Terms
Uncle Tom’s Cabin- An abolitionist novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe containing vivid details of slavery and its evils.
Republican Party- Party that emerged in the 1850s in the aftermath of the bitter controversy over the Kansas-Nebraska Act, consisting of former Whigs, some northern Democrats, and many Know-Nothings.
Compromise of 1850- The four-step compromise which admitted California to the Union as a free state, allowed the residents of the New Mexico and Utah territories to decide the slavery issue for themselves, ended the slave trade in Washington DC, and passed a new fugitive slave law to enforce the constitutional provision stating that a slave escaping into a free state shall be delivered back to the owner.
Sumner/Brooks Incident-
Popular Sovereignty (Lewis Cass)- A solution to the slavery crisis, presented to Congress by Lewis Cass, which would allow territorial residents to decide if the state would be a slave state or a free state through voting.
Dred Scott Decision- Supreme Court ruling, in a lawsuit brought about by Dred Scott, a slave demanding his freedom based on his residence in a free state, that slaves could not be US citizens and that Congress had no jurisdiction over slavery in the territories.
Fugitive Slave Law- Part of the Compromise of 1850 that required the authorities in the North to assist Southern slave catchers and return runaway slaves to their owners.
Roger Taney- The Supreme Court Chief Justice who made the ruling on the Dred Scott case. He claimed that blacks were entitled to none of the rights that whites had.
Ostend Manifesto- The United States’ secret plan to buy Cuba from Spain for $120 million. It was defamed by the free-soilers. The US believed it would be “justified in wrestling” Cuba away.
Lecompton Constitution- Proslavery draft written in 1857 by Kansas territorial delegates elected under questionable circumstances; it was rejected by two governors, supported by President Buchanan, and decisively defeated by Congress.
Kansas-Nebraska Act- Law passed in 1854 creating the Kansas and Nebraska territories but leaving the question of slavery open to the residents, thereby repealing the Missouri Compromise.
Panic of 1857- Banking crisis that caused a credit crunch in the North; it was less severe in the South, where high cotton prices spurred a quick recovery.
Bleeding Kansas- Violence between pro- and antislavery forces in the Kansas Territory after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854.
Harper’s Ferry (John Brown Raid)- New England abolitionist John Brown’s ill-fated attempt to free Virginia’s slaves with a raid on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia in 1859.
John Brown- A flaming abolitionist who committed many brutal murders via chopping with swords at Pottawotamie Creek in May 1856.
Election of 1860- An election between Lincoln (Republican), Douglas (Northern Democrat), Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), and Bell (Constitutional Unionist). Lincoln won the election.
Nativism- The belief that America should be composed only of white people, and that immigrants were not welcome.
Confederate States of America- Nation proclaimed in Montgomery, Alabama in February 1861, after the seven states of the lower south seceded from the US.
American Party/Know-Nothings- Name given to the anti-immigrant party formed from the wreckage of the Whig Party and some disaffected Northern Democrats in 1854.
Jefferson Davis- The president of the Confederate States of America.
Nathaniel Hawthorne- The author of the Scarlet Letter. His novels reflected his beliefs on the psychological effects of sin, as well as making moral choices based on what society thinks of a person versus what the person thinks of themselves.
Herman Melville- A author, the writer of Moby Dick. His novels were largely over the battle between good and evil, and they reflected the US society of the 1850s.
Emily Dickinson- A poet, though only 7 of her 1800 poems were published during her lifetime.
Harriet Beecher Stowe- The author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Stephen Douglas- An American politician from Illinois who was on the ballot on the Democratic ticket for the 1860 election. He was a firm believer in splitting the Nebraska territory in to Kansas and Nebraska, and implementing popular sovereignty in those areas.
Election of 1856- Election in 1856 won by James Buchanan (Democrat) over Fremont (Republican) and Fillmore (Know-Nothing).
Lincoln-Douglas Debates- Series of debates in the 1858 Illinois senatorial campaign during which Douglas and Lincoln staked out their differing opinions on the issue of slavery.
Freeport Doctrine- The doctrine proposed by Stephen Douglas, in response to Lincoln in the Lincoln-Douglas debates. He was being forced to choose between popular sovereignty and the Dred Scott Ruling, and he said that slavery could be prevented by the citizens passing laws against it.
Questions
1) The Compromise of 1850 made certain states take sides, such as California as a free state. It failed to keep the states continue cooperating to have the citizens decide on the states’ slave status.
2) The Kansas-Nebraska Act was so devastating to the party system because it totally took back what had previously been achieved by the Missouri Compromise. The party leaders couldn’t come up with a better solution because there were desperate times in Kansas. That was the “Bleeding Kansas” period.
3) The Dred Scott decision was seen as such an outrage by Northerners because it claimed the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, saying that Congress could not outlaw slavery anywhere. This is what was seen as most objectionable, because it took the wind out of all of the abolitionists’ sails.
4) The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were so important in judging Northern opinions because the two candidates were trying to say things to impress the Northern citizens. Namely, those of Illinois.
5) John Brown’s raid had the impact of stirring up the Southern slaves and getting their hopes up that they might have one day become free. This caused them to want to help the Union side of the war. It is possible that this rebellion partially caused the start of the Civil War.
6) Lincoln won the election of 1860 because he was so strongly supported in the north. 10 southern states did not even have him on the ballot, so he obviously was very strong in garnering support elsewhere.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin- An abolitionist novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe containing vivid details of slavery and its evils.
Republican Party- Party that emerged in the 1850s in the aftermath of the bitter controversy over the Kansas-Nebraska Act, consisting of former Whigs, some northern Democrats, and many Know-Nothings.
Compromise of 1850- The four-step compromise which admitted California to the Union as a free state, allowed the residents of the New Mexico and Utah territories to decide the slavery issue for themselves, ended the slave trade in Washington DC, and passed a new fugitive slave law to enforce the constitutional provision stating that a slave escaping into a free state shall be delivered back to the owner.
Sumner/Brooks Incident-
Popular Sovereignty (Lewis Cass)- A solution to the slavery crisis, presented to Congress by Lewis Cass, which would allow territorial residents to decide if the state would be a slave state or a free state through voting.
Dred Scott Decision- Supreme Court ruling, in a lawsuit brought about by Dred Scott, a slave demanding his freedom based on his residence in a free state, that slaves could not be US citizens and that Congress had no jurisdiction over slavery in the territories.
Fugitive Slave Law- Part of the Compromise of 1850 that required the authorities in the North to assist Southern slave catchers and return runaway slaves to their owners.
Roger Taney- The Supreme Court Chief Justice who made the ruling on the Dred Scott case. He claimed that blacks were entitled to none of the rights that whites had.
Ostend Manifesto- The United States’ secret plan to buy Cuba from Spain for $120 million. It was defamed by the free-soilers. The US believed it would be “justified in wrestling” Cuba away.
Lecompton Constitution- Proslavery draft written in 1857 by Kansas territorial delegates elected under questionable circumstances; it was rejected by two governors, supported by President Buchanan, and decisively defeated by Congress.
Kansas-Nebraska Act- Law passed in 1854 creating the Kansas and Nebraska territories but leaving the question of slavery open to the residents, thereby repealing the Missouri Compromise.
Panic of 1857- Banking crisis that caused a credit crunch in the North; it was less severe in the South, where high cotton prices spurred a quick recovery.
Bleeding Kansas- Violence between pro- and antislavery forces in the Kansas Territory after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854.
Harper’s Ferry (John Brown Raid)- New England abolitionist John Brown’s ill-fated attempt to free Virginia’s slaves with a raid on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia in 1859.
John Brown- A flaming abolitionist who committed many brutal murders via chopping with swords at Pottawotamie Creek in May 1856.
Election of 1860- An election between Lincoln (Republican), Douglas (Northern Democrat), Breckinridge (Southern Democrat), and Bell (Constitutional Unionist). Lincoln won the election.
Nativism- The belief that America should be composed only of white people, and that immigrants were not welcome.
Confederate States of America- Nation proclaimed in Montgomery, Alabama in February 1861, after the seven states of the lower south seceded from the US.
American Party/Know-Nothings- Name given to the anti-immigrant party formed from the wreckage of the Whig Party and some disaffected Northern Democrats in 1854.
Jefferson Davis- The president of the Confederate States of America.
Nathaniel Hawthorne- The author of the Scarlet Letter. His novels reflected his beliefs on the psychological effects of sin, as well as making moral choices based on what society thinks of a person versus what the person thinks of themselves.
Herman Melville- A author, the writer of Moby Dick. His novels were largely over the battle between good and evil, and they reflected the US society of the 1850s.
Emily Dickinson- A poet, though only 7 of her 1800 poems were published during her lifetime.
Harriet Beecher Stowe- The author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Stephen Douglas- An American politician from Illinois who was on the ballot on the Democratic ticket for the 1860 election. He was a firm believer in splitting the Nebraska territory in to Kansas and Nebraska, and implementing popular sovereignty in those areas.
Election of 1856- Election in 1856 won by James Buchanan (Democrat) over Fremont (Republican) and Fillmore (Know-Nothing).
Lincoln-Douglas Debates- Series of debates in the 1858 Illinois senatorial campaign during which Douglas and Lincoln staked out their differing opinions on the issue of slavery.
Freeport Doctrine- The doctrine proposed by Stephen Douglas, in response to Lincoln in the Lincoln-Douglas debates. He was being forced to choose between popular sovereignty and the Dred Scott Ruling, and he said that slavery could be prevented by the citizens passing laws against it.
Questions
1) The Compromise of 1850 made certain states take sides, such as California as a free state. It failed to keep the states continue cooperating to have the citizens decide on the states’ slave status.
2) The Kansas-Nebraska Act was so devastating to the party system because it totally took back what had previously been achieved by the Missouri Compromise. The party leaders couldn’t come up with a better solution because there were desperate times in Kansas. That was the “Bleeding Kansas” period.
3) The Dred Scott decision was seen as such an outrage by Northerners because it claimed the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, saying that Congress could not outlaw slavery anywhere. This is what was seen as most objectionable, because it took the wind out of all of the abolitionists’ sails.
4) The Lincoln-Douglas Debates were so important in judging Northern opinions because the two candidates were trying to say things to impress the Northern citizens. Namely, those of Illinois.
5) John Brown’s raid had the impact of stirring up the Southern slaves and getting their hopes up that they might have one day become free. This caused them to want to help the Union side of the war. It is possible that this rebellion partially caused the start of the Civil War.
6) Lincoln won the election of 1860 because he was so strongly supported in the north. 10 southern states did not even have him on the ballot, so he obviously was very strong in garnering support elsewhere.