B3) wilmot proviso & calhoun doctrine Flashcards
when was the Wilmot Proviso proposed
- August 1846- 3 months into mexican war, caused by conflict as a result of annexing Texas
what was the reason for the willmot proviso?
- proposed as a solution to the sl conflict of new terr aquired by mexican war
- JP was v expansionist but many N dems saw him as favouring south- 1846, upcoming mid-term elections, n dems warning him of their concern w the direction of his policies
who proposed the wilmot proviso & what as?
- PA congressman DAVID WILMOT
- added an amendment to end of a finance bill of JP’s that wanted $2million as part of negotiations for treaty to end mexican war
what terms did the wilmot proviso propose?
- for slavery to be excluded from any terr gained from mexican war
how did the wilmot proviso fair in congress?
- debated in HoR and passed 83:64
- but not passed to become leg in Senate
-every Southern democrat & all but 2 whigs voted against it
what was the main congressional impact of the wilmot proviso?
- widened growing sectional rift- a rallying cry for nati-slavery forces
- many n legislators endorsed it & s st denounced it
- saw first time solid SECTIONAL VOTING
- S threats of DISUNION rather than ‘DEGRADATION’- their institution being undermined
- did not want same fate at Haiti
- ^ and its future- their children
why did northern democrats feel JP was favouring the south?
- didn;t persue northern expansion w the same rigor he has for texas
- eg OREGON- JP happy to fight mexican war, but reneged his promise to take whole of oregon- agreed w britain to take area north of the 49th parallel & US took south oregon
- as would have been foolish to go to war w both britain & mexico
- but n democrats saw this symbolised his pro-southern policy bias
who did the wilmot proviso recieve support from & why?
- N democrat support
- they hoped to keep black ppl out of new terr so white labourers would not face competition from slave labour usage
- opposed to expansion of sl not sl directly
who was between the two extremes of calhoun & wilmot (1846ish)?
- group of talented & moderate politicans committed to the UNION & determined to find solution the controversy
what were the 2 most likely decisions moderate politicans saw after wilmot & calhoun?
1) extend 3630 line agreed in mis comp to the PACIFIC COAST & so incl any new terr secured
2) adopt the doctrine of POP SOV proposed by the Northern democrat LEWIS CASS
who first proposed popular sovereignity as a solution to the wilmot/calhoun controversy & why was it useful?
- LEWIS CASS
- fitted in w the commitment to FEDERALISM & DEMOCRACY & enough AMBIGUITY to pls both N & S
who exprssed the Southern response to the Wilmot Proviso and how?
- John C Calhoun; senator if South Carolina
- 1847 issues of series of resolutions - the CALHOUN DOCTRINE :THE PLATFORM OF THE SOUTH
what was in the calhoun doctrine?
- terr were the common property of all the states
- any US citizen should be able to settle in any terr w their porperty (incl slaves) as guaranteed by the const
- each state was soverign & had the right to leave the union (secede) if it chose to do so
- if Ns continued to ignore southern interests & threaten slavery, then the S would be justified in leaving the union
why was popular soereignity accesptable to both N and S?
- met S’s wish for federal non-intervention & held out prospect that sl might extend to some of former mex terr
- could be presented to N as an exclusion scheme bc it was unlikely that settlers in new terr would vote for sl’s introduction
what were probs w the newly suggested pop sov idea?
- went against prev practise; did congress no longer have power to exclude sl in new terr?
- practical Qs- esp when should a terr decide its sl status?
- opposed by Ss who thought they had the right to take their ‘property’ anywhere & Ns who believed sl should not be expanded under any circumstances
