American Colonization Society
A group of wealthy white northern abolitionists who wanted to free slaves and send them back to Africa (voluntarily). The colony founded by them is Liberia, and they did not believe that whites and non whites could coexist peacefully. They are significant because they demonstrate the wide spectrum of abolitionism, with ties to polygenesis.
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| American Colonization Society | A group of wealthy white northern abolitionists who wanted to free slaves and send them back to Africa (voluntarily). The colony founded by them is Liberia, and they did not believe that whites and non whites could coexist peacefully. They are significant because they demonstrate the wide spectrum of abolitionism, with ties to polygenesis. |
| Antietam | Fought on September 17th, 1862, in Maryland, and it took place during the Civil War. It was the bloodiest single day in American history, with 23000 dead and even more injured. The significance of Antietam was that it was considered a turning point of the American Civil War, and it led to the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation. |
| “Black Codes” | Laws passed in southern states to restrict the rights of newly freed African American citizens. The significance was that it revealed southern resistance to Emancipation and abolition efforts. |
| Compromise of 1877 | Resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election. In exchange for Hayes’ presidency, federal troops were withdrawn from the South, which ended Reconstruction. The significance is that it marked the collapse of federal protection of African Americans in the southern states. |
| Doughfaces | A term used for Northern politicians who supported Southern pro-slavery interests during or before the American Civil War. The significance is that the presence of congressmen and politicians helped to delay extreme sectional conflict, but on the flip side, allowed for slavery’s continuation. |
| Fugitive Slave Act | A law that forced escaped enslaved people to be returned to the people who bought them, even if they were found in free states. The significance is that it increased Northern opposition to slavery and increased pre-Civil War tensions. |
| Hiram Revels | The first African American to serve in the United States Senate during Reconstruction. He was significant because he symbolized African American political progress after the Civil War and the possibility for greater equality. |
| John Brown | A Radical abolitionist who believed in armed resistance as the end of slavery. He was hung for his actions and beliefs after leading an unsuccessful raid at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. His actions were significant because they only heightened any sectional tensions and made him a polarizing political figure. |
| Manifest Destiny | The belief that the United States was destined to expand all across the North American continent. It fueled westward expansion at the expense of Native Americans and other Nations. This is significant because it was a precursor to legal actions such as the Indian Removal Act. |
| Missouri Compromise | An agreement that made Missouri a slave state and Maine a free state, thereby maintaining the balance between the sides and reducing tensions. It was significant because it made sure the pre-war tensions were noticeable despite the fact it temporarily calmed tensions over slavery. |
| Polygenesis | The belief that human races are from different ancestral sources rather than a single origin point. It was seen as a scientific justification for racism, even if it wasn’t. This was significant because it influenced social and political debates about race and human rights. |
| Samuel Morse | An American inventor and painter known for developing the telegraph and Morse code. It transformed business, journalism, and personal communication. The significance is that it has been turned into something highly relevant and highly useful for war, including the Civil War. |
| The Liberator | An abolitionist newspaper founded by William Lloyd Garrison. It called for the immediate emancipation of all enslaved people and became a voice in the anti-slavery movement. The significance is its hand in shaping public opinion against slavery and influencing the growing national debate, alongside its influence on documents that changed slavery’s appearance, such as the Emancipation Proclamation. |
| Anaconda Plan | The Union’s military strategy during the Civil War. It aimed to block Southern ports and have control over the Mississippi River. It squeezed the confederacy economically and geographically. It was significant because it helped weaken the South over time and contributed to the victory of the Union, leading to the Emancipation Proclamation’s official release. |
| Baltimore and Ohio | The first common carrier railroad company in the United States, it connected the Eastern seaboard with the Midwest, Baltimore to Ohio, making faster transport of goods and people. It was significant because it helped drive the Market Revolution, promoting industrial growth and Westward Expansion, supporting Manifest Destiny. |
| Brigham Young | A second-generation leader of the Mormon church, led the migration from New York to Illinois to Utah. The significance is ___ and the Mormons reflect the diversity of the migration. |
| Cotton gin | A machine that quickly separated cotton fibers from seeds. It made cotton production faster and more profitable. The significance was its creation of King Cotton, which boosted the southern economy and intensified the demand for enslaved labor, deepening reliance on slavery in the United States. |
| Emancipation Proclamation (1863) | The document that declared all enslaved people in the Confederate-held territories as free people. It was significant because it weakened the Confederacy and allowed African Americans to join the Union army, further discouraging foreign support for the South. It was additionally significant because it was a result of battles such as Antietam. |
| Grimke Sisters | 19th-century abolitionists and women’s rights activists from South Carolina. They spoke and wrote against slavery, drawing from first-hand experiences in a slaveholding family. They were significant because they brought immediate awareness to the link between the abolitionist movement and early women’s rights activism, challenging both societal norms. |
| Indian Removal Act | Authorized the federal government to relocate Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to territories West of the Mississippi River. It was significant because it opened land for white settlements by causing the displacement of Native American communities, directly benefiting the government’s belief in Manifest Destiny. |
| Know-Nothing Party | A political movement that opposed immigration, particularly immigration by Catholics. The significance was that it showed the rising nativism in the United States and revealed deep tensions over immigration, religion, and cultural exchange before the Civil War. |
| Market Revolution | A fundamental shift in the way the economy of the United States worked. Up until the early 1900s. The forces that drive change in the US economy are not individual consumers but big business & the people who are in charge of them, the businesses that facilitate transportation in and around the US. Huge businesses are the most serious kind of commerce. The significance is that it changed how we operate to this day. Exacerbates king cotton and, therefore, reliance on slavery. |
| Panic of 1837 | A major financial crisis triggered by bank failure, inflation, and the collapse of credit after Jackson’s banking policies. It led to a severe economic depression marked by unemployment, business closures, and widespread hardship. The significance was that it damaged the validity and perceived stability of the nation’s early financial systems. |
| Sacagawea | An indigenous woman who acted as a guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark expedition, she helped the expedition succeed because of her knowledge of the land and ability to better communicate with Indigenous groups. She was significant because she was seen as a symbol for the indigenous contribution to Westward expansion, and Manifest Destiny. |
| Tecumseh | An indigenous chief who was upset by the Louisiana Purchase and the influx of American settlers. He wanted to play the British and the Americans against each other. The significance is that it leads to the war of 1820. OR The significance is that it represents a long-term indigenous strategy when faced with European expansion. |
| Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo | (named after the city that the Mexican government had fled to because of US forces) A document signed on February 2nd, 1848. It was the document that marked the official end of the Mexican-American War and gave the U.S 55% of Mexico’s territory, including Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Utah. Its significance was that not only did it end the war, but it also aided in the United States’ goal of western expansion and helped the near-completion of Manifest Destiny. |