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HIST 1301 - Final Exam Study Guide
HIST 1301 - Final Exam Study Guide
1817, Missouri applies for statehood as slave state. Northerners believe South over-represented in House of Representatives House of Representatives rejects the compromise unless slavery abolished South wishes to preserve balance between slave states and free states
The Solution The Senate and the House apparently came up with an agreement known as the Missouri Compromise Missouri admitted as slave state Maine admitted as free state. It made number of slave state and free state equal. Slavery banned elsewhere in Louisiana Purchase above latitude of 360 30 Missouri controversy exposed deep rift between North and South
Monroe Doctrine Monroe Doctrine is a policy of US in effect in Dec 1823. It stated that further efforts by European nations to colonize land or interfere with states in North and South America would be viewed as acts of aggression requiring US intervention US support new Latin America republics. Europe fears rebellious might prove contagious. Great Britain asks US to cooperate against French in Latin America. US alone must protect Latin America independence. 1823, US warned European nations out of Western Hemisphere. In return, US will not interfere in European affairs. It refocused US from worldwide struggles against tyranny to national development. The Corrupt Bargain 1824 In the Election of 1824, no candidate was able to secure the required number of electoral votes. As a result, the outcome was determined by the House of Representatives. Convinced by Henry Clay, the House elected John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson. Then Adams made Clay his Secretary of State. Supporters of Jackson denounced this as a corrupt bargain.
The Spoils System In the Election of 1828, Andrew Jackson became president. He implemented rotation in office policy to prevent a corrupt bureaucracy. Jackson planned to replace corrupt members of previous terms to restore virtue and morality to government In his first message to Congress, Jackson defended his right to remove corrupt people. 1
Jackson called this process rotation in office and appointed officials from his party. Jacksonian Senator William Marcy proclaimed to the victor belongs the spoils Adversaries called it the spoils system
Nullification Crisis One notable crisis during Jacksons period of office was Nullification Crisis of 1828-1832, which merged issues of sectional strife with disagreements over tariffs. The reason is the Tariff of Abomination 1828. It enforced high tax on imported goods, protect industry in the North. The South pay higher prices on goods the region dont produce. In 1828, a tariff was passed; South Carolina objected but took no action. In 1832, another tariff was passed; South Carolina nullified. Jackson was a strong supporter of a strong union, with effective powers for the central government. He threatened to send army. Calhoun, then Vice President, was from South Carolina, went against the tariff and Jackson. The relationship between them was further strained when Calhouns wife led other cabinet members in the Peggy Eaton affair, resulted resignation of entire Jackson cabinet, except Van Buren. Indian Removal Program The most controversial aspect of Jacksons presidency is probably his Indian Removal program. Jackson inherited the Indian removal policy from prior administration. Jackson agreed that federal government had not pushed Indians hard enough. In 1838, in respond to Cherokee resistance, US Army forced Cherokees west along the Trail of Tears. Indians tribes had exposure, disease, and starvation while en route to their destinations. 15,000 Cherokee was forced on the Trail of Tears, resulted over 4,000 deaths. They are scarce of clothing, shoes, and provisions. Majority of them traveled on foot. One dollar a head to cross Berrys Ferry (Kentucky) Several Cherokee were murdered by locals. Killers filled lawsuits for $35 a head to bury the murdered Cherokee.
Popular Sovereignty Its the political principle that legitimacy of a state is created and sustained by the will of its people. Popular Sovereignty is the core principle of Jacksonian Democracy. Unlike his founders, who found the country on representative democracy, Jackson believes in the principle that public opinion had to be won over before major policy decisions could be made. In 1850s, democratic presidential candidate Lewis Cass proposed popular sovereignty (or squatter sovereignty) on the slavery issue. Congress allowed territorial settlers to decide whether the state is free state or slave state. Squatter sovereignty was applied to Kansas-Nebraska Act, resulting a repeal of Missouri Compromise of 1820 and allowed slavery in Kansas. Northerners and Southerners disagreed violently over what popular sovereignty meant. Abraham Lincoln targeted popular sovereignty in Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858.
King Cotton King Cotton was a slogan used by southerners to support secession from US by arguing cotton exports would make an independent Confederacy prosperous and forced European countries to support them. Southerners confidence in cottons economic power contributed to the decision to establish the Confederacy in 1861. It dominated 75% of worlds cotton supply. Southerners believed cotton so essential to Europe that they would intervene in civil war. It inspired by the beginning of commercial agriculture and early industrialism.
Factors that made the South king for Cotton production 1. Demand caused by increase in textile manufacturing 2. Invention of cotton gun by Eli Whitney cut labor costs in cleaning 3. Availability of good land in south (AL, MS, LA) 4. Slavery can operate large scale plantations 5. Souths natural transportation system (rivers, coast lines) Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vessey, Nat Turner In antebellum society, slaves received horrendous treatments such as hot iron, whipping, and castration. They were often sold down the river, separated from their family. Slaves resisted their oppression flight through sabotage, stealing provisions, story-telling, and running away. Slaves also rebelled violently, hoping to liberate themselves Gabriel Prosser 1800 Words of slave revolt in Haiti gradually spread to mainland. Gabriel Prosser plotted with his brother to lead an insurrection to free Virginia blacks He gained support of about 50-60 slaves Prossers plan to burn Richmond failed because of wet weather Whites executed a number of leaders, including both Prossers Many slaves were sold away to deep South Failed revolt left many whites in the area nervous for a long time
Denmark Vesey 1822 Vesey won freedom in a lottery. He conspired to lead a rebellion in Charleston, SC in 1822. Many slaves from leading families involved, as many as 3,000 Plot was leaked by 2 slaves who opposed to Veseys scheme Rebellion was harshly put down before it could begin. Vesey and others were tried and executed.
Nat Turner 1831 Turner led a group of about 100 slaves on rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia. They killed 60 whites, men and women, young and old 3
Nat Turner and nearly 200 blacks were executed, including many who knew the rebellion but didnt join Image of Nat Turners Rebellion remained in the minds of white Southerners for decades
Dred Scott Decision of 1857 Dred Scott is a Missouri slave sued for his freedom Suit was based on fact his former owner had taken him for several years into Illinois, a free state and Wisconsin territory. Emerson then was moved to St Louis, left Scott and his wife behind the Wisconsin territory for several months, hiring them out, constituted slavery. Scott initially won suit, but decision was overturned by US Supreme Court.
Dred Scott vs. Sanford (1857): Supreme Court can decide on slavery in territories. Scott has no right to sue because neither he or any other black, slave or free, is a citizen Congress has no authority to prohibit slavery in territories, Missouri Compromise is unconstitutional. The ruling strengthened Republicans.
Part 2: Essays on major themes Topic 1: Unconscious awareness One of the major themes that weave through the American Revolution is the unconscious awareness. How did the colonists, who mostly were British citizens, form a revolutionary idea against Great Britain? Why were they willing to fight and die for their cause? Intriguingly the American Revolution didnt happen overnight. It was, however, a long burning fire which was ignited from the birth of consumer society to the Great Awakening. The burning continued from the clash of political cultures to the beginning of oppositions against the Britishs Acts on the colonists. Consequently, the unconscious awareness triggered the repeated boycotts of English imported goods and repeals of various Parliaments Acts. In early days of the consumer society, colonies begin to share similarities and common identity through inter-colonial trades. The Great Awakening then helped to restore the colonists religious revivalism and their tendency to challenge authority. In an attempt to emulate British political institutions, the colonists discovered how different they were from English people. John Lockes Commonwealth Men inspired the virtuous citizens about their god given rights to life, liberty, property, and justified rebellion against arbitrary forms of tyranny government. In 1760s, the British Parliament issued the Sugar Act, Currency Act, Quartering Act, and Stamp Act to impose duties, taxes, and quartering British troops upon the American colonies. The colonists, however, didnt comply with those Acts, which was supposed to increase the power of Great Britain over the world. They formed Massachusetts Assembly, Sons of Liberty, and repealed the Stamp Act. British Parliament saw it as rebellion acts, and condemned the colonists with the Townshend Acts, the Tea Act, the Coercive Acts, and the unfortunate Boston massacre. Meanwhile, the colonists stepped up their opposition. They boycotted the British imports, British tea, and urging forcible resistance. Thomas Paines Common Sense persuaded ordinary people to cut ties with England, and provided argument for independence. Although traitors were subjected to execution, the colonists were willing to die for the opposition against the Crown. 4
The unconscious awareness helped the colonists with their determination to oppose Britishs oppression. It leads to the armed rebellion and the Independence of the United States. The British wasnt quite sure about the colonists boycott and rebellion. In their view, the colonists are Englishmen, and they should not oppose their own country. However, the unconscious awareness was burning slowly for a long period of time. The colonists knew what they dont want, which is taxation without representation. The revolution and the building of new found country was an uncharted territory, where they didnt know about what they want yet.
Topic 2: Expansion (geographical, intellectual, and spiritual) The theme of geographical, intellectual, and spiritual expansion plays a major part in American History from early Independence to Civil War era. The growing population, large immigration, revolution in transportation urges United States to extend their border and move westward. The expansion is justified on the grounds of economic needs, religion, and a sense of cultural superiority. The Manifest Destiny provided a powerful justification as Americans have a God-given right and destiny to take all the land they could. In 19th century, United States had a rapid population growth. An intense migration to the west created new states entering the Union. The western settlers rejected Indian-White coexistence and compete for Indian land. The new land was perceived as rich and unsettled. John Quincy Adams signed Adams-Onis treaty to secure all Florida and US boundary to Pacific. The Native American suffered from Indian Removal policy since 1815. By 1840, over one-third of US population lived on the west of the Appalachians. Then the revolution in transportation thrived with roads, steamboats, and the Canal Boom. It cut East-West transportation costs dramatically. On the other hand, the Second Great Awakening began on the southern frontier. It provided the social cohesion for rural communities and inspired a new ethic of self-discipline in American culture. In 1842, the Webster-Ashburton treaty settled the North East US-Canada boundary. Americans began to settle in Oregon, New Mexico, and California. The triumph of railroad system, and the Industrial Revolution nudged the mass immigration during 1840-1860. Over 4 million Irish and German come for higher wage and better life. However, the expansion had caused uncontrollable conflicts. The economic expansion created a new class of wage-earners and its conflicts with old ideals about slavery. Meanwhile, the territorial expansion leads to sectional crisis. In conclusion, the expansion in geographical, intellectual, and spiritual has shaped the United States nowadays. It also led to irrepressible sectional conflicts and eventually a tragic Civil War. Nevertheless, the expansion ideals spread from the early colonization to modern globalization. Americans has thrived on it and built a strong and superior country once envisioned by their founding fathers.