Michael Chiu

AP US History
Period 2
11/25/09

Outline of Chapter 13: The Impending Crisis

-All of the new controversies that arose between the north and south were about slavery
-Desire for territorial expansion grew and would tear the nation apart – when new states were
annexed into the Union, the status of slavery in them was questioned
Looking Westward
-Advocates of westward expansion believed in “Manifest Destiny”
Manifest Destiny
-Idea that America was destined by God to expand its boundaries over North America
-Many Americans throughout the 1840s believed that the “American race” was superior
-Ideas of manifest destiny were spread throughout the nation by “penny press”-cheap paper
-However, many opposed expansion, including Henry Clay, because they thought that it
would reopen previous controversies about slavery – weren’t heard
Americans in Texas
-Even though it was granted to the U.S. in the Louisiana Purchase, it renounced control in
1819 – tried to buy Texas but Mexico refused
-In the early 1820s, Mexico encouraged American immigration into Texas to boost economy
and tax revenues – in 1824, a colonization law promised cheap land and 4-year exemption
from taxes
-Most settlers came to Texas through American intermediaries who received land grants from
Mexico and promised to bring settlers into the region
-Most successful was Stephen F. Austin, from Missouri – established first legal American
settlement in Texas in 1822 – created centers of power that competed with Mexican gov’t
-One of the intermediaries led a revolt but was crushed
-Four years later, they passed new laws that barred more American immigration – dropped in
1833
Tensions between the United States and Mexico
-In the mid-1830s, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna became a dictator of Mexico
-American settlers proclaimed their independence from Mexico in 1836
-American forces were annihilated at the Alamo in San Antonio and at Goliad
-In 1836, Sam Houston organized a force and defeated the Mexican army at the Battle of San
Jacinto – took Santa Anna prisoner, who signed a treaty giving Texas independence
-Tejanos were Mexicans in Texas who fought with the Americans in the revolution
-American Texans hoped for annexation into the U.S. – Sam Houston, the new president of
Texas, sent a delegation to Washington to offer to join the Union
-Many northerners opposed this because it was a new large slave territory
-President Jackson opposed annexation because he feared it would cause sectional
controversy or even war with Mexico
Oregon
-Control of the Oregon territory was disputed between the U.S. and Britain
-Agreed on an 1818 treaty called “joint occupation” – allowed both citizens in territory
-At the time, Oregon was mostly settled by Native Americans
-In 1840s, significant number of white Americans began to immigrate to Oregon
-Devastated much of Indian population and greatly outnumbered British settlers there
-In 1847, the Cayuse tribe killed 13 whites – did little to stop white immigration
The Westward Migration
-Most southerners migrated to Texas but largest number of immigrants came from the old
Northwest
-Character of migrations varied according to destination – groups headed to places where
mining and lumbering were present consisted mostly of men but farming = families
-Vast majority of migrants looking for economic opportunities
Life on the Trail
-Most migrants stopped in Iowa and Missouri, joined a wagon train, and set off in covered
wagons – main route west was Oregon Trail – stretched from Independence, Missouri across
the Great Plains and through the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains
-Some migrations went through the Santa Fe Trail – went into New Mexico
-Native Americans were more helpful than harmful, acting as guides and traders
-Families on the trail split tasks along gender lines – women often worked harder than men
Expansion and War
-Growing number of white Americans in the disputed lands – put pressure on government to
annex Texas, Oregon, and other territory
The Democrats and Expansion
-In the election of 1844, the two leading candidates Henry Clay and Martin Van Burin,
avoided taking a stand on annexation of Texas
-Henry Clay secured the nomination but Van Buren was replaced with James K. Polk
-Polk supported the annexation of Oregon and Texas – Texas became a state in 1845
-For Oregon, Polk proposed that the border of the U.S and Canada be at the 49th parallel
-British minister in Washington rejected, but British government accepted it in 1846 and the
boundary was stet at the 49th parallel
The Southwest and California
-As soon as Texas was annexed, Mexico broke diplomatic ties with the U.S.
-the U.S. and Mexico claimed different borders of Texas and Mexico – U.S. claimed that the
Rio Grande river was the western and southern border while Mexico claimed that the border
had always been the Nueces River to the north of the Rio Grande
-President Polk accepted Texas claim and sent troops under Zachary Taylor to Texas
-Americans were also interested in California – inhabited by mostly Indians and Mexicans
-White American settlers gradually arrived
-President Polk wanted to acquire both New Mexico and California for the U.S.
The Mexican War
-Although appearing to prepare for war, Polk sent John Slidell to try to buy the disputed
territories from Mexico – rejected by Mexico
-In 1846, Polk sent Taylor across the Nueces River to the Rio Grande
-After a few months, Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande and attacked Americans
-the U.S. declared war on Mexico in1846 – “War exists by the act of Mexico herself.”
-Many people opposed war – Whigs accused Polk of deliberately stirred up attack and
maneuvered the country into war
-The U.S. did well against Mexico – Taylor captured Monterrey in 1846 – Colonel Stephen
W. Kearny captured Santa Fe in 1846 – completed conquest of California in 1846
-General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City – in 1848, Nicholas Trist, a presidential envoy
sent by Polk, negotiated the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, where Mexico agreed to cede
California and New Mexico to the U.S. and acknowledge the Rio Grande as the boundary of
Texas – U.S. promised to assume financial claims and pay $15 million
The Sectional Debate
-Although James Polk tried to transcend sectional divisions, northerners and westerners
thought that his policies favored the South at their expense
Slavery and the Territories
-During the Mexican War, Polk asked Congress to appropriate 2 million for buying peace
with Mexico – David Wilmot introduced an amendment into the bill that would prohibit
slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico – passed in House but failed in Senate
-President Polk supported the proposal to extend the Missouri Compromise Line through to
the Pacific coast, banning slavery north of it and permitting it south of the line
-Others supported a plan known as “popular sovereignty” – each territory could decide status
of slavery there
-Zachary Taylor won the election of 1848 – Free-Soilers elected 10 members of Congress –
showed that existing political parties couldn’t contain the political passions of slavery
The California Gold Rush
-Residents of California who went searching for gold were called “Forty-Niners” – 95% were
men
-Gold rush attracted some of the first Chinese immigrants – very poor
-Gold rush created labor shortage – gave job opportunities to people who needed work –
however; Indians were killed and also used as slaves
-The gold rush became a factor of putting pressure on the U.S. to resolve issue of territories
Rising Sectional Tensions
-Zachary Taylor thought that once territories became states, their own governments could
settle the slavery issue
-In 1849, California adopted a constitution that banned slavery – admitted as a free states
-The South feared that two new Free states would be added to the Northern majority
-Tension grew between the north and south – talks of succession arose
The Compromise of 1850
-Henry Clay believed that no compromise could be reached unless it settled all of the issues
in dispute between the north and south
-Presented his bill to the Senate in 1850 – California admitted as a free state, formation of
territorial governments in the rest of the lands acquired from Mexico, abolition of the slave
trade in D.C., and a more effective fugitive slave law – bill stirred up many debates
-First phase of debates involved Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster
-After the bill was rejected by Congress, new leaders emerged: William H. Seward, from
N.Y.; opposed the compromise, Jefferson Davis, thought that the slavery issue was of
economic self-interest, and Stephen A. Douglas advocated for the economic needs of the
west and the construction of railroads – devoted to personal self-promotion
-Douglas broke up Clay’s “omnibus bill” into separate bills that were voted on one by one –
Resulted in Congress approving all the parts of the compromise – signed by Millard Fillmore
The Crises of the 1850s
The Uneasy Truce
-Both parties endorsed Compromise of 1850 in 1852
-For presidency, the Democrats chose Franklin Pierce and Whigs chose Winfield Scott
-The Democrats won due to divisions among the Whigs
-Franklin Pierce tried to avoid divisive issues such as slavery – however, very hard due to
northern opposition to Fugitive Slave Act – South considered the Compromise meaningless
“Young America”
-To try to move away from slavery, Franklin Pierce supported a movement called “Young
America” – expansion of American democracy throughout the world
-Ostend Manifesto suggested taking Cuba from Spain by force – Northerners angered
because they thought it could be a new slave state in the Union
Slavery, Railroads, and the West
-The issue of slavery still revived the sectional crises
-As nation expanded westward, support emerged for a transcontinental railroad – became
part of struggle between North and South – disagreed where to have the east terminus
-In 1853, since if the railroad were to have a southern terminus, it would have to pass through
an are in Mexican territory, Jefferson Davis, Secretary of War, sent James Gadsden to
persuade Mexico to accept $10 million for a strip of land
The Kansas-Nebraska Controversy
-In the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Stephen A. Douglas two new territories that would decide
slavery by popular sovereignty – Kansas more likely to become a slave state – became law
-This bill destroyed the Whig Party and divided the Northern Democrats
-People in both parties who opposed the bill – Anti-Nebraska Democrats and Anti-Nebraska
Whigs – formed the Republican Party in 1854
“Bleeding Kansas”
-John Brown, a zealot who opposed slavery, moved into Kansas with his sons to try to make
it a free state
-In the Pottawatomie Massacre, John Brown and six followers murdered 6 pro-slavery
settlers – led to more conflict in Kansas
-“Bleeding Kansas became a symbol of sectional controversy
-Another symbol emerged – Preston Brooks beating Charles Sumner with a cane – both
became heroes – Sumner as a martyr
The Free-Soil Ideology
-Northerners believed in “free soil” and “free labor” – mainly believed slavery was
dangerous for what it threatened to do to whites – American democracy give the right of all
citizens to own property, to control their own labor, and to have access to opportunities for
advancement
-According to this, Southerners were the opposite – closed society with aristocracy and
common whites had not opportunity to improve themselves
-Northerners believed that the South was trying to extend slavery throughout the nation
The Pro-Slavery Argument
-In this ideology, slavery was good for the slaves and good for the country – slaves had better
conditions than in north and the nation’s economy was based on slavery
-Also said that slavery was the basis for the southern way of life
Buchanan and Depression
-In the election of 1856, the Democrats chose James Buchanan, a previous English minister,
the Republicans chose John C. Fremont, and the Know-Nothing chose Millard Fillmore
-Buchanan was weak and indecisive – in the year he took office, a depression struck –
strengthened the Republican Party
The Dred Scott Decision
-In Dred Scott v. Sandford, Dred Scott, a slave, was moved to a free state by his master, who
died after – Scott sued his master’s widow for freedom
-the circuit court declared him free – The supreme court was so divided that it could not
order a supreme ruling on the case – Chief Justice Roger Taney felt that Scott could not bring
a case into federal courts because he was not a citizen
Deadlock over Kansas
-Buchanan supported the admission of Kansas into the Union as a slave state
-However, the Lecompton Constitution formed by the pro-slavery settlers was rejected –
majority of people of Kansas opposed slavery
-Buchanan pressured Congress to admit Kansas under the Lecompton constitution – Stephen
A. Douglas and other Democrats refused to support proposal – died in House
-Congress approved a compromise – Lecompton constitution submitted again to voters –
Kansas voters again rejected again – Kansas later became a free state
The Emergence of Lincoln
-Congressional elections of 1858 took special importance because of sectional crises – in
Illinois, Stephen A. Douglas was against Abraham Lincoln – the two engaged in a series of
debates – attracted many people and made Lincoln a more prominent figure
-Lincoln felt that slavery was morally wrong but couldn’t think of a easy alternative for
slavery where it already existed – trusted that slavery would gradually die out by itself
-Douglas won the senate election by satisfying his followers sufficiently
John Brown’s Raid
-In 1859, John Brown and his followers tried to capture an arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia
-Hoped he would inspire a slave uprising – didn’t happen and he surrendered – hanged
-Convinced white southerners that they could not live safely in the Union
The Election of Lincoln
-In the presidential election of 1860
-The Democrat Party was divided between Southerners who supported slavery and
westerners who supported popular sovereignty
-Formed a convention where after popular sovereignty was endorsed, 8 delegates walked out
-Met again in Baltimore and nominated Stephen Douglas
-the Southern Democrats who left first convention nominated John C. Breckinridge
-A group of ex-Whigs formed Constitutional Union Party; nominated John Bell
-Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln – won the election
-However, the Republicans failed to win a majority in Congress
-Within a few weeks of Lincoln’s victory, process of disunion began – led to Civil War