for Chapter 7 – Antebellum Period Key Terms for Chapter 7 – Antebellum Period (1838-1860).

Antebellum- before or existing before the war manifest destiny- A policy of imperialistic expansion defended as necessary or benevolent. states’ rights- the belief that a state’s interest should take precedence over the interests of the national government. yeoman farmer- an independent farmer who would often live season to season.

Slave state- the states that permitted slavery between 1820 and 1860: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Abolition- the act of abolishing a system or practice or institution (especially abolishing slavery) free state- Any state of the Union in which slavery was illegal before the Civil War. Overseer- One who keeps watch over and directs the work of others

Missouri Compromise- an agreement in 1820 between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups in the United States to the extension of slavery into new territories Sectionalism- the belief by people in a given region or area that their ideas and interests are better and more important than those of another region or area. Compromise of 1850- legislation passed by congress that allowed California to enter the Union as a free state, slave trading was ended in D.C., Texas gave up its hold on New Mexico in exchange for money, the fugitive slave act was enacted, and the people of Utah and New Mexico could determine whether they wanted to allow slavery. Kansas-Nebraska Act- created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and that contained a clause on popular sovereignty that negated the compromise of 1850.

popular sovereignty- the ability of the residents of an area to decide upon an issue. free soiler-those people in the Kansas area who believed that slavery was wrong. Driver- an older slave that a plantation owner thought they were loyal supervised other slaves. slave code- laws that enacted in the south that took away nearly all the rights of slaves by regulating their actions.

Arsenal-an arms store house Underground railroad- series of roads, houses, river crossings, and people who helped southern slaves escape to freedom Know Nothing party- a political party in the 1800’s that didn’t want immigrants to become citizens or to hold political office Republican party- a political party formed in 1854 to oppose slavery

Platform- a statement of the principles and policies a political party supports. Secession- the act of pulling out of the Union Ordinance- a bill or a local law Confederate States of America- the name given to the government of the southern states that pulled out of the union.

What If Date Then Effect What if the Dred Scott decision had gone the other way? 1834-1857 Dred Scott would have been free and he slaves would be considered a citizen, and any territory could have slaves. The effect the Dred Scott Decision had on our country drove us closer to war. What if Eli Whitney (or anyone else) had not invented the cotton gin? 1793 The cotton plantations would have needed more slaves. This increased cotton production and the plantation owners were given an incentive to plant more cotton and use more slaves. What if Uncle Tom’s Cabin had not been written? If this would not have been written the North would have known less about individual slaves and the evils of slavery. This moved the North to dislike slavery even more and the want to abolish slavery grew. What if the Compromise of 1850 had not been passed? 1850 California’s Statehood would have been doubtful, slave trading would still be allowed in D.C., any territory could not determine if they wanted slavery, and the Fugitive Slave Laws would have been weaker. the compromise of 1850 was one of the breaks between North and South, which led to the leaving of southern states after the election of 1860. What if the Kansas-Nebraska Act had not been passed? 1854 The country would not have had slaves in those territories. It wiped out the compromise of 1850 which lead to up rise of the people.