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Jamestown:Reason for establishment
Jamestown was sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, a group of investors who hoped to profit from the venture. Chartered in 1606 by King James I, the company also supported English national goals of counterbalancing the expansion of other European nations abroad, seeking a northwest passage to the Orient, and converting the Virginia Indians to the Anglican religion. -
Jamestown:Tabacco
Until the introduction of tabacco as a cash crop in 1613, brought by colonist John Rolfe, none of the colonists’ efforts to establish profitable enterprises were successful. Tobacco cultivation required large amounts of land and labor and stimulated the rapid growth of the Virginia colony. -
Jamestown:Headright system
The headright system was originally created in 1618 in Jamestown, Virginia. It was used as a way to attract new settlers to the region and address the labor shortage. It referred to a grant of land, usually 50 acres, given to settlers in the 13 colonies. The system was used mainly in Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maryland. It proved to be quite effective by increasing the population in the British colonies. -
Period: to
From Jamestown to the Emancipation Proclamation
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Pilgrims/Puritans:Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was a signed agreement to ensure peace between the two groups carried by the Mayflower ship to America. The Mayflower Compact was written by the colonists before landing at Plymouth Rock and was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony under the sovereignty of James I of England. The Mayflower Compact specified basic laws and social rules for the new colony and served as a foundation for the democratic structure of the settlers. -
Pilgrims/Puritans:City on a Hill
City upon a Hill” was written in 1630 by the Puritan leader John Winthrop while the first group of Puritan emigrants was still onboard their ship, the Arbella, waiting to disembark and create their first settlement in what would become New England. -
Pilgrims/Puritans:Work ethic
The Puritan work ethic is a concept in theology, sociology, economics and history which emphasizes that hard work and frugality are a result of a person's salvation in the Protestant faith. -
Pilgrims/Puritans:Religious tolerance
Groups such as the Pilgrims and Puritans who left Europe to escape religious persecution often were intolerant of religious diversity themselves once they established themselves in the New World. The Pilgrims were Separatists and radical Puritans.Church and religion were central to Puritans. Massachusetts Bay Colony did not tolerate differences of opinion in religious matters and banished those who questioned and threatened the church’s authority. -
Pilgrims/Puritans:The Half-Way Covenant
An assembly of ministers at Boston accept the "Half-Way Covenant", which admits children of church members into a "halfway" membership with the Puritan faith. It enables them to secure baptism for their own children as well. But "halfway" members cannot vote in church or take communion. This is viewed as a sign of waning Puritan control in the face of encroaching worldliness among the new generation of New Englanders. -
Mercantilism/Salutary Neglect
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/lessonplan/mercantilism.aspMercantilism was a popular economic philosophy. In this system, the British put restrictions on what goods the colonies could produce, whose ships they could use, and most importantly, with whom they could trade. The British even put taxes called duties on imported goods to discourage this practice. For many years, the British government’s philosophy was one of “salutary neglect.” This meant that they would pass laws to regulate trade in the colonies, but they did not do much to enforce them. -
Bacon's Rebellion
The opinion that all Indians were enemies was also shared by a many other Virginians, however, of the governor of the colony, William Berkeley. Nathaniel Bacon attracted a large following who, like him, wanted to kill or drive out every Indian in Virginia.Berkeley declared Bacon a rebel and charged him with treason.Each leader tried to muster support. Each promised freedom to slaves and servants who would join their cause. In September of 1676, Bacon and his men set Jamestown on fire. -
Great Awakening
The first Great Awakening” can best be described as a revitalization of religious piety that swept through the American colonies between the 1730s and the 1770s. Anglicans and Quakers gained new members, while the Baptists made even more handsome gains from the ranks of radical evangelical converts. -
French and Indian War Effects:End of salutary neglect
The British reversed their policy of Salutary Neglect to raise taxes in the colonies to pay for the massive war debt incurred during the French and Indian Wars. The reversal of the policy of Salutary Neglect led to insurrection in the colonies, the Boston Tea Party, the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence. -
French and Indian War Effects:Stamp Act;other revenue atcs
After the French and Indian war, the British imposed taxes on the colonists to pay off the war debt. The first was the stamp act, an act of the British Parliament in 1756 that exacted revenue by imposing a stamp duty on newspapers and legal documents. The second British action was to pass "The Sugar Act". The Sugar Act actually lowered the tax on molasses, a key import of the colonies. -
French and Indian War Effects:Proclamation
The royal proclamation of 1763 closed off the frontier to colonial expansion. The King and his council presented the proclamation as a measure to calm the fears of the Indians, who felt that the colonists would drive them from their lands as they expanded westward. They understood that the colonists would not respect the boundary without some enforcement mechanism. This amounted to a tax on the colonies to pay for a matter of Imperial regulation that was opposed to the interests of the colonies -
Revolutionary War:Importance of French aid
The Revolutionary War in the United States, was the armed conflict between Great Britain and thirteen of its North American colonies, which had declared themselves the independent United States of America. France, eager for revenge after its defeat in the Seven Years' War, signed an alliance with the new nation. with France's help, America was able to become free from British rule. -
Declaration of Independence:Purpose and Contents
The Declaration of Independence was written to declare independence from Britain. It states that the colonies of the United States shall be free form Britain's rule, able to govern themselves and be considered as a 'free country." -
Article of Confederation:and flaws
The inherent weakness of the Articles of Confederation stemmed from the fact that it called for a confederacy—which placed sovereign power in the hands of the states. The main cause of this ineffectiveness stemmed from a lack of a strong, central government. From the absence of a powerful, national government emerged a series of limitations that rendered the Articles of Confederation futile. -
Article of Confederation:and weak central government
Under these articles, the states remained sovereign and independent, with Congress serving as the last resort on appeal of disputes. Congress was also given the authority to make treaties and alliances, maintain armed forces and coin money. However, the central government lacked the ability to levy taxes and regulate commerce, issues that led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 for the creation of new federal laws. -
British violations of Treaty of Paris
The terms of the Treaty of Paris greatly enlarged the boundaries of the United States, enabling the young nation to rapidly become a major international trading partner. Individual British soldiers ignored the provision of Article 7, which required them to abandon their property in the United States, particularly in respect to their relinquishing of slaves. -
Deism
The belief that God has created the universe but remains apart from it and permits his creation to administer itself through natural laws. Deism thus rejects the supernatural aspects of religion, such as belief in revelation in the Bible, and stresses the importance of ethical conduct. -
Land Ordinance of 1785
The Land Ordinance of 1785 set forth how the government of the United States would measure, divide and distribute the land it had acquired from Great Britain north and west of the Ohio River at the end of the American Revolution. The government had now opened up parts of the Ohio Country for settlement, but the Confederation Congress continued to face many of the same difficulties that existed prior to the Ordinance of 1784 and the Land Ordinance of 1785. Squatters continued to move into Ohio. -
Article of Confederation:Shay's Rebellion
Daniel Shays, a former captain in the Revolutionary War, led a large group of dissatisfied veterans and farmers to stop the injustices that they perceived were created by the wealthy elite establishment, and the political elite in the State government that seemed to be allied with these moneyed interests on the East Coast. -
Land Ordinance of 1787
Northwest Ordinance of 1787, also known as the Ordinance of 1787, established governance for the Northwest Territories of Canada and established land policies for new territories in the United States of America. Formally An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States, North-West of the River Ohio. -
Constitution:how it strengthened the federal government
There are several different ways that the Constitution strengthened the national government.1)Taxes The Constitution allowed for the introduction of a tax for the national government.2)Army Because the national government was able to collect taxes from its citizens, this gave it the power to raise a national army.3)Distribution of Power Introduced Checks and Balances and the National government is more powerful than state governments. -
Consitution:Ratification fight and who supported and who opposed
The Federalists wanted to ratify the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists did not. One of the major issues these two parties debated concerned the inclusion of the Bill of Rights. The Federalists felt that this addition wasn't necessary, because they believed that the Constitution as it stood only limited the government not the people. The Anti- Federalists claimed the Constitution gave the central government too much power, and without a Bill of Rights the people would be at risk of oppression. -
Constitution:Major Amendments to it
Freedom of Speech, Press, Religion and Petition Right to keep and bear arms Conditions for quarters of soldiers Right of search and seizure regulated Provisons concerning prosecution Right to a speedy trial, witnesses, etc. Right to a trial by jury Excessive bail, cruel punishment Rule of construction of Constitution Rights of the States under Constitution -
Hamilton economic policies:Funding and assumptions
The first element called for paying off in full the loans that foreign governments had made to the Continental Congress during the Revolution. In the second element Hamilton recommended offering to trade the complicated morass of notes and bonds of varying durations and interest rates for new, long-term federal bonds. -
Hamilton economic policies: Tariffs
Therefore, in January 1790 in the "Report on the Public Credit," Hamilton recommended an increase in tariffs and the introduction of internal taxation in the form of an excise tax on distilled spirits. However, he stopped short of proposing direct taxes—by which he, and the Constitution, meant poll taxes and property taxes. He worried that these taxes would create a popular backlash, and he wanted to encourage state cooperation with his financial program by leaving direct taxation as the exclusive province of state and local governments.' >Therefore, in January 1790 in the "Report on the Public Credit," Hamilton recommended an increase in tariffs and the introduction of internal taxation in the form of an excise tax on distilled spirits. However, he stopped short of proposing direct taxes—by which he, and the Constitution, meant poll taxes and property taxes. He worried that these taxes would create a popular backlash, and he wanted to encourage state cooperation with his financial program by leaving direct taxation as the exclusive province of state and local governments.</a>The fourth central element of Hamilton's financial program was taxation.Therefore, in January 1790 in the "Report on the Public Credit," Hamilton recommended an increase in tariffs and the introduction of internal taxation in the form of an excise tax on distilled spirits. -
Hamilton economic policies:Bank of U.S.
In December 1790, Hamilton also proposed the fifth element in his financial plan: the federal chartering and funding of a powerful institution—a national bank, which would be called the Bank of the United States and modeled to some extent on the Bank of England. The bank was to be a commercial bank, which was a rare institution in America.the Bank of the United States would accept deposits, issue bank notes, discount commercial paper, and loan short-term funds to the government. -
Hamilton economic policies:and growth of political parties
Some of Hamilton's economic policies, especially the creation of the Bank of the United States and excise taxation, stimulated the development of organized opposition to the Washington administration and led to the formation of what became the Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Hamilton's economic policies may have undermined the future of the Federalist Party, but they established a fiscally strong federal government. -
Hamilton economic policies: and Jefferson reaction
Thomas Jefferson, who was the secretary of state at the time, thought Hamilton's plans for full payment of the public debt stood to benefit a "corrupt squadron of paper dealers." To Jefferson, speculation in paper certificates threatened the virtue of the new American Republic.Thomas Jefferson supported the plan to build the young nation's capital along the Potomac River; Alexander Hamilton disagreed with the selected site. -
Bill of Rights:Purpose and timing
The importance and purpose of the Bill of Rights lies in the laws enacted with regards to religion, arms, and basic rights.The Bill of Rights addressed primary issues, like ...
» Prohibition of any law biased towards establishment of religion;
» Right to arms, within federal territory;
» Prohibition of any act that deprives life, liberty, and/or property, illegally;
» Elimination of capital, punitive action, after an impartial grand jury indictment;
» Reservation of non-federal government powers -
Washington's Neutrality Proclamation
The Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 was authorized by George Washington and stated that the US would take no part in a war between two or more other powers, specifically France and Great Britain. It also threatened legal proceedings against any American citizen giving assistance to any country at war. George Washington and his cabinet issued the Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 because the new nation of the United States of America had a military force that was too small. -
Eli Whitney:and Cotton Gin impact
Eli Whitney quickly learned that Southern planters were in desperate need of a way to make the growing of cotton profitable. Long-staple cotton, which was easy to separate from its seeds, could be grown only along the coast. The one variety that grew inland had sticky green seeds that were time-consuming to pick out of the fluffy white cotton bolls. At stake was the success of cotton planting throughout the South, especially important at a time when tobacco was declining in profit. -
Founding Fathers attitude toward political parties
Founding Fathers did not anticipate or desire the existence of political parties, viewing them as "factions" dangerous to the public interest
Founders' republican ideology called for subordination of narrow interests to the general welfare of the community
Under republican ideology, politics was supposed to be rational and collaborative, not competitive -
Washington's Farewell Address
In his farewell Presidential address, George Washington advised American citizens to view themselves as a cohesive unit and avoid political parties and issued a special warning to be wary of attachments and entanglements with other nations. In the 32-page handwritten address, Washington urged Americans to avoid excessive political party spirit and geographical distinctions. In foreign affairs, he warned against long-term alliances with other nations. -
Eli Whitney:and interchangeable parts
Interchangeable parts, popularized in America when Eli Whitney used them to assemble muskets in the first years of the 19th century, allowed relatively unskilled workers to produce large numbers of weapons quickly and at lower cost, and made repair and replacement of parts infinitely easier. -
Alien and Sedition Act
The Alien and Sedition Acts consisted of four laws passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress as America prepared for war with France. These acts increased the residency requirement for American citizenship from five to fourteen years, authorized the president to imprison or deport aliens considered "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States" and restricted speech critical of the government. -
Alien and Sedition Act:and Kentucky and Virginia Resolves
These resolutions were passed by the legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 and were authored by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, respectively. The resolutions argued that the federal government had no authority to exercise power not specifically delegated to it in the Constitution. -
Cult of Domesticity
The culture of domesticity or cult of true womanhood was a prevailing value system among the upper and middle classes during the nineteenth century in the United States and Great Britain. This value system emphasized new ideas of femininity, the woman's role within the home and the dynamics of work and family. "True women" were supposed to possess four cardinal virtues: piety, purity, domesticity, and submissiveness. -
Election of 1800, significance
As the first peaceful transition of political power between opposing parties in U.S. history, however, the election of 1800 had far-reaching significance. Jefferson appreciated the momentous change and his inaugural address called for reconciliation by declaring that, "We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists." -
Lowell System
The Waltham-Lowell system was a labor and production model employed in the United States, particularly in New England, during the early years of the American textile industry in the early 19th century. Made possible by inventions such as the spinning jenny, spinning mule, and water frame in England around the time of the American Revolution, the textile industry was among the earliest mechanized industries, and models of production and labor sources were first explored here. -
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison, arguably the most important case in Supreme Court history, was the first U.S. Supreme Court case to apply the principle of "judicial review" -- the power of federal courts to void acts of Congress in conflict with the Constitution. The decision played a key role in making the Supreme Court a separate branch of government on par with Congress and the executive. -
Louisiana Purchase;why Jefferson wanted it
Jefferson authorized to offer a maximum of $10 million for land east of Mississippi and New Orleans. Americans were hungry for more land, and Jefferson knew they would continue pushing farther west as long as the land was there. -
Emerson, Cooper and other early 19th century authors
Washington Irving was the first to gain for American literature the recognition of European critics. Associated in memory with Irving are the poets Joseph Rodman Drake and Fitz-Greene Halleck. William Cullen Bryant was the first American poet of note. James Fenimore Cooper may be styled the first American novelist of true distinction. Ralph Waldo Emerson was the most potent force in New England thought. -
William Lloyd Garrison
For the entire generation of people that grew up in the years that led to the Civil War, William Lloyd Garrison was the voice of Abolitionism. Originally a supporter of colonization, Garrison changed his position and became the leader of the emerging anti-slavery movement. -
War of 1812; causes
The immediate causes of the War of 1812 were a series of economic sanctions taken by the British and French against the US as part of the Napoleonic Wars and American outrage at the British practice of impressment, especially after the Chesapeake incident of 1807. -
Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was a series of meetings in Hartford, Connecticut, United States, in which the New England Federalist Party met to discuss their grievances concerning the ongoing War of 1812 and the political problems arising from the federal government's increasing power. The convention discussed removing the three-fifths compromise and requiring a two-thirds super majority in Congress for the admission of new states, declarations of war, and laws restricting trade. -
Compromise of 1820/Mo. Compromise
In an effort to preserve the balance of power in Congress between slave and free states, the Missouri Compromise was passed in 1820 admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. Furthermore, with the exception of Missouri, this law prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Territory north of the 36° 30´ latitude line. -
Andrew Jackson:and expansion of suffrage
The Jacksonians believed that voting rights should be extended to all white men. By 1820, universal white male suffrage was the norm, and by 1850, nearly all voting requirements to own property or pay taxes had been dropped. -
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement that developed in the late 1820s and 1830s in the eastern region of the United States. The movement was a reaction to, or protest against the general state of intellectualism and spirituality. One of the transcendentalists' core beliefs was in the inherent goodness of both people and nature, in opposition to ideas of man as inherently sinful, or "fallen," and nature as something to be conquered. -
Monroe Doctrine:reasons
The Monroe Doctrine was developed because the United States and Britain were concerned over the possibility of European colonial expansion in the Americas. Britain feared that Spain would attempt to reclaim its former colonies, which had recently gained independence. This would have caused Britain's trade with these new nations to decline. The United States wanted to ensure that no European nations would attempt further colonialization in the western hemisphere. -
Monroe Doctrine:philosophy
The Monroe Doctrine argues that European influence should be removed from North America. As a result, the United States tried to gain European land on the continent of North America, often by annexation.The Monroe Doctrine declared the sphere of influence of the United States was the Western Hemisphere. -
Monroe Doctrine:development
President James Monroe articulated United States’ policy on the new political order developing in the rest of the Americas and the role of Europe in the Western Hemisphere. Monroe and his Secretary of State John Quincy Adams drew upon a foundation of American diplomatic ideals such as disentanglement from European affairs and defense of neutral rights as expressed in Washington’s Farewell Address and Madison’s stated rationale for waging the War of 1812. -
Monroe Doctrine:and Roosevelt Corollary
In his annual messages to Congress in 1904 and 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt expanded the Monroe Doctrine. The corollary stated that not only were the nations of the Western Hemisphere not open to colonization by European powers, but that the United States had the responsibility to preserve order and protect life and property in those countries. -
American System/Clay-Whig policies:Canal building and their effects
A plan to strengthen and unify the nation, the American System was advanced by the Whig Party and a number of leading politicians including Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun and John Quincy Adams. The System included Development of a system of internal improvements (such as roads and canals) which would knit the nation together and be financed by the tariff and land sales revenues. -
Tariff of Abominations/Nullification crisis:what
A high tariff on imports increased the cost of British textiles. This tariff benefited American producers of cloth — mostly in the north. But it shrunk English demand for southern raw cotton and increased the final cost of finished goods to American buyers. -
Tariff of Abomination/Nullification crisis:effects on later secession
The South saw this tariff as an affront to their economy. South Carolina declared that Congress was overstepping its power by offering such support of the North’s manufacturing industries. The confrontation quickly spun into a debate over the power of the federal government to decide the rights of states. -
Tariff of Abominations/Nullification crisis:Calhoun
Vice President John C. Calhoun had supported the tariff, but he realized that if he were to have a political future in South Carolina, he would need to rethink his position. Calhoun argued for a less drastic solution — the doctrine of "nullification." According to Calhoun, the federal government only existed at the will of the states. Therefore, if a state found a federal law unconstitutional and detrimental to its sovereign interests, it would have the right to "nullify" that law. -
Tariff of Abominations/Nullification crisis:Jackson's reaction
South Carolina declared the tariffs null and void, and threatened to leave the Union in the Ordinance of Nullification. Jackson responded swiftly, calling the action treasonous. He asked Congress for the power to use military force to ensure that states adhered to federal law. While Congress debated the resulting Force Bill—which would grant the President his wish—Kentucky’s Henry Clay introduced a compromise tariff. -
Andrew Jackson:and Indian policy
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson, authorizing the president to grant unsettled lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for Indian lands within existing state borders. During the fall and winter of 1838 and 1839, the Cherokees were forcibly moved west by the United States government. Approximately 4,000 Cherokees died on this forced march, which became known as the "Trail of Tears." -
Andrew Jackson:and Bank of the U.S.
Jackson had been financially damaged by speculation and a tightening of bank credit early in his business career. He retained a distrust of financial institutions throughout his life. At first, however, Jackson's position on the Bank was not outwardly antagonistic. He was concerned about the Bank's constitutionality and the general soundness of paper money in place of gold and silver. -
Andrew Jackson:and Pet Banks
Jackson's opposition to the Bank became almost an obsession. Accompanied by strong attacks against the Bank in the press, Jackson vetoed the Bank Recharter Bill. Jackson also ordered the federal government's deposits removed from the Bank of the United States and placed in state or "Pet" banks. -
Popular Sovereignty
Popular sovereignty or the sovereignty of the people's rule is the principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives, who are the source of all political power. -
Mexico:Election of 1844 and Whig policy
The frontrunners for the presidential nominations in both parties, Henry Clay (Whig) and Martin Van Buren (Democrat), feared that the annexation of Texas would split their parties. The two political professionals agreed to cloud the issue in the hope of keeping it off center stage. They expressed a willingness to support annexation if Mexico would agree; there was absolutely no chance that would occur. -
Manifest Destiny
Whig party leaders vigorously opposed territorial growth, and even expansionist Democrats argued about how much new land should be acquired, and by what means. Some supporters of Manifest Destiny favored rapid expansion and bold pursuit of American territorial claims, even at the risk of war with other nations. -
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is the peace treaty signed between the United States and Mexico that ended the Mexican–American War. The treaty called for the US to pay $15 million to Mexico and to pay off the claims of American citizens against Mexico up to $3.25 million. It gave the United States the Rio Grande as a boundary for Texas, and gave the US ownership of California and a large area comprising roughly half of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado. -
Seneca Falls Convention
The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women’s rights convention in the United States. It was organized by a handful of women who were active in the abolition and temperance movements. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the other delegates had voted to exclude women before the convention started and required them to sit in a sectioned-off area. Susan B. Anthony did not attend. -
Compromise of 1850
Texas surrendered its claim to New Mexico, as well as its claims north of the Missouri Compromise Line. It retained the Texas Panhandle and the federal government took over the state's public debt. California was admitted as a free state with its current boundaries.The South prevented adoption of the Wilmot Proviso that would have outlawed slavery in the new territories, and the new Utah Territory and New Mexico Territory were allowed, under the principle of popular sovereignty, -
Kansas-Nebraska Act:and Popular Sovereignty
Popular sovereignty allowed the settlers of a federal territory to decide the slavery question without interference from Congress. Stephen Douglas included this policy in a bill organizing the northern section of the Louisiana Purchase once known as the Nebraska Territory but now divided into two separate territories called Kansas and Nebraska. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act:and Missouri Compromise
The Kansas-Nebrask Act overturned the Missouri Compromise’s use of latitude as the boundary between slave and free territory. The conflicts that arose between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers in the aftermath of the act’s passage led to the period of violence known as Bleeding Kansas, and helped paved the way for the American Civil War. -
Irish Immigration:and Know-Nothing (Nativist) party
Its members strongly opposed immigrants and followers of the Catholic Church.The Know-Nothings feared that the Catholics were more loyal to the Pope than to the United States. The majority of Know-Nothings came from middle and working-class backgrounds. These people feared competition for jobs from immigrants coming to the United States. -
Dred Scott case
Dred Scott was a slave and had been taken from Missouri to posts in Illinois and what is now Minnesota for several years in the 1830s, before returning to Missouri. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 had declared the area including Minnesota free. Scott sued for his freedom on the grounds that he had lived in a free state and a free territory for a prolonged period of time. -
Dred Scott case:and Constitutionalityof Missouri Compromise
At stake were answers to critical questions, including slavery in the territories and citizenship of African-Americans. The Court ruled that Congress never had the right to prohibit slavery in any territory. Any ban on slavery was a violation of the Fifth Amendment, which prohibited denying property rights without due process of law.The Missouri Compromise was therefore unconstitutional. -
Dred Scott case:and reaction in the North
The north refused to accept a decision by a Court they felt was dominated by "Southern fire-eaters." Many Northerners, including Abraham Lincoln, felt that the next step would be for the Supreme Court to decide that no state could exclude slavery under the Constitution, regardless of their wishes or their laws. -
John Brown:and Reaction in the North and South
Although initially shocked by Brown's exploits, many Northerners began to speak favorably of the militant abolitionist. White Southerners vilified Brown, almost without exception; his attempt to ignite an armed rebellion of enslaved African Americans played upon some of their deepest and most feverish fears. -
John Brown:and Harper's Ferry
John Brown led 21 men on a raid of the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. His plan to arm slaves with the weapons he and his men seized from the arsenal was thwarted, however, by local farmers, militiamen, and Marines led by Robert E. Lee. Within 36 hours of the attack, most of Brown's men had been killed or captured. -
Lincoln/Republican policy on Slavery in 1860
Lincoln stood by the Republican Party platform in 1860, which stated that slavery should not be allowed to expand into any more territories. Lincoln believed that the extension of slavery in the South, Mid-west, and Western lands would inhibit "free labor on free soil". Soon after winning the presidency, South Carolina seceeded from the Union. -
Civil War:North Weaknesses
few trained soldiers; travel into unknown territories ; long distances to transport troops and supplies -
Civil War:South Strengths
fight a defensive war - knew the territory they were fighting on; trained soldiers - hunting skills and attended military school; believed in the cause because it was for their independence -
Civil War:South Weaknesses
few railroads to transport troops and supplies; small population to volunteer for army and make supplies; Few factories to make supplies and weapons -
Civial War:Strengths of the North
large navy and fleet of trading ships; 70% of nations rail lines to transport food and troops; 4x free population to volunteer in army and work in factories; 90% of nations industry including factories to produce weapons and war supplies -
Civial War:Causes
The Civil War started because of uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states. When Abraham Lincoln won election in 1860 as the first Republican president on a platform pledging to keep slavery out of the territories, seven slave states in the deep South seceded and formed a new nation, the Confederate States of America. -
Civial War:Foreign Policy of Britain and France
The United Kingdom and its empire remained officially neutral throughout the American Civil War (1861–65). It legally recognised the belligerent status of the Confederacy; it never recognized it as a nation and never signed a treaty or exchanged ambassadors. However, the top British officials debated intervention in the first 18 months. Elite opinion tended to favour the Confederacy, while public opinion tended to favour the United States. -
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."
