What event reignited the slavery debate after the Mexican-American War?
Expansion of U.S. territory
This expansion led to increased sectional tensions regarding the status of slavery in new territories.
What was the purpose of the Compromise of 1850?
Tried to settle tensions but deepened divides
The Fugitive Slave Act was a significant component that intensified conflicts.
What did the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) introduce?
Popular sovereignty
This act led to violent conflicts known as Bleeding Kansas.
What was the outcome of the Dred Scott decision (1857)?
Denied Black citizenship
This ruling directly increased sectional strife before 1860.
What significant event occurred in the Election of 1860?
Lincoln wins with no Southern votes
This led to Southern Democrats supporting secession.
What happened to the Whig Party due to slavery tensions?
Collapsed
Northern Whigs transitioned to the Republican Party (anti-slavery expansion), while Southern Whigs became Democrats.
What were the Union advantages during the Civil War?
- Industrial resources
- Larger population
- Stronger navy
These factors contributed to a significant disadvantage for the Confederacy.
What was Lincoln’s initial goal at the start of the Civil War?
Preserve the Union
This goal evolved after 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation.
What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
Reframed the war to end slavery
Lincoln argued that emancipation was a wartime necessity and constitutional.
Why did African Americans fight for the Union during the Civil War?
Emancipation gave the war moral purpose
Their participation was crucial for the Union’s cause.
What did the 13th Amendment accomplish?
Abolished slavery
This amendment was a significant outcome of the Reconstruction era.
What rights did the 14th Amendment guarantee?
Citizenship + equal protection
Republicans feared that states would deny these rights.
What did the 15th Amendment establish?
Black male suffrage
This amendment aimed to expand voting rights for African American men.
What were the goals of Reconstruction?
- Expand political opportunities for formerly enslaved people
- Build interracial democracy
These goals were illustrated in political cartoons like Nast’s “Thanksgiving Dinner.”
What factors contributed to the collapse of Reconstruction?
- KKK violence and intimidation
- Southern Democrats regain control
- Northern Republicans retreat
Poor Whites and plantation elites united to maintain White supremacy.
What did both Levine and Langguth agree on regarding Reconstruction?
- Local Southern tactics denied Black rights
- Reconstruction failed to stop violence
- Unfair labor systems persisted
They disagreed with the idea that Southern Democrats supported Reconstruction.
