Mexican Affairs
What was the Mexican-American War and its significance? + causes & effects
The war was caused from Texas being admitted as a state as Mexico did not recognize Texas's independence, Manifest Destiny, disputed boundaries; the war allowed for the U.S to gain a large amount of territory which also led to sectional tensions as Americans debated over the status of the territories
What was the Oregon Fever/Oregon Territory and its significance?
Americans found in interest Oregon because of farmland, the Oregon Fever was the massive migration of Americans to Oregon- while some migrated to California and other states- contributed to the desire of the U.S possessing Oregon and to expansionist ideals
Who is Steven Austin and Sam Houston and their significance?
Austin: "Father of Texas"- Helped the settlement of U.S families into Texas, led the army in the Alamo, fought for Texas independence
Houston: First president of Texas and general that contributed to the Texas Revolution
What was the Bank War and its significance?
Political conflict relating to the rechartering of the Second Bank between Jackson and Jackson's opponents in the Senate- destroyed national banking and tariffs, Second Bank was replaced by state banks
What was the Bleeding Kansas + Pottawatomie Massacre and its significance?
Violence between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions over the status of Kansas as a slave or free state caused from popular sovereignty + Brown and his followers murdered pro-slavery settlers at Pottawatomie- contributed to start of Civil War/sectional tension and shaped American politics
What was the Texas Annexation and its significance? + causes & effects
What was the significance of American settlement in Oregon, Texas, and California?
Oregon: Americans settled for the prospect of fertile farmland
Texas: Americans settled for the prospect of a new slave state and wanted to take it from Mexico- some settlers were outlaws and wanted to escape
California: Americans settled for the prospect of gold
All contributed to American expansionist ideals and expansion of the U.S and many settlers sought opportunity
Who is James K. Polk and their significance?
11th president of the U.S- helped expand the U.S with the Mexican-American War Oregon Territory
What are the characteristics and effects of Jacksonian Democracy?
Universal white suffrage, expansionist ideals, spoils system, egalitarian ideals such as giving people of all social class opportunity and being involved politically, opposition to tariffs/banks- ended the Second Bank of U.S, caused Indian Removal Act from expansionist ideals
What happened in Harper's Ferry and its significance?
John Brown led a raid in Harpers Ferry which killed people to fight against slavery- inflamed sectional tensions
What was the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and its significance? + causes & effects
The treaty signed that ended the Mexican-American War where Mexico ceded around half of its territory to the U.S; helped expand the U.S, caused debate for the status of the new territory being slave or free
What was the California Gold Rush and its significance?
The massive migration to California as Americans sought to find gold and strike it rich; some did not find gold so some resorted to becoming rich through agriculture- contributed to its eventual statehood and populated the state
Who is Samuel Morse and their significance?
What was the Nullification Crisis and its significance?
Conflict between South Carolina and the U.S federal government as South Carolina refused to tariffs and believed they had a right to nullify a law passed by Congress and threatened succession if they attempted to enforce the tariffs; Jackson responded with using military force as he disagreed with a state's right to nullify and believed the crisis was a threat to the union
What is Uncle Tom's Cabin and its effects?
An anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe that showed the immorality of slavery and increased a moral debate over slavery
What was the Gadsden Purchase and its significance? + causes & effects
The U.S purchasing additional territory from Mexico in order to help construct a railroad from Texas to California; helped resolve border disputes after the Mexican-American War
What is popular sovereignty and its significance?
Determining the status of a state being either free or state through the people- contributed to sectional tensions between pro and anti slavery factions; also caused Bleeding Kansas
Who is Stephan A. Douglas and their significance?
An American senator and Lincoln's main opposing candidate during the Election of 1860, was proslavery, influential in Kansas-Nebraska Act and Compromise of 1850
Extra: Effects of the Election of Abraham Lincoln (1860)
Southern states believed that Lincoln threatened the institution of slavery and thus- their economic prosperity, South Carolina was the first state to secede
What is the Missouri Compromise and its significance?
Who is Abraham Lincoln and their significance?
First Republican president to be elected- had ideals of racial [economic] equality and believed that slavery hindered the U.S- contributed to the start of the Civil War
What is the Compromise of 1850 and its significance?
Laws to resolve the dispute over the status of slavery in territory gained from Mexico, Fugitive Slave Act was amended and slave trade was abolished, admitted California as a free state- created more dispute over the status of states