Slavery & Representation
Lincoln issued this in 1863, freeing enslaved people in Confederate states.
Emancipation Proclamation
Under this compromise,slavery was banned north of the 36°30′ line. Temporarily balanced free/slave states.
Missouri Compromise
First federal law defining citizenship and guaranteeing equal rights regardless of race. Aimed to protect freedmen from discriminatory state laws.
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Restricted freedmen’s rights immediately after the Civil War (labor contracts, limited movement)
Black Codes
This Amendment granted all men citizenship & equal protection regardless of race
14th Amendment
Describe the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and explain its effects on enslaved people, free African Americans, and the growing tensions between the North and South.
The Fugitive Slave Act forced everyone — including citizens, police, and federal marshals — to help capture people who were accused of escaping slavery. It denied the accused a jury trial, did not allow them to testify, and punished anyone who tried to help them with fines and jail time. The law angered many Northerners and increased tension between the North and South before the Civil War.
Describe the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 and explain how it led to the violence known as "Bleeding Kansas."
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allowed settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether to permit slavery through popular sovereignty. This led pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups to flood into Kansas and compete for control, resulting in violent clashes known as Bleeding Kansas, which intensified sectional tensions and helped pave the way for the Civil War.
Bleeding Kansas demonstrated that compromise over slavery was becoming impossible. The violence deepened tensions between the North and South and served as a warning that the conflict over slavery might eventually lead to a civil war.
What was the significance of the Election of 1860, and how did its outcome contribute to the outbreak of the Civil War?
The Election of 1860 was significant because Abraham Lincoln's victory exposed the nation's growing sectional divide over slavery. Many Southern states viewed his election as a threat and responded by seceding from the Union, a major step that led directly to the outbreak of the Civil War.
Describe the Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). What was the Court's decision, and how did it affect racial segregation in the United States?
The Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) case began when Homer Plessy, an African American man, challenged a Louisiana law that required racial segregation on railroad cars. Plessy intentionally sat in a "whites-only" railcar and was arrested for violating the state's segregation law.
The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation was legal under the doctrine of "separate but equal." This decision justified segregation across the United States and led to the expansion of Jim Crow laws, which discriminated against African Americans for decades.
How did the 13th Amendment change life for African Americans, and how did many Southerners respond to these changes?
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and granted freedom to African Americans. In response, many Southerners resisted these changes by passing Black Codes and creating restrictions that limited the rights and opportunities of newly freed African Americans.
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The Three‑Fifths Compromise was an agreement made at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 about how enslaved people would be counted when deciding a state’s population for representation and taxation.
It said that three out of every five enslaved people would count toward a state’s population. This gave Southern states more seats in Congress and more political power, even though enslaved people had no rights or freedom.
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Bleeding Kansas was a period of violent fighting in the Kansas Territory during the 1850s, caused by pro‑slavery and anti‑slavery groups rushing in to influence whether Kansas would become a free or slave state. The conflict showed how deeply divided the nation was and previewed the coming Civil War
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The Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) case began when Dred Scott, an enslaved man, sued for his freedom. Scott argued that he should be free because his enslaver had taken him to live in Illinois, a free state, and the Wisconsin Territory, where slavery was prohibited under the Missouri Compromise. After returning to the slave state of Missouri, Scott filed a lawsuit claiming that living in free territory had made him a free man.
The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not U.S. citizens and that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories. The decision strengthened slavery, denied rights to free African Americans, and increased tensions between the North and South, helping lead to the Civil War.
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Jim Crow Laws were state and local laws in the South that enforced racial segregation from the late 1800s through the mid‑1900s. These laws separated Black and white Americans in schools, transportation, restaurants, and public spaces, creating unequal conditions and limiting the rights and freedoms of Black citizens.
These laws separated Black and white Americans in many public places, restricted the rights of African Americans, and perpetuated inequality and discrimination for decades.
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The 15th Amendment gave African American men the right to vote regardless of race. However, many Southern states tried to prevent them from voting through poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and intimidation, significantly limiting African American political participation.