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Unit 5 General Questions
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Explain the philosophy of "Manifest Destiny." What forces created this concept?
How did the ideas of Manifest Destiny reflect certain racial attitudes prevalent in the
country in the mid-19c?
What were some of the arguments by those who did not embrace the idea of Manifest Destiny?
Why did the Mexican government initially allow American colonization of Texas?
Why did tensions increase between the American settlers in Texas and the Mexican government?
Who were the Tejanos? What role did they play in the Texas War for Independence?
What were some of the fears of those who opposed the admission of Texas into the Union?
What other options afforded themselves to the new Texas Republic besides statehood?
Besides new land for settlers, what other interests did Americans have for migrating to the
Oregon Territory?
What were the socio-economic characteristics of those Americans who migrated to the
West in the 1840s-1850s?
Why was the policy of Manifest Destiny closely associated with the Democratic party?
Why did Clay and Van Buren wish to avoid taking a stand on the question of the annexation
of Texas? What effect did this have on their efforts to be nominated by their party?
How did Van Buren's position on Texas help the candidacy of James K. Polk? How did Polk's
campaign catch the spirit of the time?
What were the goals of President Polk? How did he resolve the Oregon question?
John L. O'Sullivan
Manifest Destiny
"Empire of Liberty"
Stephen Austin
empresario
Santa Fe Trail
General Antonio López de Santa Anna
Sam Houston
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Remember the Alamo!
Tejanos
Lone Star Republic
John Jacob Astor
Oregon Trail
Donner Party
"54° 40' or Fight!"
What tensions emerged in the Southwest that threatened to lead the United States into
war with Mexico?
How did American interest in New Mexico and California develop?
What were the origins of the Slidell Mission? What was its goal? What did it accomplish?
What was Polk's response to it?
On what grounds did President Polk ask Congress to declare war on Mexico?
What were some of the arguments made by critics of the U. S. entry into the Mexican War?
What were the objectives of the American offensives in the Mexican War? Why were the
Americans ultimately victorious?
List the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
What was the Wilmot Proviso? What arguments were advanced in its favor? Why was the
South against it?
What part did the issue of slavery in the territories play in the election of 1848?
10. Identify all of the ways in which the Gold Rush and the Chinese migration changed California
in the late 1840s and early 1850s.
11. What problems faced President Zachary Taylor when he took office? How did he propose
to solve them? What action did Congress take?
12. How did the South react to President Taylor's program?
13. What were the proposals presented in Congress by Clay, Calhoun, and Webster?
14. Identify the "younger" politicians who emerged after 1850. How did they differ from the
leaders they replaced?
15. What was the Compromise of 1850? How was it passed?
16. How did the 1850 Compromise negate the Missouri Compromise of 1820?
"Mr. Polk's War"
General Zachary Taylor
"Old Rough & Ready"
General Winfield Scott
"Old Fuss & Feathers"
Slidell Mission
John C. Frémont
Bear Flag Republic
Battle of Vera Cruz
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
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Wilmot Proviso
popular sovereignty [or "squatter
sovereignty"]
Free-Soil Party
Forty-Niners
coolies
personal liberty laws
Compromise of 1850
omnibus bill
How did the political parties react to the Compromise of 1850? How did the sections of the
country react?
What was the "Young America" movement? What national sentiment did it reflect? Who
were its spokespersons and what did it accomplish?
How was it that American foreign policy objectives in the 1850s began to reflect the
growing sectional divisions in the country?
Why did the issue of a transcontinental railroad help to reopen the sectional controversy?
Identify the candidates, the issues, and the results of the presidential election of 1852.
List the provisions of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and explain its impact on sectionalism.
What effect did it have on the Whigs? on the Democrats?
How did the North react to the Kansas-Nebraska Act? the South? What effect did it
have on the Whigs? on the Democrats?
Who were the new Republicans? Which groups comprised this party? What was its platform?
What problems were faced in the attempt to organize a legitimate government in Kansas?
Why did these problems arise?
How was it that Kansas became a battle ground for the sectional controversy?
Explain the maneuvering by pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces to gain control of the Kansas
government. What did both sides come to believe that Kansas symbolized for the nation?
What type of society did northerners with to create? How did "free soil" and "free labor"
fit into their plans?
How did the "free soil" ideology manifest itself in the Republican Party? What diverse
views did it unite?
What were the elements of the South's pro-slavery response? Who were its major spokespersons?
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What effect did the depression of 1857 have on political divisions in America? How did it
increase the tension between the North and South?
What transpired in the Sumner-Brooks incident?
What were the origins of the Dred Scott case? What issues were involved?
How did Chief Justice Taney rule on this case? What was the impact of the decision on the
nation's efforts to reach a compromise regarding the slavery issue?
Gadsden Purchase (1853)
"Young America" Movement
Fugitive Slave Act (1854)
Ostend Manifesto (1854)
Sen. Charles Sumner
Congr. Preston Brooks
Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Land, & Free Men
Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)
Roger B. Taney
Daniel Webster
Henry Clay
Stephen Douglas
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
Republican Party
Thomas R. Dew
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Why did the Lincoln-Douglas debates take place? Why did they draw so much attention?
How did Lincoln and Douglas differ in their solution to slavery in the territories?
How was Douglas's stand reflected in the Freeport Doctrine? What affect did this position
have on Douglas's future presidential aspirations?
How did the Lincoln-Douglas debates define the distinctions between the Democratic and
Republican parties?
What were the goals of John Brown's raid on the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry, VA?
How did the South react to this event?
Why is John Brown's raid considered to be a turning point in the South's road to secession?
What caused the split between northern and southern Democrats in 1860? What was the
result of this division?
What was the Republican platform in 1860? To whom did it appeal most?
What role did the Lyceum play in educating the American public, especially with regard to
public controversies of the period?
What sort of people took part in the Lyceum movement?
On what constitutional interpretation was the concept of secession based? What was the
reaction of the United States government to the southern states that seceded first?
What compromises were proposed to bring these states back into the Union? Why did they fail?
What was Lincoln's opinion regarding the legality of secession? How was that opinion
reflected in his action concerning Fort Sumter?
What problem presented itself to the South by Lincoln's decision to re-supply Fort Sumter?
A house divided against itself cannot stand.
Freeport Doctrine
John Brown
Pottawatomie Massacre
Crittenden Plan
Confederate States of America
Jefferson Davis
Ft. Sumter, SC