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Questions and Answers
What was one of the main reasons President Polk decided to go to war with Mexico?
What percentage of American deaths during the Mexican-American War were due to battle?
What was a significant consequence of the Mexican-American War for the United States?
Which territories did Mexico cede to the United States as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?
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How did Northern Whigs generally view the Mexican-American War?
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What significant event aided Irish immigration to the United States in the 19th century?
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What does the term 'Resurgens' in the seal of Atlanta signify?
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What was the original name of Atlanta before its incorporation as Atlanta?
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How did the concept of 'free labor' differ from 'slave labor' during the early 19th century?
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What was a common challenge faced by Irish immigrants in the United States?
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Which group made up the majority of immigrants arriving in the United States between 1840 and 1860?
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The ideology of 'self-made man' was a key aspect of which labor concept?
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Which factor significantly contributed to income inequality in 19th century America?
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Under which compromise did California gain acceptance as a free-labor state?
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What significant event did Johann Sutter's discovery of gold in 1848 lead to?
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What was a central belief of the Oneida Community founded by John Humphrey Noyes?
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What was the primary reason for the decline of Shaker communities over time?
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Which of the following was a belief of the Shakers?
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What was John Humphrey Noyes’ concept that allowed sexual relationships within the community?
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What method did the Shakers use to grow their communities?
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What remains as the only surviving element of the Oneida Community?
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What was the significance of January 4, 1896, in U.S. history?
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Which battle is emblematic of the fight for Texas independence?
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Who was the President of the Republic of Texas after its independence?
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Why did President Jackson avoid the annexation of Texas?
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What major issue dominated the election of 1844?
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What was the peak membership of the Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky?
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Which president tried to annex Texas after Harrison's death?
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Which leaders organized the first national woman’s rights convention in the United States?
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What was the result of the Senate's consideration of Texas annexation under Tyler's presidency?
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What was the main goal of the abolitionist movement during the 1840s and 1850s?
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Which state entered the union as a free state alongside Texas's annexation?
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What event led to the Texans' rebellion against Mexican rule?
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Who is known as the 'Moses of Her People' for her efforts in the Underground Railroad?
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How long was Texas an independent country before being annexed?
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What significant document was drafted at the Seneca Falls Convention?
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How many trips did Harriet Tubman make to the South during her efforts with the Underground Railroad?
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Which states allowed free blacks to vote during the mid-19th century?
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In what year was the first national woman’s rights convention held?
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Study Notes
Antebellum Atlanta
- Atlanta, Georgia quickly became a major railroad hub in the American South between 1845 and 1854, attracting rail lines from four directions.
- It was incorporated as "Marthasville" in 1842 and then later as "Atlanta" in 1847.
- The city's seal commemorates Atlanta's two major moments: its incorporation and its rebuilding after the Civil War.
- The phoenix depicted in the seal symbolizes Atlanta's rebirth, and the word "Resurgens" means "to rise again" or "to rise from the dead".
Free Labor
- In the early 19th century, the North promoted the idea of "free labor" in contrast to the South's "slave labor".
- This ideology emphasized freedom, opportunity, and individual potential.
- It celebrated hard work, self-reliance, and social mobility.
- The concept of "the self-made man" was popularized during this time.
- Free labor also highlighted the importance of universal education, leading to the development of public schools.
- It was believed that while many could achieve upward mobility, income inequality persisted, leaving some behind.
- This era saw a significant shift in the population: 2/3 of the rural population moved every decade.
Immigration and Free Labor
- America was promoted as a land of opportunity during this period, attracting around 4.5 million immigrants between 1840 and 1860.
- Most immigrants came from Germany and Ireland.
- German immigrants were skilled tradesmen and farmers, settling primarily in the Midwest and Texas.
- Irish immigrants, mainly laborers and domestic servants, arrived due to the potato famine. They struggled to climb the social ladder and settled mostly in Northeastern cities.
Irish Immigrants' Struggles
- Irish immigrants were often unskilled workers who were stereotyped as "hard drinking" and "unruly."
- They were seen as "half-civilized" due to their Catholic faith.
- This prejudice, called "Nativism," targeted Irish immigrants.
- Despite facing discrimination, they worked hard and accepted low wages.
Manifest Destiny
- Americans believed they had a "God-given right" to expand across the continent and occupy all of North America.
- John L. O'Sullivan coined the term "Manifest Destiny."
Willard "Mitt" Romney
- Served as Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 - 2007.
- He was the first Mormon to run for US President in 2012.
- Became a US Senator from Utah in 2018.
- He was one of only two Republicans to vote for witnesses in the First Trump Impeachment Trial and the only Republican to vote to convict.
The Story of Texas (Tejas)
- Texas was a Spanish territory until the early 19th century then became part of Mexico in 1821.
- In 1821, Mexico's Tejas province allowed Stephen Austin to populate the northern territory with Americans.
- Americans, encouraged by the availability of land and opportunity, brought their cotton and slaves to Texas.
- By the 1830s, Americans outnumbered Mexicans in the region.
- Facing growing tensions, Mexico banned further American immigration.
- Americans in Texas rebelled against Mexican rule.
- In response, the Mexican army moved northward into the Tejas region, leading to open conflict.
The Alamo
- In February 1836, the Mexican army reached San Antonio.
- American rebels sought refuge within a Franciscan mission – The Alamo.
- In March 1836, the Battle of the Alamo ended with the Mexican army killing all American rebels, including Davy Crockett and James Bowie.
- General Sam Houston, leading a Texan army, defeated the Mexican forces at San Jacinto in April 1836.
The Lone Star Republic
- Mexico reluctantly recognized Texas independence on May 14, 1836.
- Despite the victory, President Jackson did not seek annexation of Texas due to the ongoing issue of slavery.
- In March 1837, however, the United States recognized the Republic of Texas.
- Sam Houston became the first President of the Republic.
- Texas remained an independent country for nine years.
Texas Annexation
- While independent, Texas experienced continuous border conflicts with Mexico.
- Texans sought admission into the Union while presidents Jackson and Van Buren resisted the proposal due to the potential addition of another slave state.
- In 1841, John Tyler became president after the death of William Henry Harrison, and he attempted to annex Texas.
- The North resisted the annexation, fearing the expansion of slavery.
- The Senate rejected the annexation in 1844.
1844 Election: Annexation as a Major Issue
- Henry Clay, a Whig candidate, opposed the annexation, appealing to the anti-slavery sentiments in the North.
- James Polk, a pro-slavery Democrat, supported the annexation and linked it to the annexation of Oregon, proposing a "one free state, one slave state" deal.
Polk Wins, and Texas is Annexed
- Polk won the 1844 election with 170 electoral votes compared to Clay's 105.
- Tyler interpreted Polk's victory as a mandate for annexation.
- In March 1845, Congress approved a joint resolution allowing Texas to join the US.
- Polk was inaugurated shortly after, and Texas entered the Union as the 15th slave state.
Oregon Statehood
- Polk, fulfilling his campaign promise, negotiated the addition of Oregon as a free state along the 49th parallel.
- The Senate ratified the Oregon Treaty in June 1846.
The Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
- Polk, an expansionist, desired more Mexican territory in line with Manifest Destiny.
- Although Mexico struggled to control its northern provinces, it refused to sell them to the US.
- Polk decided to acquire the territory through military force.
- He ordered General Zachary Taylor to invade Mexico.
- The invasion was seen as an act of aggression by Mexico, leading to a Mexican cavalry attack on American forces on April 25, 1846.
- On May 11th, Polk requested a declaration of war from Congress.
Controversy over the War
- Northern Whigs condemned the war, viewing it as an attempt to promote and expand slavery.
- The war resulted in significant casualties, with over 13,000 Americans and 50,000 Mexicans killed.
- Most deaths were due to disease rather than battle.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
- Signed in Mexico City on February 2, 1848, the treaty ended the war.
- Mexico relinquished all claims to Texas north of the Rio Grande, and agreed to cede territories including New Mexico and California to the United States.
- The US agreed to pay Mexico $15 million and assume all American claims against Mexico.
- The Senate ratified the treaty in March 1848.
- With the treaty, the US gained vast territories and stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Acquired Territories
- The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo brought the following territories under US control:
- California
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Texas to the Rio Grande
The California Gold Rush
- In January 1848, Johann Sutter discovered gold in the Sierra Nevada.
- This discovery, coinciding with California's transition from Mexican to US control, sparked the California Gold Rush.
- More than 60,000 people moved to California in 1849 alone.
- Congress granted California statehood without the usual territorial stage, admitting it as a free-labor state under the Compromise of 1850.
- California became the 31st state of the Union on September 9, 1850.
New Religious Sects in the mid-19th Century
- Two new religious groups emerged in this period:
- The Oneida Community
- The Shakers
The Oneida Community (Perfectionists)
- This group arose from the growing individualistic and competitive nature of American society, seeking to restore the sense of community that was fading.
- Founded in 1830, the Transcendentalists and Perfectionists believed in self-reflection and individual judgment as paths to truth.
- The Oneida Community believed that private property fostered greed and selfishness.
John Humphrey Noyes
- Founding the Oneida Perfectionists in 1848, Noyes believed that marriage was the root of private property due to man's belief in his exclusive ownership of his wife.
- He created a concept called "complex marriage," which abolished marital property and allowed sexual relations between any consenting adults in the community.
- Members were expected to relinquish all economic property.
- The community was dissolved in 1881 when Noyes fled to Canada.
Oneida Limited
- The Oneida Community established a flatware company that, as the only surviving element, continues to operate today as one of the largest flatware makers in the world.
The Shakers
- Officially known as the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing.
- They believed in gender equality but rejected marriage.
- They were pacifists and opted for a communal and celibate lifestyle, known as "Virgin Purity."
- At its peak in the mid-19th century, the group comprised 6,000 individuals living in communities from Maine to Kentucky.
- They gained members through conversions and adoption.
- Their celibate lifestyle meant the communities gradually faded out over time due to a lack of natural reproduction.
Shaker Village in Kentucky
- Originating in Europe in the 17th century, the Shakers formed as a sect within the Quaker movement.
- Shaker Village in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky (25 miles southwest of Lexington), was established in 1805 by New Yorkers who moved to Kentucky.
- The community reached its peak in 1832 with 491 members.
- By 1910, only 12 members remained in Pleasant Hill.
- In 2011, only three Shakers remained, all in Maine.
The Rise of Feminism in the mid-19th Century
- In 1848, the first national women's rights convention took place in Seneca Falls, New York.
- Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, the convention drafted the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments.
- The declaration demanded civil liberties for women, aiming to address societal injustices against women.
- It advocated for women to have the same rights and privileges as US citizens, including the right to vote.
Growing Abolitionist Movement
- The 1840s and 1850s saw an increased call for the abolition of slavery.
- Former slaves, including Frederick Douglass, delivered lectures to reform-minded audiences in the North.
- Many white Northerners believed slavery was wrong but felt that Black people were inferior.
- The widespread goal was to at least limit the expansion of slavery geographically.
- Only Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont allowed free Black people to vote during this period.
The Underground Railroad
- This network of secret routes and safe houses aided African-American slaves in their escape to free states and Canada.
- It operated throughout the 1800s and reached its peak between 1850 and 1860.
- Harriet Tubman, making 13 trips to the South, freed over 70 people.
- She guided enslaved people to freedom in the North and Canada, earning the title "Moses of Her People."
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Description
This quiz covers the significant transformation of Atlanta as a railroad hub between 1845 and 1854 and its evolution from Marthasville to Atlanta. Additionally, it explores the concept of 'free labor' in the early 19th century, contrasting it with slave labor and highlighting themes like opportunity and education. Test your knowledge on these pivotal aspects of American history!
