Chapter 18 continued

To Review Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Slavery debate in Mexican Cession Pres. Polk, Jefferson Davis (Mississippi Senator), Stephen Douglas (Ill)- wanted to annex more Mexican territory BELOW the Rio Grande River, but South Carolinian John C. Calhoun and others feared it would require America to assimilate many “mixed-race” peoples--so they keep focused on settling sparsely settled New Mexico & California. “Ours is a government of the white man, it should never welcome “any but the Caucasian race.”—John C. Calhoun

Oregon Territory Officially Created in 1848 1850 – Oregon Donation Land Claim Act Granted farm-sized plots of land to settlers who took up residence before 1854 New treaties erased Indian titles to much of the territory

Free-Soil Movement Abolitionists v. “fire-eaters” Wilmot Proviso Fredrick Douglass believed Free Soilers could achieve more than abolitionists to undermine slavery

Popular Sovereignty Appealed to many Americans: It was a democratic idea (Let the people decide– not the government) Politicians liked it because it took the controversial decision out of their hands. Many anti-slavery Democrats decided to join the Free Soil Party- did not like the idea of Popular Sovereignty.

The Election of 1848 The Democrats: nominated Gen. Lewis Cass: an avid expansionist, who wanted to buy Cuba, annex Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, & take all of Oregon to 54-40. chosen by the Democrats at convention in Baltimore; “father of “Popular Sovereignty”.- hoped to unite the Democrat Party with the idea. *Popular Sovereignty: Congress would allow people who lived in a new territory to determine the status of slavery in that territory themselves.

2. The Whig Party: nominated a Louisiana slave holder, Zachary Taylor (Hero of Buena Vista)— he defended slavery in the South, but not in new territories. chosen by Whigs at convention in Philadelphia; Dodged the controversial issues of slavery’s expansion. Taylor- Louisiana slave owner, never held government office before, nor voted. Anti-slavery men in the North were disgusted with Cass & Taylor= organized a new party.

The Free Soil Party . The Free Soil Party: Came out FOR the WILMOT PROVISO & AGAINST SLAVERY in the territories gained from Mexico. They called for federal money for Internal Improvements Called for Free government Homesteads for settlers. Constituents: Northern industrialists angry at Polk for lowering the tariff, Democrats angry at Polk for compromising on Oregon but, willing to fight for Texas, Conscience Whigs, former Liberty Party members, and Northerners who did not want to share the new territories with blacks. Candidate: former President Martin Van Buren (NY)

Whig Nominee Zachary Taylor won the Presidential election The Election of 1848 Whig Nominee Zachary Taylor won the Presidential election Free Soil candidate Martin Van Buren did not win a state, but diverted Democrat votes away from Cass in NY to throw the election to Taylor

January 1848- on the American River near Sutter’s Mill, California gold was discovered= miners & settlers flooded into California (49’ers)= California Gold Rush Jan. 1849-- 61 crowded ships left NY & northeastern ports to sail around the Cape Horn (South America) to San Francisco. By May 1849- 12,000 wagons had crossed the Missouri River bound for gold fields of California. These Miners (“49er’s”) used placer mining to pan for gold at the earth’s surface= most did not strike it rich. Mining companies that dug deep into the surface of the earth (Quartz mining) gained the most wealth. Tens of thousands of gold hungry settlers (including Chinese immigrants in 1850) flooded into California= the tiny government could not handle the influx. crime was rampant= vigilante justice (partly successful) Nov. 1849- (privately encouraged by Pres. Taylor TO skip the territorial phase) California drafted a constitution that banned slavery & applied for admission to the US as a FREE state. President Taylor encouraged Congress to accept California.

Interest in Japan Japan had isolated itself because it did not want to be westernized ( for 2 centuries following Jamestown’s settlement). The Matthew Perry Expedition 1853 1852-1853- President Fillmore sent a fleet of warships commanded by Matthew Perry to Edo Bay (later Tokyo) –shocked Japanese watched from shore. tense negotiations occurred- Perry threatened to blast his way ashore- Perry went ashore with letters requesting trade. Feb. 1854--Perry returned one year later with 7 men-or-war ships to get Japan’s reply to the letters; with gifts like a miniature steam locomotive & 350 feet of track. March 1854-Treaty of Kanagawa- proper treatment of shipwrecked sailors, US coaling rights in Japan, established consular relations. Meiji Restoration- within a decade the era of the Shogun ended= Japan began to enter the modern world.

An American Transcontinental Railroad 1840-1850’s--Americans wanted a transcontinental railroad to connect western US & eastern US. Should the Railroad be built in the North or South? The South wanted a southern route through the Southwest territory to California. a southern track easier to build because it would have few mountains to cross, land would be protected by federal troops the best route required a piece of land south of Mexico’s border-Sec. of War Jefferson Davis sent James Gadsden (southern Railroad man) to negotiate. Gadsden Purchase (1853) Mexico sold the land to the US for $10 million.

Review Compromise of 1850 California comes into the Union as a free state= this action will eventually tip balance of power in Senate to the North for good. In New Mexico & Utah Territories- use popular sovereignty to determine whether or not slavery will exist. Border dispute between Texas & New Mexico was settled- Texas was paid $10 million – but lost disputed land claims to New Mexico. The Slave Trade was abolished in D.C., but NOT SLAVERY! A new fugitive slave law was enacted (A big Southern demand)

Effects The 1850 Fugitive Slave Law set off an angry reaction in the North. Moderate angry Northerners were pushed into the arms of abolitionists & Free Soilers! Response?

Kansas - Nebraska Popular Sovereignty Bleeding Kansas Effect **Effects of Passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act Led inevitably to the Civil War?? All future compromise with the South was made more difficult The Fugitive Slave Law was dead in the North Kansas-Nebraska= death of the Missouri Compromise Antislavery advocates gained more recruits Led to the creation of: Republican Party (1st in Wisconsin & Michigan) The new party included: disgruntled Whigs (Abe Lincoln), Democrats, Free-Soilers, Know-Nothings & other enemies of Kansas-Nebraska. 1856- Republicans elected a Speaker of the House Republican Party was a sectional party-not accepted South