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Alamo

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Famous mission located in San Antonio where a famous battle was fought during the Texas Revolution. Though the Texans lost to Santa Annas forces, they were highly outnumbered. It was a huge moral booster for the US and Texas.

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Antebellum

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Term associated with life in the United States prior to the Civil War.

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Bleeding Kansas

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Term associated with the events that occurred as a result of the creation of two state governments, one pro-slavery and one anti-slavery. There was fighting done across the border.

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Bleeding Kansas

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Term associated with the events that occurred as a result of the creation of two state governments, one pro-slavery and one anti-slavery. There was fighting done across the border.

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Corrupt Bargain

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Term used to describe the events leading up to the election of John Q. Adams in 1824. They say that Henry Clay agreed to throw his support behind Adams if Adams would put him as the secretary of state. It made much of Adams presidency miserable and helped gather major support for Jackson.

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Cyrus McCormick

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He created the mechanical reaper, which dramatically reduced the need for agricultural labor in the North, allowing the people to focus more on industry.

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Davy Crockett

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A congressman from Tennessee who was eventually killed by Santa Annas troops at the Alamo during Texas war for independence from Mexico.

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Dred Scott Case

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A slave (Scott) attempted to gain his freedom through the state and federal court systems. It ended up declaring the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional by the US Supreme court, causing major waves. The case helped bring the nation closer to Civil War.

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Edgar Allan Poe

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Troubled author of "The Raven" & "The Fall of the House of Usher." He wrote morbid & macabre poems & short stories important to the literature of the day.

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Eli Whitney

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Yale graduate who became wealthy when he received contracts from the Federal government to produce muskets. He used the interchangeable parts production process to create the weapons. He had a profound impact on both the Northern & Southern economies. He created the cotton gin and also helped advance the concept of interchangeable parts. Unknowingly he brought us even closer to the looming Civil War by increasing the need for slave labor in the South.

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Elizabeth Cady Stanton

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Famous womens rights advocate. She was the organizer of the Seneca Falls Convention and, along with Susan B. Anthony, was the co-founder of the National Women Suffrage Association.

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Forty-Niners

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Nickname of Americans who left their families and went to California during the Gold Rush.

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Franklin Pierce

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14th president of the US. The Gadsden Purchase and Ostend Manifesto occurred during his administration.

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Frederick Douglass

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Escaped slave who became a famous abolitionist orator.

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Henry Clay

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Leader of the Whig Party, he created the American System, the Compromise of 1850, the Missouri Compromise, and the Compromise Tariff of 1833. He was also involved in the corrupt bargain.

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Herman Melville

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Author of Moby Dick. When the novel was written it was considered a failure, but after his death, it was considered a masterpiece.

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Homestead Act

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This legislation became law in 1862. It encouraged westward expansion by giving people 160 acres of land for free if they cultivated it for 5 years. It was signed into law during the Lincoln Administration and was designed to increase the number of yeoman farmers.

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James F. Cooper

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Author who exerted a significant influence upon Americans sense of history and their ideas of the wilderness and the American West. He wrote "The Last of the Mohicans" and "The Deer slayer."

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John C. Fremont

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He was one of the first senators of California. He also was the first Republican to run for the presidency. He was initially made famous by mapping expeditions he made through the Sierra Mountains into California.

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John Q. Adams

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He defeated Andrew Jackson to become President. The House had to decided because neither candidate had the needed electoral votes to win outright (although Jackson was definitely more popular with the people.) Adams was involved with the "Corrupt Bargain" and although he was a great Secretary of State, he was not a particularly successful president.

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John Tyler

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He took over duties of the presidency after the president died of pneumonia shortly after taking office; creating the very important precedent of presidential succession.

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Joseph Smith

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Translator of the "Book of Mormon" and founder of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) in 1830. In 1844 he was killed in Carthage, Illinois.

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Kansas-Nebraska Act

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One of the motives behind this legislation was to try and influence the path of the future transcontinental railroad. Considered an outrage because it over turned the Missouri Compromise that was passed during the Monroe Administration.

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Kitchen Cabinet

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Jacksons unofficial advisors during his first term as president. Jacksons official cabinet was divided into factions because of problems between the BP (John C. Calhoun) & Martin Van Buren.

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Lincoln/Douglas Debates

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As a result, Stephen Douglas lost Southern support and therefore his chance of becoming president of the US in 1860.

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Lone Star Republic

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Another name for the nation of Texas.

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Manifest Destiny

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The belief that the US was destined by providence to spread across the North American continent. It was used to justify Americas actions as it spread westward. The policy was strongly supported by James K. Polk ; was exemplified by his actions prior to the Mexican War.

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Mason-Dixon Line

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Created in 1767, it eventually became the southern border of Pennsylvania and the eastern border of Delaware. It was the symbolic divider of the North free states and the South slave states before the Civil War.

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Missouri Compromise

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In 1820 this legislation was created in order to maintain the balance between the slave states and non-slave states in the US Senate. It decided the Missouri would become a slave state but Maine would also be entered and no more states of the Louisiana Purchase would be admitted at slave states (36°30 line).

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Nationalism

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A word often used to describe a strong patriotic pride a countrys citizens feel for their nation.

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Noah Webster

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This individual published the two-volume "American Dictionary of the English language."

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Oregon Trail

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A two thousand mile route across North America to the Willamette Valley. Thousands of migrants flowed west along this path during the 1830s and 1840s.

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Preston Brooks

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A representative from South Carolina who was upset by a speech by Charles Sumner. He beat Sumner with a cane on the floor of the US Senate. This incident illustrated the intensity of sectionalism.

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Republican Party

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This political was created after turmoil created by the Kansas-Nebraska Act destroyed the Whig party. This partys original members were composed primarily of Whigs, Free-Soilers, Know-Nothings, and abolitionists.

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Robert Fulton

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This individual demonstrated the commercial possibilities of the steamboat. His first steamboat was the Clermont. He made the 150 mile trip up the Hudson River in 32 hours. His invention would have a drastic impact on the cost of shipping.

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Sam Houston

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Commander of Texan forces during the Texas Revolution. Went on to become the president of the Republic of Texas and represented Texas in the United States Senate after Texas became a state.

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Samuel Morse

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Invented the telegraph. The communication device was an important step in the industrialization of America. It allowed people to communicate easily and quickly over vast distances.

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Santa Anna

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President and military general from Mexico. He led the attack on the Alamo during the Texas Rebellion.

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Sectionalism

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The term used to describe the belief that your part of the country is superior to other parts of the nation. Issues creating sectional tension prior to the Civil War include: The Protective Tariff, internal improvements at the Federal governments expense, expansion of slavery, and the Second Bank of the US.

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Seneca Falls Convention

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A womans rights convention that occurred in 1848. The delegates formally demanded ballots for females, beginning the modern womens rights movement.

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Spoils System

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Term used to describe the attempts by Andrew Jackson to reward political supporters with government jobs, even though they probably werent qualified. It didnt work so well. He thought that it would prevent corruption and increase democratic involvement.

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Stephan Austin

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In 1823, this individual led the American colonization of Texas. He was a leader during the Texas Revolution and served as the secretary of state of the Republic of Texas.

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Sumner Cane Incident

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US Senator who was beaten very badly with a cane by Preston Brooks. So bad were his wounds that he did not return to his senatorial duties for three years. After the altercation, it was not uncommon to find members of Congress coming to the capital armed with pistols and/or knives.

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Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

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The treaty that concluded the Mexican War. The United States acquired California as a result of it.

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Uncle Toms Cabin

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A novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe which drew a dramatic picture of Negro suffering in the South and the effects slavery had on Southern whites, increasing the tensions between the North and South and gaining support for the abolitionists.

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Underground Railroad

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Term used to describe the series of anti-slave sympathizers who helped slaves escape to the North. Levi Coffin and Harriet Tubman are two people who are associated with it.

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Washington Irving

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One of the key authors of the time, he wrote "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle."

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William Harrison

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He was the first president of the US to die while in office. The phrase "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" was used as one of his presidential campaign slogans. His VP had to replace him when he died, setting an important precedent.

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William Woodward

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He was part of the Dartmouth vs. Woodward case. The case established the power of the federal government to declare a state action unconstitutional. Also encouraged businesses by promising that government cannot arbitrarily take a corporation away from private groups.

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Winfield Scott

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Mexican War hero that some historians consider the best military mind of his era. Known as "Old Fuss and Feathers," his military career spanned over 50 years—lasting from the War of 1812 through the Civil War.

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Alexis De Tocqueville

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Author of "Democracy in America." The book is one of the most famous discussions of democracy in America and its origins.

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American System

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Henry Clay devised this nationalistic economic development plan, which called for making the economy self-sufficient. It contained proposals for a national bank, a protective tariff, and internal improvements which made all sections of the country give up something to gain something.

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Black Hawk

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The leader of the Sac. Indian tribe who inhabited what is currently the state of Illinois. The conflict between his tribe and white settlers in 1832 was the last resistance to settlement of the Old Northwest.

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Brigham Young

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He replaced Joseph Smith as the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) in 1844.

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Charles Finney

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Evangelical Christian Preacher of the Second Great Awakening. His revivalism transcended sects, wealth, & race.

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Clayton-Bulwer Treaty

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Treaty (1850) between the United States and Britain that stipulated any canal built across the isthmus of Panama would be neutral.

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Common Man

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The term that referred to the people who Andrew Jackson claimed to focus on during his presidency. They included the uneducated, less wealthy, & everyday type of people.

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Compromise Tariff of 1833

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This legislation helped bring about a peaceful conclusion to the Nullification crisis. It resolved the problems between the federal government and the state of South Carolina. Henry Clay was vital to its development.

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Daniel Webster

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He was a Senator from Massachusetts who spoke for the Union during a great debate at the Senate over the Nature of the Union. He also served as Secretary of State for three presidents: Harrison, Tyler, & Fillmore. He created the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842 to avoid war with Britain over the boundary of Maine. He also aligned himself with Clay & Calhoun to form the Great Triumvirate. That group politically allied themselves against Andrew Jackson.

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Democratic Party

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Emerged after the Era of Good Feelings. It was led by Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren and claimed to represent the common man, encourage greater democracy, and fight against a powerful central government.

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Dewitt Clinton

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He helped lead the effort to create the Erie Canal.

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Dorthea Dix

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She documented some of the atrocities of physical abuse occurring in mental hospitals in the US. She tried to improve the quality of care for people who were patients in these facilities.

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Financial Panic of 1837

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President Jackson helped cause it by issuing the Specie Circular.

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Fort Sumter

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The first battle of the Civil War occurred here. It is located in the bay of Charlestown, South Carolina.

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Francis Parkman

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A famous historian of the 19th century who chronicled the struggle between France and England in colonial times for control of North America.

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Harriet Tubman

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A woman who was known for being a conductor on the famous Underground Railroad. She made at least 19 trips into the South before the Civil War to guide people to freedom. During the Civil War she served as a scout, spy, and nurse.

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Henry David Thoreau

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A close associate of Emerson who condemned slavery and was a transcendentalist. The author of "Walden," His essays on civil disobedience (titled, "Civil Disobedience") influenced Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. He also defended John Browns raid at Harpers Ferry publicly in a series of lectures.

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Henry W. Longfellow

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Famous American poet who authored such works as "Paul Reveres Ride," "The Song of Hiawatha," and "Evangeline."

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Horace Mann

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Leading educational reformer during the pre-Civil War period. He served in the Massachusetts state legislature and was successful in channeling more money for public education.

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Jacksonian Democracy

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Term used to describe the reforms and changes in government and society beginning with the Revolution of 1828 and ending with the presidency of Martin Van Buren.

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Jeffersonian Democracy

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Term used to describe the reforms and changes that occurred from the election of 1800 through Madisons presidency.

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John C. Calhoun

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He is responsible for being a War Hawk, establishing the Second Bank of the United States, being the author of the Bonus Bill, being VP of the US, and Senator of South Carolina.

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John Greenleaf Whittier

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A famous poet from Massachusetts who spoke out against the inhumanity, injustice, and intolerance of slavery. Authored "Snow-Bound," and "Maud Muller."

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King Caucus

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Term used to describe the practice of selecting presidential candidates by congressional leaders in secret party meetings. The choice was made without the input of most party members.

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King Mob

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Term used by opponents of Andrew Jackson to refer to his administration and its popularity among the common people.

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Know Nothings

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A member of this nativist political party of the 1850s was anti-catholic. They feared the immigrant Irish, thus they favored restraining immigrants political impact on elections by calling for a 21 year citizenship waiting period. Their official name was the American party.

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Lucretia Mott

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Womens rights & civil rights leader from the 1840s to 1860s. She along with Elizabeth C. Stanton helped organize the Seneca Falls Convention.

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Martin Van Buren

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He served as both the Secretary of State and VP during Jacksons presidency. During his presidency, he implemented his subtreasury plan to reverse the effects of serious economic depression that began during his administration. He is also associated with Jacksonian Democracy.

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Nat Turner

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In 1831 he led an uprising of slaves in Virginia. He was a semi-literate visionary black preachers. The rebellion sent a wave of hysteria through white cotton planters.

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Nicolas Biddle

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He was the President of the Second Bank of the US and the political enemy of Andrew Jackson.

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Ordinance of Nullification

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Legislation created by the state of South Carolina in response to a tariff passed in 1832. The state threatened secession and armed resistance if the federal government tried to enforce the tariff. It resulted in the Force Bill by Jackson and was later repealed.

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Ostend Manifesto

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An attempt by the United States to annex Cuba in 1854

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Peggy Eaton

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Events related to her presence at various social gatherings of the Jackson Administration caused a schism within the leadership of the Democratic Party.

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Pet Banks

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These came about after President Jackson destroyed the Second Bank of the US. They werent very reliable and much inflation came with them.

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Pony Express

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A system of delivering mail between California and the Eastern States in the early 1860s. It was done by horseback and was unprofitable, but encouraged transportation and nationalism.

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Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Famous transcendentalist and lecturer. "Nature" was one of his earliest works.

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Revolution of 1828

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Associated with the election of Andrew Jackson, it was important because the election goes from the politically elite to the "common man" and therefore everything is more democratic. People believed that Jackson was "one of them."

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Russo-American Treaty of 1824

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This treaty was created to stop any further movement south by the nation that owned Alaska in 1824. It fixed the southern border at 54° 40

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Second Bank of the US

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A corporation run by Nicholas Biddle created to provide stability to US currency. It stabilized the circulation of currency and stimulated the economy. The fact that a Democratic-Republican signed the legislation that created it was an example in the increase of nationalism that was present in the country after the War of 1812. It had many enemies because of its control over states banks. Many farmers and Western land speculators feared it because of its conservative policies.

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Second Great Awakening

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Evangelical revival movement that began in the west around 1800. Leaders of the movement downplayed the doctrine of predestination and instead stressed salvation was available to everyone.

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Sojourner Truth

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African American woman who was an advocate for abolition and womens rights during the 1830s, 1840s, & 1850s.

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South Carolina Exposition and Protest

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Written in response to the Tariff of Abominations (1828), it articulated the philosophy of the states rights doctrine. It was used to support the states rights position during a famous debate on the floor of the US Senate by Robert Hayne.

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Stephen Douglas

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He was the author of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. He is closely associated with the principle of popular sovereignty. He was part of the Lincoln-Douglas debate and although he won, he lost Southern support and therefore his chance of becoming president in 1860. He was also a US senator from the state of Illinois. Nicknamed the Little Giant, he defeated Abraham Lincoln in 1858 to win re-election.

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Tallmadge Amendment

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This increased sectional tension. In response to Missouris request for statehood as a slave state, the House passed it calling for the gradual emancipation of existing slaves in Missouri.

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Tammany Hall

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A powerful political machine in New York City. It dominated the politics of the city for over 100 years.

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Walt Whitman

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American poet who authored "Leaves of Grass," Democratic Vistas," and "Memoranda During the War."

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Whig Party

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Party led by Henry Clay, John Q. Adams, and Daniel Webster. It was created in the early 1830s. Its members opposed Andrew Jackson and the Democratic Party. It met its demise after the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

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Wildcat Banks

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This name was given to some of the financial institutions in the western part of the US after the destruction of the Second Bank of the US. They practiced unsound monetary policy.

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William McGuffrey

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An educator who was the author of a series of reading texts that had a tremendous impact on education in the US during the 1800s.

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William Travis

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Commander of the losing battle at the Alamo in San Antonio. He said, "I shall never surrender nor retreat...Victory or Death."

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Uncle Toms Cabin

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This novel was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and criticized what she considered to be the nations sin- slavery. Her goal was to end slavery peacefully but her novel only increased tension between the North and the South. Southerners were upset because they thought the novel painted slavery in a bad light and the Northerners used the story as fuel to their hatred of Southern life

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Andrew Jackson

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This individuals presidency split the Democratic Republican party forever. The administration was famous for the spoils system that rewarded the people who helped him win the election with political offices. He was famous for his hatred of the National Bank and his numerous vetoes.

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Pony Express

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Mail service that went from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. A series of men would ride extremely fast horses to get information quickly from place to place. The deliverymen were able to cover the distance in as few as 10 days, which increased the communication between opposite sides of the country. Until the building of the transcontinental telegraph, this was the quickest way to get information across the continent.

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James K. Polk

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This president believed strongly in manifest destiny and worked successful to lower the tariff rate, settle the disputes over the Oregon country, win the Mexican War, and acquire California and Texas, all within the 4 years of his presidency. He was the first president not to seek another term.

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John Quincy Adams

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This individuals presidency had a bad start. He gave Henry Clay a government position after Clay helped Adams win the election and this upset the public, who called it the "Corrupt Bargain." He also helped pass the Tariff of Abominations, which raised the tax rate of imported goods, hurting the already struggling industrial portion of the economy.

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Samuel Morse

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This individual created the telegraph. The device had a dramatic impact on the nation. Now, information could be sent over enormous distances quickly.

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Texas

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Disputes between American settlers in this future state and the Mexican government caused the Mexicans to ban further American settlement in the region. After the fall of the Alamo, leaders of the future state met and declared their independence from Mexico. However, Mexico refused to recognize their declaration and considered the region a Mexican territory in a state of revolt.

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Texas

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The United States let this state join the union on the agreement that it would pay off their own debts and the US would handle boundary disputes. The territorial disputes between the US and Mexico caused the Mexican War because Mexico believed the state was rightfully their land. Eventually, the war was ended and the state gained everything east of the Rio Grande River, becoming the 28th state to join the Union.

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Erie Canal

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DeWitt Clinton and the state of New York were big players in the construction of this waterway. Once opened, it increased trade and transportation of goods between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes (World Book.) Before the waterway was built, there was no easy way for goods to be transported to the Great Lakes. They either had to be carried on horseback or on foot. This waterway was a major step in promoting industry and commerce in the North.

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Mexican War

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After Texas revolted against Mexico, the United States agreed to admit them into their Union. Mexico, believing that Texas was their territory, was very upset and the conflicted erupted into war. Another issue was the debate over boundaries. Mexico insisted that Texas only reached the Nueces River while US said it was the Rio Grande. Eventually, the war ended and Texas was free from Mexico and the United States also gained the Mexican Secession.

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Missouri Compromise

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This compromise between the slave states and the non-slave states helped establish how and where slavery would be allowed to expand in the Union. The compromise called for admitting one slave state and one non-slave state into the Union at the same time. It also banned the expansion of slavery in the remaining portions of the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36, 30 parallel. This worked well to temporarily solve the issue, until there was an imbalance of slave and non-slave states.

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Oregon

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After a land dispute with Great Britain, the boundaries of this territory was settled by the Treaty Line of 1846. Part of this territory, the part that was settled by American who migrated across the continent in the 1830s and 1840s, was eventually made into a state in 1959.

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Trail of Tears

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This was the forced removal of Cherokee Indians from their homelands in Georgia. White men found gold and other recourses on their land and so, with the help of the government and President Andrew Jackson, they removed the natives with the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Many Cherokee died on the 1,000-mile journey from illness.

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Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

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This treaty ended the Mexican War. As a result of the treaty the US acquired the disputed territory between the Nueces and Rio Grande rivers in southern Texas as well as California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and part of Colorado.

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Webster Hayne Debate

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This famous debate took place in the Senate between a senator from South Carolina and Massachusetts. The southern senator argued that states, not the federal government, should control their lands and have the ability to nullify federal laws. The northern senator argued that the Union must stick together or the nation would fall apart. This debate was apart of the Nullification Crisis

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William Henry Harrison

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This was the first president to die in office and is also the president with the shortest term. On the day of his inauguration he caught a cold and 30 days later he died. His vice president, John Tyler, took over, and established the precedent for presidential succession.

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California

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The United States acquired the territory that formed this state as a result of the Mexican War. The territory became a state as a result of the Compromise of 1850.

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Kansas-Nebraska Act

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This allowed the people who inhabited Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether they wanted to become a slave or free state. This act repealed the Missouri Compromise.

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Sumner Cane Incident

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A very vocal senator from Massachusetts who opposed slavery made a speech, verbally attacking a fellow senator, Andrew Butler, over supporting slavery. A few days later, Preston Brooks, a relative of Butler and an US representative, attacked Charles Sumner, beating him severely almost killing him. The event displayed the passion behind each side of the Civil War.

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John Tyler

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He was the first president to take over after the president, William H. Harrison, died. Harrison was elected as a Whig and had chosen a Democratic Republican as his running mate to gain more votes. However, this plan had backfired when, 30 days later, Harrison died. Because he was a Democratic Republican surrounded by a public who had originally chosen a Whig, this mans presidency was very unpopular.

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Compromise Tariff of 1833

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This tariff was the solution to the Nullification Crisis. It was presented to Congress by Henry Clay and John Calhoun. It was adopted to gradually reduce the protective tariffs that favored Northern business. Because the tariffs were hurting the South, they had threatened to secede from the Union. This compromise temporarily fixed the problems between the North and South, but it was unable to hold off the inevitable succession of the South.

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American System

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This economic proposal was a national economic plan that promoted American business. It included sacrifices and advantages for each of the different sections of the country.

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Force Bill

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President Jackson infuriated at South Carolinas refusal to pay the national tariff asked Congress to pass this legislation would enable him to use military force in order to get South Carolina to comply.

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Species Circular

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This order forced the payment for federal land to be exclusively made in gold and silver. This was done to prevent over speculation of land after the destruction of the Second Bank of the United States. This caused inflation and increased prices and caused the Panic of 1837.

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Bank of America

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Jackson believed that this financial institution was not good for the country. After vetoing the charter renewal, he next removed the federal deposits, removing public money from its control. This resulted in the institutions demise.

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Republican Party

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This party was against immigration, especially the Irish Catholic immigrants The party worked to promote American "Natives" ideas and prevent the hostile ideas of the foreigners from taking over

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Bleeding Kansas

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Term used to describe the violence between proslavery and anti-slavery forces that occurred after the passing of the Kansas Nebraska Act. At the heart of the confrontation was whether the territory would enter the Union as a free or slave state.

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Abraham Lincoln

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This individuals election to the presidency caused some of the southern states to secede from the Union. The Souths inability to prevent this man from obtaining the presidency was the last straw for many Southerners. This individual is considered one of the great presidents because he was able to keep the nation together when it very easily could have fallen apart.

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Fort Sumter

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This was the site where the Civil War began. Confederate forces attacked the fort in South Carolina after President Lincoln refused to surrender it to the Confederacy. Neither side had any soldiers that were killed which is ironic because the battle started the bloodiest war in United States history.

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Harpers Ferry

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Site of an attempt by a radical abolitionist to seize an United States arsenal. The abolitionist believed that the way to end slavery was to arm all African Americans and free them. Eventually he and his followers were caught and tried. Because the leader of the raid carried himself so well during the trial that he gained respect from many Northerners. This, in turn, upsets the South because to them, Brown is the worst of all criminals. The event increases sectional tension

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Zachary Taylor

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Just 16 months into his presidency, this president died, making his vice president, Milliard Fillmore, the nations new leader. Unlike this individual, Fillmore was willing to sign the Compromise of 1850. This compromise calmed the problems over the expansion of slavery. Had this president not died, the nation might have entered the Civil war 10 years earlier.

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Alamo

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Site of a famous attempt by Americans in Texas to hold off an overwhelming Mexican Army who tried to seize the mission they were barricaded in. The leader of the Mexican forces, Santa Anna, attacked the Americans, taking no prisoners. This angered Texans, adding fuel to the fire of the Texas Revolution, which resulted in Texas obtaining its independence. The creation of the new nation, the Lone Star Republic was the result.

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California Gold Rush

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Once gold was found at Sutters Mill, thousands of people flocked to this state to strike it rich and start a new life. The large influx of people to the territory accelerated the ability to add it as a new state into the Union. The problem this caused resulted in the Compromise of 1850.

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Dred Scott Case

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Landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that involved a slave who sued for his freedom. The courts decision to not grant the slave his freedom angered many Northerners because the decision limited their ability to not only stop the expansion of slavery in the territories but also in their own states. This decision widening the gap between the North and the South and increasing sectionalism.

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Lincoln/Douglas Debates

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These were a series of debates by two men competing for a seat as an Illinois United States senator. Even though the Democrat won the election, the Republican obtain national fame for his ability to articulate the ideas of many Northerners on the issues of the day. This notoriety helped the Republican gain Republican nomination for the presidency in 1860.

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Mormons

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After being kicked out of Illinois, Brigham Young led this group to the Great Salt Lake valley. Eventually the population grew so much that the religious group applied for admission into the Union as the State of Deseret, but instead it was named Utah and Brigham Young became the states first governor.

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Republican Party

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This political party was formed after Stephen Douglasss Kansas Nebraska Act became law. The party was made up former Whigs and people who were against the expansion of slavery. It was the first successful sectional party, siding with the concerns of the North on many of the issues of the day. Few people of this party existed in the South. The creation of the party increased sectionalism drastically and help contribute to starting the Civil War when the partys presidential candidate was elected president in 1860.

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Compromise of 1850

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The components of this famous compromise were all in an effort to calm the issues between the slave states and the free states over the expansion of slavery. The components included a stronger Fugitive Slave Law in the North, the outlawing of the slave trade in the District of Columbia, the addition of California into the Union as a free state, and the ability to create future slave states in the rest of the Mexican succession.

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Wilmot Proviso

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This proposal by a young congressmen, had it been passed through congress, would have outlawed slavery in any territory gained from the Mexican War It was proposed to help ease Northern fears that the reason the United States was at war with Mexico was to acquire territory so that more slave states could be added to the Union. The proposal never passes but it did bring the topic of slavery back to national attention and increases sectionalism.

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South Carolina Exposition and Protest

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After the election of 1860, Lincoln was chosen as the next president of the United States. Since the Democratic party was so divided, Lincoln managed to win with only 40% of the popular vote (Class Notes.) This state was waiting for a reason to secede from the Union, and with the election of a Lincoln did so shortly after the election. The secession of this state caused many other states to leave the Union resulting in the formation of a new nation, the Confederate States of the America.

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Martin Van Buren

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This individual was the second president of the Jacksonian Democracy era. Jackson had left him with many political messes to clean up, some of which caused the Panic of 1837.

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Millard Fillmore

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This individual took over as president after Zachary Taylor died. Once he became president he signed the resolutions that eventually became known as the Compromise of 1850.

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South Carolina Exposition and Protest

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John C. Calhoun, who was Vice President at the time, secretly wrote this document protested the "Tariff of Abominations" or the Tariff of 1828. It provoked the nature of the union question, stating that if a states rights were being violated, they have the right to declare a law null and not follow it. The document helped strengthen the philosophy of states rights.

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S.C. Ordinance of Nullification

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This legislation declared the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 void, saying that South Carolina should not have to pay them. This led to the Nullification Crisis. In order to force the state to pay the tariff, President Jackson passed the Force Bill. A crisis was avoided by the passing of the Compromise Tariff of 1833.

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Tariff of Abominations

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This tariff was meant to protect industry in the US. The South was extremely opposed to it, but it was favored by the North and the West so it became law. The tariff led to the South Carolina Exposition and Protest and eventually to the Nullification Crisis.

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Seneca Falls Convention

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This was one of the earliest attempts of women to gain more social and political rights. It was a two day convention that encouraged women to fight for their rights, featuring the speaker Lucretia Mott.

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Tariff of 1832

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This tariff was designed to lower the Tariff of Abominations, but it did not lower in enough to appease South Carolina. This tariff led to the Nullification Crisis because South Carolina declared the tariff null and refused to pay it. Jackson was infuriated by this and passed the Force Bill which allowed him to send troops down to South Carolina to force them to pay. Crisis and war was avoided by the Compromise of 1833.

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Gadsden Purchase

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In order to easily complete a transcontinental railroad project, the United States needed to acquire this land. It was not very large or significant, but it would make the idea of a transcontinental railroad through the South possible.

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Webster-Ashburton Treaty

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This treaty ended the dispute over the US and Britain boundaries in and around Maine. The treaty prevented war with a large military power and eventually created a peaceful borderline.

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Republican Party

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The creation of this political party officially ended the Era of Good Feelings by bringing back the two party system. This party opposed Andrew Jackson and the Democratic Party and had many of the beliefs of the old Federalist party.

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Treaty Settles Oregon Territorys Northern Border

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This treaty prevents a war with Great Britain. The president at the time, James Polk, had promised to gain all of this territory up to the 54 40 parallel. He eventually went back on his word after he was elected and another war had begun with Mexico.

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