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2nd Great Awakening
A series of religious revivals starting in 1801 Stressed salvation came through good deeds and tolerance for all Protestant sects. It attracted women, Blacks, and Native Americans. It also had an effect on moral movements such as prison reform, the temperance movement, and moral reasoning against slavery. -
Missouri Compromise
An effort formulated by Henry Clay to maintain the balance of power between slave and free states. It was passed in 1820 as Maine entered as a free state in Missouri as a slave state. It also prohibited slavery north of the 36’30 latitude line. Clay wanted to defuse sectional and political rivalries. -
Gag Resolution
James Hammond of South Carolina proposed a petition. Nothing shall be received or heard against slavery by the House
Adams said it was unconstitutional because it restricts freedom of speech;it takes 11 years to appeal. -
Rise of abolitionism
The militant effort to do away with slavery. It had its roots in the North in the 1700s. It became a major issue in the 1830s and dominated politics after 1840. Congress became a battleground between pro and anti-slavery forces from the 1830's to the Civil War. -
Election of 1844
James Polk and Henry Clay were the candidates. Polk was a democrat and favored “Manifest Destiny” and Clay was the Whig party.Both feared the annexation of Texas would split my parties. Polk beat Clay. The Liberty Party, the first abolitionist party was created. They believed in ending slavery. -
Annexation of Texas
Mexico wanted Texas but Van Buren feared it would start war and cause more conflict because of adding another slave state to the union. However people wanted to annex Texas because of Manifest Destiny. US annexed Texas in 1845 after Texas seceded from Mexico.Mexican American War started a year later. President James K. Polk was in office at that time. -
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Dred Scott v. Sanford
Dred Scott sued his former master’s wife, Eliza Sanford, because she refused to sell him and his wife’s freedom.He argued that he's from Missouri, a free state. Missouri favored Scott but Court appealed. His previous lawsuit was dismissed since he was legally a slave in Missouri;he appealed to Fed. court. Court ruled free or enslaved African Americans were declared as not an American citizen and didn’t have the right to sue in federal court. Congress did not possess the power to ban slavery. -
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Mexican American War
Marked the first U.S. armed conflict fought on foreign soil. Against a politically divided and militarily unprepared Mexico against the expansionist-minded administration(Manifest Destiny)of U.S. President James K. Polk. A border skirmish along the Rio Grande started off the fighting and was followed by a series of U.S. victories. When the dust cleared, Mexico had lost about one-third of its territory, including nearly all of present-day California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. -
Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay introduced to the Senate. Resolved the disputes over the land acquired from the Mexican-American War. Results: California entered Union as the 16th free state, South was assured that no federal restrictions on slavery would be placed on Utah and New Mexico. Texas loses boundary dispute with New Mexico while Texas gets $10 Million. Slavery continued in D.C.. The Fugitive Slave Law passed forcing all northerners to return runaway slaves. -
Creation of the Republican Party
the anti-slavery Whigs met in Wisconsin on March 20, 1854 to form a new group. This party would oppose the spread of slavery -
Kansas Nebraska Act
Passed on May 30,1854 by Congress. Territories in KAnsas and Nebraska could choose whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. It repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820. South favored the act while the North was completely against it. -
Bleeding Kansas
Period between 1854-1861; small civil war between proslavery and antislavery for control over the new territory, Kansas. Fueled by the Kansas-Nebraska Act.John Brown, a radical abolitionist, led groups of volunteers on attacks on pro-slavery residents. -
Dred Scott v. Sanford; case filed in 1857
Dred Scott sued his former master’s wife, Eliza Sanford, because she refused to sell him and his wife’s freedom.He argued that he's from Missouri, a free state. Missouri favored Scott but Court appealed. His previous lawsuit was dismissed since he was legally a slave in Missouri;he appealed to Fed. court. Court ruled free or enslaved African Americans were declared as not an American citizen and didn’t have the right to sue in federal court. Congress did not possess the power to ban slavery. -
Lincoln Douglas Debates; 7 meetings from August to October 1858.
Republican nominee challenged Douglass who has a reputation for devastating his opponents to a series of debates. Douglass appeared more polished with “bearlike figure and bullhorn voice” next to Lincoln with a high-pitched voice and lanky built. Most famous was Freeport, Illinois declared a dilemma on the Dred Scott case. Douglass’s reply came known as the Douglas doctrine: slavery would stay down if the people voted it down regardless of the Supreme Court decision. -
Election of 1860
Northern Democrats nominated Stephen Douglass because of popular sovereignty platform while southern democrats wanted John C. Breckinridge who was pro-slavery. The Know-Nothing Party nominated John Bell who stood by the Constitution. Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln who opposed the spreading of slavery in the Union. Lincoln lost popular vote; won election. North won president but South won House. South Carolina and other states in the Deep South” formed the Confederate States of America. -
Thesis
Manifest Destiny initiated much of the conflict during 1820-1860. Most political figures like Polk believed Westward expansion was the key by any means necessary,dividing the country in many ways.Even with the compromises, sectionalism between the North and South became very clear.As they acquired territory in the West, the issue of the balance between free and slave states arose. Westward expansion only further divided a country that was already struggling from the effects of slavery.
