IB History of the Americas: Causes of Civil War

- Articles of Confederation: First constitution of the US (1777-1789); established a firm league of friendship but had many weaknesses.

- Shays Rebellion: Poor farmer Shays led a rebellion against the MA government, highlighting the problems of the Articles of Confederation.

- Constitution: Current US governing document ratified in 1789; the issue of slavery was never mentioned.

- Northwest Ordinance of 1787: Created a government for the Northwest Territory; provided a method for admitting new states and listed a bill of rights.

- Federalists: Supported a strong federal government and the Constitution.

- Anti-Federalists: Advocated for a limited national government, wanted a Bill of Rights, and opposed the Constitution.

- VA and KY Resolutions: States nullified the Alien and Sedition Acts, asserting their rights against the national government.

- Hartford Convention: New England Federalists attempted to establish their own confederacy but ultimately failed.

- Missouri Compromise: Missouri admitted as a slave state, Maine as a free state.

- American Colonization Society: Argued that black people would be better off in Africa, believing they couldn't fully integrate.

- David Walker: A free black man in Boston who advocated for slave rebellion and condemned colonization.

- William Lloyd Garrison: Initially favored colonization but became a strong abolitionist, advocating for immediate emancipation.

- Nat Turner Rebellion: Led by Nat Turner, resulted in the death of over 60 white people; Garrison was blamed for encouraging revolt.

- John C. Calhoun: Defended slavery as a "positive good" in his role as a senator from SC.

- Cavalier Image: Southerners believed in traditional values such as chivalry and elegance.

- King Cotton: The economy depended on slaves, who received no credit for their labor.

- Tariffs (e.g., 1828): Created to encourage Americans to buy domestically by increasing the cost of imports.

- Slave Codes: Laws restricting slaves' behaviors; varied by state.

- Adaptation to Slavery: Slaves developed cultures and religions, worked to keep families together, and had to adapt their personalities.

- Resistance to Slavery:

- Gabriel Prosser (1800): Planned a rebellion in Virginia; executed after authorities discovered his plans.

- Denmark Vessey (1822): Freedman who planned a rebellion; executed with 35 others after plans leaked.

- Underground Railroad: Organized network to help slaves escape, notably led by Harriet Tubman.

- Daily Resistance: Slaves resisted through various means such as faking illness and working slowly.

- Manumission: Easier in Brazil and Cuba than in the US.

- Slavery Comparisons: US slavery was seen as harsher than in Latin America due to legal protections for slaves.

- John Brown: Abolitionist who led an unsuccessful raid at Harpers Ferry, executed for his actions.

- Northern States Emancipation: By 1804, all Northern states voted to abolish slavery.

- Great Awakening: Religious revival that influenced moral movements.

- Abolitionists: Those opposed to slavery.

- Frederick Douglass: Published "The North Star," an anti-slavery newspaper.

- Types of Abolitionists:

- Immediate: William Lloyd Garrison ("The Liberator").

- Gradualists: Theodore Weld; Tappan Brothers.

- Militants: David Walker.

- Fugitive Slave Law: Allowed federal marshals to capture runaway slaves.

- Calhoun's Defense of Slavery: Advocated for states' rights and nullification of federal laws.

#### Effects of Westward Expansion and Crises of the 1850s

- Annexation of Texas: Texas declared independence; annexed by the US in 1845.

- Manifest Destiny/Mexican War: Belief in the US's divine right to expand; conflict with Mexico over territorial disputes.

- Wilmot Proviso: Unsuccessful proposal to exclude slavery from territories gained from Mexico.

- Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo: Ended the Mexican War; US gained California and New Mexico.

- Free Soil Party: Opposed the expansion of slavery into western territories.

- Popular Sovereignty: Settlers decided if a territory would be free or slave.

- Compromise of 1850: Series of resolutions regarding slavery and territory; included stricter fugitive slave laws and admitted California as a free state.

- Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852): Anti-slavery novel that increased sympathy for slaves.

- Gadsden Purchase: Acquired land from Mexico to facilitate a southern transcontinental railroad.

- Ostend Manifesto: Attempt to acquire Cuba, which angered the North.

- Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): Allowed popular sovereignty, leading to violence known as "Bleeding Kansas."

- John Brown’s Pottawatomie Massacre: Violent retaliation by Brown against pro-slavery settlers.

- Lecompton Constitution: Offered a choice between a pro-slavery constitution or a limited anti-slavery option.

- Death of the Whig Party: Signaled by the 1852 election loss.

- Birth of the Republican Party: Formed from a coalition of anti-slavery groups; gained popularity rapidly.

- Stephen Douglas: Senator who authored the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

- Brooks and Sumner Incident: Violent confrontation illustrating the divide over slavery.

- Dred Scott Case (1857): Supreme Court ruling against Scott, stating that blacks had no rights.

- Lincoln-Douglas Debates: Debates between Lincoln and Douglas focused on slavery; Lincoln won the popular vote but lost the election.

- John Brown at Harpers Ferry: Attempted to start a slave uprising; execution heightened tensions between North and South.

- Election of 1860: Lincoln's victory raised fears of slavery's end in the South.

6. Free Soil Party (1848–1852): Opposed slavery's expansion into the west.

7. Liberty Party (1840–1860): Focused on immediate abolition of slavery.