Territorial Expansion and Slavery Flashcards
when did texas declare independence
1836
when President Polk was elected what were his ambitions with Texas
to annex Mexican territory and brought texas into the union in 1845
large lands from treaty of Guadalupe hidalgo 1848
what was the danger of the Mexican war
lots of territory gained issues over slavery
what did David wilmot propose about the Mexican war
slavery should never enter any territory gained from the Mexican war
what was the Missouri Compromise
1820
didnt allow any new slave states to exist above the southern border of Missouri at 36 30
southern view of the Missouri compromise
there were arguments put forward that Congress had no power to exclude slavery from any territorial state, and the new states should be equal to the old states who made up their own minds about the issue. The restriction on slavery above 36°30° was seen as insulting to the S
outh and its way of life.
northern view of the Missouri Compromise
Some Northern politicians, said that Congress should end slavery in the territories as it had done with North Western Ordinance. The opening up of slavery below the 36°30° seemed to threaten the rights of free settlers to move into the South West.
what was the compromise of 1850
new territory above the 36° 30° line could now become slave states if that is what popular sovereignty chose. This was agreed, but California and Oregon were added to the free states in return for agreeing a much stricter Fugitive Slave Act. Washington DC also stopped the slave trade, but not slavery. The territories of Utah, which was above the line and was a vast amount of newly acquired land from the war with Mexico and New Mexico, were organised and opened to slavery by popular sovereignty
what was the southern view of Compromise of 1850
objected to criticism of slavery implied by the end of the Washington DC slave trade
what was the northern view of compromise of 1850
concerned with implication of popular sovereignty
power of deciding slavery was taken away from congress
what were the proposals for Kansas
Topeka
Lecompton
Leavenworth
Wyandotte
what was the Topeka constitution
was drafted by free state supporters in reaction to contested elections that gave the proslavery party initial control of Kansas’ territorial government. The Topeka Constitution prohibited slavery. Congress rejected this constitution and the accompanying request for Kansas to be admitted to the Union.
what was the Lecompton constitution
was written by proslavery supporters. The document permitted slavery, excluded free blacks from living in Kansas, and allowed only male citizens of the United States to vote. In the third and final vote, residents of Kansas Territory rejected the Lecompton Constitution.
what was the Leavenworth Constitution
was the most radical of the four constitutions drafted for Kansas Territory. The Bill of Rights refers to “all men” and prohibited slavery from the state. The word “white” did not appear in the proposed document and therefore would not have excluded free blacks from the state. This also gave some protection for the rights of women. The Leavenworth Constitution was ratified on May 18, 1858 but the U.S. Senate did not act to approve the document.
what was the Wyandotte Constitution
became the Constitution of the State of Kansas on January 29, 1861, when Kansas was admitted as a free state (after six slave states withdrew from Congress) to the United States of America as the 34th state