Untitled Flashcards Set

Flashcard 1: Q: What was the Louisiana Purchase?
A: The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 doubled the size of the United States, costing $15 million, more than the entire national budget at the time. It was acquired from France and included the territory west of the Mississippi River.

Flashcard 2: Q: Why did the U.S. want to purchase Louisiana?
A: The U.S. wanted control of New Orleans to maintain access to the Mississippi River, which was vital for commerce and transportation.

Flashcard 3: Q: What event led Napoleon to sell the Louisiana Territory to the U.S.?
A: A slave revolt in Haiti, led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, diminished the need for the Louisiana Territory, and Napoleon needed money for war with England.

Flashcard 4: Q: How did the Cotton Gin impact slavery?
A: Invented by Eli Whitney in 1793, the cotton gin allowed workers to process 50 pounds of cotton per day (up from 1 pound), greatly increasing the demand for slave labor.

Flashcard 5: Q: What was the Missouri Compromise?
A: The Missouri Compromise of 1820 maintained the balance between slave and free states. It admitted Missouri as a slave state, Maine as a free state, and drew a line dividing free and slave territories.

Flashcard 6: Q: What was Denmark Vesey's role in the abolitionist movement?
A: Denmark Vesey was an enslaved man who bought his freedom, organized a planned rebellion in Charleston, South Carolina, but was arrested and executed in 1822.

Flashcard 7: Q: What was the "Necessary Evil" vs. "Positive Good" debate about slavery?
A: Some argued slavery was a "Necessary Evil," recognizing its immorality but defending it as essential to the economy. Others viewed it as a "Positive Good," claiming it was beneficial for both slaveholders and slaves.

Flashcard 8: Q: What is Manifest Destiny?
A: Manifest Destiny was the belief that it was America's God-given duty to expand across the North American continent, spreading American values and institutions.

Flashcard 9: Q: What was the Texas Revolution?
A: The Texas Revolution (1835-1836) was a conflict between Mexican authorities and American settlers in Texas. After the rebellion, Texas declared independence and became the Republic of Texas.

Flashcard 10: Q: What was the Gag Rule of 1836?
A: The Gag Rule was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives to table (suppress) all abolitionist petitions, preventing discussions on slavery.

Flashcard 11: Q: What was the significance of the Compromise of 1850?
A: The Compromise of 1850 included the admission of California as a free state, popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico, the abolition of the slave trade in Washington, D.C., and a stronger Fugitive Slave Law.

Flashcard 12: Q: What was the Emancipation Proclamation?
A: The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Lincoln in 1863, declared the freedom of enslaved people in Confederate-held territories and allowed African Americans to join the Union Army.

Flashcard 13: Q: What was the significance of the Battle of Gettysburg?
A: The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863) was a turning point in the Civil War, as the Union defeated Confederate forces. It marked the end of General Lee's attempts to invade the North.

Flashcard 14: Q: What was Sherman's March to the Sea?
A: Sherman’s March (1864) was a brutal military campaign through Georgia, where Union forces destroyed Confederate infrastructure and morale, helping bring the war to an end.

Flashcard 15: Q: What were the terms of surrender at Appomattox Court House?
A: General Lee’s Confederate army surrendered to General Grant in April 1865. The terms were generous: Confederate soldiers were pardoned, allowed to keep their private property, and given Union rations.

Flashcard 16: Q: What was the significance of the 13th Amendment?
A: The 13th Amendment, passed in 1865, abolished slavery throughout the United States.

Flashcard 17: Q: What was the significance of the Battle of Antietam?
A: The Battle of Antietam (1862) was the bloodiest single day in American history, with 23,000 casualties. It led to Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

Flashcard 18: Q: What were the key advantages of the Union during the Civil War?
A: The Union had more railroads, a larger population, greater manufacturing capacity, merchant ships, non-slave labor, and banking capital.

Flashcard 19: Q: What was the significance of the Battle of Bull Run?
A: The Battle of Bull Run (July 21, 1861) was the first major battle of the Civil War. It ended in a Confederate victory and showed both sides that the war would not be quick or easy. It also led to the Union realizing they needed better training and preparation.