Livia Chan
AP US History – Period 3
November 18, 2010
Chapter 13: The Impending Crisis ~ Key Terms (p.340--351)
Manifest Destiny- (p.340) idea that Americans were given right by God and history to
expand land in order to spread American freedom (name given by John L. O’Sullivan)
Racial Justification- (p.340) in 1840s supporters of expansion defended it by claiming to
expand “American race” into as much land as possible (Ind, Mex., etc. weren’t part of
American community)
Opposition to Further Expansion- (p.340) feared expansion = slavery problems and
instability -> even though ignored in 1840s, issues w/ Oregon and Texas = proved right
Stephen Austin- (p.341) immigrant from MO who est. 1st legal Amer. settlement in TX
(1822), very successful in recruiting Amer. to settle in TX but became center that
challenged Mex. authority; eventually Amer. migration to TX = unstoppable and
conflicts b/w them and Mex. govt. emerged
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna- (p.342) mid-1830s became dictator of Mex., attempted to
↑ national govt. power by ↓ state govt. power -> TX saw as direct attack and 1835-1836
occasional fighting occurred in TX b/w Amer. and Mex. -> 1836 Americans claimed ind.
from Mex.
Battle of San Jacinto- (o,342) April 23, 1836 General Sam Houston led Amer. to defeat
Mex. in TX and captured Santa Anna -> Santa Anna signed treaty giving TX ind. from
Mex; later refused to accept legitimacy of treaty but Mex. didn’t try to get TX back
Annexation of Texas Argument- (p.342-343) Pros: U.S. had already helped/ supported
TX revolt against Mex., manifest destiny; Cons: large slave terr. (TX) = more votes for S.
in Congress and electoral college, sectional crisis b/w N and S., direct invitation to war
w/ Mex
War for U.S. would
have been difficult,
with Mexico and
Britain both against
it. Even though two
might not ally with
each other, they
might have been
able to defeat and
take over U.S.
Disputed Claims of Oregon Country- (p.343) 1840s Britain and U.S. laid claims to area
but 1818 treaty tried to solve conflict w/ joint occupation (allowed citizens of both
countries equal access to area) -> worked for about 20 yrs
James K. Polk- (p.346) won presidential election of 1845 b/c support of annexation of TX
and Amer. occupation of Oregon; Dec. 1845 TX = state b/c previous President John Tyler
convinced Congress to approve proposal
Compromise over Oregon- (p,.346) Polk offered comp. of 49th parallel but rejected by
British minister of D.C. -> talk of war on both sides (Amer. slogan = “54 40 or fight”) ->
both sides didn’t really want war -> June 15. 1846 treaty that est. 49th parallel
Failure of Slidell Mission- (p.347) Polk sent John Slidell to offer to buy CA and TX terr.
-> MX refused -> war declared on MX on May 13, 1846
Bear Flag Revolution- (p.348) Colonel Stephen W. Kearny took Amer. forces (Amer.
settlers, armed exploring party led by John C. Frémont, and Amer. navy) under command
and conquered CA for U.S.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo- (p.348) Feb. 2, 1848 Nicholas Trist (U.S. rep to MX) made
treaty w/ MX that gave CA and New MX to U.S. and acknowledged Rio Grande as the
boundary b/w TX and MX, in return U.S. paid MX $15 million and responsible for new
citizens’ financial debts to Mex.
November 19, 2010
Chapter 13: The Impending Crisis ~ Key Terms (p.351-364)
Wilmot Proviso- (p.351) 1846 amendment proposed by David Wilmot (PA); addition to
bill where Polk asked Congress to use $2 million to buy peace w/ MX (before war was
over), was not passed but cont. to be debated years after
Many of the fortyniners went to CA in
search of gold but in
the end found far
less than was
expected. The
dramatic increase in
migration helped
establish CA terr. as
an Amer. dominated
area.
Competing Plans- (p.351) diff. proposals were created to satisfy sectional conflict w/
slavery: Polk proposed extending MO Comp. Line to new terr. and others supported
popular sovereignty; neither proposal won over even by 1849
Election of 1848- (p.351) Democrats = Lewis Cass (MI), Whigs = General Zachary
Taylor (LA), Free-Soil Party = Martin Van Buren; Taylor won
Free-Soil Party- (p.351) emerged during election of 1848 when antislavery supporters
didn’t like any of the candidates; members consisted of Liberty Party, antislavery people
from Whig/Democratic Parties and supporters of Wilmot Proviso; even though lost
election, emerged as substantial political party and showed instability of 2nd party system
Forty-niners- (p.351) migrants to CA during gold rush, didn’t take caution and time to
prepare, simply abandoned lives in hope of striking rich, 95% were men and society
wasn’t as solid w/out women, children, families
Transcontinental Railroad and Slavery- (p.356) problem was where RR would connect to
east: free states wanted Chicago (located in N.), slave states wanted St. Louis, Memphis,
or New Orleans (in S.); RR became another conflict w/ N and S
Gadsden Purchase- (p.356) 1853 James Gadsden sent to buy land from MS for $10
million by U.S.; purchase allowed RR to be built to S. from W. and intensified RR debate
Brooks and Sumner
incident showed that
violence over
Kansas was not
limited to only the
area. Congress had
violence too ->
showed how
violence would lead
to war b/w two
groups
Kansas-Nebraska Act- (p.356) 1854 proposed by Stephen Douglas, Kansas and Nebraska
Terr. = popular sovereignty for slavery and MO Comp. repealed
 Whig Party split and destroyed, 1854 Republican Party formed by people who
opposed Act
Pottawatomie Massacre- (p.357) John Brown and 6 followers murdered 5 pro-slavery
settlers in Kansas, tried to convince others to stay away; guerilla warfare occurred b/w 2
groups -> “Bleeding Kansas”
Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner- (p.357) Brooks beat Sumner w/ cane b/c Sumner
insulted his uncle; Brooks = hero in South while Sumner = hero too in North b/c served
as icon of barbaric violence of South
“Free Soil” Ideology- (p.357-358) not all believed slavery = morally wrong and new free
soil idea emerged b/c whites feared limiting blacks’ rights/ opportunities reflected what
white society could become -> contradicted idea of Amer. capitalism -> South = “slave
power conspiracy”; Southerners were said to destroy capitalism through slavery in order
to create aristocratic system -> helped Republican Party gain power b/c idea of
destroying idealized nation = unthinkable
The Pro-Slavery Argument- (p.359) idea began w/ Professor Thomas R. Dew in 1832 ->
turned into an anthology by others that gave ideology its name; slavery was good for
slaves, south, and nation: slaves = in better conditions than industrial workers in N. and
needed paternal supervision of whites, only way for blacks and whites to coexist
peacefully, helped S. prosper = helped nation as whole prosper, provided South w/ stable
and ordered society unlike North; used churches to justify slavery
Election of 1856- (p.359) Democrats = James Buchanan (PA) b/c was away during recent
controversies and therefore unassociated (not blamed), Republicans = John C. Frémont
b/c was famous as explorer but had no political record (safe candidate), Know-Nothings
= Millard Fillmore (ex-President); Buchanan won but was very quiet and indecisive ->
depression soon after was blamed on him and Republicans gained in power despite loss
in elections
The Dred Scott Decision- (p.360-361) Roger B. Taney ruled that Scott = black = not
citizen = couldn’t sue, Scott = slave = property = Congress couldn’t do anything about
taking him away from Sanford, MO Comp. = unconstitutional; Southerners were
delighted w/ decision but N. = appalled that fed. govt. was unable to interfere
Lecompton Constitution- (p.362) created by pro-slavery legis. of Kansas for statehood
but wasn’t put to vote b/c knew would be rejected -> later put to vote and rejected ->
showed majority of Kansas opposed slavery -> 1861 Kansas = free state
Abraham Lincoln- (p.362-363) lost against Stephen Douglass for Senate but became
more widely known through Lincoln-Douglas Debates; thought slavery = morally wrong
but ≠ abolitionist b/c couldn’t’ think of alternative to slavery
Brown’s revolt idea
probably didn’t
work out b/c some
slaves were content
w/ life or were to
afraid to revolt.
Others thought not
to risk it just in case
became only one
and was severely
punished/ sentenced
to death.
John Brown’s Raid- (p.363) 1859 Brown and followers sized U.S. arsenal in Harpers
Ferry, VA b/c hoped to inspire slave revolt -> revolt didn’t happen and U.S. troops
captured rebels and hung them; made Southerners convinced that Republican Party +
North = completely against them and began to consider seceding Union
Election of 1860- (p.363-364) Democrats divided and had 2 diff. candidates = Stephen
Douglas and John C Breckinridge, Ex-Whigs formed Constitutional Union Party = John
Bell -> no position of slavery, Republicans = Abraham Lincoln; Lincoln won and
Southern states seceded, believing w/ Lincoln as pres, slavery = certain to be abolished