Chp 19 Vocabulary.doc

Chapter 19 Vocabulary Notes

1. Harriet Beecher Stowe (pg 409)

  • Background: Daughter of preacher Lyman Beecher; influenced by the Second Great Awakening’s religious crusades.

  • Abolitionist Perspective: Published Uncle Tom’s Cabin post-Fugitive Slave Act; aimed to illuminate slavery’s horrors to Northern audiences.

  • Impact of the Novel: Outraged Southern society; hundreds of thousands of copies sold in the North; pivotal in leading up to the Civil War.

  • Abraham Lincoln's Quote: Reportedly said to Stowe, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war."

2. Hinton R. Helper (pg 411)

  • Background: Non-aristocratic white from North Carolina; opposed both slavery and black people.

  • Major Work: Authored The Impending Crisis of the South, asserting that non-holding whites suffered most from slavery.

  • Southern Response: His ideas condemned by Southern elite; book often burned alongside Stowe’s work.

3. John Brown (pg 413, 422, 423)

  • Characterization: Described as a gray-bearded, iron-willed man viewed as insane.

  • Actions in Kansas: Involved in retaliatory violence, killing five proslavery individuals.

  • Harpers Ferry Raid: Attempted to incite slave uprising; ultimately captured and executed, revered as a martyr by many abolitionists.

4. James Buchanan (pg 414)

  • Presidency Overview: Weak president heavily influenced by Southern supporters; criticized for inadequate responses to major events like Dred Scott case and Bleeding Kansas.

  • Lecompton Constitution: Supported this proslavery document, causing splits within the Democratic Party; his presidency ended without reelection.

5. Charles Sumner (pg 414)

  • Profile: Senator from Massachusetts, prominent abolitionist; known for his height and intimidating presence.

  • Key Incident: Delivered a speech in 1856 condemning proslavery stance. Provoked violent retaliation from Congressman Preston Brooks, resulting in serious injury to Sumner.

6. John C. Fremont (pg 415)

  • Background: A war hero from the Mexican American War; labeled Pathfinder of the West.

  • Political Career: Republican nominee in 1856; lack of political experience and integrity led to his defeat against Buchanan.

7. Dred Scott (pg 417)

  • Personal History: Black slave who sued for freedom after living in free states.

  • Supreme Court Ruling: Case dismissed on grounds that black people were not citizens; decision intensified Northern defiance and Southern outrage.

8. Roger Taney (pg 418)

  • Role: Chief Justice in the Dred Scott decision; advanced the ruling that slaves were property and the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional.

  • Consequences: Issued a ruling that contributed to the escalation of tensions between the North and South.

9. John C. Breckinridge (pg 425)

  • Political Positioning: Nominee for Southern Democrats in the 1860 election; supported expansion of slavery and annexation of Cuba.

10. John Bell (pg 425)

  • Party Affiliation: Presidential nominee for the Constitutional Union Party in 1860; ran on the platform of compromise.

  • Slogan: Advocated "The Union, the Constitution, and the Enforcement of the Laws."

11. Abraham Lincoln (pg 420, 425)

  • Early Life: Born in a log cabin in Kentucky; gained recognition through debates with Stephen Douglas.

  • Election of 1860: Secured presidency, which led to secession of Southern states.

12. Jefferson Davis (pg 429)

  • Presidential Role: First President of the Confederate States; previous member of the US Senate; faced health challenges and strategic aspirations akin to Napoleon.

13. James Henry Crittenden (pg 429)

  • Crittenden Amendment: Proposed compromise to settle slavery without war, suggesting division based on the 36 60 line; faced opposition from both North and South.

14. Self-Determination (pg 431)

  • Concept: Each state/territory's right to determine its political association; rooted in the Declaration of Independence.

15. Southern Nationalism (pg 431)

  • Rising Sentiment: Strong identification with Southern culture and ideology, particularly concerning slavery and tariffs.

16. Uncle Tom's Cabin (pg 409)

  • Significance: Stowe's novel exposing slavery; triggered mass anti-Fugitive Slave Act sentiments in the North.

17. The Impending Crisis of the South (pg 411)

  • Content: Helper's work aimed at exposing the economic detriments of slavery to non-slaveholding whites; met with hostility in the South.

18. New England Immigrant Aid Society (pg 412)

  • Mission: Brought anti-slavery settlers to Kansas; distributed weapons ("Beecher's Bibles") to bolster their cause.

19. Pottawatomie Creek Massacre (pg 413)

  • Event: John Brown’s retaliatory attack against proslavery settlers; escalated violence leading to further conflicts in Kansas.

20. Lecompton Constitution (pg 413)

  • Proslavery Document: Submitted for Kansas statehood; led to political rifts within the Democratic Party.

21. "Bleeding Kansas" (pg 414)

  • Description: Violent clashes in Kansas between pro- and anti-slavery factions; pivotal in the lead-up to the Civil War.

22. American (Know-Nothing) Party (pg 416)

  • Formation: Emerged in 1856; focused on anti-foreign and anti-Catholic sentiments; supported Millard Fillmore.

23. Dred Scott Decision (pg 417)

  • Supreme Court Ruling: Declared blacks could not be citizens; intensified North-South tensions over slavery.

24. Panic of 1857 (pg 419)

  • Financial Crash: Less severe than 1837 crash; predominantly affected the North; Northerners blamed tariffs for economic woes.

25. Lincoln-Douglas Debates (pg 421-422)

  • Significance: Series of debates that elevated Lincoln’s national profile; pushed Douglas to endorse the Freeport Doctrine.

26. Freeport Doctrine (pg 422)

  • Definition: Douglas’ stance asserting that slavery could be excluded from territories despite Supreme Court rulings; contributed to Democratic Party division.

27. Harpers Ferry Raid (pg 422, 423)

  • Event: John Brown’s failed attempt to incite a slave revolt; led to his capture and execution, viewed variously by North and South.

28. Constitutional Union Party (pg 425)

  • Formation: Aimed to preserve the Union; nominated John Bell as compromise candidate in 1860 election.

29. "Beecher's Bibles" (pg 412)

  • Weapons: Nickname for rifles supplied to anti-slavery settlers in Kansas; escalated violence during Bleeding Kansas.

30. Crittenden Compromise (pg 430)

  • Proposal: Suggesting a geographical boundary for slavery; faced serious opposition from both Northern and Southern factions.

31. Bleeding Sumner (pg 415)

  • Incident: Charles Sumner was brutally attacked in Congress by Preston Brooks; considered an early act of violence leading to the Civil War.