Unit 5 test Flashcards
Peculiar Institution
An institution of slavery very unique to southern society
contradicted the idea of the republic
Mason-Dixon line was created, divided America between slave and free states.
Cotton and Slavery
19th century cotton replaced sugar as the worlds major crop produced by slave labor
Economy investment by slave labor grew
Second Middle Passage
A massive trade in slaves within the U.S.
Many slaves were transported from Africa to the states
conditions were horrible and many people suffered.
Planter Class
Own most of the lands and the majority was slave owners(owned 10%)
dominated southern life and enjoyed high incomes, fertile land, amd power.
Developed modern businesses and accountants.
Paternalism
Slave holding men took personal responsibility for the health of their slaves.
Enabled owners to think themselves kind, even when they heavily mistreated their slaves.
Pro-slavery Argument
Southerners saw slavery as a stable and safe basis for free institutions
used racism, religion, and paternalism as ways to argue their point.
Abolition Movement
Extreme movement of anti-slavery
Desired to end slavery and free all slaves
Radical actions were taken to try and abolish slavery
George Fitzhugh
A virginian writer who claimed that slavery was the general, normal basis of society
Slavery was a fundamental law.
Believed that slaves were happy and the most freest people in the world ):
Slavery and the Law
Slave rights were heavily enforced and they lived in constant toil and went through brutal punishments
-they could be sold
-they could not testify in court
-could not acquire property
- restricted from education
Free Blacks
Upper South: Not many lived in there. Those that did worked for wages as farm laborers.
Lower south: could not vote or had any political voice. Prohibited from owning firearms, dogs, and liquor. Could not “strike” anyone even in self defense. Could not testify in court.
Urban Slavery
slaves that worked in the city as servants, cooks, and domestic laborers.
Not all slaves lived on plantations and could live on their own.
Most southerns thought them as slobs
Slave Families
Laws did not recognize marriage between slaves and family morals.
Slaves valued family greatly
Families were under the constant threat of being separated from being sold to different owners.
Thousands of families were separated.
Gender Roles of Slaves
Both men and women equally experienced the feelings of powerlessness.
Women worked in the field with men.
Both got punishments
Women suffered from being seually abused by their masters.
Black Church
A community of slaves who practiced religion, held assemblies, and taught education.
Resistance to slavery
Slaves rose up by conducting rebellions, running away from slave owners, creating the underground railroad, and doing poor work.
Underground Railroad
A lose organization and secret network of sympathetic abolitionists who hid fugitive slaves in their homes
Harriet Tubman
a fugitive slave who risked her life by making multiple trips(using the underground railroad) to her state of birth and leading relatives and other slaves out and into Philadelphia
liberated many
Denmark Vesey’s Conspiracy
A failed slave uprising in Charleston.
Reflected a combination of American and African influence
Nat Turner’s Rebellion
a bloody rebellion led by Nat turner, who believed god chose him to lead an uprising
was very bloody and violent(50 whites were killed)
White fear killed thousands of innocent slaves and the rebellion failed.
Inspired by the Haitian Rebellion
Reaction of Slave Revolts
Southerns added new stricter laws and punishments to slaves after the rebellions.
Conditions worsened for slaves
Utopian Communities
100 reform communities that surfaced in the Northern states of America.
Arose from religious conduct and secular desire.
Most banned relationships.
Groups include the Shakers and the Oneida
Robert Owen
An important reform communitarian.
Established the New Harmony Community that defended women’s rights, sought to educate kids, and strongly influenced labor movements.
Temperance Movement
sought to redeem habitual drunks
a lot of men quit drinking
women strongly agreed with the movement for it stop their husbands from being violent with them
Aroused considerable hostility among men though
Critics of Reforms
Included Catholics: who were against the temperance movement, and people who thought that the reform was attacking American freedom
Colonization
Promoted the gradual abolition of slavery and the settlement of blacks in Liberia, Africa.
Basically wanted to keep blacks and whites separated from one another.
Militant Abolitionism
abolitionists who rejected the traditional approach of gradual emancipation and used violence.
Examples: David Walker and John Brown
David Walker
A free blackman who wrote “An appeal to the colored people”
claimed that blacks had the right to be called Americans.
Inspired slaves to take their freedom with violence
instilled pride in the black community
threaten whites they’d receive divine punishment for their mistreatment of blacks
William Lloyd Garrison
A white abolitionist who worked at the and published for the “Liberator”
Wanted more peaceful movements and provided help by printing Walker’s Appeal everywhere.
Used moral suasion to convince people that slavery was morally wrong.
Black vs. White Abolitionists
Blacks: held leading roles in the movement and served as board of directors and major organizers. Encouraged violence if the need arises.
Whites: Were more reserved in their help. Wanted to use more peaceful movements and tried to stay clear of violence.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
A white abolitionist that wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
modeled it after a fugitive slave. Illustrated and truthfully illuminated black’s kind nature and was a huge influence to society.
Although it still had stereotypes about blacks in it
Gentlemen of property and standing
A group of merchants with close commercial ties in the south, who led mobs and disrupted abolitionist meetings in norther cities.
Led by William Garrison.
Destroyed and burned down many halls
Frederick Douglass
A former slave who published accounts of his life in bondage
convinced thousands of northerners the evils of slavery.
Was the most important abolitionist.
Gag Rule
Rules made by Southerns that prohibited abolitionists consideration. You could not say anything bad about slavery
Origins of Feminism
Abolitionist movement strengthened due to women’s influence.
Most came from the north.
Public sphere was open to women, they were able to share their opinions.
Learned the language of liberty and started fighting for their rights.
Seneca Falls Convention
A convention gathered on the behalf of women’s rights in New York. Raised the issue of suffrage and held meetings for Abolitionists.
The Declaration of Sentiments
Basically the declaration of independance but women were included.
Women Suffrage
Women in the south had the opportunity to vote, but not women in the north.
Manifest Destiny
The ideal that it was white’s god-given right to take control of the whole continent of America.
All other races were considered inferior and were heavily mistreated and or driven from their homes.
Texas Revolt
Americans settled into Texas(which was under the Mexican Government)
The Mexican Gov allowed this and asked the settlers to follow their rules in exchange.
The settlers broke all of the gov’s rules and some took action to send the settlers away.
Settlers fought back and called for Texas independence.
Texas became a part of the US as a result.
James K. Polk
President during the Mexican war.
Encouraged pro-slavery values and firmly believes in manifest destiny.
Elected for only one term.
Apprentice of Andrew Jackson
Started the Mexican war by falsely claiming that the mexicans shed blood first on american soil.(not true)
The Mexican War
First American conflict fought on primarily foreign soil and the first in which american troops occupied a foreign capital. Sparked by the dispute over the annexation of Texas.
America won and they doubled in size.
Criticism of Mexican War
Northerns and Abe Lincoln opposed of the idea of starting a war.
Spot Revolutions: Critics questioned whether Polk was lying about who spilt blood first.
California Gold Rush
The findings of gold caused a massive migration of Americans into California territory. Allowed Cali to be settled, which caused many natives to be turned into slaves.
Wilmot Proviso
Attempt to say Mexican lands would not be slave states.
Many southerns opposed the attempt
Attempted failed
Free Soil Party
Political organization formed to oppose slavery in the territory acquired in the Mexican War
Believed that if you owned land, you had a responsibility to take care of it without the use of slaves.
Didn’t want to abolish slavery, just wanted to stop it from spreading.
Wanted to separate themselves completely from the blacks.
Got incorporated into the Republican party later on.
Popular Sovereignty
The southern principle whereby the status of slavery would be determined by the votes of local settlers and the state government instead of the federal government.
Compromise of 1850
The compromise where California would become a free state and in exchanged a new fugitive slave law would be created for the southerners.
FAILED
Fugitive Slave Law (new)
A new act that allowed special federal commissioners to determine the alleged fate of fugitives without benefit of a jury trial or even testimony by the accused individual.
All fugitives must be sent back to their masters if caught, even in free states
Stephen Douglass
Representative of the Democratic Party.
Competed with Lincoln in the Election of 1860.
Represents popular sovereignty.
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Last attempt to settle the issue of slavery.
Slavery could exists north of the northern line and the state of slavery will be decided by popular sovereignty.
Rise of the Republican Party
Reflected underlying economic and social changes, notably the completion of the market revolution.
Most were Free soilers, yet some abolitionists joined despite their differing opinions on the extend of the abolition of slavery.
Bleeding Kansas
There was two official state governments in Kansas.
Argued whether Kansas should be a free or slave state
Led to brutal violence between the two governments
Caning of Charles Sumner
A southern democrat beat a northern abolition with a cane during a assembly. Shows just how brutal and violent the dispute over slavery was.
Dred Scott vs. Sanford
The worst Supreme Court Decision.
Dred Scott(a slave) testified his freedom for he set foot in free state land, meaning he had a right. Court refuses him and comes to the decision that no African Americans could be citizens of the United States.
Abe Lincoln
Was a lawyer before diving further into politics.
Was a free soiler and wanted to stop slavery from spreading, but didn;t want to abolish it fully.
Thought it wasn’t his right to try and stop slavery
Won the election of 1860
Became an abolitionist during the Civil War;sought to end slavery
John Brown
A white militant abolitionist willing to used violence to end slavery.
Gathered and encouraged a group(that included his sons) attempted to conduct a slave rebellion on Harper’s Ferry.
He stole guns and military resources.
Rebellion failed and he was executed.
Democratic party Splits
The Democratic party in the south split into three. Each elected different people to run for president. A main reason why Lincoln won.
Session crisis
Before Lincoln can take office, many southern states who wanted to protect the institution of slavery and who hated Lincoln desperately started seceding from the United States.
Confederate States of America
The Southern State’s own government where they adopted a constitution and elected Jefferson Davis as President. President had more power.
Fort Sumter
The battle that started the civil war. Confederate forces fired first after union troops attempted to provision the fort.
