Civil War Amendments and Political Theories

Front

What is the focus of the Civil War and Reconstruction era?

Back

Understanding the powerful ideas and legal transformations that fueled the conflict and shaped its unresolved legacy.

Front

What were the divisive political theories that pushed the nation toward the Civil War?

Back

Nullification and popular sovereignty.

Front

What economic system shaped the lives of millions after the Civil War?

Back

Sharecropping.

Front

What were the three Reconstruction Amendments?

Back

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.

Front

What is nullification?

Back

The concept that a state has the right to declare a federal law 'null, void, and no law' within its own borders.

Front

What historical event tested the concept of nullification?

Back

The nullification crisis of the early 1830s, led by South Carolina and John C. Calhoun.

Front

What was the significance of the nullification crisis?

Back

It established that a state could not unilaterally declare federal law unconstitutional, affirming federal supremacy.

Front

What is popular sovereignty?

Back

The principle allowing settlers of new territories to decide if slavery would be legal there.

Front

What legislation introduced popular sovereignty?

Back

The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854.

Front

What was the consequence of popular sovereignty in Kansas?

Back

It led to violent conflict known as 'Bleeding Kansas,' worsening the North-South divide.