APUSH Chapter 19: Drifting Toward Disunion, 1854-1861

The Impending Crisis of the South

A book by a southern writer that argued that slavery especially oppressed poor whites.

Crittenden Compromise

A last-ditch plan to save the Union by providing guarantees for slavery in the territories.

Confederate States of America

A new nation that proclaimed it independence in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1861.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

A powerful, personal novel that altered the course of American politics.

The election of Lincoln as president

A. Moved South Carolina to declare immediate secession from the Union.

Preston Brooks

A. Southern Congressman whose bloody attack on a northern senator fueled sectional hatred

Know Nothing Party

Anti-immigrant party headed by former President Fillmore that competed with the Republicans and Democrats in the election of 1856.

In which three states did every single county for which returns are available support secession?

Arkansas, North Carolina, and South Carolina

Stephen A. Douglas

B. Leading northern Democrat whose presidential hopes fell victim to the conflict over slavery

The splitting of the Democratic party in 1860

B. Shattered one of the last links between the sections and almost guaranteed Lincoln's victory in 1860

Dred Scott

C. Black slave whose unsuccessful attempt to win his freedom deepened the sectional controversy

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry

C. Convinced southerners that the North generally supported murder and slave rebellion

Dred Scott decision

Controversial Supreme Court ruling that blacks had no civil or human rights and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories.

Jefferson Davis

D. Former United States senator who in 1861 became the president of what called itself a new nation

The 1858 Illinois senate race

D. Made Lincoln a leading national Republican figure and hurt Douglas' presidential chances

Hinton R. Helper

G. Southern-born author whose book attacking slavery's effects on whites aroused northern opinion

Buchanan's support for the proslavery Lecompton Constitution

H. Offended Senator Douglas and divided the Democratic party

Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas

H. Scene of militant abolitionist John Brown's massacre of proslavery men in 1856

H. B. Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin

I. Persuaded millions of northerners and Europeans that slavery was evil and should be eliminated

Montgomery, Alabama

I. Site where the seven seceding states united to declare their independence from the United States

John C. Breckinridge

M. Buchanan's vice president, nominated for president by breakaway southern Democrats in 1860.

In which six northern states did Lincoln carry every single county?

Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island

James Buchanan

N. Weak Democratic president whose manipulation by proslavery forces divided his own party

Constitutional Union Party

Newly formed middle-of-the-road party of elderly politicians that sought compromise in 1860, but carried only three border states.

New England Emigrant Aid Company

O. Abolitionist group that sent settlers and "Beecher's Bibles" to oppose slavery in Kansas

Lame Duck

Period between Lincoln's election and his inauguration during which the ineffectual President Buchanan remained in office.

Beecher's Bibles

Rifles paid for by New England abolitionists and brought to Kansas by anti-slavery pioneers.

Panic of 1857

Sharp economic decline that increased the northern demands for a high tariff and convinced southerners that the North was economically vulnerable.

Bleeding Kansas

Term that describes the prairie territory where a small-scale civil war erupted in 1856.

Summary

The 1850s were punctuated by successive confrontations that deepened sectional hostility until it broke out in the Civil War. Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin fanned northern antislavery feeling. In Kansas, proslavery and antislavery forces fought a bloody little preview of the Civil War. Buchanan's support of the proslavery Lecompton Constitution alienated moderate northern Democrats like Douglas. Congressman Brook's beating of Senator Sumner aroused passions in both sections. The 1856 election signaled the rise of the sectionally based Republican Party. The Dred Scott case delighted the South, while northern Republicans pledged defiance. The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 deepened the national controversy over slavery. John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry made him a heroic martyr in the North but caused outraged southerners to fear a slave uprising. The Democratic Party split along sectional lines, allowing Lincoln to win the four-way 1860 election. Seven southern states quickly seceded and organized the Confederate States of America. As southerners optimistically cast off their ties to the hated North, lame-duck President Buchanan proved unable to act. The last minute Crittenden Compromise effort failed because of Lincoln's opposition.

Lincoln Douglass Debate

Thoughtful political discussion during an Illinois Senate campaign that sharply defined national issues concerning slavery.

Lecomton Constitution

Trickery proslavery document deigned to bring Kansas into the Union but was blocked by Stephen A. Douglas.

Although the Republican candidate lost to Buchanan, the election of 1856 demonstrated the growing power of the new anti-slavery party.

True

Both South Carolina and Massachusetts defiantly reelected the principal figures in the Brooks-Sumner beating incident.

True

Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin proved to be the most influential publication in arousing the northern and European publics against the evils of slavery.

True

John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry failed to set off a slave uprising but succeeded in inflaming passions in both North and South.

True

Republicans considered the Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision invalid and vowed to defy it.

True

Seven states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America during the "lameduck" period between Lincoln's election and his inauguration.

True

The election of 1860 was really two campaigns, Lincoln versus Douglas in the North and Bell versus Breckenridge in the South.

True

The overwhelming support for Lincoln in the North gave him a majority of the total popular vote despite winning almost no votes in the South.

True

The violence in Kansas was provoked by both radical abolitionists and militant proslavery forces.

True

In which four future Confederate states was the opposition to secession strongest?

Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia

Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin

a. greatly strengthened northern anti-slavery feeling.

The panic of 1857 encouraged the South to believe that

a. its economy was fundamentally stronger than that of the North.

The fanatical abolitionist John Brown made his first entry into violent antislavery politics by

a. killing five proslavery settlers at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas.

During the campaign of 1860, Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party

a. opposed the expansion of slavery but made no statements threatening to abolish slavery in the South.

Lincoln rejected the proposed Crittenden Compromise because

b. it permitted the further extension of slavery south of the 36º 30' line.

Within two months after the election of Lincoln,

b. seven southern states had seceded and formed the Confederate States of America.

The Sumner-Brooks affair revealed

b. the violent disagreements about slavery were being felt in the halls of Congress.

Southerners were particularly enraged by the John Brown affair because

b. they believed Brown's violent abolitionist sentiments were shared by the whole North.

A key issue in the Lincoln-Douglas debates was

b. whether the people of a territory could prohibit slavery in light of the Dred Scott decision.

In the Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court

c. ruled that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories because slaves were private property.

Hinton R. Helper's The Impending crisis of the South contended that

c. slavery deeply harmed the poor whites of the South.

In the campaign of 1860, the Democratic Party

c. split in two, with each faction nominating its own presidential candidate.

The election of 1856 was most noteworthy for

c. the dramatic rise of the Republican party.

As presented to Congress, the Lecompton Constitution provided for

d. the admission of Kansas as a slave state.

The conflict over slavery in Kansas

d. was greatly escalated by abolitionist-funded settlers and pro-slavery "border ruffians" from Missouri.

Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin

greatly strengthened northern antislavery feeling.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

E. "The little woman who wrote the book that made this great war" (the Civil War)

Lincoln's rejection of the Crittenden Compromise

E. Ended the last hopes of a peaceable sectional settlement and an end to secession

John Brown

F. Fanatical and bloody-minded abolitionist martyr admired in the North and hated in the South

The "lame-duck" period and Buchanan's indecisiveness

F. Paralyzed the North as the southern secessionist movement gained momentum

By opposing the proslavery Lecompton Constitution in Kansas, Senator Stephen A. Douglas was able to unite the Democratic party.

False-By opposing the proslavery Lecompton Constitution in Kansas, Senator Stephen A. Douglas was able to divide the Democratic party.

In the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Lincoln's criticisms forced Douglas to back away from his support for popular sovereignty.

False-In the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Lincoln's criticisms forced Douglas to reinforce his support for popular sovereignty.

Lincoln made a strong effort to get the South to accept the Crittenden Compromise in order to avoid a civil war.

False-Lincoln made a strong effort to deny the Crittenden Compromise because it went against his platform.

Northern Democrats walked out of the Democratic party in 1860 when southerners nominated Stephen A. Douglas for president.

False-Northern Democrats nominated Douglas for president and Southerners nominated Breckinridge.

Prosouthern Kansas pioneers brought numerous slaves with them in order to guarantee that Kansas would not become a free state.

False-Prosouthern Kansas pioneers voted "early and often" in order to guarantee that Kansas would not become a free state.

Lincoln rejected the proposed Crittenden Compromise because

it permitted the further extension of slavery north of the line of 36*30'.

The Dred Scott decision upheld the doctrine of popular sovereignty that the people of each territory should determine whether or not to permit slavery.

False-The Dred Scott decision said that it was illegal to outlaw slavery.

The panic of 1857 encouraged the South to believe that

its economy was fundamentally stronger than that of the North.

South Carolina

First state to secede from the Union in December, 1860.

The fanatical abolitionist John Brown made his first entry into violent antislavery politics by

killing five proslavery settlers at Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas.

During the campaign of 1860, Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party

opposed the expansion of slavery but made no statements threatening to abolish slavery in the South

In the Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court

ruled that Congress could not prohibit slavery in the territories because slaves were private property.

Within two months after the election of Lincoln,

seven southern states had seceded and formed the Confederate States of America.

Hinton R. Helper's The Impending Crisis of the South contended that

slavery did great harm to the poor whites of the South.

In the campaign of 1860, the Democratic party

split in two, with each faction nominatinf its own presidential candidate.

The Sumner-Brooks affair revealed

that violent diagreements about slavery were being felt in the halls of Congress.

As presented to Congred,, the Lecompton Constitution provided for

the admission of Kansas as a slave state.

The election of 1856 was noteworthy for

the dramatic rise of the Republican party.

Southerners were particularly enraged by the John Brown affair because

they believed the Brown's violent abolitionist sentiments were shared by the whole North.

The conflict over slavery in Kansas

was greatly escalated by abolitionist-funded settlers and proslavery "border ruffians" from Missouri.

A key issue in the Lincoln-Douglas debates was

whether the people of a territory could prohibit slavery in light of the Dred Scott decision.

Election of 1860

Four-way race for the presidency that resulted in the election of sectional minority president.

The Dred Scott case

G. Infuriated Republicans and made them determined to defy the Supreme Court

The exercise of "popular sovereignty" in Kansas

J. Led to a "mini" prairie civil war between proslavery and antislavery groups

John C. Fremont

J. Romantic western hero and first republican candidate for president

Charles Sumner

K. Abolitionist senator whose verbal attack on the South provoked a physical assault that severely injured him

Harper's Ferry

L. Site of a federal arsenal where a militant abolitionist attempted to stop a slave rebellion