major events Flashcards
compromise of 1850
Causes: Growing sectional tensions over the issue of slavery expansion into newly acquired territories, particularly in the Mexican Cession.
What Happened/Definition: Legislative package aimed at addressing these tensions by admitting California as a free state, implementing popular sovereignty in the territories, and enforcing a stricter Fugitive Slave Law.
Effects/Significance: Temporarily eased tensions between the North and South, but ultimately worsened divisions over the issue of slavery and contributed to the onset of the Civil War.
fugitive slave act
Causes: Southern concerns about the loss of fugitive slaves in free states and the need for federal legislation to enforce the capture and return of escaped slaves.
What Happened/Definition: Legislation passed as part of the Compromise of 1850 requiring the return of escaped slaves to their owners, even in free states.
Effects/Significance: Heightened tensions between North and South, increased resistance to federal authority in free states, and strengthened the abolitionist movement.
pres election of 1852
Causes: Political divisions over issues such as slavery and westward expansion.
What Happened/Definition: Election in which Democrat Franklin Pierce defeated Whig candidate Winfield Scott.
Effects/Significance: Demonstrated the decline of the Whig Party and the growing influence of the Democratic Party, particularly in the South.
kansas nebraska act
Causes: Efforts to organize the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and open them to settlement and the construction of a transcontinental railroad.
What Happened/Definition: Legislation repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and established popular sovereignty in the territories, allowing settlers to determine the status of slavery.
Effects/Significance:
Led to violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas, known as “Bleeding Kansas,”
intensified tensions over the issue of slavery expansion.
1854 anti nebraska act
Causes: Opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the REPEAL of the Missouri Compromise.
What Happened/Definition: Political movement formed to oppose the expansion of slavery into new territories and the principles of popular sovereignty.
Effects/Significance: Contributed to the rise of the Republican Party as a major political force and further deepened sectional divisions over the issue of slavery.
sack of lawrence
Causes: Conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas over the issue of slavery.
What Happened/Definition: Pro-slavery forces attacked the town of Lawrence, Kansas, known for its anti-slavery stance, in May 1856.
Effects/Significance: Intensified violence and bloodshed in “Bleeding Kansas,” further dividing public opinion and worsening tensions over the issue of slavery.
John Brown and the Pottawatomie Massacre
Causes: Escalating tensions and violence between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces in Kansas.
What Happened/Definition: Abolitionist John Brown and his followers killed five pro-slavery settlers in retaliation for the Sack of Lawrence in May 1856.
Effects/Significance:
* Deepened divisions between North and South, increased fears of slave insurrections in the South,
* further inflamed tensions leading up to the Civil War.
john brown’s raid on harper’s ferry
Cause:
John Brown, an abolitionist, led a raid on a federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, in 1859, hoping to incite a slave rebellion.
Definition:
Failed attempt by John Brown to start a slave rebellion by seizing weapons from a federal arsenal.
Effect/Significance:
* Increased tensions between North and South
* intensified Southern fears of slave uprisings
* further divided the nation over the issue of slavery.
* Demonstrates the growing extremism and violence surrounding the debate over slavery
election of 1860
Cause:
Division within the Democratic Party, the rise of the Republican Party, and the heightened tensions over slavery.
Definition:
Presidential election in 1860, won by Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, which led to Southern secession.
Effect/Significance:
* Lincoln’s election triggered the secession of Southern states, causing the Civil War.
* Marked the culmination of sectional tensions and the beginning of the Civil War,
Crittenden’s Compromise
Cause:
Effort to prevent secession and preserve the Union by proposing amendments to protect slavery in existing territories.
Definition:
Last-minute compromise proposal to address sectional tensions and prevent secession.
Effect/Significance:
* Failed to avert the Civil War as neither North nor South accepted its terms.
* Demonstrates the inability to reconcile the sectional differences over slavery and the breakdown of compromise efforts
fort sumter
Cause:
* The secession of Southern states and the refusal of Confederate forces to allow federal control over Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina.
Definition:
* Union fort in Charleston harbor where the first shots of the Civil War were fired in April 1861.
Effect/Significance:
* Marked the beginning of the Civil War and galvanized public opinion in support of the Union cause.
* Represents the outbreak of the Civil War and the failure of diplomatic efforts to resolve sectional tensions,
Dred Scott vs sanford Decision
Cause: Dred Scott, a slave, sued for his freedom after his owner took him to free territories.
Definition:
Supreme Court ruling in 1857 that declared African Americans were not citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories.
Effect/Significance:
* Deepened sectional divisions by affirming the legality of slavery in the territories and invalidating the Missouri Compromise.
* Exemplifies the legal and political debates over slavery that led to the Civil War
lincoln douglas debates
Cause:
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debated over issues like slavery during their Illinois Senate race in 1858.
Definition:
Series of debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, showcasing their differing views on slavery and states’ rights.
Effect/Significance:
* Elevated Lincoln’s national profile and highlighted sectional divisions, foreshadowing the intensity of the upcoming Civil War
* Illustrates the deepening divide over slavery and its impact on American politics
shiloh
- Cause: Confederate forces launched a surprise attack on Union troops encamped near Shiloh Church in Tennessee.
- Definition: Major battle fought in April 1862, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.
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Effect/Significance:
Bloodiest battle up to that point in the war, demonstrating the scale and brutality of the conflict.
Illustrates the human cost and violence of the Civil War
