APUSH Unit 5: 1844–1877 Review PDF

APUSH Unit 5: 1844–1877 Review Key Topics and Events 1. Manifest Destiny ○ The belief that it was America's "God-given" right to expand westward across North America. ○ Driven by nationalism, economic opportunities, and racial/cultural superiority....

APUSH Unit 5: 1844–1877 Review Key Topics and Events 1. Manifest Destiny ○ The belief that it was America's "God-given" right to expand westward across North America. ○ Driven by nationalism, economic opportunities, and racial/cultural superiority. ○ Leads to increased sectional tensions over slavery in new territories. 2. 54-40 or Fight! ○ Slogan tied to the Oregon boundary dispute with Britain. ○ Expansionists demanded the U.S. claim the entire Oregon Territory (latitude 54°40′). ○ Compromise: U.S. and Britain agree on the 49th parallel in 1846. 3. Bleeding Kansas ○ Violence between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in Kansas after the Kansas-Nebraska Act. ○ Key example of "popular sovereignty" leading to conflict. ○ Highlights the deepening sectional divide. 4. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) ○ Proposed by Stephen Douglas to allow popular sovereignty in Kansas and Nebraska. ○ Repealed the Missouri Compromise (1820). ○ Increased tensions, leading to the creation of the Republican Party. 5. Compromise of 1850 ○ Aimed to ease tensions over slavery after the Mexican-American War. California admitted as a free state. Stricter Fugitive Slave Law. Slave trade abolished in Washington, D.C. Popular sovereignty in Utah and New Mexico. 6. Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) ○ Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. ○ Depicted the horrors of slavery, fueling abolitionist sentiment in the North. 7. Know-Nothing Party ○ Anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic political party. ○ Emerged in response to increased Irish and German immigration in the 1850s. 8. Homestead Act (1862) ○ Gave 160 acres of free land to settlers willing to farm and improve it for 5 years. ○ Encouraged westward migration. 9. Harpers Ferry Raid (1859) ○ Led by John Brown in Virginia.  ○ Attempt to incite a slave rebellion. ○ Brown was captured and executed, becoming a martyr for the abolitionist cause. 10. Dred Scott Decision (1857) ○ Supreme Court ruling led by Chief Justice Taney. ○ Declared: Enslaved people were not citizens. Congress could not ban slavery in territories (5th Amendment—property rights). ○ Invalidated the Missouri Compromise. 11. Election of 1860 ○ Abraham Lincoln (Republican) won without Southern electoral votes. ○ Southern states seceded, leading to the Civil War. 12. Republican Party’s Platform on Slavery ○ Opposed the expansion of slavery into new territories. ○ Supported free soil ideology. 13. Lincoln’s Goal at the Start of the Civil War ○ Preserve the Union. ○ Emancipation of enslaved people became a goal later. 14. Emancipation Proclamation (1863) ○ Issued after the Union victory at Antietam. ○ Freed enslaved people in rebelling states (Confederacy). ○ Shifted the focus of the war to slavery. 15. Suspension of Habeas Corpus ○ Lincoln suspended habeas corpus to deal with dissent and ensure loyalty during the Civil War. ○ Controversial and criticized for limiting civil liberties. 16. Civil War: North’s Advantages ○ Larger population, industrial base, and transportation networks. ○ Strong central government and navy. 17. Conscription (Draft) ○ First draft implemented in the South (1862), followed by the North (1863). ○ Led to backlash, including New York City Draft Riots. 18. Sherman’s March to the Sea (1864) ○ General William T. Sherman led a devastating march through Georgia. ○ Used total war to destroy Southern resources and morale. 19. 10% Plan ○ Lincoln’s lenient Reconstruction plan. ○ Allowed Southern states to rejoin the Union if 10% of voters pledged loyalty and accepted emancipation. 20. Radical Republicans ○ Favored harsh Reconstruction policies. ○ Wanted to protect freedmen’s rights and punish the South. ○ Key figures: Thaddeus Stevens, Charles Sumner. 21. 14th Amendment ○ Granted citizenship to all persons born in the U.S., including formerly enslaved people. ○ Provided equal protection under the law. 22. 15th Amendment ○ Guaranteed voting rights regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. ○ Did not address gender. 23. Freedmen’s Bureau ○ Established to help freed African Americans adjust to freedom. ○ Provided education, healthcare, and employment assistance.