Unit 10

Key parties & candidates of Election of 1840

Whigs v Democrats
Harrison, Van Buren, Tyler

What happened after election of 1840

Harrison dies —> Tyler president

Man without a party

Tyler was alienated from both parties

Democrats b/c he ran as a whig

Whigs b/c he vetoed National Bank

Cabinet after Tyler vetoes bank

resigns

Who stays on Tyler’s cabinet temporarily

Webster stays but leaves after a treaty - replaced by Calhoun

Who does Tyler turn to as an ally during his Presidency

Calhoun

Who wrote of “Manifest Destiny?”

John O’Sullivan

Manifest Destiny exact quote

“Away, away with all this cobweb tissues of rights of discovery, exploration and settlement...the American claim is by right of our “manifest destiny” to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which providence (God) has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty!” - O’Sullivan

What was the idea of Manifest Destiny

The US wanted to move west because they believed it was a god given right and their divine missions to spread its power and way of life

Who opposed & supported expansion? Why?

North supported b/c: Workers wanted cheap land so they didn’t have to work in factories

Overcrowded in the North —> ease population density

More free states

South supported b/c: Southerners want more land for growing cotton

More slave states

Why did people oppose expansion: Brings slavery issue up

Manufacturing owners didn’t want to lose their workers

People also wanted to expand because they were looking for water routes and more space

Who moved west?

Adventurers

Farmers

Hunters

Ranchers

People who have large grazers

Problems with moving west

1) Foreign powers already claimed territories west - Russia, Spain, Britain

2) Slavery - would add additional states which could disrupt balance in the MO compromise

3) Native Americans

4) Need for land reform & distribution of land

5) Internal improvements - necessary if going to expand civilization

6) Competition for markets & goods

Tyler’s presidency with expansion

Expansion begins under Tyler

Tyler is isolated

3 areas of conflict

1) Maine

2) Oregon

3) Texas

Maine

Aroostook War/Lumberjack War/Battle of the Maps

Aroostook War/Lumberjack War/Battle of the Maps

Begins as a boundary dispute w/Canadian province of New Brunswick

Britain wants it for a military road

US lumberjacks don’t want to give up profitable forests

People don’t know where Maine’s northern boundary is - it had been agreed upon in the Treaty of Paris (1783) & Ben Franklin drew the boundary in red ink on the map

No one could find the map

Tensions still elevated b/c “Flaming Caroline”

How is the Aroostook War/Lumberjack War/Battle of the Maps resolved?

Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842)

Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842)

Secretary of State Webster forges a new map (claims to have found the old Franklin map) to end the conflict

What happens to Webster after the Webster-Ashburton Treaty

Webster resigns —> Calhoun takes his place as Secretary of State

Flip this card!

Remember to be able to find the lines drawn by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty on a map

What funny thing happens after the Webster-Ashburton Treaty?

Franklin’s real map was found and the US should have gotten all of the disupted area (7,000 sq miles)

Oregon

Went all the way to Alaska

Claimed by Britain and the U.S. - extended deal to share territory

1819 - Spain gave up rights to Oregon - Florida Purchase Treaty

1824 - Russia surrenders rights below the 54’40 line

Agreement between U.S. and Britain stop working

What was so good about Oregon?

Ocean access

Natural resources

Why didn’t the U.S. want joint occupation of Oregon

Couldn’t annex - no property rights —> not ports belong to U.S.

Americans (Methodist missionaries - Hall Jackson Kelley) had traveled to Oregon & wrote about how nice it was (super fertile & compared it to American Eden) —> led to increase in Oregon’s popularity and interest in it becoming a state

To make it a state —> needed to get rid of Britain

The Oregon Trail

Written by Francis Parkman

Recorded adventures going west on the Oregon Trail

Flood gates open for travelers

People traveled in groups as families/neighbors —> basically traveling towns moving west

Flip this card!

Find where the Oregon trails begin and end on a map

Misconception about natives & greatest cause of death for Oregon travelers

Natives actually ended up being guides and helping Americans

Cholera was the greatest cause of death

Texas

Spain was losing control of colonies!

Mexico had just thrown off Spanish colonial rule and declared themselves as independent, which meant that Texas was now the Northernmost point of the territory

U.S. farmers begin to move into Texas

Why did the Spanish invite the Americans to come and settler in Texas?

Prevent the U.S. from expanding into Mexico

Protect the territory from Native attacks

They thought it would be better to invite the Americans on their own terms because they believed American expansion was inevitable

American incentive to go to Texas

Very cheap land (12 cents/acre) & land was able to be distributed once people were settled —> very economical for settlers

What did they envision (badly misguided decision) happening once the American settlers got there?

A barrier protecting them from the natives

Empresarios

Early American intermediaries that brought settlers to Texas

Empresario Contracts

Empresarios had contracts with the Mexican government to bring settlers in to Texas —> these contracts gave them large land grants & power over territory - distributed cheap land

Stephen F. Austin

One of the early empresarios that led a group into Texas

Incentives to go to Texas

Oil and cotton

People bring plantation and slavery culture there

What happens soon after the Spanish invite the Americans to settle

The number of Americans in Texas outnumbers the number of Mexicans in Texas

Texas’ War for Independence

Spanish realize that there are too many Americans but it is too late - people were still moving in

• passed a law to make Americans follow Mexican Law and Roman Catholicism

• Tried to enforce a ban on slavery

• Attempted to close the border and stop immigration from Americans

  • sent troops to the border but it is ineffective

Santa Anna

Mexican government is overthrown —> Dictator/Governor Lopez de Santa Anna emerges

Declares himself as governor & dictator

• Forces Americans follow Mexican laws

• Organizes local militias to fight back

Sam Houston

American has enough of this Texas issue and the Mexicans

Look to Sam Houston to fight back

Former Tennessee governor who moved to Texas

Organized Texas Independence Movement militia group

Eventually becomes president of the Texas territory

Alamo

Santa Anna leads his troops to San Antonio —> Texas rangers and settlers fight under Sam Houston to defend the territory

Texans are held up at a church at the Alamo (church turned military garrison)

Santa Anna lays siege for 10 days —> Texans eventually get slaughtered

Inflicted many casualties on Santa Anna

William Travis, Davy Crockett, and Jim Bowie —> all famous generals who died

Militia inside the mission sneaks letters out and asks the other Americans to make their deaths worth it by fighting for independence

Last letter came from William Travis to his son

Famous phrase that drove independence: “Remember the Alamo”

Goliad

Santa Anna massacres soldiers who tried to surrender —> eventually leads Texas to declare independence - known as the Goliad Massacre

Battle of San Jacinto River

Houston launches a surprise attack —> catches Santa Anna by surprise —> captures him & he is forced to sign a treaty

Terms of Santa Anna treaty

Mexico is forced to retreat behind the Rio Grande - recognizes Texas as separate from Mexico

The government that sent Santa Anna did not recognize Santa Anna as a dictator —> doesn’t recognize treaty - but since Santa Anna had the military power (basically the government power) so the government could not do anything

First state to start as an independent country

Texas

What did Texans hope would happen once they had won their independence; why didn’t it happen?

??????

Lone Star Republic

Texas became independent in 1836

They can either

• remain independent

• look to Britain or France for help

• Come to the U.S.

Texas goes to the U.S.

Houston was president of the republic

Came up with their constitution and legalized slavery

Jackson recognized Texas as independent —> Jackson & Van Buren didn’t want to annex Texas b/c it would bring slavery up again

West & South supported annexation of Texas

AJ/MVB opinions on Annexation

Recognized Texas’ independence but did not want to accept it as a state because it would re open slavery issue —> reluctant to add on Texas

Was worried about a civil war & war with Mexico

S/W opinions on Annexation

Wanted to annex

• more slave states

• Expansion of cotton b/c the soil was fertile

• Were able to balance out North’s political power and power in the Senate

• More cheap land

N opinion on Annexation

Opposed annexation

• Did not want to add any more slave territories

• Did not want to be dragged into any wars with Mexico

• Said it was a slaveholders conspiracy

Tyler

Wanted annexation b/c good for coming election

• Texas was going to go to Britain as a backup —> Tyler is scared that Britain will stop the US’ westward expansion

• Asked Calhoun to bring Texas in as a slave state —> thinks it will be good for coming election & supports it (Calhoun thinks it will help him rise in political power)

• Treaty gets rejected in Senate —> Texans mad

Key issues in the Election of 1844

Texas & Manifest Destiny

What other states are Americans moving into

New Mexico and California

Begin to make trails

• mostly overland

• some sailed around South America

Two Years Before the Mast

Written by Richard Henry Dana

A book about sailing to California

Election of 1844

Key issues:

Texas question & slavery

Manifest destiny

Planks: Distinct platforms that outlined the party’s position on various issues - each plank was a different issue

Whigs candidate & goals

Henry Clay

wanted to keep expansion out of the election —> didn’t mention Texas as part of the whig campaign

Knew it would split the party

Thought that he could get away with it because he thought Van Buren would be the democrat candidate and he agreed to keep expansion out of the election

Calhoun would not let it go unaddressed

Democrats

James K Polk

Strong in favor of expansion and annexation of Texas

“Dark horse” candidate

• underdog

• no one expected him

Wanted to take all of Oregon territory - “54-40 or fight”

Henry Clay miscalculation

Thinks that Van Buren would be democrat candidate

MVB and Clay made a deal for neither to bring up annexation or expansion or slavery

Didn’t realize Democrats would be so keen on expansion

Clay agreed to annex Texas in fair conditions

• South thought that he didn’t support annexation enough

• North mad because he considered annexation in the first place

Shot himself in the foot

Liberty Party

James Birney

Abolitionists pulled away from whigs

Campaigned against the annexation of Texas because it would have added more slave states

Northern whigs felt like they can’t turn to Clay

They turned to the new party

Only party opposing expansion because of slavery

• took votes away from Whigs

Immediate consequences of the Election of 1844

Polk wins the election and democrats control congress by winning both houses

They won because expansion was very popular

Gets congress to recognize people are in favor of expansion

Lame duck period - Tyler still President for now

Tries to annex Texas before he leaves

What does Tyler do in the lame duck period

Passes the joint resolution to get Texas’ statehood

• Joint-resolution worked because it was not a treaty which would require 2/3 vote

• This only needed majority vote in both houses

• Texas is annexed before Polk becomes President

• But Texas was only annexed because Polk won

What finally ends up happening with Texas

Join the Union & Mexico is mad

Polk’s Four Point Plan

1) Lower the tariff

2) Restore the independent treasury

3) Reoccupy Oregon

4) Acquire California

Lower the tariff

Like a Democrat Polk wants to lower the tariff from 32% to 25%

Accomplishes this with the Walker Tariff of 1846

• Achieved this despite of the protest from Clay supporters who thought it would hurt the growing industry

Restore the Independent Treasury

Achieved - recall the battle between Democrats & Whigs over bank vs. treasury

Reoccupy Oregon

“54-40 or fight!”

Polk did not intend on keeping this promise

Didn’t want to fight the British at the North at the same time they had to fight Mexico over Texas

Went to British Minister

• Offered to split Oregon with the Britain at the 49th parallel

• British didn’t want to split

• Takes offer off the table —> tells congress to rescind

• British rethink —> Oregon mostly consists of Americans —> agrees to split Oregon at 49th parallel

Acquire California

Manifest Destiny, fertile land, path to pacific

It was said Americans moving into California hoped to pay “the Texas game”

Remember this

One plan of Polk’s Four Point plan was to re-annex Texas, but Tyler does this during the lame duck period —> annexation of Texas by treaty failed because treaties need 2/3 approval of Senate —> Tyler annexes Texas by join resolution —> requires only a simple majority in both houses —> 1845 Texas joins the Union

Texas game w/California

Slowly fill up California with settlers and have them apply it to be a state

Polk wanted to buy California from Mexico but he was already dealing with a border dispute as to whether the northern border of Texas was at the Nueces River or the Rio grande

• When Texas was part of Mexico - southern border was Nueces River

• Santa Anna said it was the Rio Grande river

• Dispute over where it actually was

Flip this card!

Be able to locate the Nueces River or the Rio Grande river

Polk trying to get California

Sent the Slidell Mission to negotiate with Mexico

Slidell Mission

Offered 25 million in exchange for California and the region east of California

Mexico is insulted & rejects

What does Polk do after the Slidell Mission fails

Orders General Zachary Taylor to move his troops to the Mexican border

Which one did he mean though?

Polk meant the Rio Grande river —> expected to incite a clash with the Mexican army

Mexican army killed 11 American soldiers after they crossed the border —> Polk uses this to get a formal declaration of war from Congress

“War exists!” - Polk’s diary states that he expected this to lead to a fight

Why go to war?

• $3 million unpaid claims to U.S.

• 11 dead servicemen

• Refusal of Slidell

4 prongs to the war

Stephen A Kearny - Santa Fe trail - from Southern California to NM

John C. Fremont - Led to conquest of CA

• was in Northern CA when war started

• Nicknamed “The pathfinder”

• established the “Bear Flag Republic”

Zachary Taylor - moved troops down to the Texas border

• Drove troops to central Mexico to beat Santa Anna and acquire Buena Vista

• Nicknamed “Old rough and ready” and “Iron Constitution”

Winfield Scott - Invaded central Mexico

• Nicknamed “Old fuss and feathers”

• Led an amphibious attack

  • Lands troops at the Gulf of Vera Cruz and marches all the way to seize Mexico City

• Robert E. Lee was one of the scouts for Scott and secretly followed the Mexican army and found the path to their fort

• American forces were able to successfully lead an attack and seize the fort Chapultepec because of Lee’s actions —> Lee becomes a war hero and gains lots of praise

What regions/groups were for or against the Mexican War?

Did not like: The New Englanders did not like war because they thought there was no reason for it

• Didn’t want expansion to drive away more factory workers

• Didn’t want more slave states nor expansion of slavery

Liked: Southerners and Westerners liked the idea of war

Why does Lincoln earn the nickname “spotty Lincoln”

Spot resolutions

Spot Resolutions

Lincoln kept asking for the exact spot of the skirmish that killed 11 soldiers —> gave Lincoln the nickname “spotty Lincoln” - wanted to know evidence and reason of Polk going to war

Terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Polk sends Nicholas Trist to go negotiate with Santa Anna

Initially offers $10,000 —> Santa Anna agrees but uses it to reinforce his troops

Trist continues to negotiate & proposes the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Terms

• Recognizes Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas

• U.S. takes possession of the CA/NM territory

• Called the “Mexican Cession”

• Included CA NM AZ WY etc.

• American citizenship granted to Mexicans living in the Mexican Cession

• U.S. paid Mexico $15 million and wiped Mexico’s $3 million debt

Effects of Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Need internal improvements to maintain coast to coast country

Government can only finance one railroad —> important later

Gadsden Purchase

What two parties begin to fracture

Democrats & Whigs

Whigs begin to fall apart over the slavery question

What happens after the start of the Mexican War

David Wilmot offers an amendment to a spending bill that funded war —> known as the Wilmot Proviso

Wilmot Proviso

Slavery should be banned in any territory acquired from the Mexican War

If we should win territory —> prohibit slavery there

What would have it done?

• Sustained slavery in the South but prevented it from spreading

Why was it so inflammatory

• Very sectional issue —> divided the idea of a national party

• South and West are fighting war - getting land but no slavery there —> land useless for profit —> mad

What key idea emerged from the Wilmot Proviso?

Sectional interest triumphed over part loyalty

Southern Whigs joined Southern Democrats to defeat the Proviso

Northerners of both parties supported it

“Wilmot’s Proviso triggered the first breakdown of the national party system.” (481, Out of Many)

Election of 1848

Key Issues:

• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

• What to do with the Mexican Cession

• Wilmot Proviso

• Should slavery be allowed in new territories?

Democrats

Lewis Cass candidate

• Northerner —> win support of North in addition to Southern influence

• Northern candidate to better their odds of winning the North

• Strong proponent of popular sovereignty

Popular Sovereignty

Led territories & states decide whether to allow slavery

Problems

• implies that states were unanimous (actually divided within)

• if slaveowners and slaves are living in a state that then decides to be a free state do they have to leave?

• When do you call the vote? At what population?

Calhoun: Says government can’t influence property rights and slaves are normal property like other property

Whigs

War hero - Zachary Taylor

• Southern slaveowner —> to win Southern support in addition to Northern influence

• Whigs are strong in the North —> Southern candidate to better odds of winning the South

• Did not take any stance on the Wilmot Proviso but privately agreed with it

Liberty Party

Salmon P. Chase

• Founded 1840 by abolitionists - uncompromising against slavery

• prohibit admission of new slave states

• end slavery altogether in DC

• abolish interstate slave trade (keep it where it is)

• favored denying slave owners political office

• Forbid usage of slave labor on federal projects

• Very radical

Free Soil Party

Martin Van Buren (& the “barn burners”)

• “Barn burners” - those who left the democratic party with Van Buren

• Not as extreme - calculated adjustment of abolitionist beliefs to practical policy

• Moral perspective —> economic perspective on slavery - looked at slavery as an economic issue not a moral one

• Prevent extension of slavery

• Appealed to Northerns who opposed slavery but did not like equality between races either

• Allowing slavery led to a disadvantage for the white farmer - Free Soilers instead preserved the West as an opportunity for Whites

Van Buren nickname

“Little magician” or “red fox” for how he would change his stance on an issue

Results of the election of 1848

Taylor wins on a plurality

Van Buren took 10% of the votes

California Gold Rush

1848 - Gold discovered on ranch of John Augustus Sutter in northern California —> race to California

Who came in the California Gold Rush?

All kinds of people - 95% men —> social chaos - men suck at managing stuff

people from all places - even other countries

Nickname of people who cam in the California Gold Rush

the 49ers

Population during gold rush

Doubled - 20k in 1845 to 40k in 1849

How did people get there to the gold rush

All means - even people in China came by boat

• followed California Trail

• Went by boat

What was life like in California during the gold rush

Boomtowns were founded when looking for gold —> after gold found they moved to other places —> boomtowns become ghost towns

Gambling

Violence

Social Chaos

Need for a government

Big impact of California Gold Rush

Need for law and order —> need for government —> need statehood

President Taylor: encourages them to write a constitution - decide slavery on their own

What was the problem with Taylor letting them do popular sovereignty

MO compromise line splits CA down the middle

• Taylor lets them use popular sovereignty & lets the people decide

What does California do?

Drafts a slave-free constitution

• agreed with Free-soil - did not want competition from enslaved people

Impacts of California’s constitution

Southerners are mad CA is slave free —> fears that they will be a permanent minority

Tyranny of the Majority

“Fire Eaters” - radical southerners - hold a convention about secession

Northerners want CA free and end slave trade in DC

Congressional debates get very heated

National parties begin to split because of sectional issues

Compromise of 1850

Henry Clay

• steps up one last time

5 parts

Part 1: Admit CA as a free state

Part 2: Divide remainder of Cession into UT + NM - use popular sovereignty to settle slavery in each place

Part 3: DC can have slavery but no slave trade - banned slave trade in DC

Part 4: TX/NM disputed land goes to NM but U.S. pays $10 million of Texas’s war debts

Part 5: Fugitive Slave Clause