Morrill Land Grant Act

(1862) promoted secondary public education in West. Federal gov’t gave tracts of land to the states for them to build public colleges.

Pacific Railroad Act

(1862) gave government bonds and land to companies to build a transcontinental railroad.

Homestead Act

(1862) free land in the region to settlers who were willing to farm it. Many couldn’t farm and went bankrupt

Free soil idea

(Northern belief) Lands out west should be open to small-scale farming, without competition from large-scale plantation agriculture using slave labor.

Commodore Matthew C. Perry

Led a naval expedition to Japan making vague threats and skillful diplomacy in order to open trade with Japan. (Successful)

Election 1844

James K. Polk (democrat). Eager American expansionist. President during Mexican-American War. Pro-slavery.

Texas annexation

(1845) Polk pushed for annexation through joint-resolution, approved by congress and senate. Led to Mexican-American war(short term) and Civil war(long term)

Treaty of Fort Laramie

(1851) promised that the remaining Indian lands in the West would not be encroached upon. Whites persistently refused to honor. Set the precedent for the continuous treaties that were made in benefit of native Americans that were continuously ignored. Let to the Dakota war.

Sand Creek Massacre

(1864) after a family of white settlers were killed, presumably by natives, whites demanded revenge and led an attack on a peaceful Cheyenne village

Know-nothing party

Anti-catholic. Created due to nativism.

Free-labor idea

North economic model. Emphasized individual freedoms, independence, and self-reliance. Individuals were free to work, choose their employers, and improve their standings

Uncle toms cabin

(1852) written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Depicted graphic and emotional details about the brutality of slavery.

John Browns raid at Harpers ferry

1859) weapons from federal armory to give to slaves so they could initiate a slave rebellion, ending slavery.

Beating of sumner

(1856) after sumner gave an antislavery speech singling out Andrew butler, brooks heard about the speech and attacked sumner at his desk. Beating him viciously with a cane.

End of the Whig party

After the Kansas-Nebraska Act whigs were bitterly divided between proslavery and antislavery.

Republican Party

Former Know-nothing, free-soilers, abolitionists, antislavery whigs, and former democrats. Believed in the free-labor ideology. Critical of slavery but didn’t advocate abolition.

Election of 1856

First election with the same democratic and republican parties of today.

New York City draft riots

Riots against the enrollment act (1863) which established a military draft. Can pay a $300 fee to exempt them from serving as a soldier.

Freedman’s bureau

Agency set up to help newly freed black people to get on their feet.

Civil rights act of 1866

Protected citizenship of blacks and gave them protection under the law. (14th amendment)

Reconstruction acts of 1867

Assured all laws passed were enforced in the south. Divided south into 5 districts and put them under military occupation with federal troops. Increased requirement for southern states to rejoin union would have to ratify 13th, 14th, and universal manhood suffrage.

Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Impeachment = trial that determines if a president should be removed from office.

Because of tenure of office act.

Tenure of Office Act

1867. Illegal for the government to fire a member of his cabinet without congressional approval.

National Women Suffrage Association

created by Elizabeth Cary Stanton and Susan b Anthony.

American women suffrage association

Lucy stone and Henry Blackwell. Disappointment over 15th amendment but important to support federal reconstruction. Work for suffrage at the state level