Ch 16-18 Notes
Ch 16: Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy (1841-1848)
Manifest means to exist, Destiny is like fate, “God willed”, it has an air of religion to it; Manifest Destiny has existed since the first settlers
1840 Election
Whig: William Henry Harrison (reminder: main thing that ties the Whigs together is their hatred for Jackson)
Democrat: Martin Van Buren
Tyler Becomes President
Harrison dies 4 weeks into his presidency (pneumonia) - first president to die in office
His VP, John Tyler, succeeded into the presidency
he had left the Democrats for the Whigs bc he didn’t like Jackson
Tyler was at odds with majority of Whig party
believed in Democrat platform but hated Jackson so was a Whig
there’s no VP after he becomes president
Whigs’ Platform:
financial reform
Whig Congress ended the Independent Treasury System
Clay drove a bill thru Congress for a new BUS (“Fiscal Bank”)
Tyler vetoed
this upset the Whigs greatly - they formally expelled him from Whig party (some House members wanted to impeach him)
he doesn’t have a Whig label anymore
New Tariff
Tyler vetoed bc of revenue sharing
they were raising the tariff + giving a lot of money to the states → he wanted this to not be part of the tariff
Whigs re-drafted the Tariff, removed revenue sharing and lowered rates
Tyler signed
side note: everyone resigned from office w/Tyler except for Webster (who didn’t bc of negotiations w/Maine)
Canada & Maine
atp, Britain owns Canada + wants roads from Quebec to Halifax (couldn’t use water routes all year long bc they would freeze over)
both Britain + US claimed land that the road went through
Webster is negotiating treaty bc of this
US gets 7,000 sq mi out of 12,000 + Britain gets the proposed route
only goes until Rocky Mts
one unexpected benefit for US: they get land where they can get a lot of Masabi iron (smth abt Treaty of 1818?)
Election of 1844 + Annexation
main issues were the Texas question + trouble w/British over Oregon
they haven’t annexed Texas yet bc of slavery
candidates
Democrat: James Polk (TN)
Whig: Henry Clay
Liberty: James Birney (NY Whig)
platforms
Polk: annexing Texas + taking Oregon
Clay: opposed Texas annexation (unless everyone would agree + it wouldn’t mean war w/Mexico), but not strongly enough for Whigs who were beginning to oppose slavery (abolitionists)
Birney - abolitionists
Polk won the electoral vote (saw that as a popular mandate + would’ve annexed Texas)
Tyler pushed to get Texas annexed b/f leaving Washington + he did so w/a joint resolution instead of a treaty (only takes a majority instead of a 2/3 vote)
he did this bc he wanted to be remembered since he realized that he was prob not going to be if he didn’t do smth
Texas joins Dec 29, 1845
Mexico broke off diplomatic relations w/US
it thinks that US stole TX from them (even though it had been independent, just saw it as TX in revolt)
Oregon Question (Polk) *settlement of Oregon helped to fulfill Manifest Destiny
land was claimed at one time by 4 nations
Spain gave up claim in 1819
Russia gave up claim in 1824 after Monroe Doctrine, south of 54”
British
Americans (w/British, jointly claimed after 1818)
US had settled land through fur traders + missionaries
settlers began to demand US jurisdiction, but US couldn’t grant it bc British still claimed land (US wanted to 54°40’ or fight (willing to declare war if they didn’t get it)
1846 - Polk got the British to give up claim south of 49” and Oregon would be admitted as state in 1859 (no slavery)
fur trade no longer profitable for British
British wanted to retain friendship of US for English manufactured goods
California (free state)
Polk wants CA more than anything
if associating any president w/Manifest Destiny, it should be Polk
Spanish had built forts + some missions to fortify CA from north
Americans began to settle area a/f 1821 and Mexicans began to fear the strength of the settlement
1846 - Americans established an independent republic - “Bear Flag”
flood of settlers came after discovery of gold by James Marshall + John Sutter at Sacramento, CA in 1848 (80,000 came in 1849)
gold was discovered by accident on Sutter’s property, at a sawmill
2.5 billion worth of gold in 2.5 years
1849 - territorial govt was established
1850 - CA admitted as state in Union
Mexican War (1846-1848)
causes of war
two different civilizations trying to live together (Mexicans + Americans)
many Americans mistreated by Mexicans (22 Americans were executed in 1835 for suspicion of plotting against Mexico)
Mexico owed debt (3,000,000) to US made during revolt from Spain in 1821
Mexico blamed US for revolution of TX in 1836
TX annexation to US irritated Mexicans (feared other SW land would be taken)
American naval commander (Thomas Jones) had been told to seize CA if war broke out
1842 - Jones, led by false rumor, seized Monterey, the Mexican capital of CA → public apology followed
Polk desired land of New Mexico + CA, so he sent John Slidell to buy this area from Mexico in 1845 + Mexican authorities refused to even accept him
American claims against Mexico (we would take them over)
CA, $25 million, $5 million for New Mexico
TX boundary at Rio Grande (someone believed it to be Nueces River?)
Polk knew Mexico would never give up claims
Polk now begins to make plans to take land by force, but wanted Mexicans to commit the act to justify the war
orders Zachary Taylor to take troops to Rio Grande, which Mexico claimed was southern boundary of TX, hoping that Mexicans would cross Rio Grande, thus giving an excuse for war
claims that American blood was spilled on American soil (Lincoln wanted to know what spot)
Mexico crossed and Congress declared war: May 1846
support + opposition to war
South mostly favored war bc it would make an extension of slavery
Northerners opposed it bc of the possible extension of slavery, as did Lincoln (Congress) who felt it might be unconstitutional (rivers)
Whigs did vote for “Mr. Polk’s War” - maybe hoping that it would ruin the Democrats
true cause: Polk’s determination to have New Mexico + CA for US
“Most unjust war in American History” - Grant
Calhoun - South Carolina, pro-slavery, doesn’t want to annex MX (no slavery in MX, slaves could be taken there + are Mexicans going to be US citizens or not? → he doesn’t want them to be but he also knows that they couldn’t be enslaved)
campaigns of war
Taylor crossed Rio Grande w/intention to take Mexico City. He does so well (talk of possible presidential) that Polk just orders him to hold northern Mexico
Kearney had been ordered to take New Mexico + California. He takes New Mexico + heads to CA where he only had to force the surrender of some Mexicans who had not surrendered when the “Bear Flag Republic” was established
Winfield Scott now ordered to take Mexico City from the sea (amphibious landing at Vera Cruz) - Santa Anna plans to attack Taylor at Buena Vista (Anna was defeated) and this makes Taylor a military hero in US
takes southern part of Mexico
Scott also defeated Santa Anna at Mexico City and a temporary armistice was signed - Mexicans refused peace terms - fighting again, and again defeat of Mexicans by Scott - Mexicans submit Sept 14, 1847
when Mexico surrendered, US could’ve gotten all of that land
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Nicholas Trist drew up treaty (signed it for US)
Rio Grande River recognized as boundary btwn US and Mexico
Mexico gave “Mexican Cession” to US (N.M., CA, TX)
huge grant of land
cession - grant of land
they’re sparsely populated of Mexicans, definitely have Indians there though
US paid Mexico $15 million + agreed to assume claims of American citizens against MX ($3 million)
promised to respect religious preference to Mexicans
Consequences of the War
the war itself is not that important
increases the size of the US by 1/3 (Mexican Cession bigger than the Louisiana Purchase)
raises the question of whether there will be slavery or not in this land
Civil War generals fought in this war (it’s basically a classroom for those generals)
ultimately drives the US to Civil War
Wilmot Proviso - no slavery in any territory gained from MX
Ch 17: Renewing the Sectional Struggle (1848-1854)
California Gold Rush
early 1848, gold was discovered near Sutter’s Mill, CA on his property
tens of thousands poured into CA
many were lawless men
CA residents needed protection - tried to build a state govt
1849: CA drafted a state constitution (excluding slavery) + applied for admission
need 60,000 ppl to form a state
1848 Election
Democrat: Lewis Cass (for popular sovereignty)
Whig: Zachary Taylor (dodged all issues)
he’s going to be the 1st president w/no political experience (but he does have military experience)
Free Soil: Martin Van Buren
he was the president a/f Jackson
for the Wilmot Proviso
no slavery in Mexican Cession
against slavery in territories
if there’s no slavery then the whites can move in West + get jobs
wanted govt to pay for internal improvements + free homesteads for settlers
“free soil, free speech, free labor, free men”
attracted industrialists, Democrats, northerners, + some Whigs
Issues Facing Congress in 1849
CA - wants admission as free state (South objected bc it would upset balance)
Texas claimed western boundary into New Mexico territory (North objected bc TX has slavery and they want to take territory away from the slave state)
Proposal to abolish slavery in D.C. (South objected bc MD + VA surround it & are both slave states)
NM + UT organized as territory w/o mention of slavery (South objected bc they were afraid that those slaves would maybe exclude slavery)
New Fugitive Slave Law proposed (North object bc they had to return fugitive slaves to South)
Underground RR (South objected)
it has houses w/ppl willing to hide runaway slaves (Quakers are generally part of this group bc they are very opposed to slavery)
Compromise of 1850
concessions to the North
CA admitted as a free state
disputed territory (TX-NM) went to New Mexico
slave trade was abolished in DC
concessions to the South
rest of Mexican cession was divided into 2 territories: NM + UT; popular sovereignty (ppl of the territory would get to vote on whether to have slavery or not)
TX got $10 million from govt for lost land
stringent Fugitive Slave Law
“Bloodhound Bill”
the judge would have to decide whether the black person is a free black or a runaway slave but the thing is that the judge gets paid more to judge the person a slave → motivates kidnappers to kidnap free blacks
President Taylor died suddenly before compromise was finished
VP Millard Fillmore became president + signed the series of compromise measures
reaction?
neither side really liked this compromise, in the South, there were even some that were violently opposed to these concessions
North probably got the better deal bc of the admission of CA as a free state which upsets the balance in the Senate
1852 Election
Democrat: Franklin Pierce
wins bc he’s enemyless
owns slaves
Whig: Winfield Scott
praises Compromise of 1850 (which includes the Fugitive Slave Law)
Free Soil: John Hale
some Whigs that hated the Fugitive Slave Law voted for him (which gave the election to Pierce?)
Significance? end of Whig party → start of sectional parties
Expansionist Stirrings
New Granada (1848)
guaranteed US right of transit across the isthmus (a narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land) in return for US pledge to maintain perfected neutrality of the route
1855: “Transcontinental RR” built - 48 mi long (other countries could use this)
when gold was found in CA, they needed the transcontinental RR to get wealth back to the east
1850: Clayton-Bulwer Treaty w/GB
neither US nor GB would fortify or seek exclusive control over any future isthmian waterway
Cuba - Ostend Manifesto (which does not happen)
Spain owns Cuba atp
some Southerners saw Cuba as fresh slave territory
this Manifesto said that US should buy Cuba and if they couldn’t, then they would fight over this
but this goes away when the Northerners find out
China - Treaty of Wanghia
Caleb Cushing - goes to China in 1844 (while Tyler is president)
this is the 1st diplomatic agreement China + US
US had “most favored nation” status which put it on equal trading grounds w/other countries (allows Americans to move there for mission work)
Japan - Treaty of Kanagawa (1854)
Commodore Matthew Perry in 1852 (while Fillmore’s president)
atp, Japan’s very isolated
brings abt Meiji Restoration
Gadsden Purchase
needed transportation w/CA + OR
solution: transcontinental RR
1853: James Gadsden - treaty w/Santa Anna to purchase land
all of Mexican Cession was $15 million, this land is $10 million (for an amount of land that is really small compared to the Cession)
Why Southern route? It goes through organized territory (Nebraska is not organized at all), the terrain is better
Kansas-Nebraska Act
1854
this is huge, this is what really leads to the Civil War
required the repeal of the MO Compromise
now compromise isn’t possible bc one has already been ripped apart (how can I ever trust your word again)
proposed by Stephen Douglas
he wants the transcontinental RR to go from Chicago to CA or OR
makes plan to organize NE (Nebraska) Territory
divide NE into two territories: Kansas + NE
popular sovereignty in both of them
but they are part of the Louisiana Territory which prohibits slavery north of 36°30 line
the Republican Party forms bc of a moral protest against the Kansas-Nebraska Act
Rise of Republican Party
K-N Act enraged anti-slavery northerners
North refused to uphold the FSL
Democrats were shattered by K-N Act (into Southern Democrats + Northern Democrats)
Republican Party sprang in Midwest
has a bunch of dissatisfied elements
disgruntled Whigs, free-soilers, Know-Nothings, enemies of K-N Act
this party does not come to the South
Side Note: in a compromise: both sides win smth, lose smth
Ch 18: Drifting Toward Disunion (1854-1861)
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
1852
written by Harriet Beecher Stowe (northerner)
published in reaction to the FSL
until this book, most northerners didn’t have a moral indignation toward slavery (abolition was not popular)
northerners read this to see the wickedness of slavery
makes the North opposed to slavery (not everyone, but in general)
The Impending Crisis of the South
1857
written by Hinton R. Helper (southerner)
trying to tell the poor whites that slavery hurts them the most bc they are the strongest defenders of slavery
but they couldn’t read this
it was banned + burned in the South
Bleeding Kansas
when KS + NE were divided, most ppl assumed that KS would be a slave state while NE would be free
but northerners started paying ppl to move to Kansas to make it free
in reaction to this: ppl from MO (slave state) came to KS (called “border ruffians”) to vote fraudulently - pro-slavery ppl won
KS has a pro-slavery legitimate territorial legislature @ Shawnee Mission (which was elected fraudulently)
in protest, Free-Soilers set up their own legislature @ Topeka
John Brown
from OH
moved to KS
has a vision from God to end slavery → best way to do that will be to kill all the pro-slavery ppl
hacked 5 proslaveryites to pieces in Pottawatomie Creek in May 1856
1857 - KS has enough population to apply for statehood
now they have to write a state constitution → get the popular vote on it → submit it to D.C.
Lecompton Constitution
protected slavery as it existed
free-soilers boycotted this → LC w/slavery wins
Stephen Douglas reacts to this
he says that the govt didn’t actually let its ppl vote on the constitution
when they actually get to vote on whether they want the constitution or not, free-soilers say that they don’t want it
since they don’t agree, KS does not become a state (until 1861, when it becomes a free state)
Brooks & Sumner
Sumner: arrogant + haughty → ppl disliked him even if they agreed w/his ideas
Butler: everyone liked him
1856 - Sumner (MA Senator) gives a speech on whether KS should be a slave or free state
singled out 2 Democratic senators: Stephen A. Douglas + Andrew Butler
Butler’s cousin → SC representative Preston Brooks
uses an 11oz cane to beat Sumner nearly to death (Sumner spends 3 yrs recovering)
Bleeding Sumner joined Bleeding Kansas as political issue
shows how violently inflamed passions are becoming
Election of 1856
Democrat: James Buchanan
popular sovereignty
he was in London during the K-N issues
he wins the election
Republican: John Fremont
against extension of slavery (but he’s not trying to abolish it)
believes that Congress can outlaw slavery in territories
Know-Nothings: Millard Fillmore
VP under Taylor
president a/f Taylor
anti-immigrant
the old Whigs (1826-1852) were split btwn Republicans + Know-Nothings
Dred Scott (v. Sandford)
Dred Scott
black slave
his owner dies → becomes property of his wife (who moved to IL and later to WI (which are both free))
side note: IL doesn’t allow free blacks to live there
when he comes back to MO, he sues on basis that he lived on free soil for 5 years → believes he should be free
Roger Taney
Southerner
freed all of his slaves
says that Scott is not a citizen so he can’t sue in the federal court
but he went even further, says that even though I didn’t see your case in court, if I had I would’ve ruled that slaves are private property so govt can’t take them away from their owners w/o due process of law (referring to the fifth amendment), said that even though you’re a citizen of the state, that doesn’t make you a citizen of US (?), said that the MO Compromise is unconstitutional (which makes them unable to have popular sovereignty)
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
1858
IL
Senate Race
7 debates btwn them
Freeport Doctrine
where popular will doesn’t support govt’s action, it will be almost impossible for the govt to enforce it
so where ppl don’t want slavery, there’s not going to be any
Douglas wins
John Brown’s Raid
1859
his plan
he wants a slave revolt
he doesn’t tell the slaves that he’s going to have a raid
arm slaves → need to go to an arsenal to get guns
he raids an arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, VA
kills 7 innocent ppl
he gets caught → gets convicted of murder + treason against the state of VA
becomes a martyr of the abolition cause
they didn’t talk about his murders in KS
create a haven in the mts
Election of 1860
to elect the candidates, would need a national convention per party
Northern Democrat: Stephen Douglas
popular sovereignty
Souther Democrat: John Breckinridge
from KY
pro-extension of slavery
Constitutional Union: John Bell
from TN
his platform: stay united + don’t fight
ppl that didn’t want to vote on the issue of slavery voted for him
Republican: Abraham Lincoln
non-extension of slavery
protective tariff
transcontinental railroad
internal improvements (paid by govt)
free homesteads for settlers
SC says that if Lincoln wins then it will secede
4 days a/f Lincoln won → SC voted unanimously for convention
seceded Dec. 1860
by Feb 1861 - 7 states seceded → became the Confederate States of America