Chapter 18
Who was William H. Seward and what made him significant in the debate of 1850?
He was one of the main northern speakers who seemed not to realize that the compromise had brought the Union together and that when the sections could no longer compromise, they would have to party company.
What was Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois significant for?
He was significant for being a heavy investor in Chicago and the railroad industry
What was Pierce will to do to help gain more slave territory?
He was willing to be a tool for the Southerners
What was Henry Clay's crucial goal in the Crisis of 1850?
Henry Clay proposed and skillfully defended a series of compromises. He was ably seconded by thirty seven year old Senator Stephen A. Douglas whose role was even more important.
Who were a high percentage of settlers to California and what did this cause?
High percentage of settlers were lawless men followed by women, which caused an outburst of crime with robbery, claim jumping, and murder
When did the deadlock in Congress around the mid 1800s end?
In 1850 when President Taylor died and Millard Fillmore took over. Fillmore signed the series of compromise measures that passed Congress after seven long months of stormy debate, but the Compromise of 1850 was delicate in the extreme
Where did the drastic Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 stir up the most opposition?
In the North
Where did the Republican Party spring up?
In the west
What was the response of the Northerners and Southerners to the Fugitive Slave Law plus the Kansas-Nebraska Bill?
It left the Northerners and Southerners throwing more and more hostility across the continent
What did the Kansas-Nebraska Bill do for the Northerners?
It made it so that they would no longer give any more ground to the South
What was popular sovereignty's one fatal defect?
It might have helped spread the disease of slavery
What happened to the old fugitive slave law?
It passed in 1793 and had been proven inadequate
What did the Clayton Bulwer Treaty prove to be?
It proved to be a chain for American canal promoters in the future
What was the Clayton Bulwer Treaty of 1850 and why is it significant?
It stopped the possibility of armed conflict (since armed conflict was on the horizon) by stating that neither America or Britain would fortify or secure exclusive control one rant future waterways.
What had the entrance of California as a free state tipped?
It tipped the Senate balance permanently against the South
What did Japan decide to do mid-1800s after 200 years of isolation and what did America do in response?
Japan opened it up to the world because of the Russian menace on their doorstep and America then sent a fleet of warships to flex the muscles of America and to convince Japan to sign a trade treaty.
What was land transportation imperative of?
Land transportation was imperative of the newly won possessions on the Pacific Coast (afraid it might break away)
What happened around the time of the Nominating Convention of 1852 luckily for the Democrats?
Luckily for the Democrats, the whig party was split. Antislavery Whigs of the North swallowed Scott as their nominee, but disapproved of his platform, which endorsed the hated Fugitive Slave Law
What was the Election of 1852 most significant for?
Marking the effective end of the disorganized Whig Party and within a few years, it's complete death
Who took over President Taylor's position when he died?
Millard Fillmore
Did a lot of people strike rich from mining for gold?
No, only a few people struck it rich mining while most would've made more money staying at home
How did Northerners feel about the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and how did this affect their views on Senator Douglas?
Northerners were furious over the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and now viewed Douglas as a traitor. (Although he still gained strong support from the democratic party)
Who was Harriet Tubman and what is she significant for?
One of the famous "conductors" of the Underground Railroad who helped runaway slaves. She rescued more than 3 hundred slaves including her aged parents, and earned the title "Moses"
What did the Whig's campaign focus on?
Opponents flaws, not real issues such as slavery in the territories
Who were the people that were best off during the California Gold Fever?
People who were best off were those who businesses off of the miners to wash clothes and other services
How did Senator Douglas shove the Kansas-Nebraska Bill through Congress?
Political wit and a quick mind
Which President agreed with Seward and his "higher law"?
President Taylor
Once American followers were shot and strangled in Cuba, what did Pierce realize he need to do?
Provoke a war with Spain and seize Cuba
What did Seward argued in regards of religion in the Debate of 1850?
Seward argued that Christian legislators must obey God's moral law as well as man's mundane law therefore appealing to a "higher law" then the Constitution.
The Democratic Nominating Convention of 1852 met in Baltimore. What was the reaction?
Shock, it startled the nation
In the times of tension to balancing the Compromise scales what did the Underground Railroad do?
Step up and infuriate northern mobs by rescuing slaves from their pursuers
What was General Lewis Cass significant for?
Supporting the expansion of slavery and was well known as the reputed father of "popular sovereign."
What did Taylor privately encourage California to do in regards to slavery and statehood?
Taylor privately encouraged California to outlaw slavery and apply to become a state, skipping the territorial stage
Once the sectional conflict over the expansion of slavery was erupted by the Mexican War, quieted by the Compromise of 1850, what erupted it again?
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
What had to be done about the Missouri Compromise to make sure that the Kansas-Nebraska Bill was able to run it's course?
The Missouri Compromise had to be repealed
What did the Missouri Compromise of 1820 forbid?
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 forbid slavery in the Nebraska Territory.
When did the North and South come together again?
The North and South came together as the Second Era of Good Feelings but that didn't last long
How did the northern states "Union savers" and the southerners "fire eater" view the compromises Fillmore signed?
The Northerners accepted the compromises, while the Southerners were still against it
How and where did the Republican Party spread?
The Republican party quickly spread East
Why was the South worried once California entered as a free state?
The admission of California would destroy the equilibrium in the Senate, slave territory under the American flag was running short
Where there is not compromise, there is _______
war
What would settle the issue of slavery in Kansas and Nebraska in regards to Senator Douglas's plan?
The issue of slavery in these new territories would be settled by popular sovereignty
What was American expansion of the 1850s resolutely tied to?
The question of slavery
Which people did the Free Soil Party gain support from?
Those unhappy with Polk and northerners
Where did North and South believe slavery was seriously threatened and why?
Where it already existed below the Mason-Dixon Line because the fifteen states could easily veto and propose constitutional amendment.
Was a treaty signed between America and Japan over trade?
Yes, a commercial treaty was signed in 1854
Who did the Whigs favor for the Presidential Election against General Lewis Cass?
Zachary Taylor
What were 2 principles of the Fugitive Slave Law?
1. Fleeing slaves couldn't testify in their own behalf 2 Slaves were denied a jury trial
What type of power did America become with the occupation of California and Oregon?
A Pacific power (this made it so that trade with the Far East began to flourish)
What was the Free Soil Party and why were they significant?
A group of anti-slavery men in the North that were digesting with Taylor and Cass. They wanted no slavery in the territories, advocated federal aid for internal improvements and urged free government homesteads for settlers
Who was Franklin Pierce and why is he significant?
A lawyer-politician who was trying to be pushed back by the Whig Party with the cry, who is Franklin Pierce? A weak and indecisive figure
What were Southerners demanding by 1850?
A new and more strict fugitive slave law.
What rift was started after the start of the Republican Party?
A rift was started at the Mason Dixon line
What was the Underground Railroad and why is it significant?
A series of stops and safe houses for slaves to hide and travel to places free of slavery
What did James Gadsen arrange a treaty for in 1853?
A treaty that ceded the Mexican land tot he United States, the Gadsden Purchase area for about $10 million.
What was a legacy of the Mexican War?
Acute transportation.
When did sectional conflict over the expansion of slavery erupt?
After the Mexican War
What was the Republican Party a combination of?
All the opposing politicians to the Kansas-Nebraska Act
What was the prime objective of Manifest Destiny in the 1850s?
Cuba
What was Pierce forced to do when he was confronted with the Northern outbursts back home?
He was forced to drop his schemes for Cuba
How did President Pierce feel about the Kansas-Nebraska Bill?
He threw his full support behind it with the "help" of his southern advisors.
How was each of the two great political parties a vital bond of unity?
Because each of them enjoyed powerful support in both the North and the South
Why did the public like popular sovereignty?
Because it had a persuasive appeal and accorded with the democratic tradition of self-determination.
Why was the repealing of the Missouri Compromise not taken lightly?
Because it had been around for so long.
Why did politicians like popular sovereignty?
Because it seemed a comfortable compromise between the abolition bid for a ban on slavery in the territories and southern demands that Congress protect slavery in the territories
Why did many southerners surf a loss of many runaway slaves?
Because many were assisted by the Underground Railroad
Why was Cuba the prime objective of Manifest Destiny in the 1850s?
Because supporting a large population of enslaved blacks, it was coveted by the South as the most desirable slave territory available
Why did the Southerners want a stricter fugitive slave law?
Because the South estimated about 1,000 runaway slaves a year out of its total of 4,000,000
Why was the South relatively well off in 1850?
Because the South had seated war hero Zachary Taylor in the white house. If outnumber in the House, the South had equality in the Senate, where it could at least neutralize northern maneuvers
Why did another chunk of Mexico seem desirable?
Because the campaigns of the recent war had shown that the best railway route ran slightly south of the Mexican border
What catastrophe was Congress confronted with in 1850?
California was banging on the door for admission into Congress and the fire eaters in the South were voicing ominous threats of secession. (The crisis brought in the most distinguished assemblage of statesmen since the constitutional convention of 1787)
What were Henry Clay's views on a fugitive slave law?
Clay urged with all his persuasiveness that the North and South both make enacting more practical slave laws
Texas claimed a huge area East of the Rio grande and North of forty-second parallel, embracing half of present day New Mexico. What did Federal government propose to do with this and what did Texas want to do with this?
Federal Government: proposed to remove this prize Texas: wanted to claim what they thought was rightfully theirs
Why at the mid 1800s was the Union in danger?
For what is a country when it is 2 countries?
What did Seward use his argument for his belief in "Higher Law" in regard to slavery?
He used it as reason to stop slavery from spreading (This phrase may have cost him the presidential nomination and the presidency in 1860)
How did Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois feel about the North-South deadlock over westward expansion?
He longed to break it and spread a line of settlements across the continent
What was Douglas's proposal for the westward expansion to expand the railroad track?
He proposed that the new territory be sliced into 2 new territories, Kansas and Nebraska.
How did California enter America?
As a free state
Why did the Whigs favor Zachary Taylor over Clay to run against General Lewis Cass?
Because Clay had a large amount of speeches
Why did both of the political parties agree that it was strategy to ignore the issue of slavery?
Because both of them had powerful support in bot the North and the South
At the roots, what were the causes of sectionalism in antebellum America?
Disagreements on slavery, territory, as well as fugitive slave laws (ex. Texans, Southern slave owners)
Who did Democrats elect since President Polk got sick and could only serve one term?
General Lewis Cass, a veteran of the War of 1812
Who was General Scott and why is he significant in regard to the Defeat and Doom for the Whigs?
General Scott, victorious on the battlefield, met defeat at the ballot box representing the Whig Party.
Why did Great Britain take control of Greytown (which was at the Eastern end of the proposed Nicaraguan canal root)?
Great Britain took control of Greytown to prevent the Americans from gaining that vital trade artery
Who was William Walker and why is he significant in regards to slavery?
He became President of Nicaragua in 1856 by force and opened it up to southern slavery. Soon the central American nations united and overthrew him
What did Van Buren do in the election of Cass vs. Taylor?
He diverted votes from Cass in New York, which caused Taylor to win the election
Northern free-soilers were already angered by the Fugitive Slave Law and other gains for slavery. What really rose an outburst of wrath?
The "manifesto of brigands"
What quieted sectional conflict over the expansion of slavery once it erupted after the Mexican War?
The Compromise of 1850
What happened during the 1850-1851 expeditions upon Cuba?
They were repelled and the last one ended when the leader and fifty followers were shot or strangled.
What discovery in California in 1848 sent a high fever to California?
The discovery of gold in California in 1848 sent a high fever to go mine gold.
Although many railroad promoters in both the North and South had projected many routes to the Pacific Coast, what happened?
The estimated cost in all cases was so great that for many years there could obvious only one line.
What did the Southerners urgently need from the territories of New Mexico and Utah?
The southerners urgently needed more territory to restore the "sacred balance" of Senate
What happened in result of California tipping the Senate balance?
The territories of New Mexico and Utah were open to slavery on the basis of popular sovereignty
Who was a well-known Free soiler?
Van Buren
