key terms Flashcards
manifest destiny
Definition:
* The belief that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent from coast to coast.
Significance:
* drove U.S. territorial expansion, leading to the acquisition of vast territories such as Texas, California, and Oregon,
* shaped U.S. foreign policy and contributed to the nation’s emergence as a continental power.
mexcian american war
Definition:
* Conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 over territorial disputes in the southwest.
* happened after annexation of texas
* arguments over slavery
Significance:
* resulted in the United States acquiring significant territory, including California and much of the present-day Southwest, furthering the goals of Manifest Destiny and expanding U.S. influence
* increased tensions b/w north and south
compromise of 1850
** Definition:**
Legislation aimed at addressing slavery’s expansion by admitting California as a free state, implementing popular sovereignty in the Mexican Cession territories, and strengthening the Fugitive Slave Law.
Significance:
* The Compromise of 1850 temporarily eased sectional tensions by providing a temporary solution to the debate over slavery’s expansion
* However, it also intensified the debate over slavery’s future in the territories and contributed to the collapse of the Union. (fugitive slave law, popular sovereignity, reapeal of missouri comrpomise)
kansas-nebraska act
Definition:
Legislation allowing popular sovereignty in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, effectively repealing the Missouri Compromise’s ban on slavery north of the 36°30’ parallel.
Significance:
* intensified sectional tensions and led to violent conflict in Kansas, known as “Bleeding Kansas,” over the issue of slavery expansion
* further fractured the nation along sectional lines and accelerated the road to Civil War.
dred scott decision
Definition:
Supreme Court ruling in 1857 that declared African Americans were not citizens and that Congress had no authority to ban slavery in the territories.
Significance:
* deepened sectional divisions by affirming the legality of slavery in the territories
* It invalidated the Missouri Compromise and fueled Northern abolitionist sentiment, contributing to the events leading to the Civil War.
republican party
Definition:
Political party founded in the 1850s on anti-slavery principles and opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
Significance:
* The emergence of the Republican Party reflected growing opposition to slavery expansion and sectional tensions
* It provided a political platform for anti-slavery sentiment and played a key role in Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860.
lincoln-douglas debates
Definition:
* Series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the Illinois senatorial election of 1858.
Significance:
* Lincoln-Douglas Debates showcased the deepening divide over slavery and states’ rights
* Lincoln’s stance against the expansion of slavery helped elevate him to national prominence (importance) and set the stage for his presidency.
election of 1860
Definition:
* Presidential election in which Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, won against a divided Democratic Party.
Significance:
* The Election of 1860 marked a turning point in U.S. history as the victory of a Republican candidate, opposed to the expansion of slavery, led to Southern secession
* It caused the Civil War and fundamentally altered the course of the nation.
civil war
Definition:
* Conflict fought between the Union (Northern states) and the Confederacy (Southern states) from 1861 to 1865 over slavery and states’ rights.
Significance:
* The Civil War was the defining moment of U.S. history in the 19th century
* It resulted in the preservation of the Union, the end of slavery, and significant social and political changes in the nation.
abolitionists
Definition:
* Individuals and groups who advocated for the immediate emancipation of slaves.
Significance:
* Abolitionists played a crucial role in shaping public opinion and mobilizing opposition to slavery
* Their activism contributed to the events leading up to the Civil War and the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States.
fugitive slave law
Definition:
* Law that made it mandatory for people to help catch and return runaway slaves.
Significance:
* This law caused a lot of tension between the North and South over slavery
* It made people in the North angry and helped push the country closer to breaking apart
popular sovereingity
Definition:
* Letting people in a new area decide if they want slavery or not.
Significance:
* This idea made the argument over slavery even more heated. It led to fighting in places like Kansas and made the North and South even more divided
missouri compromise
Definition:
* A rule made in 1820 that said slavery couldn’t go above a certain line on the map.
Significance:
* This rule helped keep a balance between the number of free states and slave states for a while.
* But when it was cancelled, it made things worse and added to the tension that split the country apart
repeal of the missouri comrpomise
Definition:
* Getting rid of the rule that said slavery couldn’t go above a certain line on the map.
Significance
* This move made the North mad and made the South happy.
* But it also made the argument about slavery worse and brought the country closer to breaking apart
freeport doctrine
defenition:
* states that a territory could determine whether to allow or not allow slavery based on Popular Sovereignty, where the authority of the government is based on the consent of the people.
