Studied by 11 peopleExamples of continuity b/t 1844-1877:
Racism remained & expansion of voting rights
Examples of change b/t 1844-1877:
Territory expansion to the Pacific Ocean, federal gov’t power expanded & slavery ended, new technology + transportation → another Market Revolution
What was Manifest Destiny?
the belief that the U.S. had a mission to extend its power and civilization across North America
Driven by: nationalism, population increase, rapid economic development, technological advances, & reform ideals
What was the conflict in TX b/t the U.S. and Mexico about?
Mexico outlawed slavery & forced immigrants to become Roman Catholics
Many settlers refused → Mexico closed Texas to add’l American immigrants
Land hungry Americans ignored & streamed into Texas
American settlers led by Sam Houston revolted & declared TX an independent republic in March 1836 — made slavery legal again
What was the boundary dispute in Maine about?
A conflict b/t rival groups of lumber workers on the Maine-Canadian border erupted into open fighting
Webster-Ashburton Treaty(1842): disputed territory was split b/t Maine & British Canada + settled the boundary of the Minnesota territory
What was the boundary dispute in Oregon about?
Britain based its claim to Oregon on profitable fur trade with the American Indians of the Pacific Northwest
U.S. based its claim on:
The exploration of the Columbia River in 1792
The overland expedition to the Pacific Coast by Lewis & Clark in 1805
The fur trading post + fort in Astoria, Oregon, that was established in 1811
How was the boundary dispute in Oregon settled?
Polk signed an agreement to divide the Oregon Territory at the 49th parallel w/Britain
This issue was finally settled when the U.S. agreed to grant Vancouver Island & the right to sail the Columbia River to Britain
What attracted settlers to Oregon?
Protestant missionaries + farmers settled in Willamette Valley in the 1840s & had major success in farming
5k+ Americans caught “Oregon fever” & traveled 2k+ miles over the “Oregon trail” (S. of the Columbia River)
Why were Democrats split in the Election of 1844?
N. wing: opposed annexation of TX + wanted to nominate Van Buren again
S. wing: proslavery + pro-annexation; wanted John C. Calhoun
Who was elected in 1844 and what did they accomplish?
James K. Polk kept his promises like:
Acquiring California from Mexico
Settling the Oregon dispute
Lowering the Tariff
Establishing a sub-treasury
Retire from office after 4 years
As Oregon + California were acquired…
many Americans migrated to these areas:
They passed over the Great American Desert (arid region b/t the Mississippi Valley & Pacific Coast) to reach the inviting lands of the West Coast
What was the Fur Traders’ Frontier?
Fur traders (mountain men) were the earliest nonnative ppl to open the Far West
Ppl like James Beckwourth & Jim Bridger helped provide early information about the trails + frontier conditions
They held annual meetings w/American Indians to trade for Animal skins
What were the Overland Trails?
Hundreds of thousands followed the California, Oregon, Santa Fe, or Mormon trails
Hoped to clear forests + farm fertile valleys of California & Oregon
Journeys typically began in Missouri or Iowa & went through the Great Plains
Travelled ~15 miles per day
Hardships include: passing through the Sierras & Cascades before the 1st heavy snow, attacks by American Indians, disease & depression from harsh conditions (most common)
What was the Mining Frontier?
Gold = discovered in California (1848) → set off migrations to mountains of the West
Gold/silver rushes often in: Colorado, Nevada, & the Black Hills of the Dakotas
Mining camps & towns (often short-lived) sprang up wherever a discovery was reported
California’s population: 14k (1848) → 380k (1860)
1/3 of Western miners were Chinese
What was the Farming Frontier?
Congress’s Preemption Acts (1830s+40s): allowed squatters to settle public lands & purchase them for low prices as the gov’t put them up for sale
A family needed $200-$300 to travel westward — mostly middle class
Rural communities developed based on Eastern ideals or from immigrants’ native lands
What was the Urban Frontier?
Western cities arose due to: railroads, mineral wealth, & farming
Attracted professionals & business owners
San Francisco + Denver grew due to gold & silver rushes
Salt Lake City grew due to its fresh supplies to travelers
What was foreign commerce like?
Growth in manufactured & agricultural goods (e.g. Western grains & Southern cotton) → more exports and imports
Improvements in ship design
U.S. expanded trade to Asia (N. England merchants traded for silk, tea, & porcelain w/China)
Kanagawa Treaty (1854): allowed U.S. vessels to enter 2 Japanese ports for coal
Led by Matthew C. Perry
Who was John Slidell?
a U.S. envoy to the Mexican Gov’t
He believed TX’s border lied further S, on the Rio Grande
What did Polk want Slidell to do?
Persuade Mexico to sell the California + New Mex. territories to the U.S.
Settle the disputed Mexico-TX border
What caused the Mexican-American war in 1846?
A Mexican army crossed the Rio Grande, captured an American army patrol, & killed 11; due to Zachary Taylor moving troops into MX. territory
Polk used this incident to justify war to Congress
Most of the war was fought in Mex. territory by small American armies, like…
Stephen Kearney took N. Mexico & California territory & led a force that didn’t exceed 1.5k soldiers
John C. Fremont overthrew Mexican rule in California (1846)
Declared California the Bear Flag Republic
Polk had Winfield Scott invade central Mex. with 14k soldiers
Captured Mexico City in Sept. 1847
What was the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?
negotiated by Nicholas Trist w/terms favorable to U.S.
Mex. recognized Rio Grande as S. border of TX
Mexican Cession: U.S. took California & N. Mexico for $15 million and took responsibility for any claims of American citizens against Mexico
What was the Wilmot Proviso?
David Wilmot proposed that slavery be banned in any territory acquired from Mexico
Appealed to those who wanted to preserve land for White settlers & protect them from having to compete w/enslaved labor
Ultimately defeated in the Senate where the S. had more power
Escalated political conflict that led to the Civil War
Would’ve upset the Missouri Compromise’s balance of 15 free & 15 slave states
Many Southerners were eager to find new land for cultivation w/slave labor and…
Felt territorial gains from Mexican Cession weren’t large enough
Southern expansionists sought to acquire Cuba
What was the Ostend Manifesto?
President Pierce adopted pro-Southern policies & dispatched American diplomats to Belgium, where they negotiated to buy Cuba from Spain
It was leaked to the press & antislavery members of Congress were angry
What was the Walker Expedition?
William Walker attempted to take Baja California in 1853 — failed
He led a force of mostly southerners & seized power in Nicaragua in 1855
Central American countries invaded his country & defeated him — he was executed in 1860
What was the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty?
Some Americans & Great Britain wanted a canal through Central America
It prevented GB & the USA from seizing this opportunity & established that neither nation would attempt to take exclusive control of the canal
Lasted until 1901
What was the Gadsden Purchase?
President Pierce bought a small strip of land from Mexico in 1853 for $10 million
This land was the best route for a railroad in this region
What was the Free-Soil Party?
Didn’t oppose S. slavery; they sought to keep the West a land of opportunity for Whites only
Aimed to prevent the extension of slavery & advocated for internal improvements
Consisted of Conscience Whigs (opposed slavery) & antislavery Democrats
“Barnburners” — their defection threatened to destroy the Democratic Party
What was the Southern view on slavery expansion?
Southern plantation owners viewed attempts to restrict the expansion of slavery as a violation of the their right to take property wherever they wished
Saw Free-soilers + abolitionists as intent on the destruction of slavery
Some southerners were moderate & wanted to expand the Missouri Compromise westward
How did popularity sovereignty arise due to Westward Expansion?
Lewis Cass proposed a compromise solution that moderates across the country supported
Whether to allow slavery in a western territory/state should be voted on by ppl who settled in this area → popular sovereignty
What happened during the Election of 1848?
The expansion of slavery was vital in the presidential election of 1848
Whigs: nominated Zachary Taylor (never been involved in politics & had no position on slavery in the W. territories)
Taylor narrowly won over Dem. Cass
What was the Gold Rush of 1849?
100k+ settlers into California → need for law & order in the West
What was the drafted California Constitution in 1849 like?
It banned slavery
President Taylor supported admitting California + N. Mexico as free states
What was Henry Clay’s proposed California Constitution?
Southern extremists discussed secession, until Clay proposed this plan:
Admit California as a free state
Divide the rest of the Mexican Cession into Utah & N. Mexico & allow their settlers to decide the slavery issue by popular sovereignty
Give the land in dispute b/t TX & the New Mexico territory to the new territories, for the nat’l gov’t to assume TX’s debt of $10 million
Ban the slave trade in DC, but not slavery
New Fugitive Slave Law & heavily enforce it
What happened during the passage of the Compromise of 1850?
Passed by President Fillmore after Z. Taylor died in 1850
North had more political power since California was admitted as free
Deepended the commitment of many Northerners to save the Union from secession
Fugitive Slave Law + popular sovereignty = controversial
Why was there controversy over immigration?
More immigrants = opposition about their ethnicity, religious faiths, or fear that they’d take low-wage jobs
What happened to Irish immigrants?
Discriminated for Roman Catholic faith + competed w/A. Americans for domestic work & low-wage jobs
Most stayed where they landed → N. cities developed Irish community like Boston & NY
Many Irish immigrants entered politics & joined the Democratic Party (anti-British & pro-worker)
Secured job’s in NYC’s Democratic organization – Tammany Hall – by 1850s & controlled it by the 1880s
What happened to German immigrants?
Moved West for cheap & fertile farmland → established homesteads throughout the Old NW
Strongly supported public education & strongly opposed slavery
Formed communities where German was spoken & some established Roman Catholic or Lutheran churches
What was nativist opposition?
Native-born Americans = alarmed that immigrants would take jobs & dilute their culture
Opponents to immigration were often Protestant; Irish + Germans were typically Roman Catholics
Dissolved after division over slavery increase
What was the American/Know-Nothing Party?
Antiforeign society formed by nativists
Wanted to increase the time immigrants need for citizens from 5 years to 21 years & only allow native-born citizens to hold public office
Gained strength in N. England & Mid-atlantic states after the Whig Party dissolved
What was Industrial Technology like before 1840?
factory production was mainly in textile mills in N. England
What was Industrial Technology like after 1840?
Clothing, sewing machines, firearms, and iron products (for railroads)
Elias Howe invented the sewing machine → clothing production into factories
Samuel F. B. Morse’s electric telegraph helped speed up communication & transportation along with railroads
Impact on sectionalism: economic interests of various regions were transformed; greater devotion to one’s region & increased tensions about slavery
How did railroads emerge as America’s largest industry?
Expanded across Northeast + Midwest
Required lots of capital & labor → complex business organizations
Local + state gov’t helped by granting special loans + tax breaks
U.S. gov’t gave 2.6 million acres of federal land for Illinois Central Railroad
Promoted W. agriculture, united commercial interests of Northeast + Midwest, which gave the N. advantages during the Civil War
Impact on sectionalism: increased connectivity nationwide, helped Northern economy, but hindered the South’s ability to diversify its economy
What was the Panic of 1857?
Decreased prices for Midwestern agricultural products + unemployment in N. cities
Cotton prices = high; South was less affected
Southern farmers believed plantation economy was superior & continued union with N. economy wasn’t needed
Impact on sectionalism: further illustrated the economic disparities b/t the North & South
How was the Fugitive Slave Law enforced?
Removed fugitive slave cases from state courts → exclusive to federal gov’t
U.S. commissioners could issue warrants to arrest fugitives
A captured person who claimed to be free was denied a trial by jury
State + local law officers were required to enforce this law
How was the Fugitive Slave Law opposed?
Anyone who attempted to hide a runaway or failed to enforce the law was subject to heavy penalties
Black + White activists in the N. bitterly resisted
Tried to protect A. Americans from slavery through court cases, protests, and sometimes force
What was the Underground Railroad?
A network of activists who helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the N./Canada
Most “conductors” = free A. Americans who had escaped slavery + White abolitionists
e.g) Harriet Tubman (helped ~300 ppl escape)
Free Black citizens in the N. + abolitionists organized vigilance committees to protect fugitive slaves from catchers
What were some books on slavery and their impacts?
Uncle Tom’s Cabin: portrayed slaveowners as cruel and inhuman – moved Northerners
Aunt Phillis’s Cabin in response → pro-slavery
Impending Crisis of the South: anti-Slavery & attacked it by using statistics to demonstrate how it weakened the Southern economy
Pros: increased awareness, further motivation to end slavery
Cons: graphic content, bias, and increased tensions about slavery
What was the Southern Reaction to books on slavery?
Argued that slavery benefited both the master & enslaved
Supported by: the Constitution & Bible
Contrasted N. wage “slaves” with bonds developed b/t slaves & their masters on plantations
George Fitzhugh: best-known proslavery author – attacked the wage system
What was the impact of law + literature on slavery?
Northerners who opposed slavery for economic reason were worried about the moral issues of slavery
Wealthy Southerners were worried Northerners would abolish slavery
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