Republican Party History Quiz 1850s

A significant slave rebellion in the United States, where enslaved people rebelled against unsafe working conditions, leading to many deaths and retaliatory measures from slave owners.

Mexico's laws prohibiting slavery and forcing religious conversion sparked conflict with American settlers in Texas, ultimately leading Texans to declare independence.

A political debate over whether to add Texas as a state to the United States, hindered by concerns about balance between slave and free states and possible war with Mexico.

President Andrew Jackson initially opposed the annexation of Texas due to concerns about maintaining the balance between slave and free states, and potential conflict with Mexico.

General Antonio López de Santa Anna's capture during the Texas Revolution played a significant role in securing Texan independence.

A conflict spurred by factors like the US annexation of Texas, disputes over the border with Mexico, and US military actions.

The 1848 treaty ending the Mexican-American War, which forced Mexico to cede vast territories to the US.

A proposal to prohibit slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico.

The river that became the southern border of Texas according to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

The American belief in their right to expand across the continent.

The US acquisition of land in present-day Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico to facilitate a transcontinental railroad.

An economic downturn affecting the US, characterized by falling prices, rising unemployment and decreased agricultural prices.

The military force of Mexico during the Mexican-American war.

The official incorporation of Texas into the United States, leading to diplomatic tension with Mexico.

The US gained a lot of land and territory from Mexico after the Mexican-American War.

A secret plan in 1854 by President Pierce's administration to purchase Cuba from Spain, which was leaked to the press and ultimately abandoned due to public disapproval and Congressional opposition.

The idea that the residents of a territory, rather than Congress, should decide whether or not slavery would be allowed in that territory.

A Democratic senator who advocated for Popular Sovereignty in the territories acquired from Mexico, proposing that residents of those territories should determine the status of slavery.

A Whig general and war hero who was elected President in 1848, with a platform that aimed to avoid taking a strong stance on the slavery issue.

A political movement advocating for the prohibition of slavery in any new territories acquired from Mexico, as well as other policies aimed at helping free white laborers.

The desire of Southern politicians and slave owners to expand slavery into new territories, particularly those gained from Mexico, leading to political conflicts and heightened tensions.

Southerners strongly believed that their economy and way of life were dependent on the expansion of slavery, arguing that it was a necessary and beneficial institution.

The Republican Party emerged in 1854, opposing the expansion of slavery and advocating for free homesteads and protective tariffs.

The Republican Party opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed for potential slavery expansion in those territories, contributing to the party's rise.

The Know-Nothing Party also competed in the 1856 presidential election, nominating Millard Fillmore, but he ultimately lost to the Democratic candidate, James Buchanan.

A landmark Supreme Court case in 1857, which declared that enslaved people were not citizens and could not sue in federal court.

James Buchanan, the Democratic candidate, was rejected by Congress for a proslavery constitution for Kansas, highlighting the growing political divide.

A landmark Supreme Court decision that declared enslaved people were not citizens and had no right to sue in federal court. It also ruled that Congress had no power to ban slavery in territories, effectively undermining the Missouri Compromise.

A failed attempt by abolitionist John Brown to incite a slave uprising in Virginia by seizing the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry.

The withdrawal of 11 Southern states from the Union after the election of Abraham Lincoln, a candidate opposed to the expansion of slavery.

A period of intense political tension in the United States leading up to the Civil War, marked by growing division between the North and South over the issue of slavery.

A series of seven debates in 1858 between Abraham Lincoln and incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas, focusing primarily on the future of slavery in the territories.

A Democratic senator from Illinois who ran for President in 1860. Known for his popular sovereignty doctrine, arguing that territories should decide for themselves if they would allow slavery.

A Republican candidate for President in 1860, who opposed the expansion of slavery but not its abolition. His election triggered the secession of Southern states.

A political agreement in 1820 that attempted to resolve the issue of slavery by prohibiting it in new territories north of the 36°30' parallel.

The belief that slavery is evil and should be abolished in the United States. Abolitionists strongly opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories.

This law forced citizens in the North to return escaped slaves to their owners, even if they considered slavery immoral. This angered many Northerners and fueled the abolitionist movement.

This set of agreements aimed to resolve the issue of slavery in new territories gained from Mexico. Key elements included admitting California as a free state and enacting a new Fugitive Slave Law.

A secret network of safe houses and conductors that helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the North. The 'passengers' were known as 'passengers' and the 'helpers' as 'conductors'.

One of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad. She led over 300 slaves to freedom, making multiple trips into the South despite facing great risks.

A novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe which depicted the horrors of slavery and deeply impacted public opinion in the North. Southerners were outraged, criticizing the book as exaggeration.

The Whig Party, which used to be a major political force, began to fragment over the issue of slavery. They faced internal conflicts between those who supported and those who opposed slavery.

Franklin Pierce, a Democrat, won the presidency. This election highlighted the growing sectional tensions and the inability of the Whig Party to maintain unity.

The deep division and tension between the North and the South over the issue of slavery. This led to political, economic, and social conflict ultimately culminating in the Civil War.