Section 2: Questions on 19th American history (including Civil War) Flashcards
Who made the “Louisiana Purchase”, what did it do to the size of the United States, and what was the role of Lewis and Clark?
Thomas Jefferson arranged purchase of France’s territory in North America (the Louisiana Terr.), doubling the size of the U.S. Lewis and Clark were hired to conduct an expedition of this territory (with a corps of 40 or so) and were the first white men to cross from the Mississippi R. to the Pacific (as far as we know).
Of the 50 Native American tribes encountered by Lewis and Clark, name one:
Who were the first four presidents of the United States (in order)?
Washington
(John) Adams
Jefferson
Madison
Where is the Erie Canal (be able to identify what waterways it connects and also identify its location on a map) and why was its construction so important to the development of the United States?
Located roughly in the center of New York State, it connects the Hudson River to the Great Lakes. Made it possible for Americans in the Midwest to participate in international trade and made NYC the economic capital of the U.S.
What is the significance of Fort Sumter?
South Carolina’s attack on Fort Sumter is considered the start of the U.S. Civil War.
What did the Southern states do (collectively) that ultimately resulted in civil war, and what is the correct way to spell this word?
They seceded from the U.S.
Who was U.S. president during the entirety of the Civil War?
Lincoln
Who won the U.S. Civil War? (You’d be surprised. Many years ago a student told me “the East beat the West!”)
The “North” (the states comprising the Union).
What was “Reconstruction” and when did it occur?
The time period just after the Civil War (lasting about 12 years) in which attempts were made to restore southern “seceded” states back to the union and to grant citizenship rights to about four million who had been emancipated from slavery. Does NOT refer to a physical rebuilding of the south but a political one.
What was a “Jim Crow law”?
A law (mostly used in southern states) designed to segregate African Americans from white society and to maintain them in second-class status. These types of laws began to be passed about twenty years after Reconstruction ended and continued until the 1960s.
