Rise Of Republican Party Flashcards
Early signs of Whig collapse
Failings in state and local elections in 1853
Democrat losses in 1854 mid-term election
91 to 23, free state
67 to 63, slave state
Date of Irish potato famine
1845-46
Immigration between 1845-54 (of which Catholic)
3 million (1 million)
Regions of Irish settlement
North-eastern cities
Growth in Catholicism 1850-54
Catholic bishops, priests and churches almost doubled
Nativist failings of Whig party
Attempted to appeal to new immigrants but alienated native born Americans
Site and date of founding of Order of the Star-Spangled Banner
New York, 1849
Know Nothing key issues
Protestant
Nativist, 21 year probationary period before immigrants could become full american citizens
Know Nothing membership in 1854
1 million members
Massachusetts vote for Know Nothing’s in 1854
63%
Year of transformation of Know Nothing to American Party
1855
Region of strength for Republicans
Mid-west
Key issue of Republicans
Anti-slave power
State of senator William Seward
New York
Leading Southern Politician on Kansas
Senator Atchison of Missouri
Company and number for Northern settlers in Kansas
Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company, 1500 in 1854-55
Pro-slave association set up in Kansas
Platte County Defensive Association
Site of initial legislature in Kansas
Lecompton
Site of alternative government in Kansas
Topeka
Topeka plans for blacks in Kansas
Complete ban
Site of sack by pro-slave posse in May 1856
Lawrence
Deaths from attack of Lawrence, Kansas
1 pro-slaver died when a building collapsed on him
Site of John Brown’s first attack
Pottawatomie Creek
Effect of John Brown’s murder of 5 people-slavery settlers
Series of tit for tat killings
Name of new governor appointed in Kansas in 1856
John Geary
Name created for events in Kansas in press
Bleeding Kansas
Reasons for decline in American Party support (5)
Had to drop KNA position
Decline of immigration led to fall in nativism
Failure of Know Nothing legislatures
Secretive side of the movement disliked
Success attracted old guard which alienated other supporters
Proportion of anti KNA members affiliated with KNs in 1854-55
2/3
Election of speaker for House 1856, winning candidate
Nathaniel Banks, ex-KN, now Republican
Date of first national convention for Republican Party
February 1856
Date of Bleeding Sumner
May 1856
People and their role in Bleeding Sumner (3)
Senator Sumner beating up after speech
Speech against Senator Butler
Attack by Congressmen Preston Brooks
How did the south endorse Brooks’ actions (2)
New cane
Easily re-elected
Year of American Party National Convention
1856
Number of Northern delegates splintering away from American Party in 1856
73
American party’s selection of candidate in 1856
Ex-President Fillmore
3 potential republican candidates in 1856
Samuel Chase
William Seward
John C Fremont
Fremont’s age in 1856
43
Fremont’s political experience
Democrat Senator for California for 17 days
Date of Fremont’s nomination for Republican candidate
June 1856
Republican twin protests in platform
Polygamy and slavery
Democrat potential candidates for 1856 election (3)
Pierce
Douglas
Buchanan
Regional contests in 1856 election
North - Buchanan v Fremont
South - Buchanan v Fillmore
1856 election results
Buchanan (45.3% and 174 EC votes)
Fremont (45% of N and only 1196 of South, 114 EC votes)
Fillmore (21.6% and 8 EC votes)
Distribution of states between candidates in 1856 election
Buchanan won all but one Southern state plus 5 free states
Fremont won rest of North
Fillmore won one Southern state