CHAPTER 13 US I
Tejanos
A Mexican-American inhabitant of southern Texas
Popular Sovereignty
It allowed settlers in new territories to decide whether or not their area would prohibit or allow slavery. Stephen A. Douglas was one of the supporters of popular sovereignty. Many hoped it would help resolve the issue of slavery in the territories, and help calm those who feared the expansion of slavery. It did not, however, remain a successful method, and sectional tensions did return.
What was another territory in dispute during this time? What was the issue and how was it resolved?
Another territory in high dispute at this time was known as Oregon country. Both Britain and the United States claimed sovereignty in the region, and there was much fighting over the land. Unable to resolve their conflicting claims diplomatically, they agreed in an 1818 treaty to allow citizens of each country equal access to the territory (54-40 or fight). This arrangement, known as the "joint process", continued for 20 years
John Brown
Brown and his sons killed five pro-slavery settlers in Kansas in an incident known as the "Pottawatomie Creek Massacre". He believed that God was telling him to attack and be rid of the people who promoted slavery, and continued to cause problems. He was supported by some Northern abolitionists in order to start a countrywide revolution to abolish slavery. On another occasion, he led followers to seize a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, hoping to start the rebellion. The rebellion was crushed, however, and Brown was hanged for his crimes; although the north did not approve of anything he did, the south feared that more men like him would try to attack them and start another revolution.
Stephen A. Douglas
He was an extremely influential man during the mid to late 1800s, and supported expansionism, and the Mexican War. When the Compromise of 1850 was trying to get passed, he broke it down into smaller parts in order for states to decide which parts they liked and which parts they didn't; this method helped the compromise to be passed much faster. He introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and believed that popular sovereignty could handle the slavery issue there, and in any other new territory that came about looking for statehood. Later, he debated against Abraham Lincoln, who wanted his spot in the Senate
James K. Polk
He was the 11th president of the United States. A strong supporter of Manifest Destiny, and expansionism, he made many decisions which pushed America into the Mexican War, and helped them to acquire territories such as Texas, and California. He was able to settle a dispute over Oregon with the Oregon Treaty. Although he did much to expand the United States, and their influence, he also allowed for sectional tensions to grow stronger, and avoided the issue of slavery throughout his presidency
Zachary Taylor
He was the 12th president of the United States. Beforehand, he was a General during the Mexican War. As a Whig, he defeated the Free Soil candidate, Martin Van Buren, and opposed the spread of slavery, especially into the territories. He encouraged them to organize and seek admission as states directly to avoid the issue of slavery that had been hovering there for years. Unfortunately, he died suddenly and was replaced by his vice president, Millard Fillmore.
Abraham Lincoln
He was the 16th president of the United States. When he first started out, he was relatively unknown, but the Lincoln-Douglas Debates won him high national regard, and helped him to gain speed and ultimately the Republican nomination for president. Once he came into office, the Civil War had begun, and he immediately created an army to protect the Union against the Confederacy to the south. In order to protect the North, he took severe measures, one of them being the suspension of the habeas corpus, and going against the wishes of Congress on several occasions. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all slaves within the Confederacy
Sam Houston
He was the leader of Texas independence, and defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto, which claimed them independence. He then asked both President Jackson, and Van Buren to recognize Texas as a state; however they both denied him out of fear that Texas would become a slave state, and upset the balance in the Union
Provide examples of specific attempts at Compromise between the North and the South during the 1850's and their relative success.
The Compromise of 1850 - It was proposed by Henry Clay and handled by Stephen Douglas. Douglas broke the legislation into pieces, which helped assure its passage; it allowed northern and southern legislators to vote against the parts they didn't like, but they still be able to support the parts they approved of, or agreed with. The Compromise, once passed, brought harmony for several years. California was admitted as a free state, the New Mexico, and Utah Territories would be decided by popular sovereignty, and in order to appease the South a tough Fugitive Slave Act was passed. Finally, the federal government paid Mexico for the territory that they lost, like Texas. The Missouri Compromise - In this era, the rise of sectional differences was caused by the differences between the North and the South, one of which being slavery. The Missouri Compromise averted a sectional crisis for a time by prohibiting slavery in the rest of the Louisiana Purchase territory. The votes for this compromise were based on sectional lines. The Missouri Compromise was successful at the time because it appeased most people. However, over time as nationalism grew, so did sectionalism. Therefore after a while, The Missouri Compromise became ineffective.
What was the Dred Scott decision? What was the decision's impact on the sectional crisis?
The Dred Scott decision was a Supreme Court case involving a slave, Dred Scott, who was taken by his master from Missouri, a slave state, to Illinois, a free state. After Scott had been returned to Missouri, he sued for freedom for himself and his family, stating that by residing in a free state he had ended his slavery. President Buchanan meant for the case's decision to serve as the basis for the slavery issue. Pro-South Judge Taney ruled that Scott did not have the right of citizenship, which he would need to be able to bring forth a suit. He went so far as to rule that the Missouri Compromise itself was unconstitutional because Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in the territories, as slaves were property. The Dred Scott decision would apply to all African Americans, who were regarded as inferior and, therefore, without rights. Two of the three branches of government, the Congress and the President, had failed to resolve the issue. Now the Supreme Court rendered a decision that was only accepted in the southern half of the country. The only remaining national political institution with both northern and southern strength was the Democratic Party, and it was now splitting at the seams. The fate of the Union looked hopeless. Missouri Compromise was now null and void because Americans were taking private property, slaves that crossed the state border, from owners.
The Alamo
The Mexican government, determined to restore order, sent General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, and over 6000 soldiers north to San Antonio and the Alamo, a small fort where Texans, and Americans were hiding out, and willing to stand their ground. Santa Anna attacked the Alamo, and since it was not meant to be fort, it fell, and every soldier inside was killed. The Alamo then became a war cry for Americans, and it was used to create anger towards the Mexicans, and made war seem like something that was wanted, and needed.
Oregon Trail
The major route settlers took when expanding westward. It was a treacherous journey, and although many feared Native American attacks, they were actually far more helpful than they were harmful. Native Americans often helped the people on the trail, and assisted them in getting their wagons across rivers.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The U.S. and Mexico signed it in 1848. It set the Texas border at the Rio Grande like it was supposed to be originally, but other western lands were ceded from Mexico for $15 million, making the United States ⅓ larger than it was before. Mexicans within the territories that were ceded were guaranteed rights as well
Manifest Destiny
It was the belief that America was destined to expand to the Pacific, and possibly into Canada and Mexico. John O'Sullivan, an American journalist, wrote an article pushing for the annexation of Texas and coined the phrase "Manifest Destiny". It came out of post-1812 War nationalism, the reform impulse of the 1830s, and the need for new resources that the United States would gain if they expanded westward and gained more territory. Those Whigs who supported Manifest Destiny favored more peaceful means, while other Whigs feared American expansion because it might raise the slavery issue in new territories; they were ultimately correct. Manifest Destiny was an engine of both discovery and destruction; while it helped Americans push westward, the ideas behind Manifest Destiny fueled the Mexican War and the displacement of Native Americans as well.
What was the issue at stake in "Bleeding Kansas," and how did events in Kansas reflect the growing sectional division between North and South?
"Bleeding Kansas" was a term used to describe the violent hostilities between pro and antislavery forces in the Kansas territory during the mid and late 1850s. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 set the scene by allowing the territory of Kansas to decide for itself whether it would be a free or slave state by using the process of popular sovereignty. With the passage of the act, thousands of pro- and anti-slavery supporters flooded the state. One of the most publicized events that occurred in Bleeding Kansas was when Border Ruffians ransacked Lawrence, Kansas, which was known to be a staunch free-state area. One day later, violence occurred on the floor of the U.S. Senate when Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina attacked Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts with a cane after Sumner spoke out against Southerners responsible for violence in Kansas, and supposedly insulted his distant relative. Another major outbreak of violence was when abolitionist John Brown gathered six followers and in one night, murdered five pro-slavery settlers, leaving their mutilated bodies to discourage other supporters of slavery from entering Kansas.
Explain the major factors that contributed to the sectional conflict during the 1850's.
Harpers Ferry - John Brown attempted to raise a revolution against the South, and pro-slavery groups. He raided an armory, and gained weapons, but was caught before he was able to begin. He was then hung for his crimes, and the revolution was put down immediately. Although the North did not agree with what Brown was doing, the South still feared that more revolutions would come, and that the North did in fact support Brown and his cause. Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 - It was a legislation introduced by Stephen Douglass to organize the area west of Missouri and Iowa, and weaken tensions that were growing in the west. One goal was to start building a Transcontinental Railroad that ran west from Chicago, which angered Southerners because they wanted the railroad to be built in southern territory. The legislation also created two new territories, and declared that the issue of slavery was to be decided by popular sovereignty, which was possible due to the fact that the legislation also revoked the Missouri Compromise, and the border it created. Since there was a vote being held to decide whether or not each of the states would be free, pro- and anti- slavery members moved rapidly to the territories, wanting their influence to be the majority. Violence followed these groups, and that violence would later help to key the term "Bleeding Kansas." Dred Scott Decision - It was a Supreme Court case involving a slave, Dred Scott, who was taken by his master from Missouri, a slave state, to Illinois, a free state. After his master passed away, Scott had been returned to Missouri where he then sued for freedom for himself and his family, stating that by living in a free state he had ended his slavery. President Buchanan meant for the case's decision to serve as the basis for the slavery issue. Pro-South Judge Taney ruled that Scott did not have the right of citizenship needed to be able to bring forth a suit. It showed how African Americans were still treated unfairly, and the mentality of the people in the south. He went on to rule that the Missouri Compromise itself was unconstitutional because Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in the territories, as slaves were property, and Congress had no right to prohibit someone from taking their property wherever they wanted to. The court's decision would apply to all African Americans, who were still regarded as inferior and, therefore, without rights or citizenship.
Winfield Scott
He was an United States army officer. During the Mexican War, he waged a victorious campaign from Veracruz to Mexico City in 1847. He ran for the office of US president as the Whig candidate in 1852 but was defeated by Democrat Franklin Pierce
How did Polk's decisions and actions as president intensify the sectional conflict?
He gave more power to the south because he wanted to expand into Mexico. Polk supported the re-occupation of Oregon and the reanimation of Texas at the earliest practicable period. However, Polk's critics charged that his underestimation of the Mexican War's potential for disunion over the issue of slavery and his lack of concern with matters relating to the modernization of the nation contributed greatly to the sectional crisis. Polk did not do a good job of estimating how big of an issue slavery actually was in the country, and the issues that could arise because of it. He didn't get as much out of Oregon and people got upset because he was focusing on Texas, and "supporting" slavery. Northerners turned their back on him and Southerners began to love him.
Stephen F. Austin
He wanted a peaceful settlement in Mexico, and wanted to help Texas gain more autonomy with the Mexican government. People who claimed to support him, however, started to voice their opinions on how they wanted to fight for their independence. When word of this reached Santa Anna, he ordered for him to be arrested, thinking that he was the one supporting the revolts that were occurring in Texas
General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
He was a Mexican political leader, general, and president who greatly influenced early Mexican and Spanish politics and government. Santa Anna fought first against Mexican independence from Spain, then in support of it. Though not the first caudillo, or military leader of Mexico, he was among the earliest. He was both the general and president multiple times, though not consistently. He was taken out of power by the Mexican people, but was then placed in power by the president of the United States in order to gain leverage over Mexico. He was the general that fought during the Mexican War against Texans, and later Americans who were trying to take over Texas, and possibly beyond
Dred Scott Decision
It was a Supreme Court case involving a slave, Dred Scott, who was taken by his master from Missouri, a slave state, to Illinois, a free state. After his master passed away, Scott had been returned to Missouri where he then sued for freedom for himself and his family, stating that by residing in a free state he had ended his slavery. President Buchanan meant for the case's decision to serve as the basis for the slavery issue. Pro-South Judge Taney ruled that Scott did not have the right of citizenship, which he would need to be able to bring forth a suit. It showed how African Americans were still treated unfairly, and the mentality of the people in the south. He went on to rule that the Missouri Compromise itself was unconstitutional because Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in the territories, as slaves were property, and Congress had no right to prohibit someone from taking their property wherever they wanted to. The court's decision would apply to all African Americans, who were still regarded as inferior and, therefore, without rights or citizenship
Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854
It was a legislation introduced by Stephen Douglass to organize the area west of Missouri and Iowa, and weaken sectional tensions that were growing stronger in the west. One goal was to facilitate the building of a Transcontinental Railroad that ran west from Chicago, which angered Southerners because they wanted the railroad to be built in southern territory. The legislation also created two new territories, and declared that the issue of slavery was to be decided by popular sovereignty, which was possible due to the fact that the legislation also revoked the Missouri Compromise, and the border it created. Since there was a vote being held to decide whether or not each of the states would be free, pro- and anti- slavery members moved rapidly to the territories, wanting their influence to be the majority. Violence followed these groups, and that violence would later help to key the term "Bleeding Kansas."
"Young America"
It was a movement that possessed an American political and cultural attitude in the mid-nineteenth century. Inspired by European reform movements of the 1830s, Edwin de Leon and George H. Evans formed the American Party as a political organization in 1845. It advocated free trade, social reform, expansion southward into the territories, and support for republican, anti-aristocratic movements abroad. It became a faction in the Democratic Party in the 1850s, and Stephen A. Douglas promoted its nationalistic program in an unsuccessful effort to compromise sectional differences
Wilmont Proviso
It was an amendment to a Mexican War appropriations bill that proposed that slavery could not exist in any territory that was acquired from Mexico. The amendment was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives several times, but it was ultimately defeated on each occasion because the South had greater power in the Senate, and the pro-slavery members repeatedly voted against it. The failure to pass this amendment continued to question what would happen regarding the institution of slavery.
Free-Soil Party
It was an anti-slavery idea that was less opposed to the institution of slavery than it was to the extension of slavery into the United States' Western territories. They focused on preventing slavery from spreading, and refrained from trying to abolish the institution altogether. Supporters wanted the new land to be available for white people to settle and to become financially independent without competition from slavery, and large plantation owners from the south. The Free Soil Party drew in anti-slavery Whigs and former Liberty Party members. Both of those groups opposed the extension of slavery into new territories, supported national improvement programs, and promoted small tariffs to help raise revenue in order to help small farmers move out west and establish their farms, and industries without slavery interfering. Zachary Taylor defeated Free Soil candidate Martin Van Buren for president in 1848, and the Free Soil Party was mostly taken over by the Republicans in 1854
Compromise of 1850
It was proposed by Henry Clay and handled by Stephen Douglas. Douglas broke the legislation into various pieces, which helped assure its passage; this allowed northern and southern legislators to vote against the parts they didn't like, but they still be able to support the parts they approved of, or agreed with. The Compromise, once passed, led to sectional harmony for several years. California was admitted as a free state, the New Mexico, and Utah Territories would be decided by popular sovereignty, and in order to appease the South a tough Fugitive Slave Act was passed. Finally, the federal government paid $10 million to Mexico for the territory that they lost, like Texas.
Define Manifest Destiny and discuss the means by which the US acquired territory during the period
It was the belief that America was destined to expand to the Pacific, and possibly into Canada and Mexico. John O'Sullivan, an American journalist, wrote an article pushing for the annexation of Texas and coined the phrase "Manifest Destiny". It came out of post-1812 War nationalism, the reform impulse of the 1830s, and the need for new resources that the United States would gain if they expanded westward and gained more territory. Those Whigs who supported Manifest Destiny favored more peaceful means, while other Whigs feared American expansion because it might raise the slavery issue in new territories; they were ultimately correct. Manifest Destiny was an engine of both discovery and destruction; while it helped Americans push westward, the ideas behind Manifest Destiny fueled the Mexican War and the displacement of Native Americans as well.
How were the boundary disputes over Oregon and Texas resolved? Why were the resolutions in the two cases so different?
Once the Americans were settled in what was known as "Texas", the new Mexican dictator, Santa Anna, wanted them out. Texas was trying to be annexed back into the US, but there were conflicts over boundaries. In the end, Texas claimed everything north and east of the Rio Grande and Mexico used the traditional boundary of the Nueces River as the border, which left the land in between in dispute. To avoid problems, Texans respected the more powerful Mexican Army until they were annexed by the US at which time they began to push south
Gadsden Purchase
President Pierce's secretary of war, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi sent James Gadsden, a southern railroad builder, to Mexico, where he persuaded the Mexican government to pay $10 million in exchange for a strip of land that the United States wanted in order to build a railroad from the east coast to the west coast. Unfortunately, it also drew attention to the sectional rivalry that was only beginning to grow stronger because like the south, the north was also attempting to create a Transcontinental Railroad through Chicago.
"Forty Niners"
Prospectors in the California Gold Rush of 1849
How did the growing sectional crisis affect the nation's major political parties?
The debates between slave state and free state interests raged in Congress. Many people in the North and South began to mirror similar divisions, and these various political organizations began to combine into distinct camps. The Republicans became the party of the North, promoting industry and business while also attracting the anti-slavery factions. The core platform of the Republican Party was opposition to the expansion of slavery into new territories in order to protect the interests of yeoman farmers and industrialists seeking new land and investments. The Democrats, however, were split between North and South. Northern Democrats hoped for a long-term compromise between slave and free states in new territories, while Southern Democrats demanded federal protections of slavery and threatened secession if Congress refused to meet their demands. This also caused a split in the Democratic Party in the south
Harpers Ferry
The place where John Brown attempted to raise a revolution against the South, and pro-slavery groups. He raided an armory, and gained weapons, but was caught before he was able to begin. He was then hung for his crimes, and the revolution was put down immediately. Although the North did not agree with what Brown was doing, the South still feared that more revolutions would come, and that the North did in fact support Brown and his cause
