Manifest Destiny

Reasons:

  • economic opportunities

  • Christianity

  • Escaping creditors / debtors

  • The dream

  • 54’40 for fight (Polks slogan ) expanding to Canada / West

Texas and Mexico

Texas Revolution

  • treaty of Velasco : become independent

  • Delayed annexation : the word slavery was in their Constitution, which was against the Gag Rule ( you can’t speak about slavery)

Mexican-American rule

  • boundary disputes in Texas

  • Lincoln and the “spot resolution”

  • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (get everything but Texas since it was already a state)

  • Gadsden Purchase

  • Wilmot Proviso (any territory would not have slavery)

California Gold Rush

Compromise of 1850: Henry Clay

  • CA as a free state

  • Utah and NMX have popular sovereignty

  • DC banned slave trade (NOT slavery)

  • Fugitive Slave Act ( slaves ant testify on their own behalf)

  • Passes it piece by piece instead of as a whole and it works

Underground Railroad

  • secret path to freedom

  • Northern lawyers passed “personal liberty laws” to protect fugitives

AI

  • Manifest Destiny was a belief and ideology that emerged in the 19th century in the United States.

  • It was the belief that it was the destiny and duty of the United States to expand its territory from coast to coast.

  • The term "manifest destiny" was coined by journalist John O'Sullivan in 1845.

  • It was fueled by a combination of religious, economic, and political motivations.

  • Many Americans believed that it was their divine mission to spread democracy, Christianity, and American values across the continent.

  • The ideology gained popularity during the westward expansion and territorial acquisitions of the United States, such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican-American War.

  • The concept of manifest destiny justified the displacement and mistreatment of Native American tribes, as well as the annexation of Mexican territories.

  • It played a significant role in shaping American foreign policy and expansionist ambitions during the 19th century.

  • However, manifest destiny also faced opposition from those who believed in respecting the sovereignty of other nations and the rights of indigenous peoples.

  • The concept of manifest destiny eventually lost its prominence with the end of the frontier era and the emergence of other global concerns in the late 19th century.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

series written about a family (of circumstance) of slaves. Elizah had a child that would be sold from her. she runs away and decided to run on ice to escape dogs

the death of Uncle Tom in the end contributed to the passion of Northerners against slavery and called them to immediate slavery

the Confederate Wives would retell the story of the Civil War and the reconstruction era where the story would be retold until the 1990s

Bleeding Kansas

1854: Kansas-Nebraska act

Stephen Douglas: he heard the word of God telling him to end slavery. he went into town and slaughtered 5 pro slavery people . foreshadowing of Civil War

people vote illegally from Missouri even thought the anti-slavery people outnumbered the pros 10-1, so they decided to establish their own place in Pottawatomie

1855: Pottawatomie Massacre, rumor of the death of 5 people (false)

1856: Lecompton Massacre

2 questions

are slaves citizens? then can’t sue and can never become a citizen

does going to a free state make you free? no you cannot take away a person’s property and also the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional

Dred Scott v. Sanford

Lincoln-DOuglas debates (open air debate for Illinois Senate seat): should slavery extend into the territories?

Lincoln said it shouldn’t but at the same time cannot be interfered with in South