APUSH Chapter 16 Terms

Denmark Vesey

Literal: Denmark Vesey was a slave that led a failed slave rebellion in Charleston South Carolina in 1822. Interpretive: This was one of the slave rebellions that contributed to the controversy over slavery that contributed to sparking the Civil War.

William Lloyd Garrison/The Liberator

Literal: He was a great abolitionist who owned the newspaper called "The Liberator." Interpretive: Himself and the newspaper were a gret force in starting the Civil War.

Nat Turner

Literal: Nat Turner was a black preacher that led an unsuccessful slave revolt in Virginia in 1831. Interpretive: This is one of the slave revolts that created tension n the south that led to the Civil War.

Black Belt

Literal: The "black belt" was a region in the south that stretched from North Carolina to the southwest states of Mississippi and Louisiana in 1860 that contained most of the slaves in the United States. Interpretive: This was the region of the planter aristocracy and controlled most of the politics for a great deal of time.

Wendell Phillips/David Walker

Literal: These men were both abolitionists and part of the American Anti-Slavery Society. Interpretive: They played major roles in the emancipation of slaves.

Liberty Party/Free Soil Party

Literal: These were parties that fought for the rights of African-Americans. Interpretive: They played a major role in the abolitionist movement.

Hillbillies/Crackers/Clay-Eaters

Literal: These were referred to as "White Trash" and were the lower class white population in the south. Interpretive: Even though these people were to poor to own any slaves, they were great supporters of the slavery system which greatly influenced the politics at the time.

Frederick Douglass

Literal: This man escaped from slavery in 1838 and went on to promote the emancipation of slaves despite suffering frequent beatings from pro-slavery whites. Interpretive: He played a key role in the act to end slavery.

Elijah P. Lovejoy

Literal: This man was an anti-slavery reverend and abolitionist. Interpretive: His murder by a pro-slavery mob in 1837 sparked controversy over abolitionism and the slavery institution.

The American Colonization Society

Literal: This society was founded in 1817 and served the purpose of transporting slaves back to Africa. Interpretive: This was an early form of abolitionist efforts to end slavery in the United States.

Planter Aristocracy

Literal: This was an oligarchy of 1,733 very rich families in the south that owned more than 100 slaves each. Interpretive: Due to the 3/5 compromise, this oligarchy heavily influenced the politics and the presidency in america for more than 75 years.

Peculiar Institution

Literal: This was another term for the slavery institution. Interpretive: This would lead to the conflict over slavery in the Civil War.

Slavery as a "positive good"

Literal: This was propaganda launched by pro-slavery whites that stated that slavery was supported by the teachings of the Bible and Aristotle. Interpretive: This new ideology had them forget sections of the morality of their "peculiar institution."

King Cotton

Literal: This was the term given to the bond that the south had with Britain because Britain depended on the south's cotton so much. Interpretive: This led to Britain allying with the south during the Civil War and heavily influenced its events.

Sojourner Truth

Literal: This woman was a free African-American and fought for emancipation of slaves and women's rights. Interpretive: She played a major role in fighting for African-American rights.