Westward Expansion and Sectional Conflict Quiz

Westward Expansion and Sectional Conflict

• Economic factors driving westward expansion included the search for land, resources, and opportunities in farming and mining.
• Romanticism, emphasizing nature and individualism, fueled the westward migration ideal.
• The Democratic Party supported expansion, while the Whigs were more hesitant.
• James K. Polk's 1844 election victory propelled the annexation of Texas and expansion into Oregon and California.
• The Mexican-American War stemmed from disputes about Texas' border, expansionist desires, and Mexico's refusal to negotiate.
• Opposition to the Mexican War included Abraham Lincoln's "spot resolutions" and Thoreau's tax refusal.

1850s: Intensifying Tensions

• The Wilmot Proviso proposed banning slavery in Mexican territories, igniting sectional conflict.
• The Compromise of 1850 admitted California as a free state, enforced a stricter Fugitive Slave Act, and applied popular sovereignty to other territories.
• The Fugitive Slave Act compelled the return of runaway slaves, intensifying Northern anti-slavery sentiment.
• Southern California gold seekers opposed California's free state status to preserve Southern political power.
• The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed for popular sovereignty, allowing settlers to decide on slavery.
• Popular sovereignty was the principle that allowed settlers to determine a territory's slavery status.
• "Bleeding Kansas" was marked by violence over slavery, with John Brown leading anti-slavery factions.
• John Brown's attack at Harpers Ferry aimed to spark a slave revolt.
• The Dred Scott decision declared African Americans non-citizens and Congress couldn't outlaw slavery in territories.
• Abolitionists sought to end slavery everywhere, while anti-slavery/free-soil advocates opposed its expansion without complete abolition.
• The 1850s saw the Whig party's decline and the rise of the Republican Party, opposing slavery expansion.

1860 Election and Secession

• Lincoln's 1860 election, lacking Southern support, led Southern states to secede, fearing for slavery's future.
• Southern leaders justified secession with arguments about states' rights and slavery preservation.

Civil War

• Union and Confederate soldiers fought for honor, duty, and home protection, but with differing motivations (Union - preserving the union; Confederates - states' rights and slavery).
• Black men in the North fought for freedom and equality in the military.
• The Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in Confederate-held territory, excluding border states.
• Lincoln consistently viewed the Confederacy as in rebellion, refusing recognition.
• "Hard war" utilized total war tactics focusing on aggressive destruction of Confederate resources to subdue the rebellion.
• The Union held advantages in resources and manpower, while the Confederacy had better leadership and knowledge of the terrain.

Reconstruction

• Lincoln's Reconstruction plan was lenient, aiming for Southern reintegration.
• Radical Republicans advocated for harsher punishments for the South.
• Johnson's plan was similar to Lincoln's but granted more autonomy to the South.
• The Freedmen's Bureau aided formerly enslaved people through education, healthcare, and legal assistance.
• Andrew Johnson's background as a Southern Democrat and slave owner, contrasted with Lincoln's nationalistic approach.
• "Black Codes" were laws restricting African American rights, limiting freedoms and labor potential but permitting contracts.
• The Tenure of Office Act, aiming to limit presidential power, contributed to Johnson's impeachment.
• The disputed 1876 election resulted in a disputed outcome determined by a commission following allegations of fraud and contested results.