Question 1

Anti-immigrant,anti-Catholic,anti-alcohol sentiments helped foster in 1854 the rise of a nativist third political party,called the Whig Party,but better known as the "Know-Nothing Party."

Accepted Answer

The rise of the nativist third political party, the "Know-Nothing Party," was not a result of the Whig Party, but rather it was a separate party that emerged in the 1850s, with its main platform being anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic sentiment.

Question 2

What is the relationship between the secession of South Carolina in late 1860 and the development of the Civil War?

Accepted Answer

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union in December 1860, which led to other southern states following suit. The secession of South Carolina was a significant event that eventually led to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. Without South Carolina's initial move, other state governments may not have taken the drastic step of leaving the Union. Therefore, the secession of South Carolina was a crucial contributing factor to the beginning of the Civil War.

Question 3

What did John Brown want to accomplish with his army during 1859?

Accepted Answer

John Brown aimed to initiate an armed slave revolt by taking over the United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry in 1859, intending to end slavery in the South.

Question 4

What was Lincoln's reaction to the secession of the Confederate States of America?

Accepted Answer

Lincoln warned the seceding states that he would not permit them to leave the Union. In his first inaugural address in March 1861, he stated, "In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to 'preserve, protect, and defend it.'"

Question 5

How did whites in the North and the South react to John Brown's raid?

Accepted Answer

John Brown's raid was seen very differently by the North and the South. Northern abolitionists saw Brown as a martyr who stood up against slavery, while the South saw his actions as an act of terrorism and a threat to their way of life. This led to increased tensions and helped to push the country closer to civil war.

Question 6

Uncle Tom's Cabin moved northerners to tears and made slavery more emotional to readers who had previously considered it only a distant system of labor that exploited black people.

Accepted Answer

Uncle Tom's Cabin is known for its emotional portrayal of slavery and how it affected the lives of slaves. The novel had a significant impact on society and played a role in the abolitionist movement.

Question 7

By 1850 nearly 9,000 black men (and fewer than 100 black women)were living in California.

Accepted Answer

The answer of By 1850 nearly 9,000 black men (and...

Question 8

What was the Republicans' position on slavery during the 1860 election?

Accepted Answer

The Republicans' position on slavery during the 1860 election was that they were opposed to any expansion of slavery in the territories. This was a key issue and led to the eventual secession of several southern states, as they believed the election of a Republican president who opposed the expansion of slavery threatened their way of life.

Question 9

The mass starvation that accompanied the potato famine of the 1840s in Ireland drove thousands of Irish people to the United States.

Accepted Answer

This is true. The potato famine was a major cause of Irish migration to the United States in the mid-19th century. Between 1845 and 1855, it is estimated that over 1 million people died of starvation or related diseases in Ireland, and around 1.5 million emigrated, with many of them settling in the US.

Question 10

Preston Brooks's interactions with Charles Sumner in the U.S.Congress illustrate the decreasing violence associated with the slavery issue in the 1850s.

Accepted Answer

Preston Brooks's beating of Charles Sumner with a cane on the Senate floor in 1856 demonstrates the increasingly violent tensions over slavery in the 1850s, not decreasing violence.

Question 11

The Lincoln-Douglas debates are connected to the issue of race in that both candidates expressed a strong feeling that blacks were equal if not superior to whites.

Accepted Answer

The statement is false. While the Lincoln-Douglas debates did touch on issues related to slavery and the rights of African Americans, neither candidate expressed a belief that blacks were equal or superior to whites. In fact, both Lincoln and Douglas were white supremacists who believed in the inherent superiority of the white race.

Question 12

Who supported John Brown's efforts financially?

Accepted Answer

A few wealthy abolitionist and black leaders gave financial support to John Brown's efforts.

Question 13

What was a result of John Brown's raid?

Accepted Answer

John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859 increased tensions between the North and South, as some abolitionists saw it as a necessary act to end slavery, while many Southerners saw it as a violent attack on their way of life. This event played a role in pushing the country closer to civil war.

Question 14

The concept of "popular sovereignty" pleased many northerners because it created the possibility that slavery might expand to areas where it had been prohibited.

Accepted Answer

The concept of popular sovereignty was a compromise that allowed residents of a territory to vote on whether or not to allow slavery in their area. Many northerners hoped that slavery would not expand under this system, as they believed that the majority of people in newly-formed territories would vote against it. Therefore, the concept of popular sovereignty was more popular among southerners who hoped to expand slavery into new territories.

Question 15

In the early 1850s,"border ruffians" from Missouri invaded Kansas to attack antislavery settlers and to vote illegally in Kansas elections.

Accepted Answer

This is true, as tensions rose between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in Kansas during this time period, Missouri residents known as "border ruffians" crossed the border to try and influence Kansas politics and intimidate anti-slavery settlers.

Question 16

How is Abraham Lincoln connected to the secession of the southern states?

Accepted Answer

Abraham Lincoln was the President of the United States when the southern states seceded. He took steps to prevent their secession and declared their actions to be illegal, which ultimately led to the Civil War.

Question 17

The Rochester Convention warned that black Americans were not prepared to submit quietly to a government more concerned about the interests of slave owners than people seeking to free themselves from bondage.

Accepted Answer

The Rochester Convention of 1853 was organized by prominent abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony. The convention issued a resolution warning that black Americans were not prepared to submit quietly to a government more concerned about the interests of slave owners than people seeking to free themselves from bondage.

Question 18

Uncle Tom's Cabin depicted slavery's cruelty,inhumanity,and destructive impact on families through characters and a plot that appealed to the sentimentality of nineteenth-century readers.

Accepted Answer

Uncle Tom's Cabin was a novel that portrayed the harsh realities of slavery and how it affected families. The story was written in a way that appealed to the emotions of readers in the 19th century, highlighting the cruelty and inhumanity of the institution.

Question 19

Examine the image of the 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry that appears in Chapter 10.Why is John Brown shown in the center of the image?

Accepted Answer

John Brown is shown in the center of the image because he was the leader of the raid on Harpers Ferry.

Question 20

How did black people react to Abraham Lincoln as a presidential candidate?

Accepted Answer

While not all black people had the opportunity to express their opinion due to voting restrictions, those who did react were generally hesitant in supporting Lincoln due to his mixed record on racial issues and his position on slavery where it already existed in the South. Lincoln's famous statement in the Lincoln-Douglas debates that he did not believe in "negro equality" only added to black people's doubts about his commitment to their freedom and equality.

Quiz 10: “And Black People Were at the Heart of It”