The Antebellum Period Chapter Notes | Social Studies for Grade 7 PDF Download

Introduction

The Antebellum Period in American history refers to the time before the Civil War, roughly from the late 1700s to the 1860s. It was a time of big changes in the United States, as the country grew in size, population, and industry. During this period, new inventions and transportation improved how people lived and worked. However, there were also big differences between the North and South, especially over the issue of slavery. Reform movements tried to make society better, while events like the Mexican War and struggles over new territories caused tensions that eventually led to the Civil War. This chapter covers how these changes shaped the nation.

Industrial and Transportation Revolutions

The Industrial Revolution brought machines and factories to the United States.

• Factories used new machines to make goods faster, like textiles and tools.
• Steam power helped run factories and machines, replacing handwork.
• The cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney, made it easier to process cotton, increasing production.
• The Transportation Revolution improved how people and goods moved.
• Canals, like the Erie Canal, connected rivers and made shipping goods cheaper.
• Railroads grew quickly, allowing faster travel and transport across long distances.
• Steamboats made river travel faster and more reliable, especially on the Mississippi River.
• Roads, like the National Road, were built to connect cities and towns.
• These changes helped businesses grow and cities expand, especially in the North.

Comparing the North and the South

The North and South had different economies and ways of life.

• The North focused on industry, with factories making goods like cloth and machinery.
• Northern cities grew as people moved there for factory jobs.
• The North had more railroads and canals for transportation.
• Most people in the North worked in factories, shops, or small farms.
• The South relied on agriculture, especially growing cotton, tobacco, and rice.
• Large plantations in the South used enslaved people to grow crops.
• The South had fewer factories and relied on rivers for transportation.
• Slavery was a major difference, with the South depending on it and the North mostly against it.
• Northern society was more urban, while the South was more rural.
• These differences caused disagreements over laws and trade.

Antebellum Reform Movements

Reform movements aimed to improve society during the Antebellum Period.

• The Second Great Awakening was a religious movement that encouraged people to improve their lives.
• Temperance movement worked to reduce alcohol use, believing it caused social problems.
• Education reform, led by people like Horace Mann, pushed for free public schools for all children.
• Women’s rights movement began, with leaders like Elizabeth Cady Stanton fighting for women’s equality.
• The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 was the first women’s rights meeting, demanding voting rights.
• Prison reform tried to improve conditions for prisoners and focus on rehabilitation.
• Abolitionist movement worked to end slavery, with groups forming to spread the message.
• Reformers believed education, religion, and fairness could make the country better.

Antebellum Immigration

Many immigrants came to the United States during the Antebellum Period.

• Most immigrants came from Europe, especially Ireland and Germany.
• Irish immigrants fled poverty and the Potato Famine in the 1840s.
• German immigrants came for better opportunities and to escape political problems.
• Immigrants often settled in Northern cities like New York and Boston.
• They worked in factories, built railroads, or started small businesses.
• Immigrants faced challenges, like poor living conditions in crowded cities.
• Some Americans, called nativists, did not welcome immigrants and feared they would take jobs.
• Immigration helped the U.S. grow but also caused tensions between groups.

Slavery in the South

Slavery was a key part of the Southern economy and society.

• Enslaved people worked on large plantations, growing crops like cotton, tobacco, and sugar.
• Plantation owners relied on enslaved labor to make money.
• Enslaved people had no freedom and faced harsh treatment, including being bought and sold.
• They lived in poor conditions, with little food, clothing, or shelter.
• Enslaved people created their own culture, with music, stories, and religion to cope.
• Some enslaved people resisted by working slowly, breaking tools, or running away.
• The Underground Railroad helped some enslaved people escape to freedom in the North.
• Slavery caused deep divisions between the North and South.

The Abolitionists

Abolitionists were people who wanted to end slavery completely.

• William Lloyd Garrison published a newspaper, The Liberator, to spread anti-slavery ideas.
• Frederick Douglass, a former enslaved person, wrote and spoke about the evils of slavery.
• Harriet Tubman helped enslaved people escape through the Underground Railroad.
• Sojourner Truth spoke out for both abolition and women’s rights.
• Abolitionists wrote books, gave speeches, and formed groups to share their message.
• Some abolitionists faced danger, as many Southerners opposed their ideas.
• Northern states became centers for abolitionist activity.
• Abolitionists helped change how people viewed slavery, pushing for its end.

Texas Independence and Annexation

Texas was part of Mexico in the early 1800s, but many Americans moved there.

• American settlers in Texas wanted more control and disagreed with Mexican laws.
• In 1835, Texans rebelled against Mexico, starting the Texas Revolution.
• The Battle of the Alamo in 1836 was a famous fight where Texans lost but inspired others.
• Texans won independence at the Battle of San Jacinto, led by Sam Houston.
• Texas became an independent country called the Republic of Texas in 1836.
• The U.S. debated annexing Texas because it would add a slave state.
• In 1845, Texas joined the United States as the 28th state.
• Annexation caused tensions with Mexico, leading to war.

The U.S.-Mexican War

The U.S.-Mexican War started in 1846 after disputes over Texas’ border.

• The U.S. claimed the Rio Grande as the border, but Mexico said it was the Nueces River.
• President James K. Polk wanted to expand U.S. land to the Pacific Ocean.
• American forces, led by generals like Zachary Taylor, won key battles.
• The U.S. captured Mexico City in 1847, forcing Mexico to surrender.
• The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 ended the war.
• Mexico gave up land, including California, New Mexico, and Arizona, to the U.S.
• This land was called the Mexican Cession and made the U.S. much larger.
• The war increased tensions over whether new territories would allow slavery.

Causes of the Civil War

Missouri Compromise to Bleeding Kansas

Disagreements over slavery in new territories caused tensions.

• The Missouri Compromise of 1820 tried to balance slave and free states.
• Missouri joined as a slave state, and Maine joined as a free state.
• The Compromise set a line at 36°30’ latitude to divide slave and free territories.
• The Compromise of 1850 allowed California to join as a free state.
• It also included a stronger Fugitive Slave Law, upsetting many in the North.
• The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 let settlers decide on slavery in those territories.
• This led to violence in Kansas, called “Bleeding Kansas,” as pro- and anti-slavery groups fought.
• These events showed how hard it was to compromise on slavery.

Dred Scott to Secession

The Dred Scott decision in 1857 made tensions worse.

• Dred Scott, an enslaved man, sued for freedom after living in free territories.
• The Supreme Court ruled that enslaved people were not citizens and could not sue.
• The Court also said Congress could not ban slavery in territories, upsetting the North.
• John Brown’s raid in 1859 tried to seize weapons to start a slave rebellion.
• Brown was caught and executed, but his actions scared the South.
• Abraham Lincoln’s election in 1860 made Southern states fear the end of slavery.
• Southern states began to secede, starting with South Carolina in 1860.
• By 1861, seven states formed the Confederate States of America, leading to the Civil War.