Untitled Quiz

Caning of Senator Sumner

• Violence in Kansas escalated to Congress in 1856.
• Massachusetts senator, Charles Sumner, delivered a speech titled "The Crime Against Kansas" criticizing Senator Andrew Butler.
• Sumner's speech included personal attacks.
• Butler's nephew, a congressman, physically attacked Sumner with a cane.
• Northerners were outraged, while Southerners approved of the action.

Manifest Destiny

• The idea that the US had a mission to expand its power and civilization across the continent.
• The phrase was coined by John O'Sullivan.
• Driven by: New technologies, Population increase, Nationalism, and Reform Ideals.

Conflicts Over Texas, Maine, and Oregon

• The US intended to expand its Southern and Western territories.
• Key conflicts include Texas, Oregon, and disputes over Maine's borders.
• Texas' annexation was denied due to the issue of slavery.

Boundary Disputes

• Dispute over Maine's boundary was resolved by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842.
• Peaceful coexistence resulted from the boundary dispute in the Oregon Territory.
• Claims from Britain came from fur trade with Native Americans and for the Americans from Lewis and Clark expedition.

Election of 1844

• James K. Polk vs. Henry Clay
• Polk supported Manifest Destiny and annexation of Texas.
• Clay attempted to navigate the annexation issue.
• The Democratic Party slogan was "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!"
• Polk won the election.

Annexing Texas and Dividing Oregon

• Outgoing President John Tyler used Polk's election as a signal to annex Texas.
• This was done through a joint resolution of Congress.
• The Oregon Territory was divided along the 49th parallel.

California

• The discovery of gold in California in 1848 triggered large-scale migrations.
• The population of California exploded from 14,000 to 380,000 in 1860.
• Other gold and silver rushes followed in Colorado, Nevada, the Dakotas, and other Western states.

Conflict with Mexico

• John Slidell was sent to Mexico City in 1845 to negotiate the sale of California and New Mexico to the US.
• He also aimed to settle the disputed Texas-Mexico border.
• Slidell's mission failed.

The War With Mexico

• A Mexican army crossed the Rio Grande in 1846, killing American soldiers.
• Polk used this incident to justify a war with Mexico.
• General Zachary Taylor led the US forces, driving the Mexican Army from Texas, crossing the Rio Grande and winning at Buena Vista.
• General Winfield Scott invaded central Mexico, capturing Veracruz and Mexico City in 1847.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)

• Negotiated by Nicholas Trist.
• Terms were favorable to the US.
• The Texas border with Mexico was established along the Rio Grande.
• The US gained New Mexico and California in the Mexican Cession in exchange for $15 million.

Wilmot Proviso

• The treaty was unpopular in the Senate.
• Whigs and Democrats disagreed on the expansion of slavery.
• A proposed amendment to prohibit slavery in newly acquired Mexican lands; however, it failed in the Senate.

Agriculture and King Cotton

• Agriculture was the foundation of the Southern society.
• Tobacco, rice, and sugarcane were essential cash crops; however, cotton was the most significant.
• Eli Whitney's cotton gin boosted cotton production.
• Growing cotton led to expanding demand for land, and this quick depletion of the soil in the South led to the term "Cotton is King."
• By the 1850s, cotton made up two-thirds of US exports, linking the US and Great Britain.

The “Peculiar Institution”

• Southern wealth was measured by land and the number of enslaved people.
• Some southerners called slavery the “peculiar institution.”
• The cotton boom increased the enslaved population significantly in the US from 1800 to 1860.
• Enslaved people in the South made up 75% or more of the population in certain areas by 1860.

Southern White Society

• The Southern society was made up of the Planter Elite, Farmers, Poor Whites/Yeoman Farmers, & the Mountain People.
• Planter Elite owned at least 100 slaves and 1,000 acres.
• Farmers owned about 20 slaves and farmed several hundred acres.
• Poor Whites/Yeoman farmers made up three-fourths of the white households, and did not own slaves.
• Mountain People were isolated and did not like slavery.
• Few cities and New Orleans was the largest.

Southern White Society (Culturally)

• Code of Chivalry: Southern gentlemen had strict codes of honor, defending women, and paternalistic attitudes toward those considered "inferior"
• Education: Upper-class valued higher education more than the lower class.
• Religion: Declining membership and branches in churches due to the slavery debates that impacted the South.
• Social Reforms: Minimal impact of social changes in the South because they valued tradition and saw reforms as a threat.

African Americans in the Early Republic

• Many hoped that slavery would diminish in the 19th century's beginning.
• However, the growth and expansion of the cotton industry and slavery, in states like Mississippi and Alabama, ended these hopes.

Free African Americans

• 500,000 African Americans were free in 1860.
• The North had about 1% African American population that owned land.
• The South held the other half of the free African American population at the same time period.
• Many faced economic and political inequalities.

Resistance and Rebellion

• Enslaved people resisted through various means including: work slowdowns, destroying equipment and escaping.
• Runaway was a common form of resistance.
• Rebellions, though few, had a significant impact on southern society (e.g., Stono Rebellion in South Carolina).

Rebellions Failed

• Gabriel's Rebellion (1800) in Virginia was suppressed before it could start, and its leaders were executed.
• Denmark Vesey's plot (South Carolina) to seize ships in the harbor failed due to informants.

Nat Turner's Rebellion (1831)

• Nat Turner, a preacher, believed he was divinely called to free enslaved people.
• Turner led a slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, killing over 50 white people.
• The revolt was put down by militia and participants were executed as a result.
• The rebellion led to stricter slave codes.

The Anti-Slavery Movement

• The Second Great Awakening influenced attitudes toward slavery, viewing it as a sin in some religious circles.
• Feelings toward abolition ranged between gradual and immediate abolition.

American Colonization Society (1817)

• Some Americans supported transporting freed slaves to Africa (Liberia).
• This was an attempt to remove blacks from the United States.
• The plan was not practical.

American Antislavery Society (1833)

• William Lloyd Garrison, publisher of The Liberator, led an immediate abolitionist movement.
• The group supported compensating slave owners for the loss of their property.
• The society was formed in 1833.
• Abolitionist groups and publications, such as The Liberator, contributed to the abolitionist movement's success.

Black Abolitionists

• Escaped slaves, such as Frederick Douglass, spoke out against slavery based on personal experience.
• Harriet Tubman was a significant conductor on the Underground Railroad.
• Sojourner Truth was an abolitionist and women's rights activist.
• William Still and David Ruggles were significant activists.

Three Conflicting Positions on Slavery Expansion

• The Free Soil Movement aimed to keep the West free for white settlers and opposed slavery's spread.
• Southerners favored expanding slavery to new territories.
• Popular Sovereignty—the idea of individual territories deciding on the issue of slavery.

Election of 1848

• Slavery was a key issue.
• Democrats nominated Lewis Cass; Whigs nominated Zachary Taylor. Free Soil nominated Martin Van Buren.
• Zachary Taylor won the election.

The Compromise of 1850

• President Taylor supported California's admission as a free state, but this angered the South.
• Senator Henry Clay proposed a compromise to avert secession.
• Key provisions: California as a free state, resolution of the Texas boundary dispute, organizing Utah and New Mexico territories using popular sovereignty, a stricter fugitive slave law, and banning the slave trade in Washington, D.C.

The Fugitive Slave Law

• The law mandated the return of escaped slaves to their owners even if they were in free states.
• It increased tensions between the North and South, and strengthened abolitionist efforts.
• Denied escaped slaves the right to a jury trial.

Debate Over the Compromise of 1850

• Discussions focused on the issue of slavery in new territories post Mexican-American War.
• Key issues included deciding California's status as a free state, and stricter fugitive slave laws.
• The debate intensified tensions in the country.
• Figures such as Henry Clay (KY), Daniel Webster (MA), and John C. Calhoun (SC) were involved in the debate.

The Impact of the Compromise of 1850

• The compromise tried to reduce conflicts between the North and South about slavery.
• However, it did not permanently resolve the issue.
• The issue of slavery continued to divide the North and South.

Immigration Controversy

• Large-scale immigration from Europe during the mid-1800s faced opposition.
• Many immigrants were Irish and Roman Catholic, seeking opportunities and competing with African Americans for jobs; the Irish Potato Famine exacerbated the immigration crisis.
• Organizations like Tammany Hall emerged as a means of support for immigrants.

Immigration Controversy (continued)

• Failed democratic revolutions and economic hardships caused German immigrants to emigrate to the US in 1848.
• Many worked in farming and crafts and settled in the West.
• Nativism surfaced as Americans feared immigrants would threaten their way of life and jobs.
• Secret societies like Know-Nothings gained popularity, promoting stricter immigration rules and policies.

The Expanding Economy

• Economic growth between 1840 and 1857 was driven by inventions like the sewing machine, telegraph, and railroads.
• Railroads were a major advancement, expanding and connecting the nation's infrastructure.
• The economy expanded rapidly which sparked increased agricultural output in America, and employment in the North and Midwest.
• The growth and fall of agricultural prices in the US led the South to believe their plantation economy was superior.

Agitation Over Slavery

• The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 created tensions.
• It fueled the growth of the Underground Railroad, which aided escaped slaves to freedom.
• Helping an enslaved person escape or hiding them from their owner's could result in serious penalties.

Literature on Slavery

• Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, fueled the abolitionist movement by popularizing the horrors of slavery.
• Impending Crisis of the South, by Hinton R. Helper, countered pro-slavery arguments by statistically demonstrating how slavery harmed the South.

Southern Reaction

• Despite condemnation of slavery in the North, proslavery arguments in the South claimed that it was a good system for both masters and enslaved people.
• The Bible, the Constitution, and various publications were used to justify slavery.

Election of 1852

• Franklin Pierce won the election.
• Candidates included Franklin Pierce (Democrat), General Winfield Scott (Whig), & John Hale (Free Soil).

The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

• Senator Stephen Douglas introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act to promote transcontinental railroad development.
• The act effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, allowing for popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska territories allowing voters to decide slavery's legality.
• This led to violence in Kansas, dubbed "Bleeding Kansas."

“Bleeding Kansas”

• Border ruffians crossed the border to influence Kansas' election to support pro-slavery votes.
• Pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups created their own legislatures, resulting in conflict.
• Violence erupted at Pottawatomie Creek, where abolitionist John Brown and his sons killed five pro-slavery men.

The Birth of the Republican Party

• The Republican Party was formed in the mid-1850s, combining elements from the Whig and Anti-slavery Democratic parties.
• It was formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Election of 1856

• James Buchanan (Democrat) won the election.
• Candidates also included John C. Fremont (Republican) and Millard Fillmore (Know-Nothing).

The Dred Scott Case

• Dred Scott, an enslaved man, sued for his freedom in Missouri in 1846, after being taken to a free territory.
• The Supreme Court ruled against him in 1857, deciding he was not a citizen and had no right to sue in federal court
• The court also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.
• The ruling intensified the national debate over slavery.

Aftermath of the Dred Scott Case

• The Dred Scott decision angered Northerners and pleased Southerners.
• Tensions between the North and South increased, further fueling the Civil War.
• It paved the way for the expansion of slavery into Western territories.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

• A series of debates between Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln on the issues including the Lecompton Constitution, popular sovereignty and the Dred Scott decision.
• Lincoln's position on these issues contributed to his election victory in 1860 despite the loss in the debates.

The Raid at Harpers Ferry

• Abolitionist John Brown attempted to start a slave uprising in 1859 in Virginia.
• He and his followers attacked the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry.
• Federal troops led by Robert E. Lee captured Brown and his men.
• It heightened sectional tensions because some people perceived Brown as a martyr.

Election of 1860

• Abraham Lincoln won the election.
• Candidates included Abraham Lincoln (Republican), Stephen Douglas (Democrat), John Breckinridge (Democrat), and John Bell (Constitutional Union).

Election of 1860 (Aftermath)

• Lincoln won with 59% of electoral votes despite only winning 39.8% of popular votes.
• His victory solidified Southern fears of federal control and strengthened their resolve to secede from the Union.

Secession of the Deep South

• South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union in December 1860, followed by other Southern states.
• Secession was driven by fears that Lincoln would undermine slavery.

The Border States

• Four slaveholding states remained in the Union Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Delaware).
• There were both pro-Union and pro-secessionist sentiments in these states.
• Keeping these border states in the Union was crucial for Lincoln.

The Confederate States of America

• The Southern states formed a new nation, the Confederate States of America, based on the US Constitution.
• Jefferson Davis was elected president.
• Alexander Stephens was elected vice president.

Confederate Advantages

• Fought a defensive war, minimizing battlefield distances for troop movements.
• The Confederate coastline was difficult to blockade.
• Troop morale was high.
• Strong leadership.
• Dependence on cotton exports for international support potentially.

Union Advantages

• Larger population (22 million vs. 5.5 million) contributed to a significant troop advantage.
• Emancipation potential to enlist recently freed slaves, which added to the Union's manpower.
• Control of crucial economic assets, including factories, railroads, and farmland in the North.
• The North was fighting to preserve the Union.

Union Strategy

• Winfield Scott's Anaconda Plan involved blockading Southern ports, controlling the Mississippi River, and conquering Richmond to subdue the Confederacy.

Early Battles

• The Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, was the North's first large engagement. The South won the battle.
• Antietam, in September 1862, was the bloodiest single day battle of the Civil War. The battle was a draw, but Lincoln used the occasion to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Emancipation Proclamation

• Issued on January 1, 1863 by President Lincoln.
• Freed enslaved people in Confederate states; significantly changing the purpose of the war which was now to preserve the union AND abolish slavery.
• Did not apply to border states; limited to Confederate states not under Union control.

Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy

• The Confederacy hoped that King Cotton would secure international support, but this proved insufficient.
• No foreign nation recognized or supported the Confederacy.
• Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation made it more difficult to win international support for the Confederacy as abolition was unpopular in much of the world.

Turning Points

• Vicksburg (Spring-July 1863): Union control of the Mississippi River after a lengthy siege.
• Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863): A decisive Union victory that shifted momentum toward the North and prevented Lee's invasion of the North.

The Gettysburg Address

• Delivered by Lincoln in November 1863, the address honored the fallen soldiers and emphasized the war as a struggle for freedom and equality.

Grant Takes Command

• Ulysses S. Grant, a Union general, adopted a strategy of attrition and total war against the South by aggressively pursuing the Confederate armies.

Sherman's March to the Sea

• William Tecumseh Sherman's forces marched through the South, destroying infrastructure and supplies to weaken the Confederacy.
• This scorched-earth approach aimed to destroy Southern resources and morale.

Surrender at Appomattox

• Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia in April 1865.
• This marked the end of the Civil War.

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

• John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865.
• Lincoln died the following day.

African Americans During the War

• The Confiscation Acts (1861 and 1862) allowed the Union army to seize Confederate property, including enslaved people, thus allowing them to serve in the Union Army, which eventually led to the emancipation of millions of slaves in the Confederacy in 1863.

Impact on Civilian Life

• The war transformed the political landscape; Republicans held majority in both houses.
• Lincoln's actions expanded presidential war powers.
• The Union suspended the right to habeas corpus in areas deemed a security concern, and this caused some tension and conflict among civilians.

Election of 1864

• Abraham Lincoln was re-elected as President.
• Candidates include Abraham Lincoln (Republican) and George McClellan (Democrat).

Economic Changes During the War

• Greenbacks: paper money with no gold backing, leading to inflation.
• Morrill Tariff Act (1861): increased tariffs to raise revenue and protect US manufacturers.
• Homestead Act (1862): encouraged settlement of the West by offering land.
• Morrill Land-Grant Act (1862): encouraged states to build colleges focusing on agriculture and mechanical arts.
• Pacific Railway Act (1862): authorized construction of transcontinental railroads.