Glossary
California Gold Rush
A period of rapid migration to California beginning in 1849, sparked by the discovery of gold. It led to a massive population boom and economic development in the West.
Example:
Many fortune-seekers abandoned their homes and traveled thousands of miles, hoping to strike it rich during the California Gold Rush.
Compromise of 1850
A package of five separate bills passed by Congress that attempted to resolve disputes over slavery in new territories acquired from Mexico. It admitted California as a free state but included a stricter Fugitive Slave Act.
Example:
While the Compromise of 1850 temporarily averted secession, its provisions, especially the Fugitive Slave Act, intensified sectional tensions.
Dred Scott v. Sandford
A landmark 1857 Supreme Court decision that ruled African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be American citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court. It also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.
Example:
The Dred Scott v. Sandford decision further inflamed sectional tensions by denying Congress the power to prohibit slavery in territories and effectively opening all territories to slavery.
Election of 1860
A pivotal presidential election in which Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate, won without any Southern electoral votes. His victory prompted several Southern states to secede from the Union, leading to the Civil War.
Example:
The results of the Election of 1860 clearly demonstrated the deep sectional divide in the United States and served as the immediate catalyst for secession.
Free-Soil Party
A political party active from 1848 to 1854, primarily focused on opposing the expansion of slavery into the western territories. They did not necessarily advocate for the abolition of slavery where it already existed.
Example:
The Free-Soil Party's slogan, 'Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men,' encapsulated their opposition to the spread of slavery and their support for economic opportunity for white laborers.
Gadsden Purchase
A 1853 agreement in which the United States purchased a strip of land from Mexico for $10 million. This land, located in present-day Arizona and New Mexico, was acquired for the purpose of building a transcontinental railroad.
Example:
The Gadsden Purchase completed the contiguous territorial expansion of the United States, providing a suitable route for a southern railroad.
Kansas-Nebraska Act
A 1854 law that allowed settlers in the Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide whether to allow slavery within their borders through popular sovereignty. It effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise.
Example:
The Kansas-Nebraska Act led to violent clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, earning the territory the nickname 'Bleeding Kansas'.
King Cotton
A phrase used to describe the economic and political importance of cotton production in the Southern United States before the Civil War. The South believed its cotton exports were vital to the global economy, giving them leverage.
Example:
Southern politicians often invoked King Cotton to argue that the North and European powers would be economically crippled if they interfered with the South's slave-based economy.
Know-Nothing Party
A nativist political party active in the 1850s, officially known as the American Party. They advocated for stricter immigration laws and opposed the influence of immigrants and Catholics.
Example:
The Know-Nothing Party gained popularity by appealing to fears that immigrants were taking jobs and undermining American culture.
Manifest Destiny
The 19th-century belief that the United States was divinely ordained to expand its dominion and spread democracy across the North American continent. It fueled westward expansion and territorial acquisitions.
Example:
The idea of Manifest Destiny justified American expansion into lands already inhabited by Native Americans and Mexicans, leading to significant conflicts.
Mexican-American War
A conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848, primarily over the annexation of Texas and a border dispute. The war resulted in significant territorial gains for the U.S.
Example:
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American War, ceded vast territories like California and New Mexico to the United States.
Purchase of Alaska
The acquisition of Alaska by the United States from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million. Initially mocked as 'Seward's Folly,' it proved to be a valuable strategic and resource-rich territory.
Example:
Despite initial public skepticism, the Purchase of Alaska eventually provided the U.S. with vast natural resources and a strategic foothold in the Arctic.