US History: Territorial Expansion, Slavery, and the Lead-up to Civil War

U.S. Territorial Acquisitions ($1783$–$1853$)

• Territorial Timeline and Sources:

  • United States ($1783$): The original territory held after the Revolutionary War.

  • Louisiana Purchase ($1803$): Acquired from France under the administration of the $3\text{rd}$ President, Thomas Jefferson ($1801$-$1809$).

  • Florida Purchase ($1821$): Acquired from Spain.

  • Texas Annexation ($1845$): Texas was annexed into the United States.

  • Oregon Country ($1846$): British claims to this territory were extinguished in $1846$.

  • Mexican Cession ($1848$): Territory acquired following the Mexican-American War under the administration of the $11\text{th}$ President, James K. Polk ($1845$-$1849$).

  • Gadsden Purchase ($1853$): Acquired from Mexico to finalize the southern border.

Key Eras of the American Presidency

• Thomas Jefferson ($3\text{rd}$ President, $1801$-$1809$): Primary achievement noted is the Louisiana Purchase from France in $1803$.

• Andrew Jackson ($7\text{th}$ President, $1829$-$1837$): Era marked by the Trail of Tears (documented as Robt ndnewy, $1942$ in reference materials).

• James K. Polk ($11\text{th}$ President, $1845$-$1849$): Era defined by the Mexican-American War and significant westward expansion.

Slavery: America’s "Peculiar Institution"

• Historical Context: Slavery is described as an old institution that existed long before the formation of the United States.

• Regional Abolition: By the year $1804$, slavery had been abolished in all Northern states.

• The "Peculiar Institution" Label: While slavery continued in the South, white Southerners often refused to use the word "slavery," preferring the euphemism "Peculiar Institution."

• Unique Characteristics in the U.S.: Slavery in the United States was unique because it legalized the institution specifically based on skin color.

• Agricultural Impact: The Cotton Plant and the invention of the Cotton Gin were central to the economic structure of the South during this period.

The Abolitionist Movement and Early Resistance

• Key Abolitionists: Mentioned prominent figures include Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass.

• The Underground Railroad:

  • Abolitionists like Harriet Tubman helped thousands of enslaved individuals escape to the North via secret paths.

  • The escape of enslaved people caused significant anger among slave owners, which directly promoted early discussions of secession.

Legislative and Judicial Escalations Toward Civil War

• Compromise of $1850$: Referenced in relation to the Mason-Dixon Line and regional divisions between the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West.

• Fugitive Slave Act of $1850$:

  • Passed by Congress to suppress talks of secession.

  • Allowed Southerners to cross state lines into free states to hunt down alleged fugitives.

  • Effectively legalized the institution of slavery within free states.

• Bleeding Kansas ($1854$-$1859$):

  • Congress enacted the policy of "Popular Sovereignty" to manage new territories, where a majority vote ($\sim 51\%$) would decide local laws.

  • Kansas and Nebraska were tasked with voting to decide if they would enter the Union as free or slave states.

  • Both Abolitionist and Pro-Slavery groups flooded Kansas to influence the vote, leading to arguments and widespread violence.

  • This is recognized as the first physical conflict leading up to the Civil War.

  • John Brown, described as a "radical" abolitionist, led attacks against pro-slavery "ruffians."

• Brooks-Sumner Beating ($1856$):

  • In May $1856$, Senator Charles Sumner (representing the North) gave a speech denouncing slaveholders.

  • Senator Preston Brooks (representing the South) responded by beating Sumner nearly to death with a cane.

  • Reaction: Southerners hailed Brooks as a hero, while Northerners viewed Sumner as a martyr.

• The Dred Scott Decision ($1857$):

  • The Supreme Court case Dred Scott v. Sandford was decided in $1857$.

  • Dred Scott, an enslaved man, had traveled with his owner to a free state and sued for his freedom on the grounds that he was on free soil.

  • The Supreme Court denied his request for freedom.

• John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry ($1859$):

  • John Brown led an armed rebellion of enslaved people at Harpers Ferry, which was a plantation.

  • The raid resulted in John Brown’s death.

  • The conflict heightened Southern fears that the North was actively plotting to end slavery through violence.

The Presidential Election of $1860$ and Secession

• Election of Abraham Lincoln: Lincoln, a Republican from Illinois, was elected President of the United States.

• Southern Distrust: Despite Lincoln’s assurances that he would not ban slavery where it already existed, Southerners did not trust him.

• Breakout of War: In $1861$, Southern states seceded from the Union and attacked the North.

Key Vocabulary

• Abolition: The movement to end slavery.

• Secession: The formal withdrawal of states from the Union.

• Antebellum: The period existing before a war, specifically the American Civil War.

• White Supremacy: The belief in the superiority of the white race.

• Popular Sovereignty: A system where the residents of a territory vote to decide on laws, specifically regarding slavery.

Comparative American War Casualties

• Civil War: $620,000$ deaths.

• World War II: $405,229$ deaths.

• World War I: $116,516$ deaths.

• Vietnam War: $58,209$ deaths.

• Korean War: $36,516$ deaths.

• Revolutionary War: $25,000$ deaths.

• War of $1812$: $20,000$ deaths.

• Mexican War: $13,283$ deaths.

• Iraq-Afghanistan Wars: $6,626$ deaths.

• Spanish-American War: $2,446$ deaths.

• Gulf War: $258$ deaths.