Chapter 3 Part 1- Republicans and 'Bleeding Kansas' Flashcards
What happened to the Democrats in the 1854 midterms?
They were blamed for sponsoring the Kansas-Nebraska Act and lost all but 23 of their free-state seats in Congress.
Who should have benefited from the 1854 midterms? What factors led to the collapse of the Whigs?
Prior to 1854, the Whigs would have benefited from Democratic unpopularity in the North. By 1854, however, the Whig Party was no longer a major force in many free states.
Where did most immigrants come from in the mid nineteenth century? Why did the Irish in particular cause problems?
From Ireland, due to the potato famine, and Germany. Americans accused the Irish of pulling down wage levels and taking jobs from native-born workers. Irish immigrants were associated with increased crime and welfare costs. Fear of a papal plot to subvert the USA was deep rooted among Protestant Americans and they resented the Catholic immigrants and their growing power.
What was nativism?
A nativist is someone who is suspicious of immigrants and usually is aggressively nationalistic.
Why were the Democrats unlikely to respond to nativist concerns?
Irish and Germans voted Democrat so Democrats were unlikely to support anti-immigrant and anti-catholic measures.
What disastrous policy did the Whigs pursue in 1852 and why did it fail?
The Whigs were actively pro-Catholic, hoping to capture the growing immigrant vote. But few Catholics were persuaded to vote Whig while some traditional Whig voters refused to vote for a party which was trying to appease Catholics.
Who were the Know-Nothings and what platform did they have?
Concern about immigration and Catholicism resulted in the rise of the Know Nothing movement. They pledged to vote for no one except native-born Protestants. Wanted checks on immigration and a 21-year probationary period before immigrants could become full US citizens.
Where were the Know-Nothings strongest?
Massachusetts in 1854.
What had the Know Nothings rebranded themselves by 1855 and where did they get their support from?
Rebranded themselves into the American Party and took control of three more New England states and won large-scale support mainly from ex-Whigs in the South.
What issue led to the emergence of the Republican party? Where were they strongest? How did they work together and why?
The Kansas Nebraska Act raised issues about slavery once more and many northerners were keen to support parties opposed to slavery expansion, such as the Republicans. The Republicans were strongest in the midwest. Republicans and the Whigs often tried to avoid a contest in order to defeat the Democrats.
How had the Know-Nothings and Republicans grown by 1855? Why did this cause an issue for 1855’s congress?
The unpopularity of the Kansas- Nebraska Act helped the Know Nothings as it was associated with the Democrats.Given the Democrat reverse in the North in 1854, it was clear that there would be an anti-Democrat majority in the Congress, but it was unclear which party would pick up the tattered Whig mantle in the North.
Why were the Know-Nothings seen as the biggest threat to the Democrats?
Because they drew support from both the North and the South while Republicans could never be more than just a northern party.
Why were Northerners worried about slavery’s expansion into Kansas?
If it expanded to Kansas, it might expand everywhere.
How did Northerners try to influence events in Kansas?
The Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company sponsored over 1500 northerners to settle in Kansas.
How did Southerners respond to northern attempts to influence events in Kansas?
Senator Atchison of Missouri formed the Platte County Defensive Association that was pledged to ensure that Kansas became a slave state.
