Manifest Destiny
Which 19th century transportation innovation made westward expansion more efficient and accessible?
Railroad
System of tracks and train expanded significantly during the 1800's allowing for faster migration, trade, and military movement.
Who was the United States president most associated with leading the country into war with Mexico?
James K. Polk
He was the 11th president. Polk was a Democrat who strongly supported Manifest Destiny and led the U.S. during the Mexican-American War. Democrats during this time opposed the abolition of slavery and favored westward expansion.
What Compromise tried to address issues about slavery in new territories acquired from the Mexican-American War?
Compromise of 1850
This compromise was established in September 1850 and it aimed to temporarily resolve tensions between free and slave states to prevent the secession of southern states.
Which Southern state was the first to secede from the Union?
South Carolina
South Carolina seceded in December 1860, shortly after Abraham Lincoln's election, they believed he threatened slavery and states' rights.
After the Civil War, many freedmen became trapped in poverty under what agricultural system?
Sharecropping
A system where landowners allowed tenants to farm in exchange for a share of the crops. This was often led to cycles of debt and poverty. They usually had to pay for tools on top of the land.
What was the slogan associated with the American desire to expand into the Oregon territory?
"Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!"
This slogan was used by expansionists demanding the entire Oregon territory up to the latitude line 54°40. It reflected the aggressive stance of Manifest Destiny advocates.
Which river did the U.S. claim as the border with Mexico, leading to armed conflict?
Rio Grande
The U.S. claimed the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas, while Mexico claimed the Nueces River. This dispute left to war.
What term describes violent events in Kansas after the Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed popular sovereignty?
Bleeding Kansas
A series of violent confrontations in the Kansas Territory between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers trying to influence the sate's stance on slavery.
What 1861 event marked the beginning of the Civil War?
The attack on Fort Sumter
More Information- Confederate forces fired on the Union-held Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, leading to the start of open conflict.
What agency was created to assist freed slaves with education, food, and legal aid?
Freedmen's Bureau
This federal agency formed in 1865 to help formerly enslaved people transition to freedom though it faced strong opposition.
Which state's annexation by the U.S. in 1845 heightened tensions with Mexico and led to war?
Texas
Texas was annexed into the U.S. after gaining independence from Mexico. The move upset Mexico, leading to war.
What was the name of the short-lived republic establish in California during the Mexican-American War?
Bear Flag Republic
This was a brief independence movement in 1846 led by American settlers who declared California independent from Mexico before it was annexed.
Which act allowed territories to choose whether to allow slavery, repealing part of the Missouri Compromise?
Kansas Nebraska Act
A controversial 1854 law allowing settlers in Kansas and Nebraska to decide the slavery issue by vote, intensifying sectional conflict.
What executive order issued in 1863 declare the freedom of slaves in rebelling states?
The Emancipation Proclamation
A war measure issued by President Lincoln that freed slaves in Confederate territories and redefined the Union's war aims.
Which amendment granted citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States?
14th Amendment
Ratified in 1868, it ensured equal protection under the law and overturned the Dred Scott decision.
What Treaty gave the U.S. control of southern Arizona and New Mexico in 1854?
Gadsden Purchase
A land purchase agreement between the U.S. and Mexico. It aimed at facilitating the construction of a southern transcontinental railroad.
What was the treaty that officially ended the war and ceded large territories to the U.S.?
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This was a treaty signed in 1848. It transferred a vast amount of territory including California and the Southwest.
Which political party opposed the expansion of slavery, but did not necessarily support full abolition?
Free Soil Party
More Information- They were a short lived political party that opposed the extension of slavery into western territories to preserve opportunities for white laborers.
Which Civil War battle was the bloodiest single day in American history?
Battle of Antietam
Fought in 1862, this Union victory gave Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
What name was given to laws in the South designed to restrict the freedom of African Americans?
Black Codes
Laws passed after the Civil War that limited African Americans' rights and aimed to maintain white supremacy. For example: Limitations on voting rights and the ability to serve on juries.
Which 19th-century American Explorer and military officer produced government reports that encouraged westward expansion?
John C. Fremont
He was an explorer, soldier, and politician who mapped western territories and promoted American expansion. He also played a role in the Bear Flag Revolt.
Which proposed law aimed to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico?
Wilmot Proviso
A legislative proposal by David Wilmot 1846. It was unsuccessful but heightened sectional debates over the expansion of slavery.
What Supreme Court decision ruled that Congress could not ban slavery in the territories, intensifying sectional tensions?
Dred Scott decision
A landmark 1857 ruling in which the Supreme Court declared that African Americans were not the U.S. citizens and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in federal territories.
What was the name of the Confederate strategy to gain support from Britain and France by restricting cotton exports?
King Cotton Diplomacy
A Southern strategy that relied on the importance of cotton to foreign economies, particularly Britain, to gain diplomatic recognition and support for the Confederacy. It ended up failing.
What informal deal settled the disputed 1876 election and ended federal intervention in the South?
Compromise of 1877
This was an unwritten agreement that resolved the 1876 election by allowing Rutherford B. Hayes to become president in exchange for the removal of federal troops from the South.