General Overview of the Antebellum Period

1. General Overview of the Antebellum Period 1810’s-1860’s By: Emerson Barker Note: This does not cover everything you need for the test, but it hits the high points.

2. Madison’s 2nd Administration • Madison wins the 1812 elections • War of 1812 begins with Britain • Hartford Convention meets • Northern states demand more power and threaten to succeed • Laughed out of Congress (high American Morale) • Dooms the Federalist party

3. Monroe’s 1st Administration • Monroe wins the 1816 election • Downfall of the Federalist Party • Leads to the Era of Good Feelings (1817-1824)

4. Treaties with Britain • Convention of 1818: • Sets Canada/U.S. border at the 49th parallel • Gives U.S./Britain joint occupation of the Oregon Territory • Rush-Bagot Treaty: • Demilitarizes the Great Lakes

5. Land Added to the U.S. • At this point Spain still owns Florida • But this is only in title, in reality Native Americans and slaves have fled there during the War of 1812 • Spain decides to sell Florida to the U.S. before they lose it • Sold to U.S. for $5 million

6. Monroe’s 2nd Administration • Virtually unanimous, his opponent Adams, only received one vote

7. Missouri Compromise • 1820: Missouri wants to join the U.S. and become a state • Leads to Compromise of 1820 • Missouri enters as a slave state • Maine enters as a free state • Free/slave boundary set at 36’ 30” line

8. Monroe Doctrine (1823) • Followed a year of revolutions in Central America, South America, and Mexico • No further European interference in the Western Hemisphere • We won’t intervene in Europe (as if we could) • British navy supports the Doctrine so that U.S./Britain can trade with the new and emerging weak nations

9. John Quincy Adam’s Administration • Jackson vs. Adams • Jackson wins the popular vote but lacks a majority • Taken to House to be voted on • Henry Clay throws his support behind Adams and helps him win the election • Clay is appointed Secretary of State (stepping stone to the Presidency) • Called the Corrupt Bargain Election

10. Jackson’s 1st Administration • Jackson wins the 1828 election • Age of the Common Man • Property requirement for voting removed

11. Tariff of 1828 • High protective tariff • South calls it the Tariff of Abominations • John Calhoun “South Carolina Exposition and Protest”

12. Supreme Court Case • Gibbons vs. Ogden • Reaffirmed the power of the federal government over interstate trade

13. Transportation • Age of Canal Building • Age of Steamboats

14. Jackson’s 2nd Administration • Jackson wins the 1832 election • Beginning of national party platforms and conventions

15. Indian Removal Act • Passed to remove Indians from valuable land • Bought land from natives or took it by force • Supreme Court ruled that this was unconstitutional in Wouchsters vs. Georgia • Jackson refused to enforce the ruling • Led in the end to the horrible Trail of Tears

16. 1832 Tariff • Not any lower than the Tariff of Abominations • South Carolina claims the power to ignore the tariff and refuses to enforce it • Congress passes the Force Bill • Gives Jackson the authority to take federal troops to South Carolina and enforce the law • Compromise Tariff passed by Henry Clay • Slightly lowers the tariff and allows South Carolina to save face

17. Clay: Great Compromiser, Voice of the West • Negotiated numerous compromises throughout the country’s history • Strongly for the power of the national government • Pro-industry and economic development • For a high protective tariff • Supports the National Bank • For internal improvements • Against slavery • Likes reform movements • Against the Indian Removal Act • Against expanison

18. Daniel Webster: Champion of Federal Power, Speaker for the North • Power to the National Government • Protect manufacturing in the North • High protective tariff for northern industry • Pro National Bank • Federal government should pay for internal improvements • Immigrants as a labor force • Favors reform movements • Against expansion (north will lose power) • Negotiate with Native Americans (but it is not his issue

19. John Calhoun: Flip flopper, Spokesperson of the South • Changes his mind about almost every issue, the ones listed are his final pro-southern views • States rights, states put together the government • Pro-agriculture • Against the tariff, it hurts farmers • Anti-national bank, infringes on state rights • Against federal internal improvements • Slavery is a positive good, use as a labor force • No reform movements, could lead to abolition • Expand and bring in new slave states • Pro-Indian removal

20. National Bank • Jackson refuses to re-charter the National Bank • After an argument with Biddle (the bank manager) he withdraws government funds and thereby destroys the bank • Places government money in unsafe state pet banks

21. Texas Revolution • Texans lose at the Alamo • Win the final battle at San Jacinto • Texas gains its independence from Mexico • We refuse to allow Texas to become a state • It would destroy the balance of slave/free states • Could split its large land area up to make more slave states

22. Court Case • Charles River Bridge Case • Decided that just because on company got a contract to build the bridge doesn’t mean another can’t build a second bridge and compete • Tested whether competition, and thereby capitalism, was legal • Court found in favor of the second bridge company, reinforced the ideal of capitalism

23. Van Buren’s Administration • Van Buren wins the 1836 election and takes office as Jackson’s heir • Soon called “Van Ruin” because of the loss of federal funds in unsafe state pet banks and Panic of 1837

24. William Henry Harrison/John Tyler’s Administration • Wins 1840 election but stands out in the rain with no coat while giving his speech, dies within a month • John Tyler takes over and elevates himself to the office of President (1st time a president died in office) • Fails to follow his party (Whigs) on any issue • Vetoes National Bank • Vetoes money for internal improvements • Lowers the tariff to less than 20% • Cabinet resigns and he is the only President to be kicked out of his party while in office

25. Aroostock War • Small scale war in the North over the official boundary of Maine and New Brunswick • Ended by the Webster-Asheburton Treaty • U.S. gives up a small area of Maine • Britain gives up and area of Minnesota

26. Polk’s Administration • Polk wins the 1844 election • “54’ 40” or fight”

27. Territory taken in peacefully • Oregon Territory: follow the 1818 Convention and sets the border at the 49th parallel • North is infuriated • They just lost land that could have become free states • He completely ignored his slogan…. • Texas joins the Union • Gadsden Purchase fills out the Continental U.S. But why?

28. The Rather Convenient Mexican-American War • Starts over the disputed land between the Nueces River and Rio Grande, our troops are fired on here • Zachary Taylor is conveniently in the area • Our troops are also stationed at the northern border of California • Our Navy is conveniently off the California coast • So the war starts with our troops already positioned in key tactical positions….convenient • Ends with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo once we take Mexico city • Take the Mexican Cession (California, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico)

29. Seneca Falls (1848) • Women meet to unite and demand rights • Publish the Declaration of Sentience calling for women’s rights • Called by Elizabeth Katie Stanton

30. Zachary Taylor/Millard Fillmore • Zachary Taylor wins the 1848 election • Comes in as a war hero from the Mexican-American War • Dies and replaced by Vice-President Fillmore

31. Revolutions • Communication • Morse’s telegraph • Numerous newspapers and magazines • Transportation • Railroads

32. Compromise of 1850 • Over the expansion of slavery into the territory taken in the Mexican-American War • Henry Clay comes out of retirement to the rescue • Terms • California comes in as a free state • New Mexico and Arizona will vote under popular sovereignty • Slave trade stopped in Washington D.C. • Stricter Fugitive Slave Law • Negated by northern Personal Liberty Laws

33. Repeal of the Missouri Compromise • Dred Scott case • Kansas-Nebraska Act • Popular sovereignty will decide if they are slave or free • Starts Bleeding Kansas • Leads to the formation of the Republican Party • Le Compton (slavery) or Topeka(free) constitution

34. Political Happenings • Ostend Manifesto: add Cuba to the U.S. as a slave state • Canning of Sumner by Brooks • In the 1852 debates Lincoln loses but is successful in setting Douglass up as anti-slavery • William Walker tries to make a slave state in Nicaragua • John Brown’s Raid: attacks a federal armory and plans to free the slaves, made into a martyr

35. Unimportant Presidents • Pierce wins the 1852 election • Buchanan wins the 1856 election

36. Lincoln’s 1st Administration • Lincoln wins the 1860 election, 1st republican to achieve the presidency • Seven states secede the Union • Start of the Civil War

37. Civil War Battles • Ft. Sumter, South Carolina: resupply ships fired upon, start of the war, Major Anderson • Bull Run, Virginia: Stonewall Jackson is made famous as Union troops flee back to Washington D.C. • Antietam, Maryland: part of Lee’s first offensive, blood bath, called Union victory, Emancipation Proclamation issued • Shiloh, Tennessee: Blood bath (south can’t keep taking these losses) • Chancellorsville: Lee’s finest battle, Stonewall killed • Gettysburg: part of Lee’s second offensive, Union wins, turning point of the war • Vicksburg, Mississippi: Grant lays siege to the city and it falls near the same time as Gettysburg • Petersburg: Grant cuts the last railroad line to Richmond

38. Reconstruction (Venn Diagram anyone?) Presidential Congressional (basically the Wade-Davis Bill) Similarities • 10% take loyalty oath • Bars top confederate officials • 50% take loyalty oath • Bars additional officials • Military occupation of the South • Must accept 14th and 15th amendments • Established Freedman’s Bureau • Secession is illegal • Slavery abolished • Confederate debt invalid

39. Why the switch? • The south hadn’t learned anything • They reelected confederate officials to office • They passed black codes and formed the Ku Klux Klan

40. Lincoln Quotes (on the test perhaps) • Gettysburg Address: • Talks about the Declaration of Independence and increased dedication • Wants a united republican (read democracy, not the party) country • “of the people, for the people, and by the people” • 2nd Inaugural • “malice towards none, with charity for all; with firmness in the right…” • “bind up the nation’s wounds” • Says to treat the south well because they suffered too

41. Lincoln/Andrew Johnson’s Administration • Lincoln wins the 1864 election but is assassinated soon afterwards • Replaced by his Vice President Andrew Johnson

42. Johnson • Consistently tried to block reform legislation, sympathetic to southern whites, very generous in his pardons • Finally congress impeaches him over the Tenure of Office Act when he tried to fire Stanton • This end most of his opposition

43. Grant’s Administrations • Grant wins the 1868 and 1872 elections • Administration is plagued by scandals • Credit Mobliea • Whiskey Ring

44. The EndJust study hard for the test and make sure to get plenty of rest!