Economy
What was the main cash crop of the South?
cotton
What is the definition of slavery?
The practice of owning people and forcing them to work without pay.
What were the main causes of the Civil War?
- Slavery
- States' rights to enslave
- Economic differences
Henry Clay & Stephen Douglas
Senators who designed the Compromise of 1850
Cotton Gin
An invention that separated and cleaned cotton for production.
How did the Cotton Gin impact slavery?
It increased the demand for slave labor.
Name two reasons why slavery was accepted in the South.
1. The South depended on slave labor to maintain their agricultural economy.
2. The harmful idea that African Americans needed to be enslaved because they couldn't take care of themselves.
How did the Missouri Compromise attempt to address slavery?
It admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. This would keep the number of slaver and abolitionist government representatives equal. Slavery was prohibited in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase Territory, except for Missouri.
Frederick Douglass
Former slave turned abolitionist leader. He was a powerful speaker and writer for the anti-slavery cause.
Cottonocracy
A wealthy Southern economy fueled by cotton
What role did agriculture play in the Southern economy?
It was the backbone, driving wealth and trade.
How did enslaved people resist their conditions?
Through work slowdowns, escape, and rebellions.
Why was the Compromise of 1850 created?
America acquired new territories as a result of the Mexican-American War. Slave states and free states were fighting about how to designate the new land.
Harriet Tubman
Escaped slave who became a conductor on the Underground Railroad. She helped many slaves escape to freedom.
Popular Sovereignty
People in each state get to vote to decide on laws in their state, instead of the federal government telling them what to do.
What were the differences between the Southern economy and the Northern economy?
The North was industrialized, relying on factories to make money. The South was agricultural, relying on farming crops and slave labor.
What was the Underground Railroad?
Abolitionists helped enslaved people escape to northern free states by giving them directions and allowing them to hide in their homes and businesses.
Name at least one (1) key component of the Compromise of 1850
California Admission:
Texas Border:
New Mexico and Utah Territories:
Slave Trade in Washington D.C.:
Fugitive Slave Act:
Dred Scott
Enslaved man who sued for his freedom. He was the central figure in the landmark Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court Case.
Secession
The act of withdrawing from the Union. After the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, many Southern states began to succeed from the Union.
How did the Northern economy and the Southern economy affect one another?
The South sold cotton to the North, where fabric was made and sold. As the North's industrialized economy boomed, it demanded more cotton from the South.
What was the Dred Scott decision, and how did it impact slavery?
What novel was important in sharing abolitionist ideas?
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Sojourner Truth
Former slave who became an abolitionist and women's rights activist. She is known for her "Ain't I a Woman?" speech.
Antebellum
Literally meaning "before the war," refers to the period before the Civil War, especially in the South.