APUSH: Unit 4 Part 1 (Ideas)

Settler Motivation for Westward Expansion (5.2.a)

The desire to move West was based upon the superiority felt by many Americans, religious refuge, economic possibilities, commercial investment, and many more reasons. Many Americans moved to Texas, for example, with the promise of land subsidies from the Mexican government. Religious groups such as mormons settled in the Rocky Mountains, while many settlers and fur trappers settled in Oregon. One of the most important reasons for the movement to the West was the desire to exploit mineral and other natural resources. After the **Mexican-American War**, the **California Gold Rush** occurred. This attracted hundreds of thousands of people to the West.

Manifest Destiny Ideology (5.2.b)

Desire to move to the West, as well as aid from the government, came together to form the ideology of **Manifest Destiny**. It combines ideals of racial superiority, Jeffersonian and Jacksonian beliefs about the yeoman farmer and individuality, the Market Revolution, entrepreneurship, and the Second Great Awakening. These ideals suggested to Americans that Westward expansion was prosperous for them and was morally and socially correct for the country. The purchase of territories such as Alaska and Cuba reflects the strong American belief in **Manifest Destiny**. The ideals of **Manifest Destiny** were depicted in all sorts of art forms.

Government Motivation for Westward Expansion (5.2.c)

The government wanted Westward expansion because land sales brought them money. Technological advancements kept developing during this time. Railroads began to connect cities all over the Eastern US. The rail network was still disorganized, but it helped to move Americans west. The **Trans-Continental Railroad** began its development during this time. The government subsidized and encouraged this movement as well. The **Homestead Act** was a mechanism that allowed people to possess Western land without paying for it. Civil War veterans were given plots of land in the West. The **Morrill Act** provided education to the far west. The **Rail Act** subsidized land grants for railroad companies.

US-China Relations (5.2.d)

The US never saw themselves as competitors with other countries. They believed the North American continent was theirs to conquer. However, the US still had interest in other countries such as Asia. In the early 1800s, the US and China had been trading partners. During the Second Great Awakening, evangelical outposts were set up in China, spreading Christianity and teaching the English language. After the **Mexican-American war**, the US gained power in the Pacific Ocean. American policymakers attempted to extend trade ties with China. Through the use of extraterritorial rights granted to them by the **Treaty of Wanghia** and trade ports that the Europeans had set up in China, the US was able to establish stronger connections with the Qing Dynasty in China. They participated in the **Second Opium War** and the **Taiping Rebellion**.

Chinese Immigration to California (5.2.d)

The US allowed Chinese migration to the US during the **Taiping Rebellion**. It was a destructive rebellion and was an economic disaster for China, but it was also occurring during the **California Gold Rush** in the West. The US allowed migration to fill gaps in labor. While Chinese people were not allowed citizenship, and a nativist party rose up against Chinese immigration, they were still accepted to come to the US. The **Treaty of Burlingame** formalized this migration.

Build up to Mexican-American War (5.3.a)

The Mexican population was centered around Mexico city, giving Texans independence due to their distance from the capital. However, in the 1830s, tighter control was exerted over Texas, threatening the restriction of slavery. This led to the **Texan Civil War**. The Texans won, but the victory was not recognized by the Mexican government. The Mexican government claimed they would return to reconquer Texas and it was not a legitimate autonomous territory. Texas made a request to the US government to become a state so it wouldn’t be reconquered by Mexico. However, disputes rose over how Texas would fit into the **Missouri Compromise** system and whether slavery would be legal. Texas was eventually accepted into the Union, which made Mexico very unhappy. While Polk tried to negotiate a peace with Mexico, Mexico did not want to sell Texas. Mexico did let go of some territory, but the territory between the Rio Grande and Nueces rivers was disputed. The US government sent soldiers to occupy this area. These soldiers ended up getting involved in various shooting incidents with Mexican soldiers in the area, the most famous being the **Thornton Affair**. These 1845 incidents were the causes of the **Mexican-American War**. Ultimately, these shootings allowed **Polk** to ask Congress for permission to declare war on Mexico. Some historians believe **Polk** wanted to get into war with Mexico to annex more territory than they originally desired, while others believe he just wanted to claim what he believed was his. **Polk** used the justification that “American blood had been shed upon American soil” to justify his declaration of war. After the declaration of war, **Zachary Taylor** marched south into Mexico. **Fremont**, another general, marched into California to take Mexican territory there as well.

Course of the Mexican-American War (5.3.a)

There were four main phases of the war. The first was a set of small engagements in Northern Mexico. The second was a campaign to take California and New Mexico. The third was the invasion of Central Mexico. The fourth was the occupation of Central Mexico. In early 1846 as the **Mexican-American War** kicked off, **Zachary Taylor** led a small American army against the Mexican Army in Northern Texas. They won the majority of these conflicts. Through a series of sieges and battles, the Americans proved their military superiority. The increasingly popular **Zachary Taylor** was a **Whig**, which was bad for **Polk**, a **Democrat**. The American army gained many volunteer soldiers due to **Taylor’s** popularity, bolstering his forces. By 1847, the US had occupied all of Northern Mexico. At the same time as the battles in Northern Mexico, General **Fremont** moved to the West into California. In 1847, he encouraged Californians to participate in the **Bear Flag Revolt** to “remove their Mexican oppressors.” Many campaigns occurred that required the US to use its navy up and down the Western coast. These events also occurred in New Mexico. American soldiers were sometimes welcomed into certain areas due to the fact that many natives and Mexicans living in New Mexico were practically independent from the Mexican government. However, many Native Americans and Mexicans realized that joining the US would mean losing economic opportunity to the encroaching Americans. This led to a series of rebellions known as the **Taos revolt**. The same thing occurred in California. In an attempt to get **Zachary Taylor** out of power and because the Mexican government was unwilling to surrender and concede the territories the US desired, the **Polk administration** brought in a new general named **Winfield Scott**. **Scott** took most of **Taylor’s** troops and made them naval soldiers. The invasion of Central America, beginning with the **Battle of Veracruz** occurred as a result. **Scott** marched to Mexico City and occupied it. **Taylor** still had troops and continued to claim more area in Northern Mexico. After the occupation of Central Mexico, Mexico still refused to surrender. Eventually, a treaty was negotiated.

Opposition to the War (5.3.a)

Some **Whigs** opposed the **Mexican-American War**. It was a sectional debate. Southern **Whigs** were more likely to back the war, while Northern **Whigs** were not. For example, **Abraham Lincoln**, a northern **Whig**, wrote the **Spot Resolutions**, questioning the foundation of the war itself. Some **Whigs** opposed the war as an act of imperialism. Some Americans deserted the army during the war on moral grounds, such as the **San Patricio soldiers**. However, despite this opposition, the vast majority of people were supporters of the war.

Controversy of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The treaty began negotiation in late 1847. However, it wasn’t officially negotiated with the Mexican government until early 1848, a full 6 months after the US occupation of Mexico City. This contributed to the increasing unpopularity of the war. **Nicholas Trist**, **Polk’s** treaty negotiator, created a controversial treaty that gave significant payments to Mexico and automatic American citizenship for Mexicans living in annexed territories. This was known as the **Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo**. It went against the wishes of **Polk**, leading to **Polk’s** attempt at firing **Trist**. However, the Treaty was passed before **Polk** could do anything.

Post-War relations with new American citizens (5.3.b)

The US inherited a large swath of land with many Native Americans as a result of the war. The US had to determine what relationship they would have with Native Americans. In addition, there were many Catholic Spanish-speaking citizens in this area. Questions about slavery arose as well. The relationship between previously Mexican Californian elites, known as **Californios**, who were used to being a high “caste” under the mission system and whose economic system had collapsed, Native Americans who had never had to deal with Americans, and Western settlers needed to be determined as well, especially with the mass influx of settlers due to the **California Gold Rush.** The US had a troubled relationship particularly with the **Comanche** and **Apache** Native Americans, especially due to their military aggression, making them difficult to control. In addition, tensions still existed between Native Americans, who had worked for some elite Californinas under slave labor, and the elite Californians who had enslaved them. The mission system was completely abolished, leading to the emancipation of these Native Americans.

Controversies over Texas and California (5.4.a)

The US had already conquered a lot of land from Mexico, known as the **Mexican Cession**. The **Mexican Cession** was covered by the **Missouri Compromise**, which extended a line known as the **Mason-Dixon line**. South of this line, slavery was allowed, and North of this line, slavery was not allowed. Immediately after the war, Texas was seen as a state in the US after the war. However, Texas had many problems. The borders were still unclear. California also had problems, as it was bisected by the **Mason-Dixon Line**. In addition, the admittance of these two states into the nation created issues due to the fact that the number of free and slave states had to be even. During the War, many anti-slavery **Whigs** introduced a series of amendments known as the **Wilmot Provisos** to limit slavery in the **Mexican Cession**. They ultimately failed however, but they created intense conflicts in Congress. Everyone hoped that these conflicts would eventually fizzle out after **Polk’s** presidency ended. However, California ruined this hope by submitting a Constitution and becoming a state, forcing Congress to address the issue of the **Missouri Compromise**.

Provisions of the Compromise of 1850 (5.4.b)

As a result of California’s admittance into the US, the **Compromise of 1850** occurred. This was the last major policy passed by the Great Triumvirate. The **Compromise of 1850** admitted California as a whole free state. Texas was also allowed to come into the Union. The borders were adjusted to give more space to the New Mexico territory. The question of slavery would be left to popular sovereignty in the region. Since this **Compromise** was a big benefit to slavery, the slave trade was eliminated in the District of Columbia to symbolize the moral disapproval of slavery in the US. It ensured that popular sovereignty on the issue of slavery would only be left to lands that were part of the **Mexican Cession**. However, because all of this was very beneficial to anti-slavery supporters, an extra bill was passed in the **compromise** that created a stronger **Fugitive Slave Law** and limited the power of anit-bounty hunter laws in the North.

Public Reaction to the Compromise of 1850 (5.4.b)

Public opinion on this varied widely. Anti-slavery supporters thought that the **Compromise** ceded too much to slavery. The election of 1852 worsened this, as **Franklin Pierce**, the winner of the election, was an open supporter of the **Compromise**.

Controversy surrounding the Fugitive Slave Law (5.4.b)

The **Fugitive Slave Law** was extremely controversial. The idea behind the law wasn’t controversial in and of itself, as many moderate Northerners supported the idea that Southerners had a right to their property, especially since many northern states passed legislation limiting the rights of free black people. However, the way the law was put into practice created controversy. For example, judges were paid more to rule that a black man was an escaped enslaved individual, giving them an incentive to make unjust rulings. Additionally, slave catchers were given the right to force Northerners to help them seize free black people and send them to the South, even if they weren’t fugitives. Additionally, Southerners were paranoid about the abolishment of the slave trade in DC and the undecidedness of the New Mexico territory. The **Compromise of 1850** certainly did not solve the problem it was intended to solve.

Provisions of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (5.6.a)

The **Kansas-Nebraska Act** was even more controversial than the **Compromise of 1850**. It was an attempt to continue the implementation of the **Compromise of 1850**. However, it was delivered in a way that worsened the sectional tensions over the issue of slavery. Many Northerners believed that popular sovereignty could not be applied to the Kansas Territory because it was not included in the **Mexican Cession**. In addition, it was above the **Mason-Dixon Line**. However, a bill in the **Kansas-Nebraska Act** extended the principle of popular sovereignty to the Kansas territory, as it would expedite the establishment of states in the territory. This explicitly went against the **Missouri Compromise**, which infuriated Northerners and Westerners who still held beliefs about the yeoman farmer. They always believed that the Kansas territory would be a perfect spot for the yeoman farmer since it was north of the **Mason-Dixon line**, free from the competition of the system of slavery. The **Kansas-Nebraska Act** only served to further the already intense conflicts between anti-slavery Northerners and **Whigs**, and Southern plantation owners.

Disintegration of the Second Party System (5.6.b)

Due to the sectionalism caused by the **Kansas-Nebraska Act**, the **Second Party System** began to fracture. The two political parties disintegrated. Many Americans decided to take the issue of slavery into their own hands.

Causes of Bleeding Kansas (5.6.b)

Slavery and anti-slavery Americans flooded into the Kansas territory in order to sway the vote on slavery. Violence and intimidation were used to prevent the other group from getting ahead in the vote. **Bleeding Kansas** was the name given to the violence and death that occurred between slavery advocates and **Republicans** in the Kansas territory as a result of the **Kansas-Nebraska Act**. **Franklin Pierce** and **James Buchanan**, the presidents during this time period of **Bleeding Kansas** did very little to stop the violence. **John Brown**, an anti-slavery activist led the **Pottawotamie Creek massacre** based on religious grounds.

Formation of the Republican Party (5.6.b)

From 1852-1856, the collapse of the **Second Party System** led to the emergence of certain allies. Anti-slavery Northern **democrats**, radical abolitionists, nativists, and former **Whigs** were united over the worry for the expansion of slavery into the West. **Abraham Lincoln** was part of this new party. It was driven by the **Free-Soil ideology** as well. The emergence of the **Republican party** led to new divisions in Congress. For example, **William Sumner** made a speech accusing Southern senators who supported slavery of being cruel people who were tearing apart the country. In retaliation, a relative of one of the slaveholders **Sumner** directly attacked almost beat him to death with a metal cane. This is an example of the new divisions and outright violence occurring in Congress.

Provisions of the Dred Scott Decision (5.6.a)

This eruption of these conflicts over slavery and immigration suggested to the Supreme Court  and it’s Chief Justice, **Roger B. Taney**, that Congress and the presidency were paralyzed. They believed that the new political system was too busy clashing with itself that it wouldn’t be able to handle the situation of **Bleeding Kansas**. They believed that it was up to the courts to solve the problem. **Taney** decided to pick up a case known as **Dred Scott v. Sandford**. **Dred Scott** was an enslaved person who was enslaved to a doctor in the US army. He tried to buy his own freedom, but his enslaver prevented him from doing so. He decided to engage in a freedom lawsuit. The lawsuit ended up going to the Supreme Court, where it became a symbolic political issue. The question of whether enslaved people should be treated as property and could be carried into free states without the worry of breaking state law was asked during this lawsuit. **Taney** worked with pro-slavery senators and president **Buchanan** to use the lawsuit to solve the problems of the **Compromise of 1850** and the **Kansas-Nebraska Act**. The **Dred Scott Decision** did 3 things. First, it established that enslaved people were property and could be treated as property anywhere the Bill of Rights applies. This also took away the power of the federal government to take enslaved people away from their enslavers. In addition, the decision said that no enslaved African American could ever be considered a citizen of the US because the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were only created for white Americans. This made it so that enslaved African Americans could never be full citizens, nor could they ever contest slavery. Finally, the decision also suggested that self-governing states who had legislation that limited slavery would be limited by the consideration of enslaved African Americans as property.

Significance of the Election of 1856 (5.6.b)

The rising conflicts between Southern **Democrats** and the newly rising **Republican Party** came to a head in 1856 when the **Republicans** nominated **John C. Fremont** for the presidency. The party was still poorly organized, and they were unable to convince the revived Nativist, or **Know Nothing party** to join their party. The **Know Nothing party** nominated **Millard Fillmore**. This led to a three-way split. **Fillmore** gained popularity all over the country, especially in California, into which thousands of Chinese immigrants were flooding. The **Democrats** won this election, making **James Buchanan** the president. This was an extremely important election, with extremely high voter turnout. People realized that this election would determine the moral and political outcome of the country. People from the North and South were aroused by the issue of slavery into participating in national politics.

Know Northing Politics vs. Anti-slavery Politics (5.6.b)

**Know Nothing** politics and anti-slavery politics paralleled during this time period. It forced the **Republican party** into some awkward decisions. Prior to 1850, both parties had some anti-immigrant elements. No one party was more or less supportive of immigration than the other, and **Know Nothings** were evenly distributed between both parties. However, the **Whigs** were much more open to **Know Nothing** politics when the time came because they didn’t rely on the support of immigrants on the frontier like **Democrats** did. **Know Nothing** views were also focused against Chinese immigrants in California. The willingness of Chinese people to work in difficult jobs got them more pay, which was seen as unfair to the white settler. This led to various taxes levied against Chinese people known as **Miner Taxes.**

Significance of the Lincoln-Douglas debates (5.6.b)

**Bleeding Kansas**, the **Dred Scott Decision**, and the **Election of 1856** led to the development of a ticking political time bomb. In 1858 during a Senatorial election, **Abraham Lincoln** and **Steven Douglas** went head to head debating about these rising issues. This was **Lincoln’s** first time back in politics since the **Mexican-American War**. The so-called **Lincoln-Douglas debate** discussed **Bleeding Kansas** and the implications of the **Dred Scott Decision**. Despite the fact that **Lincoln** lost the election, the **Lincoln-Douglas debates** showed how these issues were coming together to determine the status of slavery and place it in the middle of American politics.

Significance of John Brown’s Raid (5.6.b)

By 1858 and 1859, one final incident occurred that proved that the issue of slavery was going to continue to be the center of politics. This was **John Brown’s** **raid**. He was an anti-slavery activist who supported the Underground Railroad. He also participated in **Bleeding Kansas**. He decided that in the wake of the **Dred Scott Decision**, the US government had been compromised by pro-slavery activists. He believed that a large scale rebellion of enslaved people in the South was necessary to overturn the government’s pro-slavery leanings. He received funding from numerous Northern abolitionists. However, he was lacking in funding and support for the rebellion. As a result, when he raided **Harper’s Ferry** in Virginia in an attempt to get more materials for the revolt, he was surrounded by the Virginia militia with no outside help due to his lack of support. **Brown** was captured and executed. He was a martyr for his cause, which inspired many radical abolitionists.

Expansion of anti-slavery advocacy (5.6.b)

Anti-slavery advocates began to become much more important during this time. While the vast majority of Americans still didn’t support abolition, many began to support anti-slavery movements, and more people began to go beyond the **Free-Soil Ideology**. ***Uncle Tom’s Cabin*** was a famous book published during this time. It depicted slavery as a cruel and evil institution. It moved people to see slavery as a moral evil. It accelerated the **Free-Soil Ideology**. Southerners were aware that many people were being influenced by literature. This cultural change made anti-slavery sentiment much more common in the north, fueling the **Republican** **Party**.

Expansion of Positive Good Doctrine

These new forms of communicating anti-slavery sentiment pushed southern pro-slavery theorists to keep developing the **Positive Good doctrine**. These theorists compiled earlier theories into comprehensive writings. When Nat Turner’s rebellion occurred, many southerners became paranoid about enslaved black Americans, leading to the tightening of social control over their lives. There were also many advocates for the expansion of slavery in the South due to potential wealth. Many southerners held the belief that limiting slavery would limit the economy of the US.

Support for the Slave Power Conspiracy (5.6.b)

These divides between the North and the South were worsened by the **Slave Power Conspiracy**. This was the belief held by many Northerners and Westerners that the US government was being controlled by pro-slavery advocates. The **Ostend Manifesto** was the demand made by Congress members to Spain to transfer ownership of Cuba to the US. Congress wanted to make Cuba a slave state without making a free state to balance it out, directly negating the **Missouri Compromise**. While it wasn’t successful, **Buchanan’s** openness to the document suggested to many anti-slavery advocates that there was a pro-slavery plot in the North. The wealth of the slave-owning South enhanced this fear that a pro-slavery conspiracy was controlling the economy, society, and politics of the US. The **Panic of 1857** was a serious economic crisis that made this conspiracy theory much more prevalent for Americans. It also worsened the theory, as slavery didn’t suffer as much as northern industries did during the recession.

State Sovereignty (5.6.b)

State sovereignty was a longstanding controversy in the US. However, the states generally won large-scale debates over state sovereignty. This gave many Southerners the confidence to act against the federal government when they thought that federal policy was limiting their interests. This also applied to the Northern states. There was a broad idea in the US that the states had the right to protest their treatment whenever necessary. However, the form of protest was a great deal of debate. In 1860, a group known as the **Fire Eaters** emerged in the South. They believed that the states had complete sovereignty and could secede from the Nation if they felt the National government was acting illegitimately.

Party Divisions during the Election of 1860 (5.7.a)

The **Election of 1860** continued to fracture the party system. The **Republicans** held their National Convention and nominated **Lincoln**. **Lincoln** succeeded because of how moderate he was. The **Democrats** were unable to select a nominee at their National Convention due to sectionalism. In 1860, there was a four-candidate election: **Republican** Candidate **Lincoln**, a Southern **Democrat**, a Northern **Democrat**, and a member of a new party known as the Constitutional Union party who wanted to prevent secession. Voter participation was very high in this election. **Lincoln** wanted to influence the **Republican** party to support a **free-soil ideology**. **Lincoln** also succeeded at subduing extremely nativist **Republicans**. Many nativists joined the **Democratic** party.

Public opinion of Lincoln and his victory in the Election of 1860 (5.7.a)

**Lincoln** had the vote of all of the states in the North and the far West. This was made possible due to the fact that **Democrats** were split. Brecknridge won many votes in the South. **Lincoln** won the popular vote in the electoral college due to the split of the **Democratic** party. However, it was very close. **Lincoln** became very well known during the election. Many people feared him as well. **Republicans** thought he was too moderate while **Democrats** thought he was too radical.

Process of and reactions to Secession Winter (5.7.a)

In the immediate aftermath of the **Election of 1860**, states in the South began to meet and discuss how to respond. Less than a month after **Lincoln’s** election, South Carolina’s state legislators meet and decide to secede from the nation. Due to South Carolina’s domination by **Fire Eaters**, they seceded quickly. However, they were all alone. South Carolina sent out delegates to other Southern states to try and convince them to follow them and create a new nation. The first state to follow them was Mississippi, then Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. However, the upper South, those who would suffer the most from a Civil war due to their proximity to the free states, and weren’t as dependent on cotton farming for their economy, seceded much later. North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Arkansas voted in April, May, and June to secede. **Lincoln** attempted to head off secession. He tried to make many promises with the South that he wouldn’t try to interfere with slavery, even telling Congress to draft the **Crittenden Compromise** that would formally allow slavery in the Constitution, but to no avail. The South Carolinians accused **Lincoln** of overthrowing proper Constitutional proceedings. The goal of South Carolina was to defend slavery. They believed that **free-soil** was too similar to abolitionism. **Lincoln’s Cooper Union speech** and his inaugural address strongly urged Southern states that hadn’t seceded yet to stay with the **Union**. These speeches led to an eventual standoff at **Fort Sumter** in South Carolina.

Causes for and results of Fort Sumter (5.7.a)

**Fort Sumter** became an issue due to **Buchanan’s** refusal to respond to the secession of the Southern states. **Buchanan** never ordered the US army to fight. This was because he was a “dough-face,” or a term used by **Republicans** and anti-slavery **Democrats** to refer to Northern **Democrats** that supported slavery. This eventually led to the besiegement of **Fort Sumter**, which was occupied by US army soldiers who were ordered to stay put. **Lincoln** attempted to send ships to **Fort Sumter** to help the people who were being besieged. These ships were fired upon. **Lincoln** asked Congress for military support. Since Congress was occupied by little to no Southerners, these pleas were unanimously approved. By the summer of 1861, armies started to move, and the war officially began.