Led a small raid on a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. His goal was to arm the southern slave population and incite a slave rebellion
Tenure of Office Act
Civil rights act of 1866
All African Americans were citizens of the United States
Wilmot Proviso
Election of 1844
James k. Polk was a big believer in manifest destiny. He got the Oregon territory and started the Mexican-American River.
Black codes
Restricted the civil rights of african americans in the south. Made it harder to vote, own property, even banned them from testifying against white people
Mexican-American war
Kansas-Nebraska act
divided Nebraska territory into 2 sections, Kansas and Nebraska. Put slavery to a vote in each new state. Effectively overturned the Missouri compromise!
Johnson impeached
Pres. Johnson violated the tenure of office act, and impeachment failed by one vote
Plan to completely cut off the south by blockading southern ports and eventually the Mississippi river
Gold rush
Gold was discovered in California, population skyrocketed
Republican party formed
A slave in Missouri was taken to live in free Wisconsin, for two years, and he sued for his freedom. The Supreme Court ruled that slaves aren't citizens, and they are property so nobody can be deprived of their property without due process.
Protected voting rights of former slaves (in theory)
Radical Republicans
Pushed hard for civil rights, wanted to punish the south. Shifted the process of reconstruction from president to congress
Fugitive slave act
Many northerners opposed the expansion of slavery, and abolitionists despised the law. There were often riots when Southerners would try to bring back a runaway slave.
Free Soil Party
Formed by abolitionists who wanted to ban slavery everywhere
Reconstruction acts
Divided the south into 5 zones under military occupation. Increased requirements for rejoining (also ratify 14th amendment and have universal suffrage)
Fighting broke out between the pro and anti-slavery factions
Election of 1860
Manifest destiny
Americans believed they had a God-given right to have a nation from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
Established the southern border of the United States and granted a huge portion of land known as the Mexican cession which included California and new Mexico
White supremacy
White supremacy continued to dominate. Secret societies continued to terrorize African Americans (and Catholics, jews, and immigrants)
Positions on expansion of slavery
Argued that slavery was a constitutional right, wanted line established in the Missouri Compromise to extend all the way westward to the Pacific.
Texan independence
Americans had been settling in Texas since the 1820s. The southerners outnumbered actual Mexicans and had brought their slaves. The Mexican government outlawed slavery and mandated catholicism.
The contested election was decided by a Republican-leaning committee the obv chose the Republican candidate. Democrats threatened to filibuster
Compromise of 1850
California and New Mexico wanted to enter the union as free states.
Henry Clay created compromise: New Mexico and Utah would vote on slavery, California would be admitted as a free state, Slavery would be banned in Washington D.C., and there would be a new fugitive slave act
Battle of Vicksburg
Granted the Union control of the entire Mississippi River. Cut the confederacy in half
