Answer Key Chapter Troubled Times the Tumultuous 1850s

Answer Key Chapter: Troubled Times: the Tumultuous 1850s 1. What was President Zachary Taylor’s top priority as president? A. preserving the Union B. ensuring the recapture of escaped enslaved people C. expanding slavery D. enlarging the state of Texas 2. Which of the following was not a component of the Compromise of 1850? A. the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act B. the admission of Kansas as a free state C. the admission of California as a free state D. a ban on the slave trade in Washington, DC 3. Why did many in the North resist the Fugitive Slave Act? 4. Which of the following was a focus of the new Republican Party? A. supporting Irish Catholic immigration B. encouraging the use of popular sovereignty to determine where slavery could exist C. promoting states’ rights D. halting the spread of slavery 5. Border ruffians helped to ________. A. chase abolitionists out of Missouri B. elect a proslavery legislature in Kansas C. capture escaped enslaved people D. disseminate abolitionist literature in Kansas 6. How did the “Bleeding Kansas” incident change the face of antislavery advocacy? 7. On what grounds did Dred Scott sue for freedom? A. the inherent inhumanity of slavery B. the cruelty of his enslaver C. the fact that he had lived in free states D. the fact that his family would be torn apart 8. Which of the following was not a result of the Lincoln-Douglas debates? A. Douglas was elected senator of Illinois. B. Lincoln’s national profile was raised. C. Citizens in both the North and South followed the debates closely. D. Lincoln successfully defended the principle of popular sovereignty. 9. What are the main points of the Dred Scott decision? 10. Why did John Brown attack the armory at Harpers Ferry? A. to seize weapons to distribute to enslaved people for a massive uprising B. to hold as a military base against proslavery forces C. in revenge after the sacking of Lawrence D. to prevent southern states from seceding 11. Which of the following did not contribute to Lincoln’s victory in the election of 1860? A. the split between northern and southern democrats B. the defeat of the Whig party C. Lincoln’s improved national standing after his senatorial debates with Stephen Douglas D. the Constitutional Union party’s further splintering the vote 12. What were southerners’ and northerners’ views of John Brown? Critical Thinking Questions 13. Why would Americans view the Compromise of 1850 as a final solution to the sectional controversy that began with the Wilmot Proviso in 1846? 14. If you were a proslavery advocate, how would you feel about the platform of the newly formed Republican Party? 15. Based on the text of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, what was the position of the Republican Party in 1858? Was the Republican Party an abolitionist party? Why or why not? 16. John Brown is often described as a terrorist. Do you agree with this description? Why or why not? What attributes might make him fit this profile? 17. Was it possible to save American democracy in 1860? What steps might have been taken to maintain unity? Why do you think these steps were not taken? Answer Key 1. A. preserving the Union 2. B. the admission of Kansas as a free state 3. Many in the North resisted the Fugitive Slave Act because they viewed it as unconstitutional and morally wrong, and they opposed the idea of returning escaped enslaved people to bondage. 4. D. halting the spread of slavery 5. B. elect a proslavery legislature in Kansas 6. The "Bleeding Kansas" incident changed the face of antislavery advocacy by bringing national attention to the violence and chaos resulting from the Kansas-Nebraska Act and inspiring increased activism against the spread of slavery. 7. C. the fact that he had lived in free states 8. D. Lincoln successfully defended the principle of popular sovereignty. 9. The main points of the Dred Scott decision were that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not considered citizens and therefore could not sue in federal court, and that Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery in the territories. 10. A. to seize weapons to distribute to enslaved people for a massive uprising 11. A. the split between northern and southern democrats 12. Southerners generally viewed John Brown as a dangerous radical and a threat to their way of life, while some northerners saw him as a martyr or a hero willing to take extreme measures to oppose slavery. Critical Thinking Questions 13. Americans might view the Compromise of 1850 as a final solution to the sectional controversy because it attempted to address key issues related to slavery and territorial expansion, such as the admission of California as a free state and the organization of the Utah and New Mexico territories under popular sovereignty. However, the controversy persisted due to ongoing debates over the expansion of slavery into the territories. 14. If you were a proslavery advocate, you would likely oppose the platform of the newly formed Republican Party, which sought to halt the spread of slavery and eventually abolish it. The Republican Party's stance threatened the economic and social interests of slaveholders and challenged the existing political order in the South. 15. Based on the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the Republican Party in 1858 positioned itself as opposed to the extension of slavery into the territories but stopped short of advocating for immediate abolition everywhere. While some Republicans held abolitionist views, the party as a whole focused on preventing the expansion of slavery rather than advocating for its immediate eradication nationwide. 16. Whether John Brown is described as a terrorist depends on one's perspective. Some might argue that his use of violence and his actions at Harpers Ferry constitute terrorism, while others might view him as a freedom fighter or a martyr fighting against the institution of slavery. Brown's willingness to resort to extreme measures and his targeting of symbols of oppression contribute to the perception of him as a terrorist. 17. It was possible to save American democracy in 1860 through compromise, dialogue, and a commitment to preserving the Union. Steps such as addressing the grievances of both the North and South, finding a peaceful resolution to the issue of slavery, and promoting national unity could have been taken. However, deep-seated divisions, uncompromising positions, and the escalation of tensions ultimately led to the outbreak of the Civil War.