FSL, President Pierce, Uncle Tom's Cabin

• What event contributed to the re-emergence of Sectionalism in the United States?


  The 1850 Compromise and the admission of California as a free state
• How did the 1850 Compromise affect tensions regarding slavery?


  It reawakened tensions that had been relatively peaceful since the Missouri Compromise
• What was the South's claim regarding representation in Congress?


  The South claimed that the North had an unfair advantage due to its larger population
• What was the Fugitive Slave Law (FSL) prior to the 1850 Compromise?


  It was a less strict law compared to the one implemented during the compromise
• What significant change did the 2nd Fugitive Slave Law introduce in 1850?


  Fugitives could not testify on their own behalf or have a trial by jury
• What penalties were imposed under the 2nd Fugitive Slave Law?


  Heavy penalties were imposed on marshals who refused to enforce the law and on those who helped slaves escape
• How did the 2nd Fugitive Slave Law affect abolitionists and the Underground Railroad?


  It led to an increase in abolitionists and made the Underground Railroad more efficient
• What were Liberty Laws in the North designed to do?

  They were designed to make the legal system fairer for all and ensure the safety of freedmen and escaped slaves
• What were the key policies of President Pierce that contributed to sectional tensions?


  • Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): Created territories and allowed for Popular Sovereignty, repealing the Missouri Compromise.
  • Ostend Manifesto: Justified seizing Cuba for slavery if Spain did not sell it.
  • Gadsden Purchase: US paid $10 million for land to facilitate a Southern-Transcontinental Railroad.
  • Filibustering: Attempt to take over land by force for more Southern slave states.
• What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act and its impact?


  It created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed for Popular Sovereignty, leading to increased tensions
• What was the Ostend Manifesto?


  It stated that the US would be justified in seizing Cuba if Spain did not sell it
• What was the Gadsden Purchase?


  It was an agreement where the US paid Mexico $10 million for land to facilitate a Southern-Transcontinental Railroad
• What was filibustering in the context of President Pierce's policies?


  It was a method of taking over land by force without the approval of that country's government
• What was the main theme of Uncle Tom's Cabin?

  It was an anti-slavery novel that condemned the institution of slavery
• How many copies of Uncle Tom's Cabin were sold on its first day?


  3,000 copies
• How many copies of Uncle Tom's Cabin were sold in its first year?


  Over 300,000 copies
• How did the South react to Uncle Tom's Cabin?


  They declared it an unfair condemnation of slavery and defended slavery with Anti-Tom novels
• How was Tom portrayed in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and what was the South's reaction?


  Tom was presented as a Christ-like figure, especially in death, which further angered the South