the U.S., provided equal protection under the law, and restricted former Confederates from holding office.

What was the significance of the congressional elections of 1866?
The elections gave Radical Republicans a supermajority, allowing them to override Johnson’s vetoes and take control of Reconstruction.

What were the provisions of the Military Reconstruction Act of 1867?
The act divided the South into military districts, required new state constitutions, and enforced Black voting rights to ensure Reconstruction policies.

Why was Congress looking for a reason to impeach Johnson? What did they finally find to charge him with?
Congress wanted to impeach Johnson for obstructing Reconstruction. They charged him with violating the Tenure of Office Act by firing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

What were the provisions of the 15th Amendment?
The 15th Amendment granted Black men the right to vote.

What freedoms did African Americans in the South enjoy in the years following the Civil War?
Freed Blacks gained the right to marry, travel, seek education, and vote (for a time), but faced discrimination and violence.

Why were many women angered by the provisions of the 15th Amendment?
Women were frustrated because the amendment granted voting rights to Black men but not to women, delaying their suffrage movement.

What was the significance of the Union League?
The Union League was an organization that educated freedmen on politics, promoted Republican policies, and helped African Americans exercise their rights.

What were scalawags? Carpetbaggers?
Scalawags were Southern whites who supported Reconstruction, while carpetbaggers were Northerners who moved South, often to help rebuild or for economic opportunities.

What methods did the KKK and Southern Democrats use to intimidate free Blacks? How did Congress attempt to deal with this issue?
The KKK used violence, threats, and voter suppression to control Black communities. Congress passed the Enforcement Acts to combat Klan activity.

Identify the scandals that plagued the Grant administration. What were the effects of these scandals on the Republican Party?
Scandals like the Credit Mobilier (railroad fraud) and the Whiskey Ring (tax corruption) hurt Grant’s presidency, weakening the Republican Party and public trust.

What were the causes and effects of the Panic of 1873?
The Panic of 1873 was caused by over-speculation in railroads and industry, leading to a depression that hurt Northern support for Reconstruction.

Why did Northern support for Reconstruction gradually fade?
Economic issues, political corruption, and growing disinterest in Southern affairs led many Northerners to stop supporting Reconstruction efforts.

How did the Supreme Court undermine legislation that had been passed to protect African Americans in the South from discrimination?
The Supreme Court weakened Reconstruction laws through cases like U.S. v. Cruikshank and the Civil Rights Cases, limiting federal protection of Black rights.

What compromise was made in the presidential election of 1876?
The Compromise of 1877 settled the disputed election by giving Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency in exchange for removing federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction.