Manifest Destiny
Who created the term Manifest Destiny and what does it mean?
The term "Manifest Destiny" was coined by John O'Sullivan, a newspaper editor, and it refers to the 19th-century belief that the United States was destined by God to expand its territory across the North American continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, justifying westward expansion and land acquisition through this perceived divine right.
This 1845 event, when the U.S. annexed a state that had been a former Mexican territory, significantly increased tensions with Mexico and led to the war.
What is the annexation of Texas?
This former enslaved African American became one of the most prominent abolitionist leaders, delivering powerful speeches and publishing his own autobiography, which became a key work in the fight against slavery.
Frederick Douglass
Issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, this document declared the freedom of slaves in Confederate-held territories.
Emancipation Proclamation
Those who believed that blacks should be granted rights and Southerners deserved punishment
Radical Republicans
This principle, championed by Stephen A. Douglas, allowed the residents of a territory to decide for themselves whether to permit slavery, leading to violent conflict in Kansas during the mid-1850s.
popular sovereignty
This U.S. president, known for his belief in Manifest Destiny, was in office during the Mexican-American War.
James K. Polk
The fiery abolitionist who died a martyr in the North and a murderer in the South - increasing hatred
John Brown
This African American regiment, made up of soldiers from Massachusetts, became famous for their bravery during the Battle of Fort Wagner in 1863.
Massachusetts 54th Regiment
This was created by Congress to provide clothing, medical care, and education to freedmen and white refugees.
Freedmen's Bureau
The term "54-40 or fight" was in regard to adding what territory to the union?
Oregon territory
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War in 1848, resulted in the United States acquiring all of the following territories except: California, Texas, Arizona, or New Mexico.
New Mexico
This 1857 Supreme Court decision ruled that African Americans, whether free or enslaved, could not be considered citizens and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories.
Dred Scott v. Sandford decision
This decision by President Abraham Lincoln to send supplies to the U.S. garrison at this fort in Charleston Harbor in 1861 led to the Confederacy's decision to fire the first shots of the Civil War.
Lincoln's decision to resupply Fort Sumter
What are the 13th, 14th , and 15th amendments?
Reconstruction Amendments.
13th-abolish slavery
14th-guaranteed citizenship
15th- granted voting rights
This included provisions to admit California as a free state, establish a stronger Fugitive Slave Law, and allow popular sovereignty in the territories of Utah and New Mexico.
Compromise of 1850.
This pivotal battle in the Mexican-American War took place in 1847 and saw U.S. forces under General Winfield Scott capture the Mexican capital, leading to the end of the war.
What is the Battle of Chapultepec?
This Southern political leader famously argued that slavery was not a necessary evil, but rather a "positive good" for both slaves and their masters, claiming that it provided a stable, civilized society.
John Calhoun
a strategy developed by Union General Winfield Scott to defeat the Confederacy during the American Civil War
Anaconda Plan
A derogatory term for white Southerners who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party after the Civil War.
scalawag
This 1846 proposal, introduced by David Wilmot, sought to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico, but was met with strong opposition from Southern politicians and failed to pass, highlighting the growing sectional divide over slavery.
Wilmot Proviso
In 1846, U.S. forces, led by Captain John C. Frémont, seized control of this territory, which was a part of Mexico at the time, during the early stages of the war.
California
Why was slavery beneficial to the South but not the North?
Slavery was integral to the Southern economy because it provided cheap labor for its labor-intensive agricultural system, particularly in cotton, while the North, with its industrial economy, did not rely on slavery for its economic growth.
This speech, delivered by President Abraham Lincoln in November 1863, reaffirmed the Union's commitment to ending slavery and preserving the nation.
Gettysburg Address
a person from the northern states who went to the South after the Civil War to profit from the Reconstruction.
carpet bagger