JustinKersey

3rdHour
APUSH

1)

2)

3.

4.

5.

Unit6KeyPeopleandEvents

LincolnsHouseDividedSpeech
a) OnJune16,1858AbrahamLincolngavehisfamousspeechinSpringfield,
Illinoisinfrontof1,000delegates.ItwasheretheydecidedtoelectAbraham
LincolnastheircandidatetorunforsenateagainstStephenA.Douglas.
b) Theimportanceofthisspeechisnotnecessarilytoldbutratheractedout.
Actedoutintheformofawarwhichwasoverthefightforslavery.Whathis
speechreallydidwasactivatemorefeelingsforhowtheunioncouldonlybe
oneway,withorwithoutslavery.
LincolnDouglasDebates
a) TheLincolnDouglasDebateswereaseriesofsevendebatesthroughoutthe
stateofIllinois.TheyweredebatesbetweentheRepublicancandidate
AbrahamLincolnandDemocratStephenA.Douglas.Thesedebateswereto
determinewhowonthestateofIllinoisintheirquestforthesenateseat.
b) TheimportanceofthesedebatesisthatitnotonlyraisedAbrahamLincolns
popularityandnotabilitybutalsobroughtabouttherealityofwhatthenationwill
face.ElectingStephenDouglasonlydelayedtheinevitable,andLincolnknew
it.
JamesK.Polk
a. JamesK.PolkwasthelastsuccessfulpresidentoftheUnitedStatesbeforethe
startofthecivilwar.Hewasmostnotedforhissuccessintheforeignaffairs
portion.HesuccessfullynegotiatedthedisputewiththeOregonterritoryand
latercompletedtheannexationofTexas.
b. Hewasimportanttoourhistoryasheisanimportantreasonwhywewereable
tograbasmuchlandaswedid.SuccessfullynegotiatingwithBritainandlater
beatingMexicooutforlandwasamajorpartintheexpansionoftheU.S.
TreatyofGuadalupeHidalgo
a. TheTreatyofGuadalupeHidalgowasapeacetreatybetweentheUnited
StatesandMexico.ItwasnamedtheTreatyofGuadalupeHidalgobecauseit
wassignedinthe

VilladeGuadalupeHidalgo.
ItwassignedonFebruary2,
1848andofficiallyendedtheMexicanAmericanWar.
b. TheimportancebehindtheTreatyofGuadalupeHidalgoisthatitsettledthe
problemswithMexicoandtheU.S.alongwithitgavetheU.S.moreland.In
retrospect,theUnitedStatesgainedmorelandthanmoneytheypaidtoMexico
forthewar.
TheWilmotProviso
a. TheWilmotProvisowasaProvisointroducedbyDavidWilmotin1846that
statedthatallterritoriesandstatesgainedbytheMexicanAmericanWarwere
tobebannedofslavery.AtfirstitmadeitthroughtheHouseof

RepresentativesbutfailedintheSenatesincetherewasamuchmorepowerful
presenceofthesouth.
b. Animportantfeatureoftheprovisowasthatitbroughtabouttheissueofthe
divisionofslaveryandwhichstatesitwasallowedtobebroughtinto.The
provisowasneverpassedbutdidmakecompromisesmuchmoredifficultsince
neithersidewantedtogivetheterritoriesup.
6. PopularSovereignty
a. PopularSovereigntyinthe1850swasthebeliefthatthestateshadtheirown
choiceastowhethertheywantedtobeaslavestateorafreestate.Itwasthe
beliefthatifthestatewantedtobeaslavestatetheyhadtodonothingandif
theywantedtobefreetheyjusthadtoenactlawsagainstit.
b. PopularSovereigntywasimportanttothehistoryoftheUnitedStatesbecause
itbeganthewholeideaofborderruffians.Whereslaveholderswouldcross
bordersandvoteforthestatetobecomeaslavestate.
7. FreeSoilParty
a. TheFreeSoilPartywasasmalltimepoliticalpartyaroundforonlytwo
elections.Itwasmadeupofantislaverymemberswhomostcommonlycame
fromtheWhigpartyandtheDemocratic.ItwascentralizedmostlyinNewYork
duringthemid1800s.
b. TheFreeSoilPartywasanimportantgrouptothehistoryoftheUnitedStates
becauseitwasamajoractorintheabolitionofslavery.Theyplayedamajor
roleintheabolitioningofslaveryaswelltheuproarleadingtothecivilwar.
8. TheCompromiseof1850
a. TheCompromiseof1850wasaseriesofbillsthatsettledthedisputebetween
thenorthandthesouthaboutwhattodowiththelandthatwasobtainedfrom
themexicanamericanwar.Thecompromiseonlybecamepossibleafterthe
deathofpresidentZacharyTaylor.
b. Theimportancetohistoryisthefactthatitsettledthedisputebetweenthe
northandsouth.Notapermanentsolution,butitwasenoughtoofferpeace
betweenthestatesforthetimebeing.
9. FugitiveSlaveAct
a. TheFugitiveSlaveActwasapartoftheCompromiseof1850.Itstatedthatany
blackpersonwhowasorisaslaveandlivinginthefreenorthcanbecaptured
andreturnedtotheirmaster.Itwasawidelydisputedandcontroversialpartsof
thecompromise.
b. ItisimportanttothehistoryoftheU.S.becauseitwasamajorfactortothe
startoftheCivilWar.Itmadethenorthrealizehowseveretheissueofslavery
wasandmadepeoplewanttodoasmuchastheypossiblycouldtostopit
beforeitspreadoutwest.
10. UncleTomsCabin
a. UncleTomsCabinwasanantislaverynovelwrittenbyHarrietBeecherStowe
in1852.Itwasthesecondbestsellingnovelofitstime,followingonlythe
Bible.InAmericaover300,000copiesweresoldandinBritain1,000,000.

b. ThenovelwasoneofthemoreimportantfactorstotheCivilWar.Itshowedthe
realityofaslaveseverydaylifeandhighlightedhowdreadfulandawfultheir
livesreallywere.InthewordsofWillKaufmanthenovel,helpedlaythe
groundworkfortheCivilWar.
11. FranklinPierce
a. FranklinPiercewasthe14thpresidentoftheUnitedStatesandwas,sotosay,
afailure.Hewasunabletokeeppeacebetweenthenorthandsouthanddue
tothisinability,keptthecountryonthepathtothecivilwar.Eventhoughhe
wasanortherndemocrat,hesawtheabolitionofslaveryasathreattothe
unionoftheU.S.
b. Mr.FranklinPiercewasanimportantmaninthehistoryoftheUnitedStates
duetothefactthathewasamainreasonoftheCivilWar.Hewasalmostthe
causeofitbytryingtokeepbothsideshappy,whichneverworked.Duetohis
inabilitytokeepthepeace,italmostspeduptheprocessoftheCivilWar.
12. StephenA.Douglas
a. StephenDouglaswasapoliticianfromIllinois.HewasamemberoftheHouse
ofRepresentativesandtheSenateandnominatedforpresidentintheelection
of1860.HedefeatedAbrahamLincolninthe1860electionandwasnicknamed
LittleGiantforbeingshortinappearancebutpowerfulinthewayhecarried
himself.
b. Hewasimportanttothehistoryofthiscountrybecausehedevelopedthe
KansasNebraskaActandbelievedharshlyinpopularsovereignty.Bystealing
thesenateseatfromAbrahamLincolninthe1850s,hewasabletodelaythe
secedingofthesouthforabitlongeraswellastheCivilWar.
13. TheKansasNebraskaBill
a. TheKansasNebraskaBillcreatedthenewterritoriesofNebraskaandKansas.
ThebillalsohadtheeffectofarepealontheMissouriCompromise,meaning
thatthebillallowedpeople,specificallywhitemales,tocrossthebordersand
voteinthepopularsovereigntyonwhetherornotthestatewouldbeintroduced
asaslaveornonslavestate.
b. TheKansasNebraskaBillwasimportanttohistorybecausewhenitcausedthe
upsetinslavestatestofreestates,theNorthbecameangeredandwantedto
dosomethingaboutit,helpingleadthewaytotheCivilWar.
14. TheRepublicanParty
a. TheRepublicanPartywasformedin1854intheNorthernstatesandwas
namedsoafterThomasJeffersonspreviousparty.Itwascomposedmostlyof
exwhigsandantislaveryactivists.Themainreasonbehindtheirfoundingwas
becauseoftheKansasNebraskaBill.
b. TheRepublicanPartywasimportanttohistorybecauseitestablishedasortof
oppositiontoslaveownersthathadneverbeentherebefore.Thepartywas
seenastheopponenttotheDemocraticpartywhichinvolvedtheslaveholders
andslaveactivistsbuttheRepublicanPartyhaddonesomethingnoonehad
donebefore,voicetheiropinionandtakeactiononit.

15. TheAmerican(KnowNothing)Party
a. TheAmericanParty,orKnowNothingParty,wasapartyformedwith
antiimmigrantandanticatholicismsentiments.Theywereworriedaboutthe
suddenriseinimmigrantsandthefeartheyweregoingtotakeallthejobsin
themarket.Whenaskedabouttheirparty,theyweretorespondwith,Iknow
nothing.
b. TheKnowNothingswereanimportantfactorintheNorth.Theyprevented
moreimmigrantsfrommovinginandpreventedevenmorecatholicsfrom
comingtotheUnitedStates.Asfarastheirgoalswent,theyweresuccessful.
16. BleedingKansas
a. BleedingKansaswasaseriesofpoliticaleventsthattookplaceinKansas
between1854and1861thatwerecenteredaroundtheissueoftheborder
ruffiansandthefactofwhetherornotKansaswastobeaslavestateorafree
state.
b. Theimportanceoftheseconflictswasthattheytriedtosettletheconflictsthat
weretakingplaceintheKansasNebraskaterritorybutreallyonlycausedmore
problemsthansolutionsthroughtheirstirringupofpoliticalissues.
17. JohnBrown
a. JohnBrownwasawhiteamericanabolitionistwhobelievedthattheonlyway
slaverywastobeforgottenwaswithanarmed,violentaction.Hecommitted
crimesliketreasonforrobbinganarmorywithothermentotryandstealguns
andstiruparevolution.
b. JohnBrownhadsuchanimpactonourhistorythathehimselfmayaswell
havebeentheonetodeclarethestartofthewar.Hisinvasionofthearmory
wasenoughtostirupthemindsoftheNorthernersandmakethemwantto
takeaction.
18. TheDredScottCase
a. DredScottwasaslavefromthestateofMissouri.Hesuedhisownerforhis
freedomsincehebelieveditwashis.Whilehewasundertheownershipofhis
master,theylivedinafreestateforfouryears,whichScottlaterclaimedmade
himafreeman.
b. ThecaseandtherulingoftheDredScottcasewasoftheutmostimportance.It
prettymuchdeclaredwhethertheNorthandSouthwouldhavetofightatallor
not.Duetotherulingofthecasethenorthbecametoofrustratedtojustletit
happenagain.
19. JohnBrownsRaidonHarpersFerry
a. JohnBrownledpeopleintoHarpersFerry,Virginiawheretherewasanarmory
located.Heinvadeditwiththeintenttodistributealltheweaponswithinto
slavesinhopesofenforcingaslaverevolt.Hewaseventuallystoppedand
killed.
b. Theimportanceoftheraidonthearmorywasthatthisshowedandworriedthe
souththatevenwhiteswoulddoanythingtoabolishslavery.Itshowedthat

eventhoughthethoughtsofwhitesbeingsuperiorwasabout,peoplewoulddo
anythingtoputittorest.

20. TheCrittendenCompromise
a. TheCrittendenCompromisewasjustthe3630Compromiseredone.Itstated
thatallstateswouldobeythe3630lineforslaveryreasons.Hepassedthis
actsolelytokeepthesouthfromsecedingfromtherestoftheunion,but
ultimatelyfailed.
b. Theimportanceofthisisthatitshowedhowdesperatethecountrywastotry
andsticktogether.Itwasntevena100yearsoldandhereitis,havingacivil
warandfightingwithitselfoversomethingasstupidandsimpleasslavery.
21. TheConfederateStatesofAmerica
a. TheConfederateStatesofAmericawerethesecededsouthernstatesofthe
unionthatleftduetotheissueofslavery.TheyincludedthestatesofSouth
Carolina,Texas,Mississippi,Florida,Alabama,Georgia,andLouisiana.
b. TheimportanceoftheConfederateStatesisthattheynotonlywerethe
southernstatesoftheUnitedStatesbutthefacttheyactuallyseceded.They
lefttheunionandnowposedathreattotheunion.
22. TheAttackonFortSumter
a. TheattackonFortSumterwasanattackonthefortbyconfederatetroops.
TheyattackedthefortonApril12,1961andindoingsocausedmorestatesto
secedeandbecomeapartoftheConfederateStatesofAmerica.Virginia
actuallyendedupsplittingupintotwodifferentstatesastheycouldnotdecide
whichsidetojoin.
b. Theimportanceoftheattackisthatthisiswhatliterallystartedthewar.Many
thingshelpedleaduptothispointbuttheattackwastheonetruethingthat
startedthewar.