©FYNDLAY 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
APUSH: Unit 5 - 1844 – 1877 Exam
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Manifest destiny - ANS a saying created by John O'Sullivan, expressed the popular belief that
the United States had a divine mission to extend its power and civilization across the breadth of
North American during the 1840s. It was driven by nationalism, population increase, rapid
economic development, technological advances, and reform ideals
Oregon Fever - ANS due to success in farming in fertile Willamette Valley in the 1840's, 5000
Americans "caught" this, which caused them to travel 2000 miles over the Oregon Trail to settle
in the area south of the Columbia River
54º 40' or Fight! - ANS Democratic political slogan that was used by James K. Polk during his
presidential election, basically saying to either take the territory in Oregon or fight the British
for it (even though they really didn't mean to fight the British)
James K. Polk - ANS president who used the slogan "54º 40' or Fight" to get people to vote
for him since the American people believed that Oregon and Texas belonged to the U.S. at the
time. He was also very pro-manifest destiny and was president during the time of the Mexican
American War
Mexican American War - ANS technically began in 1846 over disputes over the Texas border
(Rio Grande vs. Nueces River), but it can be argued that the annexation of Texas was the
beginning of diplomatic trouble with Mexico. This finally boiled over when the Mexican Army
crossed the Rio Grande and captured the American army patrol on what the Americans thought
was their land (ironically, the Mexicans thought that was their land). Also, it erupted because
the U.S. wanted to buy California, but Mexico refused to give it to them. In the end, Mexico lost
and U.S. gained the Mexican Cession, California, and established the border separating the two
countries at the Rio Grande River. James K. Polk was president during this
©FYNDLAY 1
, ©FYNDLAY 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo - ANS ended the Mexican American War with the following
terms: Mexico recognized the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas, the United States
would take possession of former Mexican provinces of California and New Mexico (the Mexican
Cession), and for these territories, the U.S. paid $15 million and assumed responsibility for any
claims of American citizens against Mexico
Wilmot Proviso - ANS an appropriations bill that forbade slavery in any of the new territories
acquired from Mexico from the Mexican American War. It passed the House of Representatives
twice but it was defeated in the Senate, ultimately failing
49ers - ANS group of people who migrated to California in 1849 in hopes of getting
gold/striking it rich during the gold rush there
Free Soil Party - ANS "free soil, free labor, free men," party that was for preventing the
extension of slavery in the west and advocated free homesteads (public land grants to small
farmers) and internal improvement
Popular Sovereignty - ANS where the people who settle a territory decide if it will be a slave
state or a free state
Compromise of 1850 - ANS created by Henry Clay to solve the dispute over California
applying to be a free state that failed as a whole but each of the five parts was able to get
passed as individual laws by Stephen Douglas. The five parts are: admit California to the Union
as a free state, divide the remainder of the Mexican Cession into 2 territories (Utah and New
Mexico) and allow settlers in these territories to decide the slavery issue by popular
sovereignty, give the land in dispute over Texas and New Mexico territory to the new territories
in return for the federal government assuming Texas's public debt of $10 million, ban the state
TRADE in the District of Columbia but permit whites to hold slaves as before, and adopt a new
Fugitive Slave Law and enforce it rigorously
Stephen Douglas - ANS a young senator from Illinois who got the Compromise of 1850
passed as five separate laws
©FYNDLAY 2
APUSH: Unit 5 - 1844 – 1877 Exam
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Manifest destiny - ANS a saying created by John O'Sullivan, expressed the popular belief that
the United States had a divine mission to extend its power and civilization across the breadth of
North American during the 1840s. It was driven by nationalism, population increase, rapid
economic development, technological advances, and reform ideals
Oregon Fever - ANS due to success in farming in fertile Willamette Valley in the 1840's, 5000
Americans "caught" this, which caused them to travel 2000 miles over the Oregon Trail to settle
in the area south of the Columbia River
54º 40' or Fight! - ANS Democratic political slogan that was used by James K. Polk during his
presidential election, basically saying to either take the territory in Oregon or fight the British
for it (even though they really didn't mean to fight the British)
James K. Polk - ANS president who used the slogan "54º 40' or Fight" to get people to vote
for him since the American people believed that Oregon and Texas belonged to the U.S. at the
time. He was also very pro-manifest destiny and was president during the time of the Mexican
American War
Mexican American War - ANS technically began in 1846 over disputes over the Texas border
(Rio Grande vs. Nueces River), but it can be argued that the annexation of Texas was the
beginning of diplomatic trouble with Mexico. This finally boiled over when the Mexican Army
crossed the Rio Grande and captured the American army patrol on what the Americans thought
was their land (ironically, the Mexicans thought that was their land). Also, it erupted because
the U.S. wanted to buy California, but Mexico refused to give it to them. In the end, Mexico lost
and U.S. gained the Mexican Cession, California, and established the border separating the two
countries at the Rio Grande River. James K. Polk was president during this
©FYNDLAY 1
, ©FYNDLAY 2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo - ANS ended the Mexican American War with the following
terms: Mexico recognized the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas, the United States
would take possession of former Mexican provinces of California and New Mexico (the Mexican
Cession), and for these territories, the U.S. paid $15 million and assumed responsibility for any
claims of American citizens against Mexico
Wilmot Proviso - ANS an appropriations bill that forbade slavery in any of the new territories
acquired from Mexico from the Mexican American War. It passed the House of Representatives
twice but it was defeated in the Senate, ultimately failing
49ers - ANS group of people who migrated to California in 1849 in hopes of getting
gold/striking it rich during the gold rush there
Free Soil Party - ANS "free soil, free labor, free men," party that was for preventing the
extension of slavery in the west and advocated free homesteads (public land grants to small
farmers) and internal improvement
Popular Sovereignty - ANS where the people who settle a territory decide if it will be a slave
state or a free state
Compromise of 1850 - ANS created by Henry Clay to solve the dispute over California
applying to be a free state that failed as a whole but each of the five parts was able to get
passed as individual laws by Stephen Douglas. The five parts are: admit California to the Union
as a free state, divide the remainder of the Mexican Cession into 2 territories (Utah and New
Mexico) and allow settlers in these territories to decide the slavery issue by popular
sovereignty, give the land in dispute over Texas and New Mexico territory to the new territories
in return for the federal government assuming Texas's public debt of $10 million, ban the state
TRADE in the District of Columbia but permit whites to hold slaves as before, and adopt a new
Fugitive Slave Law and enforce it rigorously
Stephen Douglas - ANS a young senator from Illinois who got the Compromise of 1850
passed as five separate laws
©FYNDLAY 2
