US History Quiz April

When California was to be added as a state, what was the idea raised called "Popular Sovereignty"?

"Popular Sovereignty" means the people of the territory determine if the area would allow slavery or not amognst themselves.

Dred Scott Decision

A Missouri slave sued for his freedom, claiming that his four year stay in the northern portion of the Louisiana Territory made free land by the Missouri Compromise had made him a free man. The U.S, Supreme Court decided he couldn't sue in federal court because he was property, not a citizen.

The Birth of the Republican Party

A coalition of the Free Soil Party, the Know-Nothing Party and renegade Whigs merged in 1854 to form the Republican Party, a liberal, anti-slavery party.

Confederacy

A loose union of independent states; name of government used by the southern states that seceded during the Civil War

the confederate states of america

A republic formed in February of 1861 and composed of the eleven Southern states that seceded from the United States

Candidate in 1860 who wanted to preserve the Union at all costs

Abraham Lincoln

What happened after the Kansas-Nebraska act occurred and what is the so-called Bloody Kansas??

After the Kansas-Nebraska act occurred, a group of anti-slavery northerners formed a group named the Free Soil party to protest the act. Regardless, the act was passed; tensions rose and arguments turned violent, which became known as "Bloody Kansas".

Did the Missouri Compromise of 1820 solve the country's problem of Slavery?

At first it did, but the issue occurred later again

Senator beaten by pro-slavery congressman on Senate floor

Charles Sumner

What did the cry of "states rights" mean for southerners

Complete independence from the Federal Government (and they could keep slavery)

how does dehumanization affect a slaveholder?

Dehumanization allowed the slaveholder to rationalize what they were doing. If they didn't see the slaves as humans it made the brutality okay.

Supreme Court case (1857) that ruled that slaves did not have the same rights as citizens.

Dred Scott

During the Senate Debates, what were northerners "pleased" about and what were southerners "pleased" about before they voted to adopt the Compromise?

During the Senate Debates, there were a few things northerners and southerners were each "pleased" about before they voted to adopt the Compromise. For the North, the compromise provided that California be admitted to the Union as a free state. The South was pleased because the compromise proposed a new and more effective fugitive slave law. However, some elements pleased both regions. An example of this is popular soverignty, where the population of a territory could vote for or against slavery. Northerners were also glad the federal government paid Texas money to surrender its claim to New Mexico, because it limited slavery in Texas within its current boarders. Southerners were glad that the money would help defray Texas's expenses and debts from the war with Mexico.

Frederick Douglass

Escaped slave and great black abolitionist who fought to end slavery through political action

Free Ex-slave abolitionist

Frederick Douglass

Why did Frederick Douglass believe that Slavery could not be ended peacefully?

Frederick Douglass believed that Slavery could not be ended peacefully because he started to lose hope as time went on and welcomed any other way possible to abolish slavery.

What was Frederick Douglass reaction to the Dred Scott Decision?

Frederick Douglass's reaction to the Dred Scott decision was it made Federick Douglass go into deep depression and lose hope for the future of his people

Major political parties 1850-1860

Free Soil (1848): Anti-extension of slavery, pro-labor Know-Nothing (1854): Anti-immigration, anti-Catholic Whig (1834): Pro-business, divided on slavery Republican (1854): opposed expansion of slavery into territories Democratic (1840): states' rights, limited government, divided on slavery

Part of Compromise of 1850 permitting return of runaway slaves to owners.

Fugitive Slave Act

Author of Uncle Tom's Cabin

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Famous conductor of the Underground Railroad

Harriet Tubman

How was Lincoln "Neutral" about slavery in the election of 1860?

He essentially said that he would do anything that was necessary in regards to slavery in order to heal the Union, including keep all slaves in captivity, if he were to judge that that was best for the country. He didn't promise that he would ban or legalize slavery, but rather, that he would do whatever was needed to solve the conflicts in the country.

What benefit did Lincoln receive by being relatively unknown at the 1860 convention?

He hadn't offended Republicans as much as other candidate, Seward

What did the slave states do to Lincoln during the presidential election?

He wasn't even on the ballot but won in free states

Senator nicknamed "the Great Compromiser"

Henry Clay

What did Lincoln believe was the only thing that could cause slavery to go away?

If national legislation was passed to abolish it

Southern slave based agriculture was so profitable, it siphoned money away from what?

It siphoned money from other economic endeavors, very little industry

What was slavery?

It was coerced labor based on dehumanization, intimidation, and brutality

White leader of abolitionist raid in Harper's Ferry Virginia

John Brown

How did John Brown and William Lloyd Garrison differ on ending slavery?

John Brown and William Llody Garrison differed on ending slavery because Garrison believed more in a non-violent abolition, whereas Brown believed violence and war were the only ways that would lead to abolition.

Pro-slavery senator who deabated the Compromise of 1850

John C. Calhoun

How did John C. Calhoun argue in favor of slavery on the floor of the Senate?

John C. Calhoun argued in favor of slavery on the floor of the Senate by saying that slavery brought together two races of differing physical and intellectual abilities, and for that reason, it was a positive force.

State called "bloody" because of violent conflicts over slavery

Kansas

What name did Kansas gain after John Browns bloody revolt, and Southern pro slavery activists retaliation?

Kansas gained the name bleeding kansas.

Why was Kansas important in the battle over Slavery?

Kansas was important in the battle over slavery because It was likely that the western states would go the same way.

Belief that the US was entitled to expand to the Pacific Ocean

Manifest destiny

Although most southern white people did not own slaves, many still supported slavery because:

Many southern white people still supported slavery because of both racist notions and the hope they can potentially own slaves themselves in the future.

what were the four slave states that did not seceed in 1860

Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and Delaware

What reasoning did Justices McClean and Curtis use in arguing against Tanney's decision? Are there any flaws in this reasoning?

McClean and Curtis argued that the Constitution recognized African Americans as citizens, meaning that abolishing slavery would not be taking away property from slave owners. They also cited the Necessary and Proper clause of the constitution, which allows Congress to make any rules that can be deemed necessary, such as the abolition of slavery.

What effect did Nat Turner's rebellion have on southern whites?

Nat Turner's rebellion caused fear within the white people of the south because of the violence that they saw. Nat Turner's rebellion is proof that slaves fought back and searched for solutions but the results of it showed that persisting was the best option for slaves in the south at the time.

The favoring of native born Americans over immigrants

Nativism

Just before the Civil war, why did Northerners and Southerners continually clash?

Northerners and Southerners continually clashed every time a new piece of land was added to the nation.

Harper's Ferry Raid

Occurred in October of 1859. John Brown of Kansas attempted to create a major revolt among the slaves. He wanted to ride down the river and provide the slaves with arms from the North, but he failed to get the slaves organized. Brown was captured. The effects of Harper's Ferry Raid were as such: the South saw the act as one of treason and were encouraged to separate from the North, and Brown became a martyr to the northern abolitionist cause.

The right of residents of a territory to vote for or against slavery.

Popular sovereignty

How did religion interact with life and slavery?

Religion interacted with life and slavery ebcause slave masteres wanted their slaves to learn parts of the bilbe which talked about happiness and bondage, but they couldnt read. Though many still learned and enjoyed stories like Moses bringing slaves out of bondage. A great number of them also became preachers.

Philospopher who wrote "A Theory of Moral Sentiments"

Smith

State where Fort Sumter existed

South Carolina

Why did South Carolina congressman Preston Brooks beat Anti-Slavery Charles Sumner of Massachusetts on the floor of the Senate?

South Carolina congressman Preston Brooks beat Anti-Slavery Charles Sumner of Massachusetts on the floor of the Senate because Charles Sumner accused southerners of "raping and plundering the virgin territory" of Kansas.

According to the video: why did some southerners think that slaves "benefitted" from slavery

Southerners thought that slaves "benefitted" from slavery because they were taken care of and given food and clothes.

The presidential election of 1860

Stephen A. Douglas (Northern Democrat), John C. Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), John Bell (Constitution Union Party), Abraham Lincoln (Republican). Abraham Lincoln won. This caused the south to secede.

What is popular sovereignty?

Stephen Douglass believed that this right in each state should be permitted to decide slavery, but the concept horrified the anti-slavery Northerners

What is the Dred Scott v. Sanford decision?

Supreme Court decision that ruled the Missouri Compromise was Unconstitutional

What did Republicans think of Lincoln?

That he would be a good candidate for president since he attacked slavery

What did Southerners claim about Lincoln's election?

That it would be the "greatest evil that has ever befallen this country"

What did Lincoln's election convince southern voters?

That they had no voice in government and that slavery would be abolished

What was the Court's reasoning in the Dred Scott Decision (e.g. what parts of the Constitution did it interpret)? Are there any flaws in this reasoning?

The Court's reasoning in the Dred Scott Decision was that only white men are included in the Constitution leaving slaves to not be considered as citizens so they could not file a lawsuit. The court also stated that since they believed slaves were property, banning slavery would be almost taking away property, which they wrote violated the 5th amendment. This led to them prohibiting Congress from banning slavery from all territories. There are many flaws in this reasoning. A clause in the Constitution states that Congress has the power to make decisions regarding the governance of US territories, therefore prohibiting Congress from making these decisions is unconstitutional. Additionally, African Americans are citizens of the US, and previous laws had recognized them as such.

How did the Dred Scott case affect slavery in the United States?

The Dred Scott case affected slavery in the United States because the Supreme Court that congress had no power to stop the spread of slavery into the territories and any free African American can be put into slavery for "their own safety".

What effect on History did the Dred Scott Decision have? Might history have been different if this decision was not made in favor of Dred Scott's master?

The Dred Scott decision impacted history because it sparked conflict. Since the court ruled in favor of Dred Scott's master, this stripped Dred Scott of his rights to freedom in a free state. This caused an uproar in society and it made people push for change. If the decision was different, then maybe this sort of change would not have been possible.

What was the Fugitive Slave Law?

The Fugitive Slave Law stated that all slaves that had escaped (even to free states), could be "retrieved" by their southern slave owners or "returned".

According to the video why did the Mexican-American War begin?

The Mexican-American War began because the United States annexed Texas and Mexico took it as a threat.

how did North benefit from slavery?

The North benefited from slavery by the production and selling of cotton, land, and insurance companies that insured slaves.

Wwhat was the cause of the South to secede?

The cause of the South to secede was Abraham Lincoln's win of the election

What effect, beyond the fate of Dred Scott, did the court's decision have? Is it the role of the Supreme court to affect the country as it did?

The court's decision heightened tensions seeing that they couldn't really come to an agreement still. They were having issues on whether or not certain decisions were constitutional. The court's decision showed an extremely pro-slavery lean on the part of the Supreme Court, which many in the country opposed, and it also raised the additional question of how much authority and importance the Supreme Court should have. It eventually led up to the Civil War.

What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

The kansas-nebraska act was the repeal of the missouri compromise and allowed slavery in some of the land of the louisiana purchase which allowed for slavery to be very strong and present in the new territory of kansas.

What were main ways that slaves resisted against slavery?

The main ways slaves resisted against slavery were by running away and attempting rebellions. They either would run away to Canada or temporarily leave (to the swamps and would eventually return). Rebellions, or uprisings, were also attempted although they would rarely occur. They would also slow down work, by messing up equipment or pretending not to understand instructions.

what is the Republican Party?

The party that was united in opposition to the Kansas Nebraska act of 1854

What were the terms of the Compromise of 1850?

There were multiple terms of the Compromise of 1850. To begin with, California was admitted as a free state. Utah and New Mexico territories decided themselves about slavery (popular soverignty). In addition, the Texas-New Mexico boundary dispute was resolved as Texas paid $10 million by the federal government. In the District of Columbia, the sale of slaves was banned. However, slavery itself was allowed to continue in that region. The final term was that the Fugitive Slave Act required people in the free states to help capture and return escaped states.

What is the free soil party?

This party was formed to oppose extension of slavery into the territories

Nativism

This theory favored native born Americans over immigrants

What was Henry Clay's compromise on California and whether it was a slave state.

Under Henry Clay's compromise, California would come in as a free state and Utah and New Mexico would decide if it was going to be a free or slave state through popular sovereignty.

Peaceful abolitionist

William Lloyd Garrison

Did William Lloyd Garrison believe that the Constitution was a good idea or a source of the problems in the United States?

William Lloyd Garrison believed that the Constitution was the source of problems in the United States. He believed that it was this symbol of hate in a way.

What did Harper's ferry raid cause Southern Slave owners to fear?

a national violent slave uprising

Lincoln-Douglass Debates (while running for Senate 1858)

a series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas for an Illinois seat in the Senate. led to Abe Lincoln being elected to the senate and this experience later propelled him to the Presidency

Underground Railroad

a system of secret routes used by escaping slaves to reach freedom in the North or in Canada

Stephen Douglas

an American senate candidate from Illinois and the designer of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. He popularized the idea of popular sovereignty and believed that it would allow slavery to pass away on its own

How electoral votes did Lincoln receive from the south?

none

The formal withdrawal of a state from the Union

secession

What were Lincoln and Douglass running for when they had their famous debates?

the US Senate

Who was Jefferson Davis?

the first president of the confederate states of america

What is the confederate states of America

the new name of the southern states when they formed a government