america @ mid century

Overview of America at Mid-Century

• Focus on the first half of the 1800s and its influence on the Civil War.

• Exploration of themes: Expansion, economics, industrialism, and political changes.

• Key ingredients leading up to the Civil War, particularly in the 1850s.

Historical Context

• Examination of a painting by Norman Gast (1872) that reflects America’s expansionist mindset.

• Significance of industrial capitalism, transport, and foreign policy in shaping America’s national identity.

Philosophical Characteristics of 19th Century America

• America viewed itself as expansionist with a sense of destiny (Manifest Destiny).

• Ideological beliefs included:

  • Christian and Protestant values.

  • Racial superiority, viewing Native Americans as lesser.

Key Historical Events Influencing Expansion

• Louisiana Purchase: Purchase from Napoleon Bonaparte that doubled the size of the United States.

  • Opened massive territories for settlement and immigration.

  • Immigrants from Europe seeking farming opportunities moved westward.

• James K. Polk’s Presidency (1845-1849):

  • Initiated the Mexican-American War due to territorial disputes over Texas and California.

  • American settlers in Texas revolted (1836) leading to eventual U.S. annexation of Texas.

  • Treaty negotiations led to U.S. acquisition of southwestern territories, creating significant sectional crises.

Consequences of Expansion

• Map showing territorial expansion highlights new acquisitions.

• Expanding territories sparked sectional tensions, especially regarding slavery.

Slavery as Central Issue

• Key argument: Civil War was fundamentally about slavery disguised as political issues.

• Southern states aimed to maintain a balance in Congress by managing slave state admissions.

• Each new state’s admission sparked debates about slavery status (slave vs. free).

Missouri Compromise (1820)

• First major controversy regarding Missouri's admission as a slave state.

• Resulted in:

  • Missouri admitted as a slave state.

  • Establishment of the 36°30′ line: No new states above this line could be slave states.

Compromise of 1850

• Following the Mexican-American War, California sought admission as a free state.

• Resulted in a heated debate leading to:

  • California admitted as a free state.

  • Implementation of a stricter fugitive slave law as part of the compromise.

Economic Transformation and Labor

• Mid-19th century industrial capitalism reshaped society:

  • Wage labor gained prevalence particularly in the North, contrasting with Southern slave labor.

  • Increasing abolitionist sentiments attacked the institution of slavery as un-American.

• Southern defense of slavery:

  • Perception of slavery as integral to the Southern economy and culture.

  • Majority of the Southern population did not own slaves but supported slavery as an economic system.

Sectional tensions and conflicts

• Expansion exacerbated conflicts over institutional slavery and free labor systems.

• The advent of self-sustaining slave populations in the U.S. compared to the decline of slavery in other parts of the Americas.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

• Repealed the Missouri Compromise leading to conflict over new state admissions (violent confrontations known as “Bleeding Kansas”).

Changes in American Society

• Women’s roles transformed under industrial capitalism.

  • Non-working class women pushed towards domestic roles.

• Regulation of labor restricted behaviors (e.g., prohibition of drinking during work).

Conclusion

• Mid-century America represented a significant shift from agrarian to industrial society.

• Expansion tied to economic growth and immigration intensified sectional tensions.

• Two conflicting societies emerged:

  • One promoting free labor, seeking to limit slavery.

  • The other, less industrialized, defending slavery as essential to its economic structure.

• These tensions ultimately led to the outbreak of the Civil War.