Unit 5 Key Terms Flashcards
1
Q
Elections of 1840 & 1844
A
- William H. Harrison beat Martin Van Buren in the 1840 election.
- One of two Whigs elected into office, dies 31 days into presidency.
- John Tyler (Whig/Democrat) moves into office in his place until the next electoral cycle.
- James K. Polk was elected in 1844 (Democrat), beating Henry Clay.
2
Q
Manifest Destiny
A
- James K. Polk wanted the US territory to stretch from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean.
- Specifically wanted to grab the territories of Oregon and Texas.
- Coined Manifest Destiny by John O’Sullivan.
- People moving around from Mississippi to Oregon to acquire land.
- Debates arose about how the expansion of territory would affect the 36-30 Line.
3
Q
The Oregon Trail
A
- US Gov sent land surveyors to Oregon and granted land to people who arrived, later charged people who arrived.
- Had lots of dangers, including Natives, Harsh Weather, Disease, and Starvation.
- People brought cumbersome wagons filled with tons of supplies to make it across Oregon, towed by Oxen.
- The trip was very deadly, 50K people made it to Oregon while thousands more died from the conditions.
4
Q
Willamette Valley
A
1840s-1870s
* A river valley south of the Columbia River that was the main goal for people on the Oregon Trail
5
Q
The Great Migration of 1843
A
- Several hundred Americans living in the midwest sold everything to move west, aiming for Oregon County.
- One of the largest land migrations in history.
6
Q
California Gold Rush
A
1849
* Began after gold was found at Sutter’s Mill, resulting in a mass migration of Americans to California for the opportunity to find gold.
* Increased migration West when gold was found in many neighboring territories.
7
Q
Americans move into Texas
A
- Americans had a lot of interest in taking the Texas territory from Mexico.
- Settlers wanted to move into Texas with their slaves and grow cotton, but Mexico had outlawed slavery decades ago.
- Mexico decided Americans moving to Texas had to become Catholic citizens and obey their laws, including no slavery
- People moved in quickly, didn’t follow laws, and still brought slaves
8
Q
Texas Revolution
A
1835-1836
* Mexican general Santa Anna saw Texas was not looking good for Mexico
* The Alamo was an abandoned church/fortress with 200+ people taking refuge there
* 4000+ Mexican soldiers bombarded The Alamo and Sieged it
* American general Sam Houston battled in San Jacinto and won, becoming the Republic of Texas in 1836
* Still had a lot of territorial disputes between Texan and Mexican territory, leading to the Mexican-American war.
9
Q
Empresanios
A
- Americans who were given land in Texas in return for citizenship.
10
Q
Tejanos
A
- Spanish-speaking Mexicans born in Texas who owned land in Texas.
- Hated being ruled by General Santa Ana.
11
Q
American Progress
A
1872
* John Gest created a very famous painting called American Progress.
* Shows America developing any land they obtained, Bison and Natives running away from them.
* Pictured angel named Columbia overseeing the US, District of Columbia named after her.
12
Q
Mexican-American War
A
1846-1848
* Texas was its separate entity from 1836 to 1845, James K. Polk then asked Texas to become a state in 1845.
* Attempting to provoke Mexico into a war for territory by making Texas a state, led to the Mexican-American war.
* Officially ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe, total costs of around $15,000,000 (507,000,000 today).
13
Q
Gadsen Purchase
A
1853
* The US wanted a little more territory after the Mexican-American war.
* Paid $10,000,000 (400,000,000 today) for a sliver of territory in Arizona and New Mexico.
* Got us all of the mainland territory we know today (except Arizona and Hawaii).
14
Q
Land debates about slavery
A
- Texas became a slave state, causing an imbalance between slave & free states.
- Iowa became a free state in response to even out free and slave states.
- Lots of questions regarding how to deal with all the new territories, questions regarding extending the 36-30 line.
- Argument made to have new territories decided by “the people” who voted on whether territories should be slave or free.
- People from both sides began flocking to any new territory to attempt a majority.
15
Q
the Wilmot Provisio
A
1846
* A proposal to make all new territory free territory, failed for obvious reasons
16
Q
Slavery in the South
A
- Only 30% of families in the South owned slaves, and 3% were plantations (30+ slaves).
- Organized into gangs with different tasks, overseen by a white overseer and an elected slave as a driver
- Worked mainly in cotton fields, expected to pick a bale of cotton each day.
- Slaves sold at auctions and split up from families, a 16-year-old boy could sell for $40k (Almost a million dollars today).
17
Q
Treatment of Slaves in the US
A
- Slaves were often beaten and whipped to inhumane lengths if they didn’t work well.
- Families were torn apart to break spirits, forcing them to only focus on working.
- Owners didn’t kill slaves, they were considered an investment.
18
Q
Slave Culture in the US
A
- Slaves often incorporated music and traditional songs into their work to keep themselves moving and working to not get whipped
- Turned to religion and spirituality, specifically Christianity when nothing else worked, believed that god would provide spiritual equality in the afterlife.
- If slaves were found to be participating in religious acts at any time, they were often severely punished.
19
Q
Escaping Slavery in the US
A
- A slave’s primary means of escape was along the underground railroad, leading along the Mississippi River to places where slavery was outlawed.
- Included free states, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean in some cases.
- People helped slaves escape and gave them hospitality, could receive punishments of fines and 1/2 a year in jail if found out.
- Harriet Tubman, known as the “Moses” of slavery, risked her life to save over 100 slaves.
- Believed god would help them escape slavery, compared to Jews escaping slavery.
20
Q
Prosser’s Rebellion
A
1800
* Gabriel Prosser was a slave who wanted to rebel against people who owned slaves.
* Wanted to create an independent black state out of Virginia.
* Rebellion stopped by rainstorm barring the path to weapons, another slave snitched and Prosser was hanged.
21
Q
German Coast Uprising
A
1811
* A group of slaves in New Orleans attempted to revolt against owners and escape slavery.
* A manhunt ensued, slaves were caught, hanged, and beheaded, heads left on stakes in the Mississippi River.
22
Q
Denmark Vesey’s Conspiracy
A
1822
* Denmark Vesey was a slave trying to organize other slaves to rebel to coincide with Bastille Day.
* Over 1000 slaves were in on the rebellion, plans to liberate Charleston and escape to Haiti.
* Vesey was ratted out and hanged for conspiracy.
23
Q
Nat Turner’s Revolt
A
1831
* Nat Turned was a well-educated and religious slave who acted as a preacher.
* Waited for a sign from god for the time to rebel, that day came after the sky turned green.
* Turner and other slaves grabbed weapons and massacred any white person in sight.
* Rebellion eventually squashed, Turner caught and executed publicly.
24
Q
Zachary Taylor
A
- Won presidential election in 1848 (Whig) but died less than a year later
- Got replaced by Millard Filmore, both were pretty boring
25
The Free Soil Party
* A political party key in growing the anti-slavery movement advocating slavery can't expand and is seen as unconstitutional
26
1850 Compromise
* California was insistent on staying whole and becoming a free state to balance Texas.
* Some senators were upset about this, leading to the 1850 compromise, which listed out 5 things:
1. California was a free state.
2. Texas will be made smaller in exchange for money.
3. New Mexico and Arizona are new states, voted on slavery status by "the people."
4. The slave trade is illegal in DC.
5. Outlined the Fugitive Slave Act.
* Temporarily settled down American politics
27
Fugitive Slave Act
1850
* Passed in the 1850 compromise, made it illegal for people to help slaves escape.
* Punishments included heavy fines and up to 1/2 a year in prison.
* People still helped slaves escape, but it marked the downfall of the Underground Railroad.
* Franklin Pierce heavily enforced the Fugitive Slave Act, law enforcement would hunt slaves
* People would kidnap free black men and sell them into slavery
28
Uncle Tom's Cabin
1852
* Harriet Beecher Stowe from Vermont interviewed former slaves about their experiences
* Wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin about the horrors of slavery and the Christian spirit
* Northerners were shocked and slave owners denied the atrocities
* Arguably one of the biggest causes of the civil war, also brought out black stereotypes
29
1852 Election
* Franklin Pierce (Dem) beats Winfield Scott (Whig) for the presidential spot.
* Despite being from the North, he was a "Southern Democrat" and supported slavery
30
Jim Crow
* Black people, both free and slaves, received a lot of ridicule from white citizens.
* One particular act was by Tom Rice, who dressed in blackface and torn clothes, the origin of "Jim Crow."
31
Kansas-Nebraska Act
1854
* Focused on the territories of Kansas and Nebraska over the 36-30 line
* Proposed "the people" voting for slavery/no slavery in the two territories
* Led to "Bleeding Kansas"
32
Whig Party Splits
* The Whig party Collapsed around 1854 after the Kansas-Nebraska Act into two sectors, Cotton Whigs (Pro-Slavery, became Dems) and Conscience Whigs (Anti-Slavery, became Reps)
33
Bleeding Kansas
1855-1858
* Miniature civil war in Nebraska over whether it should be a free or slave state
* People flocked to Kansas to vote in their side's favor
* John Brown took his sons and killed any slave owners they could find
* Kansas & Nebraska ended up becoming free states
34
Constitutions to determine the fate of Kansas
Due to the events of Bleeding Kansas, congress had to step in and write a constitution on what Kansas would be, with four being written.
* Topeka, 1855: Slavery is illegal in Kansas, but so are any black people
* Lecompton, 1857: Slavery is legal in Kansas
* Leavenwork, 1858: No slavery, women and black people could vote, and women could hold property.
* Wyandotte, 1859: No slavery and limited rights to minorities
35
Caning in the Senate
1856
* Senator Brooks (SC) caned Senator Sumner (MA) because Sumner made it clear he wouldn't entertain fools who supported slavery
* Seen as an atrocity in the senate, Sumner went partially blind and had to leave the senate temporarily
36
Election of 1856
* James Buchannan (Dem) defeats John Fremont (Republican) for the presidential position
* Had some off-key views; was against popular sovereignty, supported the Dred Scott rulings, and was pro-slavery
37
The Dred Scott Case
1857
* Dred Scott was a slave who went with his owner to a free state, where he married a free woman.
* He sued successfully for his freedom, but his freedom was overturned in the supreme court
* The Supreme Court decided he was property rather than a citizen, and that property couldn't be taken away from its owner in the free states.
* Also overturned the 36-30 line, deeming it unconstitutional
* This case firmly showed federal power was greater than state power, and was another major cause for the civil war.
38
Panic of 1857
* Caused by the overextension of credit, overgrowing cotton, and "paper railroads"
* People taking loans from banks to build railroads then not building the railroads, so the banks can't get their money back
* Banks have to close down, causing another economic crisis
39
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
1858
* Abraham Lincoln (Rep) and Stephen Douglas (Dem) are fighting for a senate seat, going all over Illinois to have debates over slavery and pop. sovereignty
* Could debate for hours, thousands of people came to watch their debates
* Debates are recorded by newspapers, the first reported debate between politicians
* Douglas got the house seat, but Lincoln used the momentum to win the presidency
40
John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
1859
* John Brown is camping out in Harper's Ferry, Virginia, and is planning a rebellion
* Believed god told him to take weapons and rally slaves to rebel
* Camped out in an arsenal, but slaves didn't rally alongside him
* General Robert E. Lee and the Marines find & capture Brown
* Brown got changed and hanged for treason
41
Election of 1860
* Candidates are Lincoln (Rep), Breckinridge (South Dem), Douglas (North Dem), and Bell (Const. Union).
* Lincoln wins the election, and slave states believe he'll take their slaves
* Southern states decide to secede from the Union and form the confederacy, beginning with South Carolina
42
Know-Nothing Party
* A Nativist political party (They believed the only true Americans were ones born in America)
* Extremely xenophobic and believed they had the one true race and religion
43
North & South Advantages
* The North had a higher population, more factories, more railroads, and was doing better economically.
* The South had a much higher cotton production and usually had the territorial advantage because the majority of the war was fought there.
44
North & South Enlistment
* The North not only enlisted white people but black people (escaped slaves & free), Native Americans, and immigrants were also recruited.
* South enlistment records were destroyed, though it's likely they mostly enlisted white Americans.
45
North & South Generals
* The North had Ulysses S Grant, an amazing war general, future president, and alcoholic
* The South had Robert E. Lee, a very prestigious war general known for taking out John Brown
* The South also had Stonewall Jackson, with some historians arguing his death led to the South losing.
46
Battle of Fort Sumter
April 1861
* The US built forts along the Atlantic coast to defend against invading parties.
* The forts remained Union territory when the war began even though some were in the South
* The South committed one of their first big acts of treason by bombarding Fort Sumter and winning it.
* A big display of power that forced Lincoln to send in an army
47
Lincoln Suspends Habeas Corpus
April 1861
* The Writ of Habeas Corpus gives defendants another day to defend themselves using the constitution
* Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus because people kept blocking resources for the Union to support the South
* Gave the military the proper authority to silence rebels without the need of the court and set the precedent for what the executive branch could do in war
48
Anaconda Plan
* A military plan created by Winfield Scott for the Union
* Planned to protect Washington DC and attack Richmond, VA (the South's capital)
* Also planned to surround the borders of the confederacy and deplete their resources
* Planned to take control of and cut access to the Mississippi River
49
First Battle at Bull Run
July 1861
* Confederate victory, highlighted the war would be a struggle for the North
50
Battle of Shiloh
April 1862
* A Union victory that allowed them to settle in the South near the Mississippi River
51
Second Battle at Bull Run
August 1862
* The South wins again at Bull Run, continuing to boost morale and weaken the Union
52
Battle of Antietam
September 1862
* The bloodiest battle of the war, a Union victory only by casualties
* Lincoln saw this battle and was astonished, and released the Emancipation Proclamation
53
The Emancipation Proclamation
* Declared all slaves in Southern territories to be free in the Union's eyes, didn't free them as they still were slaves in the South
* Made it clear the South would not be entertained, info on the proclamation spread quickly and slaves escaped knowing they'd be free
54
Women in the Civil War
* Women acted as camp followers in the Civil War, but also as nurses who were self-trained
* Clara Barton and Dorothea Dix were important nurses known for leading other nurses in the war.
* Dix was one of the first advocates for realistic and gentle mental health treatment.
55
Copperhead Democrats
* Democrats living in the North who wanted the war to end as fast as possible, even if the South won.
* Often looked down upon in the south, named after snakes as a remark, seen as fighting liberty.
56
The Confederate Economy
* The Confederacy was a lot worse economically, their cash crop cotton was lowering in quality
* Began printing their own money, which caused the value of their money to plummet
* People began wondering how the Confederacy's re-joining the Union would affect the economy
57
Battle of Gettysburg
July 1863
* Highest battle of the war, rumored to be because Robert E. Lee's soldiers needed shoes and there was a shoe factory there
* Union victory, Lincoln later gave the Gettysburg Address
58
Gettysburg Address
* A eulogy for all soldiers who died or will die in the Civil War
* Symbolized the Union's motive for liberty and equality
59
Sherman's March to the Sea
November 1864
* Union General William Tecumseh Sherman marched his soldiers from Atlanta to Savannah
* Burned down anything in sight to destroy the soil & and deplete the South's resources
* Destroyed the South's morale and was the ultimate motive for the South to concede
60
40 Acres and a Mule
* General Sherman argued all freed slaves should get 40 acres and a mule from the seceded territories as a punishment for their treason
* Never got approved because Lincoln died and his VP was awful and rejected the proposal
61
Appomattox Court House
April 1865
* General Robert E. Lee surrendered and negotiated with General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House
62
Damages of the Civil War
* Over half a million people died in the war
* It took 30 years for the cotton industry to recover, and the South hasn't fully recovered economically even today
* All types of buildings and cities in the south were destroyed
* Soon after the Civil War the KKK was developed, targeting non-WASPs
63
Questions about life after the Civil War
* People questioned whether leaders of the confederacy should be charged with treason
* Who should be responsible for paying the costs of the war
* What to do with slaves and black people now
64
Myth of the Lost Cause
* Some people in the South began arguing they were guaranteed to lose the Civil War, and that the North was the aggressor in the war (both false)
* Tried to blot out slavery as a cause of the war, began blaming the North for being greedy
* Attempted to argue their secession was constitutional and not treasonous
* Said they focused on god and nobility, using Robert E. Lee as the representation of chivalry
65
Ten-Percent Plan
December 1863
* Most (if not all) attempts to reconstruct were unsuccessful, and there weren't many plans for what to do post-war
* Lincoln had created the Ten-Percent Plan to make 10% of all voters from each seceding state sign a loyalty oath to become states again
* Congress rejected the plan, saying it was way too easy on the Southern States
66
Radical Republicans
* Congress was ridiculing Lincoln for his plan, and a political sector known as radical Republicans emerged as a result
* Led by Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner
67
Wade-Davis Bill
February 1864
* A bill proposed by Congress in response to the Ten-Percent Plan
* Wanted the majority of voters to swear loyalty to the Union instead of 10% and make slavery illegal.
* Only non-fighting Southerners could vote, and no Confederates could hold office
* Lincoln agreed with the slavery proposal but rejected the bill, letting it expire rather than veto it.
68
Freedman's Bureau
March 1865
* A bill to help freed slaves get an education, jobs, healthcare, and necessary skills
* Worked, but the only portion with a lasting effect was the education portion
69
Jim Crow Laws
* The South began replacing slave codes with black codes, which were very similar to the slave codes
* The goal was to discriminate and separate people of color, even if they were free
* Even after black people could vote, the South changed their laws to continue restricting the right to vote
70
Crop Liens/Sharecropping
* Because most freed slaves had nowhere to go, they ended up working for plantation owners in the South
* Slaves were given a usually bad portion of the land and ordered to pay back the owner, often didn't make enough and were put in debtor's prisons
* Forced to work on railroads without pay in debtor's prisons, very comparable to slavery
* A vicious cycle that kept former slaves poor and suffering in the South
71
Lincoln Gets Assassinated
April 1865
* Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed while watching a play by John Wilkes Booth, an actor and Southern sympathizer
* First president to be assassinated, was replaced by VP Andrew Johnson
72
Punishment for Confederate Leaders
* Andrew Johnson chose to pardon all Confederate leaders from any crimes
* Only Jefferson Davis (The Confederate president) served any jail time for two years
* Confiscated land was returned to the Confederates, so 40 acres and a mule never happened
73
Creation of the KKK
1865
* Stands for Ku Klux Klan
* Created by 6 former Confederate soldiers who sought out people of color and people who supported those people of color
* Grew after the military left the South, faces hidden to not be charged
74
The 13th Amendment
* Prohibited slavery everywhere in America and freed all current slaves
* Signed in by Andrew Johnson in December 1865
75
The 14th Amendment
1866
* Signed in by Andrew Johnson
* Declared that all people born in the United States are citizens and shall receive due process of law and equal protection from it.
* Also declared that attempts at treason, insurrection, or rebellion against the US meant you can never hold any political position
76
Congressional/Radical Reconstruction
1867-1870
* Congress had not been in session when Johnson pardoned the Confederates
* Was extremely upset and passed three acts to help reconstruct
* Important to note Congress was majority radical Republicans at the time
* The president overall didn't do much regarding reconstruction
77
Military Reconstruction Act
* Split the South into five military districts and put the US military in there to make sure they were abiding by the new policies (Martial Law)
* Would arrest anyone who held slaves, with no tolerance for breaking the new rules
78
Command of the Army Act
* Declared that all of the president's orders had to go through General Ulysses S. Grant
79
Tenure of Office Act
* Declared that if the president wanted to fire someone, he needed the Senate's permission.
* Created to protect the republican secretary of war Ed Stanton
80
Andrew Johnson's Impeachment
* Johnson violated the Tenure of Office Act by firing Ed Stanton without the Senate's permission
* Led to his impeachment process, people sold tickets to watch him get impeached
* Congress needed 2/3 of the people to vote to remove him from office, but failed by one vote.
81
Election of 1868
* Ulysses S. Grant (Rep) beats Horatio Seymour (Dem)
82
Carpetbaggers
* Term given to Northerners who moved to the South during reconstruction
* Seen by the South as taking advantage of them
83
Scalawags
* Southern Republicans/Pro-Reconstructionists
* Seen as traitors to the South
84
Southern Shift to Republican
* Southern governments temporarily became very pro-republican during reconstruction
* Run by "Carpetbaggers" "Scalawags" and African-Americans
85
The 15th Amendment
1870
* Signed in by Ulysses S. Grant
* Gave suffrage to all men regardless of skin color, religion, economic status, etc.
86
South Restriction of Voting
* After black men were given the right to vote, the South began making fake policies to stop them from voting
* Included asking them to read the constitution, pay $$$, use a grandfather clause
* Tactics were illegal but worked to stop black people from voting.
87
Panic of 1873
* Known as the Great Depression before the Great Depression came along
* Due to the over-extension of credit especially to railroads, both real and paper
* Money is no longer backed by gold, many people lost their jobs to this
88
Election of 1876
* Rutherford B. Hayes (Rep) beats Samuel J. Tilden (Dem) by one electoral vote
* Four states (Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, and Oregon) have lost their ballots for voting
* A second corrupt bargain was made to declare those states Republican in return for removing the military from the South
