Vocabulary
People living in states/territories would decide for themselves whether or not to permit slavery
Popular Sovereignty
Required that all escaped slaves were, upon capture, to be returned to their masters
Fugitive Slave Act
greater loyalty that many Americans felt towards their "section" or region than the country as a whole
sectionalism
What was "Bleeding Kansas" and what caused it?
popular sovereignty: both pro and anti slavery forces tried to influence the outcome by settling in KA to vote
violence broke out between the two groups
Which event was the catalyst for the secession of the first seven Southern states in 1861?
the election of Abraham Lincoln as President
Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens
Dred Scott Decision
Southerns believed states had the right to leave the Union if they wished
States' rights
What was the Republican party's view on slavery?
they opposed the EXPANSION (extension) of slavery to the new territories
What did the SCOTUS decide in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case?
Dred Scott, as an African American, was not a US citizen and had no right to sue in federal court
Prohibition of slavery in northern territories by the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional
How was Abraham Lincoln able to win the election of 1860?
the democratic party was divided (northern and southern democrats each had their own nominee) and the Constitutional Union party (southerns who supported the Union) had their own nominee
Rationalized US purchase of Cuba from Spain
Ostend Manifesto
an agreement that settles a dispute by each side making concessions
compromise
What were the main points of the Missouri Compromise of 1820? (3)
1.) Missouri admitted as a slave state
2.) Maine admitted as a free state
3.) No other slavery was to be allowed in the Louisiana Purchase north of the southern boundary of Missouri (the 36 30 line of latitude)
What were Southerners views on secession and what was"state's right"?
the states themselves had created the federal government by ratifying the Constitution and since each state joined voluntarily, it also had the power to withdraw if they wished
What happened after the election of Abraham Lincoln?
South Carolina seceded and six states followed (FL was 3rd). they organized themselves into the "Confederate States of America"
Lowest point of race relationships pre-Civil war
Nadir
economic, social, cultural, and political factors that make an event possible or even likely
Long-term causes
What were the main points of the Compromise of 1850? (4)
1.) California admitted as a free state
2.) "popular sovereignty" was applied to the other territories taken from Mexico
3.) New and harsher fugitive slave law
4.) Sale of slaves banned in DC
What were Northern views on secession?
the Constitution was the work of the American people as a whole ( We the People) and not as the product of individual states therefore states couldn't leave the Union
Who did the Confederate States of America elect as their President?
Jefferson Davis
Repealed the Missouri Compromise by applying "popular sovereignty" to two Midwestern states
Kansas-Nebraska Act
specific problem or crisis and how it is handled, which then leads directly to the event
Short-term causes
What were the main points of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854?
1.) divided the Nebraska territory into Nebraska and Kansas
2.) applied principle of popular sovereignty to both territories (KA and NE)
What happened on April 12, 1861?
shots were fired at Fort Sumter and the Civil War broke out