Lincoln County Schools Patriot Day Instructional Expectations
Patriot Day 4
School: LCHS
Course/Subject: US History /
Honors US History
Teacher: Wesley &
Monhollen
Learning Target: I can identify and evaluate the major events and issues that promoted sectional conflicts
and strained national cohesiveness in the antebellum period. I can compare and contrast the economic,
social, and cultural differences of the North and South during the antebellum period.
Lesson Expectations/Standard:
Standards - US History Quality Core – B. Building a Nation (Colonization –ca.1877) – 2. Antebellum America –
b. Identify and evaluate the major events and issues that promoted sectional conflicts and strained national
cohesiveness in the antebellum period. f. Compare and contrast the economic, social, and cultural
differences of the North and South during the antebellum period.
Expectations – Students will read the lesson and answer the corresponding questions. Students must be
80% accurate or higher to be considered proficient, thus meeting the benchmark standard for this
assignment.
Links to Other Assignment Options (websites or programs):
Links to Resources and Support:
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkdF8pOFUfI – Crash Course: War and Expansion
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajn9g5Gsv98 – Crash Course: Slavery
Teacher Support: (list emails &/or phone numbers here):
[email protected]
Remind “app”
[email protected]
Remind “app”
*Reminder: Assignments are due back to teachers the next day we are in school, if possible, or within 1
week of the Patriot Day.
U.S. Before the Civil War
By the early 1800s, the North and the South were developing very different ways of life. These differences, including the
debate over slavery, states' rights, and differing economic and social goals, were ultimately the cause of the American Civil
War.
Slavery and Sectionalism
The economies and cultures of the North and South were very different in the years before the Civil War. The North had
developed an economy based mainly on an industrial society that utilized paid labor. Within the industrial society, the North
developed factories to manufacture goods. The factories created jobs, allowing more people to live within the boundaries of
the growing towns such as Boston, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. The North also expanded railroads that allowed the merchants
to sell goods throughout the country, which made them richer then southern merchants who still used older transportation
methods.
Where the North focused on industry, the natural resources of the South, allowed an agricultural society to develop. The
major crop grown in the South was cotton. Cotton was a very labor-intensive crop, meaning that slave labor was very
important as it was a cheap source of labor. In the late 1700s, a man named Eli Whitney invented a machine known as the
cotton gin. This invention mechanically separated cotton fibers from cotton seeds, which made processing cotton much
easier and faster. Due to this invention, slaves could spend all their time in the fields picking cotton, and cotton became an
even more profitable crop. Even a small farm with only a few slaves could make a large profit by producing cotton. As a result,
slavery spread throughout the South as more southerners began farming cotton.
Because of these economic differences, northerners and southerners had very different needs and wants. This made it
difficult to agree on social and political issues, which often led to sectionalism. Sectionalism can be defined as loyalty to one
region or section of a country instead of to the nation as a whole.
U.S. Before the Civil War
In the decades before the Civil War, the North and South became more divided, largely due to their differing economies. The
North was becoming highly industrialized, while the South remained dependent on agriculture. As the United States added
new territories and states in the 1840s and 1850s, the issue of the expansion slavery became more and more important. As
the abolition movement began to build momentum, political parties were formed, and acts of violence broke out across the
nation. It was only a matter of time before chaos and war erupted.
Timeline of Antebellum America
Northwest Ordinance, 1787
The Northwest Ordinance set up the government in the Northwest Territory. This document guaranteed civil liberties and rights to
the inhabitants of the territory, and it prohibited slavery. It was the first document to ban slavery in a state or territory of the United
States.
Missouri Compromise, 1820
In this act, Missouri was admitted to the Union as a slave state, and Maine was admitted as a free state. This was done purposely to
keep the number of free states and slaves states equal. Also, slavery was outlawed in any part of the Louisiana Territory that was
north of Missouri's southern border, minus Missouri itself.
Webster-Hayne Debate, 1830
In 1830, Senators Robert Hayne of South Carolina and Daniel Webster of Massachusetts debated whether or not states had the
right to nullify a federal law. Robert Hayne argued that states had the right to nullify a bill that Congress had passed. Daniel Webster
argued that only the Supreme Court had the right to decide whether or not a law was constitutional. This debate highlighted the
issue of states' rights, or the power struggle between state governments and the central government that occurred in the years
before the Civil War.
Nullification Crisis, 1832
In 1832, Congress passed a tariff that lowered the rates of the Tariff of 1828. In response, South Carolina declared both the tariffs of
1828 and 1832 null and void within the state and threatened to secede from the Union if the tariffs were enforced there. This
became known as the Nullification Crisis. President Jackson maintained that South Carolina did not have the right to nullify a federal
law and prepared to send troops to South Carolina. Vice President John C. Calhoun disagreed with President Jackson and resigned
his office in protest of Jackson's threats against South Carolina. Kentucky Senator Henry Clay, known as the Great Pacificator,
introduced a new tariff, lowering the rates over several years, and South Carolina did not secede.
Adams' Abolitionist Amendment, 1839
After leaving the presidency, John Quincy Adams was elected to the House of Representatives and served 17 years. He was an
outspoken abolitionist. He proposed a constitutional amendment that would prohibit slavery in any new state to join the Union.
Free Soil Party, 1848
This political party was formed in 1848 by people who were against the expansion of slavery to the western territories. The party did
not last long, though they nominated presidential candidates in the 1848 and 1852 elections and had two senators and fourteen
representatives in Congress.
Underground Railroad, 1840-1860
The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes that fugitive slaves took to escape from the South and gain freedom in
the northern states or Canada. Along the way, slaves stayed in abolitionists' homes and were protected. Harriet Tubman is one of
the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad. After escaping using the route, Tubman went back to the South at least
19 times and helped over 300 slaves escape.
Compromise of 1850
After the Mexican War, the United States obtained new land (known as the Mexican Cession). The Compromise of 1850 was
passed to deal with the issue of slavery in these new lands. Henry Clay proposed the idea that California would be admitted as a
free state, and the territories of New Mexico and Utah would decide the issue of slavery by popular sovereignty. This meant that
the people who lived in those territories would vote to decide whether or not slavery would be legal there.
Fugitive Slave Act, 1850
Passed in 1850, this law put a $1,000 fine on law enforcement officials who did not arrest escaped slaves. The law was passed
because slaves were escaping to the North, and northerners made no effort to capture and return escaped slaves to their owners.
Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1852
This book, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, was published in 1852. The novel described the realities of slave life in harsh detail. It
was one book that contributed to the anti-slavery movement.
Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854
Kansas and Nebraska were both part of the Louisiana Purchase and were north of Missouri's southern border. Senator Stephen
Douglas, who wanted support from southerners for a transcontinental railroad, introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In this act, part
of the Missouri Compromise was repealed, and the people who lived in Kansas and Nebraska territories were able to decide on the
issue of slavery by popular sovereignty. This meant that the people living in the territory would vote on whether or not to allow
slavery there. People from free and slave states moved to Kansas, hoping to become the majority in the territory. In 1856, proslavery people burned a hotel in Lawrence, Kansas. A few days later, John Brown and others killed 5 people who were pro-slavery.
Kansas became known as "Bleeding Kansas" because of the violence shown by both pro- and anti-slavery people.
Republican Party, 1854
The Republican Party formed in 1854 in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The party formed because its members were
against the expansion of slavery into new states. The party did not push for the abolition of slavery, but it did not want slavery to
expand past the states in the South.
Sumner-Brooks Incident, 1856
In May 1856, Senator Charles Sumner gave a speech on the Senate floor entitled "The Crime Against Kansas." In the speech,
Sumner spoke out against the Kansas-Nebraska Act. He blamed the violence in Kansas on the act and criticized both Andrew Butler
of South Carolina and Stephen Douglas of Illinois for supporting the act. A few days later, on May 22, 1856, Preston Brooks
(Congressman and nephew of Andrew Butler) attacked Sumner and caned him on the Senate floor. Brooks thought that Sumner
had dishonored the state of South Carolina and his uncle. This is just one event that shows how divided the country was over
slavery.
Dred Scott vs. Sanford, 1857
This case involved Dred Scott, a slave living in a free territory who sued for his freedom. Dred Scott was a slave who was taken by
his owner to live in an area where slavery was prohibited. In 1846, Dred Scott sued for his freedom, claiming that since he had lived
in an area where slavery was not allowed, he should be free. In the ruling, the Court supported the idea that slaves were private
property and not citizens with rights protected by the Constitution. The Court justified its opinion on the basis that the Constitution
included the 3/5 Compromise, in which slaves were not considered free persons, and the Fifth Amendment restricted the ability to
take property from persons, in this case the slave owner.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates,1858
The Lincoln-Douglas debates were held when Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas were both campaigning to be senator for
Illinois. In the second of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Lincoln asked Douglas to explain how he could support popular sovereignty
and the Dred Scott decision. Douglas took a stance that was neither pro- nor anti-slavery and argued that even though the Dred
Scott decision stated that territories could not forbid slavery, they could keep slavery out by not passing laws that protected slavery.
This argument is known as the Freeport Doctrine. Douglas won the election and became senator.
John Brown’s Raid, 1859
Harper's Ferry, Virginia, was the location of a federal arsenal, a fort that held guns and other ammunition. John Brown, an
abolitionist, led a raid at Harper's Ferry to steal weapons and give them to slaves. He hoped the slaves would start a rebellion to
gain freedom. Shortly after the raid, John Brown was captured and executed. Slave owners feared that there would be additional
slave rebellions.
Secession, 1860
Following the 1860 presidential election of Abraham Lincoln, South Carolina seceded from the Union. Shortly after, more southern states
seceded, forming the Confederate States of America. These southern states believed that each individual state should be allowed to make
decisions on its own and receive more rights, therefore limiting the power within the federal government.
U.S. Before the Civil War Quiz
1. The Republican Party was formed in 1854. One of the issues that led to the creation of the
Republican Party was the Kansas-Nebraska Act. What was the Republican Party's stance on this
issue?
A.
They supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act and felt that the issue of slavery was best decided by popular
sovereignty.
B.
They opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act because they were against the expansion of slavery into new states.
C.
They opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act because they thought the issue of slavery could only be decided in
Congress.
D.
They supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and they were not opposed to the expansion of slavery.
2. Why was the Free Soil Party formed in 1848?
A.
to promote free speech
B.
to prevent the expansion of slavery
C.
to provide free farms to citizens
D.
to reduce costs for farmers
3. In the Lincoln-Douglas debate that occurred at Freeport, Illinois on August 27, 1858, Abraham
Lincoln asked Stephen Douglas to explain how he could support both popular sovereignty and the
Dred Scott decision. Stephen Douglas decided to take a stance that was neither pro- nor antislavery and argued that even though the Dred Scott decision stated that territories could not forbid
slavery, that they actually could keep slavery out by not passing laws that protected slavery.
Stephen Douglas's argument in this debate is known by what name?
A.
the Monroe Doctrine
B.
the Emancipation Proclamation
C.
the Great Compromise
D.
the Freeport Doctrine
4. In 1854, Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act which would
allow the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide on the issue of slavery by popular
sovereignty. Douglas proposed this bill as a compromise so that he would get support from
Southerners on which issue?
A.
the implementation of the Homestead Act which would allow setters to have free land in the West
B.
the repeal of the Fugitive Slave Act that required northerners to return escaped slaves to their owners
C.
the removal of Native Americans onto reservations in order to make more room for white settlers
D.
the construction of a transcontinental railroad that would start in Chicago, Illinois
5. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 allowed the people in those territories to decide on the issue
of slavery for themselves. Previously, slavery had been abolished in this area as a result of which
legislation?
A.
the Compromise of 1850
B.
the Indian Removal Act
C.
the Missouri Compromise
D.
the Northwest Ordinance
6. The Compromise of 1850 dealt with territory that the United States had acquired because of
which event?
A.
the Louisiana Purchase
B.
the Mexican War
C.
the Adams-Onís Treaty
D.
the Oregon Treaty of 1846
7. Which statement best describes an important political debate between the North and the South
during the pre-Civil War era?
A.
whether state governments should be allowed to choose their own slaves
B.
whether states should be given more rights without federal government interference
C.
whether the federal government should give more power to most populated states
D.
whether the federal government should give more tax breaks to smaller states
8. John Brown led a raid against Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in 1859 for which of these purposes?
A.
to overthrow the government of Virginia
B.
to help the western counties break away from Virginia
C.
to seize the federal arsenal and lead a slave rebellion
D.
to take over the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
9. How did many escaped slaves flee to freedom in the North?
A.
the Santa Fe Trail
B.
the Oregon Trail
C.
the Underground Railroad
D.
the Trail of Tears
10. Which of the following contributed to the North's steady population growth in the years prior to
the Civil War?
A.
a mass migration of former slaves to the area
B.
the opportunity for people to find gold and silver
C.
an increase in the number of factories and jobs
D.
the availability of large areas of land at low prices
11. Which of the following acts repealed part of the Missouri Compromise?
A.
the Kansas-Nebraska Act
B.
the Compromise of 1850
C.
the Fugitive Slave Act
D.
the Indian Removal Act
12. Which of the following was an attempt to maintain an equal balance between free states and
slave states?
A.
the Treaty of Ghent
B.
the Missouri Compromise
C.
the Homestead Act
D.
the Alien and Sedition Acts
13. In 1820, Henry Clay played a major role in which of the following?
A.
the Treaty of Versailles
B.
the Kansas-Nebraska Act
C.
the Missouri Compromise
D.
the Treaty of Paris
14. Which of the following contributed to John Calhoun's resignation of the vice presidency in
1832?
A.
He and Jackson disagreed over the Nullification Crisis.
B.
He was involved in a bribery scandal.
C.
He opposed Jackson's policies regarding Native Americans.
D.
He wanted to make slavery illegal.
15. In 1832, the state of South Carolina nullified the tariffs of 1828 and 1832. South Carolina
threatened to secede from the Union if the United States decided to enforce the Tariff of 1832
within the state borders. Who came up with a compromise that lowered the rates of the tariff and
ultimately prevented South Carolina from seceding?
A.
Stephen Douglas
B.
Daniel Webster
C.
Abraham Lincoln
D.
Henry Clay
16.
In 1828, Congress passed a tariff that taxed imports in an effort to protect American
industry. Southern states were against this tariff because they were forced to pay higher prices,
and they thought it favored the northern states. The tariff prompted Vice President John C.
Calhoun to write the "South Carolina Exposition and Protest" in which he argued that states had
the right to declare an act of Congress null and void.
John C. Calhoun was an advocate of which of the following?
A.
federalism
B.
popular sovereignty
C.
states' rights
D.
imperialism
17. Which of the following events that took place before the Civil War dealt with states' rights?
A.
the Trail of Tears
B.
the Nullification Crisis
C.
the War of 1812
D.
the Louisiana Purchase
18. Before the Civil War, one of the sectional differences that existed between the North and the
South was disagreement over tariffs. Why had Congress enacted protective tariffs, such as the
ones passed in 1828 and 1832?
A.
to help American factories
B.
to help American farmers
C.
to help American consumers
D.
to hurt American factories
19. Which invention led to an increase in the production of cotton and helped Southern farms
become more productive?
A.
the cotton gin
B.
the McCormick reaper
C.
the steamboat
D.
vulcanized rubber
20. In the 1850s, the territory of Kansas became known as "Bleeding Kansas" after violence
erupted between abolitionists and those who were pro-slavery. Why were people living in Kansas
so divided on the issue of slavery?
A.
Slavery was allowed in certain parts of Kansas but not in others, and people were still divided on the issue of
slavery.
B.
Pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces fought for control of the territory because it had not yet been decided if
Kansas would become a free or slave state.
C.
Congress had forbidden slavery in Kansas, yet there were many people who wanted to change it to a slave
territory.
D.
Congress had decided to allow slavery in Kansas, yet there were many people who wanted to change it to a free
territory.
US Before the civil War Answers
1. B
2. B
3. D
4. D
5. C
6. B
7. B
8. C
9. C
10. C
11. A
12. B
13. C
14. A
15. D
16. C
17. B
18. A
19. A
20. B
Explanations
1. The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed the people in those territories to decide on the issue of slavery
by popular sovereignty. Although the Republican Party did not advocate the abolition of slavery,
they were opposed to the expansion of slavery into new states. The Republican Party was opposed
to the Kansas-Nebraska Act because they did not want either state to be allowed into the Union as
a slave state.
2. The Free Soil Party was a short-lived political party made up of people who were against the
spread of slavery in the West. They nominated presidential candidates in the elections of 1848 and
1852, and had two senators and fourteen representatives in Congress.
3. Stephen Douglas's noncommittal response to Abraham Lincoln's question about slavery is known
as the Freeport Doctrine. Douglas won the Senate seat in the 1858 election.
4. Senator Stephen Douglas wanted the government to fund the construction of a transcontinental
railroad. Realizing the potential economic benefits of a transcontinental railroad, Douglas wanted it
to start in Chicago, in his home state. In order to gain support from Southerners for his idea,
Douglas proposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed part of the
Missouri Compromise, which had stated that slavery would not be allowed in territories north of
Missouri's southern border.
5. In the Missouri Compromise of 1820, Missouri was admitted to the Union as a slave state, but
slavery was outlawed in any other territories acquired as a result of the Louisiana Purchase that
were north of Missouri's southern border. Kansas and Nebraska were both acquired in the Louisiana
Purchase and were north of Missouri's southern border. In the Kansas-Nebraska Act, part of the
Missouri Compromise was repealed, and the residents of those territories were able to decide on
the issue of slavery by popular sovereignty.
6. After the Mexican War, the United States acquired a large amount of land in the West and
Southwest. With the addition of new territories, the debate over the expansion of slavery was
reopened.
7. States' rights played a big role in the Civil War. The southern states believed that each individual
state should be allowed to make decisions on its own and receive more rights, therefore limiting
the power within the federal government.
8. Brown's raid against Harpers Ferry was meant to start a slave rebellion across the South. By
seizing the federal weapons at Harpers Ferry, he would be able to arm area slaves and begin a
revolution. His support was weak, and he and his men were soon captured by federal troops and
the Virginia militia.
9. Many slaves escaped to the North by using the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad
was a network of secret routes in which fugitive slaves were assisted in their journey to freedom in
the northern states or in Canada.
10. The industrial growth of the North greatly contributed to the increase in population. The
industrial towns of the North, such as Boston, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati, had numerous factories
and jobs, which led to an increase in the urban population.
11. The Missouri Compromise had been an attempt to maintain the balance between free and slave
states. According to the Missouri Compromise, slavery would not be allowed in the Louisiana
Territory north of 36°30', the southern border of Missouri. Kansas and Nebraska were part of the
Louisiana Territory, and they were north of the boundary set by the Missouri Compromise. With the
passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, part of the Missouri Compromise was repealed.
12. The slave states and free states were divided on the issue of expansion of slavery into new
territories. Under the Missouri Compromise, Missouri entered the Union as a slave state, and Maine
entered the Union as a free state. By admitting one slave state and one free state at the same
time, the number of slave states was equal to the number of free states.
13. When Missouri wanted to become a state in 1819, Congress debated over whether or not it
should be admitted as a slave state. In 1820, Henry Clay played an influential role in getting the
Missouri Compromise passed in Congress. Under the terms of the Missouri Compromise, Missouri, a
slave state, and Maine, a free state, were both admitted to the Union. This kept the number of
slave and free states equal. The Missouri Compromise also made slavery illegal in the Louisiana
Territory north of Missouri's southern border.
14. John C. Calhoun was from South Carolina, and he sought to preserve the union while
advancing Southern interests. He and President Andrew Jackson had differing opinions concerning
states' rights. During the Nullification Crisis, the state of South Carolina had threatened to secede
from the Union. Calhoun supported the position of his home state, causing much strife between
him and Jackson. Calhoun resigned his position as vice president and ran for U.S. Senate.
15. Congress passed the Tariff of 1828 in order to protect American industry. Southern states were
opposed to this tariff because they were forced to pay higher prices for manufactured goods that
they imported from Great Britain. The Tariff of 1832 lowered the rates of the 1828 tariff, but
southern states were still not happy. Henry Clay proposed the Compromise Tariff, which reduced
the rates of the tariff over several years. South Carolina withdrew its nullification bill and did not
secede from the Union.
16. John C. Calhoun served in the federal government as congressman, secretary of war, vice
president, senator, and secretary of state. In the "South Carolina Exposition and Protest," Calhoun
argued in favor of states' rights when he said that the state of South Carolina had the right to
nullify the Tariff of 1828. The issue of states' rights continued to be a divisive issue in the years
preceding the Civil War.
17. The Nullification Crisis was a conflict over states' rights. Congress enacted tariffs in 1828 and
1832 on imported goods in order to protect American factories. South Carolina decided to declare
the tariffs null and void within their state, which meant they refused to follow the federal law.
South Carolina thought that the tariffs were unfair because they were forced to pay higher prices
for goods. South Carolina threatened to secede if the government tried to enforce the law, and
President Jackson was getting ready to send troops to South Carolina. Henry Clay introduced a new
tariff, which lowered the tax rates over a few years, and South Carolina did not secede.
18. Congress enacted protective tariffs to help promote American factories. Great Britain had an
advantage over American factories because they had better technology, and it cost them less to
produce certain goods. Even when the expense for shipping items was added to the cost of goods
manufactured in Great Britain, people in the United States were able to buy goods made in Great
Britain for less than goods that were made here. In order to help the American factories, Congress
enacted tariffs which were high taxes on imports and made goods from Europe much more
expensive. The South saw these tariffs as beneficial to the North, which was where the majority of
American factories were located. Southerners were forced to pay higher prices for manufactured
goods, and they thought that the tariffs were unfair. This was just one of the sectional differences
between the North and the South before the Civil War.
19. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793. The cotton gin was a machine that removed the
seeds from cotton. The process of removing seeds from cotton had previously been done by hand
and was very time consuming. With the new method of removing seeds from cotton, Southern
farms were able to increase their productivity and profitability.
20. According to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the issue of slavery in Kansas was to be
decided by popular sovereignty, meaning that the people who lived in the territory would vote on
whether or not slavery would be allowed there. Since the status of Kansas as a slave or free state
was to be determined by a vote, people from free states and slave states moved to Kansas with
the hopes of becoming the majority in the state. In 1856, people who were pro-slavery burned the
Free State Hotel in the town of Lawrence. A few days later, abolitionist John Brown and several
others killed five people who were pro-slavery.