Chapter 2- Missouri, Texas and Mexico

Question 1

What crucial question was asked with each expansion state?

Answer 1

‘Would the new state be free or slave?’

Question 2

Why were Southerners particularly concerned?

Answer 2

They were worried about the widening disparity in numbers between the North and South. Given that northern states had more seats in the House of Representatives, southerners were determined to maintain a position of equality in the Senate. If this didn’t happen, they feared slavery would be abolished.

Question 3

How many states were there in 1819? What was the free/slave ratio?

Answer 3

22. Eleven states were free and eleven were slave.

Question 4

Why was the admission of Missouri to the United States

controversial?

Answer 4

It would disturb the state free to slave ratio, as Missouri applied to join the Union as a slave state and free states opposed its admittance.

Question 5

What was the Missouri compromise?

Answer 5

A compromise worked out in 1820 that would admit a new free state of Maine to balance the admittance of Missouri and stated that north of the latitude 36 30, slavery would be prohibited. This eased the tension but the issues raised alarmed many statesmen.

Question 6

When did Americans start settling in Texas?

Answer 6

From the 1820s

Question 7

What steps did Mexico take in 1829/30? How did American Texans respond?

Answer 7

• In 1829, Mexico passed a law to free its slaves and in the following year prohibited further American immigration to Texas.
• American Texans defied both laws and the Mexican government was too weak to enforce its authority.
• By 1835, there were about 30,000 American immigrants in Texas, (plus 500 slaves), and only about 5000 Mexicans.

Question 8

Explain the steps that led to Texan independence.

Answer 8

• Over the winter of 1835-6, American Texans declared independence from Mexico.
• Mexican president, Santa Anna, marched north with a large army.
• A force of 187 Texans put up a spirited defence at the Alamo but this fell in March 1836. All the Texan defenders were killed.
• Hundreds of Americans from the South and the West rushed to the Texans’ aid and in April 1936, an American-Texan army, led by Sam Houston, defeated the Mexicans at the battle of San Jacinto.
• Santa Anna was captured and forced to recognise Texan independence.

Question 9

Why did Northerners oppose the admission of Texas to the US?

Answer 9

They feared it would lead to the spread of slavery. Texas was so large that it could be divided into five new slave states, which would benefit only the south. For some time this issue was shelved and Texas was an independent republic until it came up again in the 1844 elections.

Question 10

What did Polk promise in the 1844 Presidential election?

Answer 10

He would annex both Texas and Oregon.

Question 11

In what year was Texas annexed?

Answer 11

1845

Question 12

How did war with Mexico start?

Answer 12

Many Americans thought that it was there Manifest Destiny to control the North American continent.

• The USA’s annexation of Texas angered Mexico and there were still disputed boundaries between Texas and Mexico as Mexican governments came and went with such rapidity that the USA didn’t know whom to deal with.
• In 1845, Polk sent US troops into the disputed border area north of the Rio Grande River, hoping to provoke an incident that would result in war.
• In May 1846, Mexican troops ambushed a party of US troops in the disputed area and 16 men were killed/wounded.
• Congress obliged with Polk to thus declare war on Mexico.

Question 13

How did this divide America?

Answer 13

Northerners saw this war as a southern war of aggression.

Question 14

Was the war successful?

Answer 14

The USA’s army was smaller but had twice the population and a stronger industrial base than Mexico.
- The USA’s main advantages were: superior artillery, well trained junior officers, enthusiastic volunteers and naval supremacy.
- In 1846, US troops marched unopposed into Santa Fe and proclaimed the annexation of New Mexico. American settlers in California also claimed independence.
- By autumn of 1847, the war was almost over and the USA was in a position to enforce peace.
The war was a success for the USA.

Question 15

Who assisted the US settlers in Texas?

Answer 15

John C Fremont, a western explorer, and by a US naval squadron.

Question 16

Who were the US war heroes?

Answer 16

General Zachary Taylor and General Winfield Scott.

Question 17

What were the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848?

Answer 17

• California and New Mexico were ceded to the USA, 2/5ths of their present day land.
• USA agreed to pay Mexico 15 million dollars.

Question 18

Why was Polk unhappy with the Treaty of Guadalupe

Hidalgo?

Answer 18

He believed that even more territory could’ve been gained.

Question 19

Why did the Missouri compromise not apply when assessing whether the new states should be free or slave?

Answer 19

American politicians could not agree whether the new states won from Mexican land would be free or slave as the Missouri Compromise didn’t cover Mexican land.

Question 20

Explain Southern concerns over fugitive slaves.

Answer 20

They were concerned that Northern states were flouting the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, as this disregard of the law would bring fugitive slaves refuge in the northern states.

Question 21

What was the Wilmot Proviso?

Answer 21

In August 1846, David Wilmot, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, added an amendment to a finance bill in the House of Representatives. By the terms of his proviso, slavery was to be excluded from any territory gained from Mexico. Did not pass the senate.

Question 22

Why were Northern Democrats wary of Polk?

Answer 22

He seemed to be pursuing a pro-southern policy. While happy to fight the Mexican War, Polk reneged on his promise to take the whole of Oregon. Instead an agreement had been reached with Britain where they took the area north of the 49th parallel and the US took southern Oregon. Democrats felt his agreement with Britain, coupled with his forceful actions against Mexico, symbolised his pro southern bias.

Question 23

Why is the Wilmot Proviso significant?

Answer 23

Most northerners voted for it. Southerners hated it and the Senator of Georgia even warned that if the proviso became law, he would favour disunion. For many anti-slavery forces, the proviso became a rallying cry.

Question 24

What was the Calhoun Doctrine?

Answer 24

Proclaimed the right of any state to overrule or modify any federal law deemed unconstitutional. Developed by John C Calhoun.

Question 25

What was the 1832 Nullification crisis?

Answer 25

South Carolina disallowed two tariff acts. President Jackson labeled this action as treason and threatened to use force. South Carolina, unable to muster enough support from other southern states, pulled back from declaring secession and Jackson, in return, lowered tariffs.

Question 26

What was the Polk Compromise?

Answer 26

To continue the 36 30 line across the continent. Slavery would be banned in any territory gained from Mexico north of this line but would be allowed south of the line.This proposal was opposed by most northerners and failed to win enough support to pass through congress.

Question 27

Why was Popular Sovereignty seen as an acceptable compromise?

Answer 27

• It met the South’s wish for federal non intervention and held out the prospect that slavery might be extended to some of the Mexican territories.
• It could be presented to the North as an exclusion scheme because it was unlikely that settlers in the new territories would vote for the introduction of slavery.

Question 28

What were Popular Sovereignty’s flaws?

Answer 28

• Went against previous practice. Virtually gave congress no power.
• When a state should solve the slavery question was an issue. Northern Democrats envisaged the decision being made early, while southern democrats saw the decision made later.

Question 29

Why did Polk not seek a seconds term?

Answer 29

Polk gained little credit for the Mexican war and was worn out by the constant competition.

Question 30

Who was the Whig candidate in the 1848 election? Why was he a controversial, yet ultimately a unifying candidate?

Answer 30

A hero of the Mexican war, Zachary Taylor. He had no prior political experience and the fact that he was a slave owner did not endear him to abolitionists. Yet, he seemed like a likely winner being a war hero.

Question 31

What platform did the Whigs run on?

Answer 31

To avoid a split between its northern and southern wings, the Whigs had no national platform on slavery expansion.They thus could conduct a two-faced campaign, running as an anti slavery party in the North and as a pro-southern rights party in the South.

Question 32

Which new party was formed for this election? Who was it’s candidate?

Answer 32

The Free Soil Party. It included: northern Democrats who were alarmed at the southern dominance of the Democratic party, ‘conscience’ Whigs who had no intention of campaigning for a southern slave owner, and Liberty Party supporters. Nominated Martin Van Buren.

Question 33

What was the result of the election?

Answer 33

A triumph for Taylor.

Question 34

Although the result was not sectional, what did it indicate?

Answer 34

The fact that the Free Soil Party, which was for the Wilmot Proviso, won 10 percent of the vote highlighted the growing anti slavery sentiment and northern opinion.

Question 35

What was the ‘Address to the People of the Southern

States’?

Answer 35

An effort to unite all southern Congressmen behind the ‘Southern cause’. Was essentially a defence of slavery and an attack on northern aggression.

Question 36

How did Taylor try to address the issue of California and

New Mexico becoming states?

Answer 36

He encouraged settlers in both California and New Mexico to frame constitutions and apply immediately for admission to the Union without first going through the process of establishing territorial governments.He did not wish slavery to be abolished but thought it was best if southerners refrained from rekindling the slavery issue in territories.

Question 37

What problems arose from New Mexico’s application for

statehood? What grievances did Southerners have?

Answer 37

It did not have enough people for statehood and it had a major boundary dispute with Texas. Southerners supported Texas’s claim, whereas northerners- and Taylor- supported New Mexico. A clash between the state forces of Texas and the US army suddenly seemed imminent. Southerners further felt that they were being excluded from the gained territories and that they didn’t get compensation for the admission of new free states..

Question 38

What kind of president was Taylor?

Answer 38

He was seen as a man of honesty and integrity but often simplified complex problems-inexperienced.

Question 39

What was Popular Sovereignty?

Answer 39

The view that settlers, not Congress, should decide whether a territory should or should not allow slaves.

Question 40

Who was associated with Popular Sovereignty?

Answer 40

Lewis Cass and Stephen Douglas- mid western Democratic Senators.