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American History 1837-1861
diplomatic history Road to Civil War
28
History
Undergraduate 4
10/01/2011

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Cards

Term
How did the US grow during the period 1837-1861?
Definition

Territory more than doubled by 1848

Population 31.5 million by 1860

Term
Size of State Department in 1850s
Definition
Staff of 43, 27 diplomats and 88 consuls, who were mostly politicians and merchants.
Term
What was "Manifest Destiny?"
Definition
Phrase coined by a Democratic journalist in 1845.  Referred to our sense of destiny in taking over the continent all the way to the Pacific, excluding Mexico and Canada.  Implied a sense of mission to "remake the world in our image."  Idea had strong support in the Northeast and Northwest but not the South.
Term
How did US political parties evolve by the period 1837-1861?
Definition

Jefferson's Republicans b/c Democrats led by Andrew Jackson, favored rapid expansion.

 

National Republicans b/c Whigs led by Henry Clay, favored industrialization and slow expansion.

Term
What US General managed the skirmishes on the US-Canadian border?
Definition
Gen. Winfield Scott
Term
How did the US handle the slave trade in 1808?
Definition
US outlawed international slave trade but did not enforce.
Term
What was the "Creole" incident in 1841?
Definition
Slaves aboard the Creole seized the ship, killed the trader, and sailed to the Bahamas.  British granted those slaves freedom when they landed.  US unable to reclaim b/c there was no extradition treaty.
Term
What was the 1842 Webster Ashburton treaty?
Definition
Settled dispute b/w Maine and New Brunswick.
Term
What did "54/40 or fight" refer to?
Definition
Attempts to settle US and British claims to Oregon territory.  Almost ignited war while US was preparing for war with Mexico.
Term
How did foreign countries respond to Tx independence?
Definition
Britain and France favored an independent Tx and urged Mexico to recognize Tx.  Southern states saw every political action as pro/con slavery.
Term
What happened when John Tyler started process of admission for Tx?
Definition
Mexico severed diplomatic relations
Term
What was unique about the Mexican American war?
Definition
War garnered more public support than the Revolution or the War of 1812.
Term
What was the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848?
Definition
Ended Mexican American War.  Mexico ceded northern CA and New Mexico, and recognized US boundary of Rio Grande.
Term
Results of Mexican American War
Definition

13,000 lives

US paid $15 million plus US citizen claims against Mexico

$97 million in war expenses

war almost destroyed Mexico

Term
What was the Wilmot Proviso of 1846?
Definition
Banned slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico
Term
What was 1842 Tyler Doctrine?
Definition
Established US interests in Hawaii and promised some form of support against foreign invasion.
Term
What was the 1842 Treaty of Nanking?
Definition
British forced China to open 5 ports to trade.
Term
How does text describe the Opium Wars?
Definition
China wanted to stop British and American sales of opium to Chinese
Term
What was the Treaty of Wang-hsin?
Definition
China granted same terms to US as they did to the British.
Term
How did US and China relations progress in the 1850s?
Definition

More ports opened

 

Forced toleration of missionaries

 

Exploration of interior country

 

Legalized opium trade

Fixed maximum tariff at 5%

 

Conditions not good for Chinese economy

Term
Who was Admiral Perry?
Definition
Commander who forced a very reluctant Japan to consider trade in 1854.
Term
Who was Townsend Harris?
Definition
US official who spent years in Japan trying and finally succeeding in establishing a working trade relationship.
Term
What did "filibuster" originally mean?
Definition
An illegal, privately organized and funded expedition into foreign territory.  Text mentions Ms Gov. John Quitman here.
Term
Sites of filibuster attacks:
Definition
Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Cuba.  Text also mentions but does make clear attacks on Canada.
Term
Annexations during Pierce administration 1850s:
Definition

39 million more acres from Mexico, to be used for southern route of transcontinental railway

 

Parker Island in S. Pacific - for guano (fertilizer)

Term
Compromise of 1850
Definition
CA admitted to union as free state
Term
Position of US and Cuba in 1850s (3 items):
Definition

Southern states mostly favored annexing Cuba, both for Congressional balance and to keep Britain out of Cuba

Those who opposed did so on racial grounds

 

Polk and Buchanan tried to purchase Cuba

 

Narciso Lopez led 4 expeditions to try to seize Cuba

Term
Position of US and Central America in 1850s: (5 items)
Definition

Central America made up of 5 separate insecure and contentious nations

 

US acquired rights to build canal

US built railroad across Panama - 1855

 

US diplomat Solon Borland almost provoked war b/w US and Britain in Nicaragua

 

William Walker temporarily took over Nicaragua in 1855, wanted to create a union of states tied to southern states. Captured and executed in 1860

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