Westward Expansion Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What primarily contributed to the growth of the plantation system in the southern United States?

  • Cultural influences
  • Political decisions
  • Geographic factors (correct)
  • Industrial advancements

Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a book that supported slavery and was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

False (B)

What secret network helped enslaved Africans escape to free states?

The Underground Railroad

Bleeding Kansas refers to the violent clashes between __________ and anti-slavery groups.

<p>pro-slavery</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following individuals/terms with their significance:

<p>Harriet Tubman = Led enslaved Africans to freedom through the Underground Railroad Bleeding Kansas = Described clashes over slavery in a territory Uncle Tom’s Cabin = A book that fueled anti-slavery sentiments in the north Cotton production = Increased due to new inventions in the 1800s</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following acts promoted development of western lands by providing free land to settlers?

<p>Homestead Act 1862 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The idea of 'Manifest Destiny' supported the notion of expanding the US territory to both the Pacific Ocean and lands claimed by other nations.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary purpose of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854?

<p>To allow the people living in Kansas and Nebraska to decide if they wanted to permit slavery.</p> Signup and view all the answers

The __________ decision in 1857 ruled that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories.

<p>Dred Scott</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following compromises with their key features:

<p>Missouri Compromise 1820 = Admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state Compromise of 1850 = Series of five laws addressing slavery in new territories Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854 = Allowed settlers to decide on the legality of slavery Dred Scott v. Sanford = Supreme Court ruling against Congress banning slavery in territories</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Southern Plantation System

A system of large farms in the Southern US that relied heavily on enslaved labor for cotton production.

Cotton Production Growth

Increased cotton production in the South due to new inventions in the 1800s.

Bleeding Kansas

A period of violence in Kansas between proslavery and antislavery groups.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Book that depicted the harsh realities of slavery, increasing Northern opposition to it.

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Underground Railroad

Secret network that helped enslaved people escape to the North.

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Westward Expansion

The movement of people and settlements from the East to the American West.

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Homestead Act (1862)

A law that encouraged westward expansion by giving free land to settlers.

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Popular Sovereignty

The idea that the people living in a territory have the right to decide whether or not to allow slavery.

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Missouri Compromise (1820)

A law that admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state to balance power in Congress.

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Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

A law that allowed people in Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide whether or not they wanted slavery.

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Study Notes

Westward Expansion

  • Gold Rush (1849): Triggered massive westward migration, significantly boosting California and western territory populations.
  • Homestead Act (1862): Offered free land to settlers, demonstrating federal support for western settlement, mainly impacting the Great Plains.
  • Pacific Railway Act (1862): Encouraged transcontinental railroad construction via land grants to railroad companies in the latter half of the 1800s.
  • Manifest Destiny: The belief that the US should control the entire continent, leading to westward expansion to the Pacific, the annexation of Texas, and the Mexican-American War. This ideology was contested by abolitionists concerned about new slave states.
  • Abolitionist Movement: Advocated for the end of slavery, led by figures like William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Tubman, and Harriet Beecher Stowe.
  • Slavery Tensions: Westward expansion amplified tensions over slavery's role in new territories. Should these lands be free or slave?

Compromises & Legislation

  • Missouri Compromise (1820): Admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, aiming for congressional balance.
  • Compromise of 1850: A series of laws attempting to address slavery in newly acquired territories after the Mexican-American War.
  • Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): Created Kansas and Nebraska territories, allowing residents to decide the issue of slavery through popular sovereignty.
  • Popular Sovereignty: The principle that settlers get to determine whether their territory allows slavery.
  • Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857): Supreme Court ruling that Congress couldn't prohibit slavery in the territories.
  • Bleeding Kansas: Violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas.
  • "Uncle Tom's Cabin": Harriet Beecher Stowe’s influential book depicting the cruelty of slavery, contributing to the growing opposition in the North.
  • Underground Railroad: A network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved people to escape to free states.

Southern Context

  • Plantations: Large agricultural farms in the South, relying heavily on enslaved labor. Southern reliance on plantations grew more prevalent due to geography.
  • Cotton Production Growth: Increased due to technological advancements, driving the expansion of slavery in the South during the first half of the 1800s.

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