Period 5: 1844 - 1877 Flashcards
Manifest destiny
United States had a divine mission to extend its power and civilization across the continent; big in the 1840s driven by nationalism, economic development, population increase, technology, reform ideals; built upon white superiority, coined by John O’Sullivan, complicated by issue of slavery
James Polk (Election of 1844)
Democrat committed to expansion and manifest destiny, wanted Texas, Oregon and Cali.; “Fifty-Four Forty or Fight”
Annexation of Texas
Lame duck president John Tyler submitted proposal right before leaving office and its approved by Congress by joint resolution (majority of both houses) as oppose to 2/3 approval by Senate
The Oregon Dispute: “54 40 or Fight”
at the Anglo-American Convention of 1818 the U.S. and England agreed to peacefully jointly occupy the Oregon territory then the Oregon Trail happens and suddenly Oregon is the place to be so Polk’s like ima get it and he does! W/ the Oregon Treaty the boundary of the U.S. set at the 49th parallel
Causes of war with Mexico
Mexico still viewed Texas as part of Mexico and there were disputes over its boundaries so Polk sends his boy Slidell to slide into Mexico and buy California from them and settle the border issues. But Mexico is like nah and Polk orders Zachary Taylor to the disputed territory and waited for Mexico to start the war s he would have justification for its declaration
Controversy over Mexican-American war
N. Whigs oppose the war bc they see it as an attempt by the S. to extend slavery, ppl question whether the attack was on U.S. territory
Wilmot Proviso
attempted to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico but was rejected by the Senate
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
ends Mexican American war;
- the Rio Grande is the S. border of Texas
- U.S. took CA and NM from Mexico (Mexican Cession) for $15 million
- Mexico loses like half of its land
- Creates new controversies within America bc as new territories added to the Union the issue of slavery is forced into national politics … Civil War connection!
Ostend Manifesto
Pierce tries to secretly buy Cuba from Spain (Manifest Destiny) but plans are leaked and antislavery members in Congress, Free Soilers get mad see it as the S. wanting to create a slave empire
Gadsden Purchase
Pierce buys some land from Mexico in the American S.W. to build a railroad (NM and AZ)
Four main causes for the Civil War
- slavery as a growing moral issue in the N. and its defense and expansion in the S.
- Constitutional disputes over the nature of the federal Union and states’ rights
- Economic differences between the industrializing N. and thee agricultural S. over issues like tariffs, banking, internal improvements
- Political plunders and extremism on both sides
Free Soil movement
after the Mexican American War slavery in the acquired territories becomes a source of sectional tension and the Free Soil Party (“free soil, free labor, free men”) opposed allowing slavery in the new territories bc wanted to keep the W. as an opportunity for whites only, (they’re not opposed to slavery in the S.) … Southerners saw attempts to restrict slavery as a violation of their constitutional rights
Popular soverignty
people in a territory vote on whether or not it should be a free or slave state
California Gold Rush (1849)
1849, 49er’s 100,000 ppl coming into California searching gold -> leads to sectional tensions bc Cali. wants in on the Union and creates a constitution banning slavery and wanting admission as a free state
Crisis over Mexican Cession
Before California added, there is equal free and slave states so now there may be a disrupt to the balance and the S. gets increasingly defensive over slavery seeing the Tallmadge Amendment and the Wilmot Proviso as attacks
Fire-eaters
Radical southerners that talk openly of secession if California enters the Union
Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay back at it again with another compromise!
- Admits Cali. as free state
- Divides the rest of the Mexican Cession into Utah and New Mexico and allows popular sovereignty to determine slavery
- Ban slave trade in D.C.
- New Fugitive Slave Law in the S.
- Settled border dispute between NM and TX in NM favor
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
track down runaway slaves who had escaped to the N., capture them, and return them to their S. owners
- huge increase in sectional tension bc turned the N. into hunting ground for fugitive slaves and whites from the N. who assited were arrested, and slaves were denied trial by jury
Northern resistance to Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, Vigilance Commitees
The N. was now forced to deal w/ the issue of slavery and some became sympathetic to the abolitionist movement, like supporting the Underground Railroad and Personal Liberty Laws like Vigilance Committees whose goal was to protect fugitives from catchers
Books about slavery
Uncle Tom’s Cabin written by Harriet Beecher Stowe which persuaded many N. of the cruelty of slavery and slave owners in the S., Impending Crisis of the South showcased slavery as weakening the southern economy
South reaction to N. antislavery
Pro slavery S. whites said that slavery was a positive good for master and slave and said that it was supported in the Bible, saying that caring for slaves was better than N. “wage slaves”; more southerners saw the N. as out to get them
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
Whig party where you at tho
The Caribbean was a sideshow
Now it’s time for the main story
Right in the Permanent Indian Territory
Make some noise for my boi Douglas from Illinois
Who had to ask-a
If they could make a free territory called Nebraska
But wait, the South, they weren’t all about that
They said “Hey Douglas this plan is kinda whack”
All we really need is more slavery
All the way out to the Pacific Sea”
So Douglas rose up, wanted to end the fuss
Said “Goodbye” to the Missouri Compromise
Instead designed the region through the people’s eyes
Congress said OK
And gave the Kansas-Nebraska Act the light of day
They gave the people the right to say
Whether the land would be free, or full of slaver-ay
Popular soverienta-ay am I right
Word.
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
Stephen Douglas wants to secure a railroad and encourage W. settlement but to win S. approval he proposes that two new territories, Kansas and Nebraska will be created and slavery decided through popular sovereignty; repeal’s the Missouri Compromise of 1820 bc says slavery can extend past 36,30; huge opposition from the N - Republican Party formed bc it gave the S. greater opportunity to expand slavery
Results of Kansas-Nebraska Act
bad.
It was assumed that Kansas would be a slave state and Nebraska a free one so pro and antislavery ppl flood into Kansas (New England Emigrant Aid Co.and border ruffians) and two rival gov.’s are set up, the Free Soilers in Topeka and Slave in Lecompton -> Bleeding Kansas
