Ch.13The Impending Crisis

Manifest Destiny The U.S acquired more than a million square miles of land in the 1840s By the end of the decade the U.S. owned most of the land in the current U.S.

except Alaska and Hawaii The advocates of westward migration created the ideology “manifest destiny” The “manifest destiny” reflected the growing pride that characterized

American nationalism It was based on the idea that America was destined by god and history to

expand its boundaries over vast areas Its advocates felt that American expansion was not selfish John L. O’Sullivan was a democrat writer who named the movement Americans justified migration by saying that “American” was a superior race They felt that the inhabitants of those areas could not be absorbed into

America O’Sullivan called the manifest destiny a “racial purity The idea was publicized by the Penny press People like Henry Clay and other prominent politicians feared the “manifest

destiny”. They felt that expansion would reopen the slavery controversy and threaten the stability of the union

America

Americans in Texas The U.S. gave up Texas in the Louisiana purchase and then offered twice to buy it from Mexico The Mexicans refused to sell it to the U.S In the 1820s the Mexicans experimented with allowing American

immigration into Texas with the hopes of strengthening their economy and increasing the taxes

Thousands of Americans accepted Mexico’s offer and began to grew cotton (mostly southerners) By 1830 there were 7000 Americans living in Mexico (more than 2x the number or Mexicans living there Stephen F. Austin was a young immigrant from Missouri who established the first American settlement in Mexico One of the American intermediaries led a revolt to establish Texas as an

Independent nation which he wanted to call Fredonia The Mexicans quickly crushed the revolt and passed laws stopping and further immigration Americans kept immigrating into Mexico and by 1833 Mexico dropped the ban

By 1835 30,000 white and black Americans settled into Texas

I don’t wanna be tornnnn

Tension B/W Mexico and the U.S

Americans wanted to legalize slavery in Texas but the Mexicans were against it; In 1830s Mexico was taken over by the dictator General Antonio Lopez Santa Anna

A new law increased the power of the national government in Mexico Lopez imprisoned Stephen Austin and accused him of leading revolts in Texas Fighting began in 1835 and Mexico began sending troops to Texas but Americans

proclaimed their independence from Mexico By 1836 the rebellion died out and Americans were fleeing towards Indiana to escape

the army April 23 1836; battle of San Jancito General Sam Houston defeated the Mexican army

and took Santa Anna prisoner Anna signed a treaty giving Texas independence 1842; the Mexican government tried

regaining Texas but were unable The “tejanos” (the Mexican residents of Texas) were forced out of Texas by Americans Texans wanted to join the U.S so president Houston sent a delegation to Washington to

ask to be part of the union The north was opposed to the annexation because they felt that it would be a new slave

territory Jackson, Vann Buren, and Harrison were also afraid so they refrained from the issue Texas was left to fend for itself and looked to Europe for support (Europe wanted it be

a force working against the U.S) President Tyler quickly asked Texas to apply for statehood Calhoun then presented the annexation treaty that supported annexation for slavery

purposes only Texas became the central issue in the election of 1844

Annex = Join

Oregon Control of the Oregon county was another major topic in the 1840s

It contained Oregon Washington, Idaho and parts of Montana and Wyoming and British Columbia

The British and Americans agreed on “joint custody” of the territory

Neither established much presence in Oregon

American interest in Oregon grew in 1820s

Missionaries considered the territory perfect for evangelic missions (Marcus Whiteman and his wife Narcissa; missionaries)

Many whites began to move to Oregon and quickly outnumbered the number of British there. The Indians were devastated by diseases

The tribes blamed Whiteman for the plagued and attacked them and killed 13 whites including Marcus and Narcissa

Westward Migration

Most southerners flocked to Texas; the largest number of migrants came from the NW, most traveled in families until the gold rush of 1850

The gold rush attracted single men; poor people could not afford the trip so the men joined established groups as laborers. Women joined as domestic servants, teachers or prostitutes

The migrants searched for easy riches, farming, religious reasons or escaping diseases

Life on The Trail Most migrants joined wagons trains led by guards and put their belongings

in covered wagons

The major route was the 2000 mile Oregon trail

Migrants faced considerable hardships on the trail Journeys lasted 5-6 months Cholera A very high death rate

The Indians were helpful during the travels and didn't’t cause many conflicts

Life on the trail was very different; families divided tasks based on gender

Most people walked to lighten the load for the horses

One of the most frequent disasters was breakdown of communal character

The Democrats and Expansion In preparation for the election of 1844

Clay and Vann Buren both avoided the annexation of Texas

Democrats nominated James K. Polk and won the election (he wanted annexation of Texas)

In December of 1845 Texas became a state

Polk resolved the Oregon question; on June 15 1846 Polk’s proposal was accepted and a border between the U.S. and Canada was established at the 49th parallel (where it remains today)

The Southwest and California

One reason the Oregon proposal was accepted so quickly was that problems began emerging in the southwest (led to Mexican war)

Once Texas was accepted as a state Mexico broke up diplomatic relationship with the U.S.

Texans claimed Rio Grande as their southern border and Polk accepted and sent an army to protect the Texans from any invasion

In New México the Mexicans encouraged American traders and soon New Mexico became more American than Mexican

Americans became interested in California (Mexican province) that contained Indians and 7000 Mexicans

Polk wanted New Mexico and Cali and was determined to get them

The Mexican War Polk sent John Slidell to try and buy the Mexicans. The Mexicans declined and Polk

sent an army to move across the Neuces river to the Rio Grande

Mexican troops crossed the border and attacked American soldiers

Congress then declared war on Mexico

Some felt the war was a moral crime and the pacifists were outraged

Henry David Thoreau refused to pay taxes because he was so horrified and was jailed

Victory did not come as easily as Polk had hoped

Taylor captured Monterrey in 1846 and let the Mexicans evacuate, this made Polk feel that Taylor lacked skill and would be a powerful political rival

In 1846 a small army led by colonel Stephen Kearny and captured Santa Fe

The U.S now controlled the territories it wanted but the Mexicans still would not budge

On Feb 2, 1848 Nicholas Trist and the Mexican Army agreed on the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Mexico gave California and New Mexico to the U.S and acknowledge the Rio Grande as the Texan boundary in return for 15 million

Henry

Slavery and the Territories

Representative David Wilmot presented an amendment that prohibited slavery in the new territory (old Mexican territory) but was rejected; debated for years

Polk supported the idea of extending the Missouri Compromise line through the territories banning slavery north of the side and allowing it south of the line

Another plan was the Squatter sovereignty which would allow each state to vote

The debates over this dragged on and was left unsettled during Polk’s time

The campaigned of 1848 dampened the controversy because both side wanted to avoid slavery

Polk declined to rerun due to illness; democrats nominated Lewis cass and whigs nominated Zachary Taylor

Taylor won the election

California Gold Rush

When Taylor took office the decision about slavery became more urgent

In 1848 James Marshall found traces of gold in Sierra Nevada

The word spread and a frantic gold rush began; San Francisco became almost abandoned

The gold rush immigrants were known as the 49ers

The gold rush attracted the first Chinese migrants to the western U.S.

The Chinese were free laborers and merchants looking for gold

The gold rush created serious labor shortage in California

The Indian population in Cali declined drastically

Many got rich but the majority were left empty handed and went home

Rising Sectional Tension

Taylor felt that states should determine whether they're free of not but territories should be mandated by the government

Cali quickly adopted the constitution and announced themselves a free state

Congress didn't’t want to accept the idea because they felt it was more complicated than that Antislavery forces to abolish slavery in District of Columbia Emergence of personal liberty laws in northern states

In 1849 there were an equal number of free and slave states (15 each)

The South's fear was that new states would be brought into the union

The Compromise of 1850

i)Henry Clay proposed compromise to Congress in 1850- admitted CA as free state, new territorial govts w/o slave restrictions, new tough fugitive slave law

ii)First phase of debating comp led by older voices of Clay, Calhoun, Webster and broad ideal of settling slave issue once and for all

iii)After Clay proposal defeated, second phase of debate led by younger group: William Seward of NY opposed compromise, Jefferson Davis of MI saw slavery in terms of South’s economic self-interest, Stephen Douglas of IL

iv)W/ death of Taylor in 1850 (who refused compromise until CA admitted), new Pres Millard Fillmore supported compromise, rallied N Whig support

v)Douglas proposed Clay compromise split into smaller measured and voted on (difft sections could vote for measures that they supported), used govt bonds and railroad construction to gain support. Comp passed in September- less widespread agreement on ideals then victory of self-interest

The Uneasy Truth i)1852 pres election candidates very sectional. Dem Franklin Pierce, Whig Gen Winfield Scott,

Free-Soil John Hale. Whigs suffered from massive defection from antislavery members, Democrats won

ii)Pres Pierce tried to ignore divisive issues, but N opposition to Fugitive Slave Act after 1850 as mobs prevented slave catchers in cities. S angered, alarmed

b)“Young America”

i)Pierce supported Democrat’s “Young America”- saw expansion of US democracy throughout world as way of diverting attention from slavery

ii)Efforts to expand entangled in sectionalism- attempts to capture Cuba opposed by antislavery northerners who feared administration trying to bring new slave state to Union, south opposed acquiring Hawaii b/c prohibited slavery

c)Slavery, Railroads, and the West

i)1850s settlers began moving into plains to areas suitable for farming, dislodge Indians from reservations there. Settlement led to issue of railroad and slavery

ii) RR used to solve communication problems btwn old states + areas W of Miss. R., movement for transcontinental RR. Disagreement over whether eastern terminus should be in North’s Chicago or in the South. Jefferson Davis organized Gadsden Purchase 1853 from Mex to make S route possible

The Kansas Nebraska

Stephen Douglas 1854 proposed opening Nebraska Territory for white settlement (to clear Indians in way of possible transcont. RR from Chicago)

ii)Nebraska North of Missouri Compromise line, therefore had to be free

iii)To gain passage Douglas proposed dividing Nebraska in two (Nebraska and Kansas) and each would decide slavery by “popular sovereignty” (state legislature), repealed Missouri Compromise entirely

iv)Kansas-Nebraska Act passed 1854 w/ Pres Pierce support. Had immediate, sweeping consequences: divided and destroyed Whig Party (disappeared by 1856), divided northern Democrats (disagreed w/ repealing Miss. Comp)

v)Ppl in both parties opposed to bill formed Republican Party 1854

e)“Bleeding Kansas”

i)Settlers from N + S settling Kansas, but for 1855 elections southerners from Missouri traveled to Kansas to vote. Pro-slavery legislature elected, legalized slavery. Free-state supporters in state formed own Const, applied statehood

ii)Pro-slave forces burned down anti-slave govt, abolitionist John Brown then killed 5 pro-slave settlers (Pottawatomie Massacre). Led to armed warfare by armed bands, “Bleeding Kansas” became symbol of sectional controversy

iii)1856 anti-slavery Charles Sumner of MA gave speech entitled “The Crime Against Kansas” critical of slavery defender Sen Butler of SC. Butler’s nephew Preston Brooks came to Sen, beat Sumner w/ cane- both became hero

Free Soil i)Tension from economic, territorial interest, but also sectional

vision of US

ii)North believed in “free soil” + “free labor”. Slavery not so much immoral but wrong b/c threatened whites- every citizen had right to own property, control labor, access to opportunity. To them South closed, static society where slavery preserved entrenched aristocracy & common white had no opportunity

iii)North growing + prospering, S stagnant + rejecting individualism, progress. Believed S conspiring to extend slavery thru whole nation and thus destroy N capitalism, replace it with closed aristocracy of S- “slave power conspiracy”

iv)This ideology @ heart of Repub Party. Committed to Union b/c growth + prosperity central to free-labor vision, breakup= smaller size+ less econ power

Pro-slavery agreement

i)Incompatible Southern ideology result of desire for security after Nat Turner 1831 uprising, lucrative nature of cotton economy into Deep South and expansion there, growth of Garrisonian abolition movement against S society

ii)Intellectual defense of slavery begun by Professor Thomas Dew, others later gave ideology name The Pro-Slavery Argument- said that S should not apologize for slavery b/c was a good thing, slaved enjoyed better conditions than industrial workers in N, allowed for peace btwn races, helped nat’l econ

iii)Also argued slavery good b/c basis of way S way of life, which was superior to any other. N greedy, destructive, factories horrific, cities crowded + immigrant filled- but S stable, orderly, protected worker welfare

iv)Defense also on biological inferiority of blacks, inherently unfit to care for themselves and be citizens. Clergy also gave religious + biblical justification

Buchanan i)In 1856 pres election Dems wanted candidate

unassociated w/ “Bleeding Kansas” so chose James Buchanan, Repubs chose John Fremont (platform against Kansas-Nebraska Act and of Whiggish internal improvements reflecting N economic aspirations), Know-Nothings chose Millard Fillmore

ii)Buchanan won, but proved indecisive at critical moment in history. After taking office financial panic + depression hit country

iii)In N Repubs strengthened b/c manufacturers, workers, farmers joined--depression seen as result of unsound policies of southern Dem administrations

Dred Scott Decision i)March 1857 Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott v

Sandford- Scott was slave who after masters death sued widow for freedom on grounds that master had moved residence to a free state, but John Sanford (brother of deceased owner, Sup C. misspelled name) claimed ownership of Scott

ii)Defeat for antislavery movement. Supreme Court had multiple decisions, Chief Justice Roger Taney: Scott could not bring suit in fed court b/c was not a citizen, blacks had virtually no rights under Const, slaves property & 5th

Amendment forbid taking property w/o “due process” and therefore Congress had no authority to pass

law depriving persons of slave property in territories (thereby ruling Missouri Compromise had been

unconstitutional)

Dead lock over Kansas

i)Pres Buchanan endorsed Dred Scott decision, to solve Kansas problem supported admission to Union as slave state. 1857 new KS Const legalized slavery, but election of new legislature saw antislavery majority who put Const to ppl to vote on- widely rejected

ii)1858 Buchanan pressured Congress to admit it as slave state anyway but Cong rejected, compromise allowed KS to vote on Const again—rejected again

iii)1861, after sever S states had already seceded, KS entered Union as free state

k)The Emergence of Lincoln

i)In 1858 Congressional elections Repub Abraham Lincoln ran against famed Dem Stephen Douglas. Lincoln-Douglas debates attracted attention

ii)Lincoln’s attacks on slavery prominent- argued if nation didn’t accept blacks had human rights then it could accept other groups such as immigrant laborers could be deprived of rights too. Also, extension of slavery in territories would lead to lost opportunity for betterment by poor white laborers

iii)Lincoln opposed slavery but not abolitionist b/c did not see easy alternative to slavery in areas where it existed. Prevent spread of slavery to territories, trust institution would gradually die out in areas where it existed

iv)Douglas won but Lincoln gained following. Dems lost maj in House, kept Sen

John Brown’s Raid i)1859 antislavery zealot from KS John Brown led followers to capture fort in Harpers Ferry VA hoping to

lead slave rebellion. Uprising never occurred, Brown surrendered, tried for treason by VA and hanged

ii)Convinced white southerners that they could not live safely in Union, believed raid supported by Repub party and that North now wanted slave insurrection

m)The Election of Lincoln

i)In Pres election of 1860 Dems torn btwn southerners (who demanded strong endorsement of slavery) & westerners (who supported popular sovereignty)

ii)After popular sovereignty endorsed by convention southern states walked out, eventually nominated John Breckinridge of KY, rest chose Stephen Douglas

iii)Still others formed Constitutional Union Party w/ John Bell as candidate- endorsed Union but remained silent regarding slavery

iv)Republicans tried to broaden appeal to earn majority in North who feared S blocking its economic interests. Platform endorsed high tariff, internal improvements, homestead bill, Pacific railroad, popular sovereignty but Congress nor territory legislatures could legalize slavery in territories

v)Repubs chose Abraham Lincoln as nominee b/c moderate positions on slavery, relative obscurity, and western origins to attract votes from region

vi)Lincoln won presidency w/ majority of electoral votes but only 2/5 of popular vote but failed to win maj in Congress

vii)Election of Lincoln final signal for many southerners that their position in Union hopeless, within weeks process of disunion began