Buildup To Civil War Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is slavery?
A legal and economic system where people are treated as property
Slavery in North America existed since the 17th century and was abolished by the 13th amendment in 1865.
What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
A compromise during the Constitutional Convention in 1787 that counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation purposes
This was to balance the interests of free and slave states.
Define nullification.
The legal theory that states have the right to nullify federal laws they deem unconstitutional
It was suggested in the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions of 1798.
What are states’ rights?
Political powers reserved to state governments rather than the federal government
This concept is rooted in the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.
What was the purpose of the American Colonization Society?
To fund the creation of a territory in Africa for freed slaves to migrate to, leading to the founding of Liberia
About 10,000 free blacks settled in Liberia.
What is abolitionism?
The movement to abolish slavery in all its forms in America
It specifically aimed to end the African slave trade and free those already enslaved.
What is ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’?
A popular novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 that depicted the reality of slavery
It became the best-selling novel of the 19th century and supported the abolitionist cause.
Who was Harriet Tubman?
A former slave and abolitionist who conducted up to thirteen missions to free enslaved individuals via the Underground Railroad
She helped seventy family members and friends escape and lived until 1913.
What does ‘King Cotton’ refer to?
The belief that southern cotton production would financially cripple the North and garner European support for the Confederacy
This idea was ultimately a mirage due to alternative cotton sources in Europe.
What was the Missouri Compromise of 1820?
An 1820 political deal that prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36°30′ parallel, except Missouri
It maintained the balance of slave and free states by admitting Maine as a free state.
What were the main points of the Compromise of 1850?
- California admitted as a free state
- Utah and New Mexico territories decided by popular vote
- Slave trade banned in Washington D.C.
- Harsher Fugitive Slave Act
This was meant to preserve the Union after the Mexican-American War.
What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 establish?
The territories of Kansas and Nebraska, allowing slavery to be determined by popular sovereignty
This act effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise.
Define popular sovereignty.
The principle that the majority of voters in a territory would decide whether it would be a slave or free state
This led to conflict in Kansas as both pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups fought for control.
What was Bloody Kansas?
The violent conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Kansas
It resulted from the Kansas-Nebraska Act and ended with Kansas entering the Union as a free state in 1861.
What were the Lincoln-Douglas Debates?
A series of seven debates in 1858 between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas focused on slavery
These debates increased Lincoln’s visibility and popularity, leading to his presidential nomination.
What was the significance of the Election of 1860?
It was the immediate catalyst for the secession of southern states and the Civil War
Abraham Lincoln’s victory led to seven southern states leaving the Union.
What happened at Fort Sumter?
It was the site of the first military action of the Civil War in April 1861 when Confederates captured the fort
The shots fired there are considered the opening shots of the Civil War.
What led to the birth of the Confederacy?
The secession of seven southern states following Lincoln’s election to form the Confederate States of America
Initially included South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.
What was the Nat Turner Rebellion?
A slave revolt in Virginia in 1831 that resulted in the deaths of between 55 and 65 people
It led to stricter laws prohibiting the education of slaves.
What was the Amistad case?
A trial regarding captured Africans who rebelled on the Cuban ship La Amistad in 1839
The Supreme Court ruled they were illegally enslaved and ordered their release.
What was the outcome of the Texas Revolution?
Texas became an independent republic in 1836 before joining the Union in 1845
This was part of the lead-up to the Mexican-American War.
What was the Mexican-American War?
A conflict from 1846 to 1848 resulting from the annexation of Texas by the US
It led to the annexation of large parts of the American southwest.
What did the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 require?
All escaped slaves were to be captured and returned to slavery
It mandated cooperation with this law, causing resentment in free states.
What was the Dred Scott Decision?
A 1857 Supreme Court ruling that denied citizenship to African Americans and stated that the federal government could not regulate slavery in new territories
This decision intensified tensions leading to the Civil War.
