Ch. 5 Civil War

Question 1

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Answer 1

Proposed by Douglas. Repealed Missouri Compromise for popular sovereignty and divided Nebraska Territory into Kansas and Nebraska.`

Question 2

Whig Party

Answer 2

Collapsed in 1850s because it didn’t respond to nativist concerns and wanted Catholic immigrant votes, upsetting normal Whig voters. Also Kansas-Nebraska act divided N from S Whigs.

Question 3

Nativism

Answer 3

Suspicion of immigrants. Protestant Americans were suspicious of the Irish and German Catholic immigrants.

Question 4

Know Nothing Party

Answer 4

Always answered questions with “I know nothing.” Pledged to vote for only native-born Protestants, wanted restrictions on immigration. AKA the American Party, declined because nativism declined and it failed to deliver on promises.

Question 5

Republican Party

Answer 5

Hard to define. Anti-slave power, morally against slavery but not pro-equality. Party of Lincoln.

Question 6

Lawrence, Kansas

Answer 6

Site of a raid: Pro-slavery posse burned some buildings in attempt to arrest free-state leaders; Northern journalists reported dozens of fatalities but none actually happened. Sparked violence by John Brown and was part of Bleeding Kansas.

Question 7

Pottawatomie Creek

Answer 7

John Brown and sons murdered pro-slavery settlers at Pott. Creek; Northern journalists falsely claimed self-defense; Brown became a hero. Sparked more killings and “Bleeding Kansas”

Question 8

Preston Brooks

Answer 8

A congressman who attacked Senator Charles Butler by beating him with a cane, “Bleeding Sumner” was evidence to North of Slave Power silencing free speech. Brooks became a Southern hero.

Question 9

Charles Sumner

Answer 9

Senator who spoke against Southern Senator Butler and was beaten by Brooks. He became a northern martyr.

Question 10

John C. Fremont

Answer 10

Republican candidate 1856 election. Ex Know Nothing and Southerner. Platform was prohibiting polygamy and slavery in the territories.

Question 11

James Buchanan

Answer 11

Democrat president 1856 who was very passive: was willing to accept Supreme Court’s decision on Dred Scott, helped fragment the Democrat party, enraged Northern Democrats, generally failure. Orignially good candidate because Northener w pro-South sympathies. Platform=pro-pop. sov.

Question 12

Dred Scott

Answer 12

Black slave who traveled with his master from Missouri to Illinois and Wisconsin, sued for freedom because he had traveled to free state/territory; Supreme Court decided blacks could never be citizens, Scott was not free, and Missouri Compromise was illegal. Dred Scott decision enraged Northerners; saw it as slave power. Scott was later set free.

Question 13

John Brown

Answer 13

“Rabid” abolitionist who killed 5 pro-slavers at Pott. Creek. Also conducted raid to capture federal arsenal and arm slaves but surrendered and was executed.

Question 14

Democratic Party

Answer 14

Won 1856 election with Buchanan. Later had major division between N and S which weakened party. Typically pro-pop sov. and pro-Compromise 1850.

Question 15

Lecompton Constitution

Answer 15

Constitutional convention in KS drafted pro-slavery constitution in Lecompton; free-staters did not vote against it because they thought it was rigged. Buchanan accepted it, enraging Northerners; others attacked it. Revoting=rejected, free constitution written.

Question 16

Abraham Lincoln

Answer 16

Born in Kentucky, lived in Illinois. Not an abolitionist but did not want slavery’s expansion. Very deliberate. Republican candidate against Douglas, won presidency 1860.

Question 17

Lincoln-Douglas debates

Answer 17

Lincoln and Douglas met for open-air debates for Illinois senator. Debates were about slavery + slavery expansion and race. Lincoln=free soil, Douglas=popular sov. Both were more moderate.

Question 18

Freeport Doctrine

Answer 18

Opinion that voters in a territory could exclude slavery by refusing to enact laws that gave legal protection to slaveholders, effectively invalidating Dred Scott ruling. Douglas’ support for this alienated him from Southerners.

Question 19

Harpers Ferry

Answer 19

The location of the federal arsenal in Maryland which John Brown raided.

Question 20

John Breckinridge

Answer 20

Vice president of Kentucky who was nominated by the Southern Democrats to run in the 1860 election. Southern Democrats were separate from N Dems. S Dems’ platform=federal government should protect slavery in the territories. Breck. won 11/15 slave states but lost to Lincoln.

Question 21

Constitutional Unionist Party

Answer 21

A new party that presented challenge for presidency. Mainly ex-Whigs w/ strength in upper South. Nominated John Bell for president. Platform was to remove slavery from the question entirely. Did not win.

Question 22

South Carolina

Answer 22

First state to secede from the Union. Also the location of Fort Sumter.

Question 23

Jefferson Davis

Answer 23

President of the Confederacy. He had been educated at West Point, served in Mexican War, was Secretary of War. Was pro-South but not a fire-eater. Asked for Confederacy to be left alone.

Question 24

Crittenden Compromise

Answer 24

Kentucky Unionist John Crittenden proposed it to try to compromise with the South: Missouri Comp. be extended to Pacific following 36 30 line, amendment would be added to guarantee no interference with slavery where it already was, Congress forbidden to abolish slavery in DC.

Question 25

Slave Power

Answer 25

Northern notion of a conspiracy that Southerners were plotting to expand slavery.

Question 26

Potato famine

Answer 26

Irish potato crop was killed by fungus, creating famine, resulting in Irish immigration to U.S.

Question 27

Polygamy

Answer 27

Practice of having more than one wife, practiced by Mormons in Utah.

Question 28

Battleground state

Answer 28

A state, usually evenly politically divided, whose voters might well determine an election’s outcome.

Question 29

Inaugural address

Answer 29

A president’s first speech, made immediately after they have been sworn in as president.

Question 30

Arsenal

Answer 30

Place where military supplies are stored or made.

Question 31

State militia

Answer 31

Able-bodied men of military age who could be called up to fight by a state in emergency.

Question 32

Border states

Answer 32

States between N and lower S, ex. Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Tennessee who supported slavery but were not committed to secession.

Question 33

Call to Arms

Answer 33

A presidential order calling up troops.

Question 34

How did Kansas-Nebraska Act increase tensions?

Answer 34

It repealed pop. sov. and when it divided Nebraska into KS and Nebraska, there was chance slavery would spread to KS. Douglas wanted to win over South with little concession, but North saw act as slave power. S was apathetic until N attacked the act, and it became symbol of S honor. Passed and became a law, increasing N/S rivalry.

Question 35

Why was the Republican Party created?

Answer 35

Northerners, after KS-Nebraska Act, wanted to support anti-slavery parties, and Republican Party became most popular anti-slavery coalition. Republicans were strongest in midwest, made of abolitionists, ex-Whigs, ex-Dems, ex- Know Nothings.

Question 36

Why was compromise not possible after mid 1850s?

Answer 36

Events in Kansas increased N/S division, 1856 election for Buchanan resulted in failure of a presidency, Dred Scott decision outraged N, Lecompton Constitution gave Republicans ammunition against Buchanan, John Brown enraged S, and when Lincoln won, S was enraged and S Carolina seceded.

Question 37

Why was the South so angry at Lincoln’s election?

Answer 37

They saw themselves as innocents fighting Northern aggressions, being denied Western land, being charged higher tariffs, and S needed to defend its honor at Lincoln’s election. Fire eaters used emotion.

Question 38

What were some problems with secession?

Answer 38

Still Union sympathy, no organization to start secession, states were still separate, not united.

Question 39

Why should Lincoln’s victory NOT have sparked secession?

Answer 39

He promised not to interfere with slavery where it existed, his party did not control Congress, secession would abandon Fugitive slave act, secession would lead to civil war threatening slavery more than Lincoln.