📘 Key Terms — Chapter 12: The North and West, 1840–1860

1. Mechanical Reaper (p. 332)
➡ What: A farming invention by Cyrus McCormick that harvested crops quickly.
➡ Why it matters: Increased agricultural productivity and freed up labor for factories, boosting industrialization.

2. American System (p. 334)
➡ What: Henry Clay’s economic plan combining tariffs, a national bank, and infrastructure.
➡ Why it matters: Promoted manufacturing in the North and improved transport for western farmers.

3. Manifest Destiny (p. 341)
➡ What: The belief that the U.S. had a divine right to expand westward.
➡ Why it matters: Justified territorial expansion and displacement of Native peoples and Mexicans.

4. Oregon Trail (p. 342)
➡ What: Major route used by settlers moving west to Oregon in the 1830s–40s.
➡ Why it matters: Helped populate the Northwest and fueled U.S. claims to Oregon.

5. Mormons (p. 344)
➡ What: Religious group founded by Joseph Smith, later led west to Utah by Brigham Young.
➡ Why it matters: Sought religious freedom and built a theocratic society in the West.

6. Lone Star Republic (p. 346)
➡ What: Texas after it won independence from Mexico in 1836, before joining the U.S.
➡ Why it matters: Key step in westward expansion and a flashpoint in the slavery debate.

7. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (p. 351)
➡ What: 1848 treaty that ended the U.S.-Mexico War.
➡ Why it matters: Gave the U.S. much of the Southwest; expanded territory by 500,000+ sq. mi.

8. California Gold Rush (p. 351)
➡ What: Mass migration to California (1849–52) after gold was discovered.
➡ Why it matters: Boosted westward expansion, statehood for CA, and increased conflicts with Natives and immigrants.

9. Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments (p. 356)
➡ What: 1848 women’s rights statement inspired by the Declaration of Independence.
➡ Why it matters: Demanded voting and legal rights for women; launched women’s rights movement.

10. American Colonization Society (p. 357)
➡ What: Group that wanted to relocate free Blacks to Africa (esp. Liberia).
➡ Why it matters: Early response to slavery and racism, but seen as avoiding real equality in America.

11. Underground Railroad (p. 358)
➡ What: Secret network that helped enslaved people escape to the North.
➡ Why it matters: Resisted slavery through direct action; supported by Black and white abolitionists.

12. Oneida Community (p. 359)
➡ What: A utopian society that practiced communal living and rejected traditional marriage.
➡ Why it matters: Example of radical social reform; part of wider experimentation with alternative lifestyles.

Flashcard 1
Q: What were two key agricultural inventions in the 1840s that boosted productivity?
A: The mechanical reaper and John Deere’s steel plow.

Flashcard 2
Q: How did new agricultural technology affect industrial change?
A: It increased farm productivity, freed up labor for factories, and supported urban populations with more food.

Flashcard 3
Q: What did the federal government do to encourage western settlement and economic growth?
A: It sold cheap land and gave land grants to railroad companies.

Flashcard 4
Q: Who benefited from federal land policies in the mid-1800s?
A: Small farmers, railroad companies, and western settlers.

Flashcard 5
Q: What is meant by "mechanization" in the context of 19th-century industry?
A: The use of machines and interchangeable parts to mass-produce goods more efficiently.

Flashcard 6
Q: How did energy sources like coal support industrial growth?
A: Coal powered factories and trains, helping expand both manufacturing and transportation.

Flashcard 7
Q: How did mechanization benefit industry and the labor force?
A: It allowed production with unskilled labor, made goods cheaper, and increased industrial jobs.

Flashcard 8
Q: What major infrastructure helped connect farms and factories in the 19th century?
A: The railroad system, which expanded rapidly from 1850 to 1860.

Flashcard 9
Q: How did railroads support industrialization?
A: They moved goods faster and more cheaply, connected rural and urban areas, and boosted the economy.

Flashcard 10
Q: What communication innovation was linked to railroads starting in 1844?
A: The telegraph, invented by Samuel Morse, was strung along railroad lines to speed up long-distance communication.