Manifest Destiny/Sectional Crisis 1848-1860

Politics of Expansion Question of Texas To help settle the Texas frontier Spain gave land grants to American empresarios (land speculators) Sold off their land to Southern farmers Most new residents were slave owners Conflicted with Mexican law Mexico attempted in 1830 to cut future American immigration to Texas (unsuccessful) Closing the border didn’t work, so they decided to raise taxes instead New policies resulted in a rebellion

Politics of Expansion Texas Revolution Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna attempts to crush Texas uprising Texans armed themselves for a fight Battle of the Alamo (4,000 vs. 200) “Remember the Alamo” becomes U.S. rallying cry Battle of San Jacinto Santa Anna captured & forced to sign over Texas to the U.S. in 1836 (treaty never ratified) Fight over the National Bank (Jackson) keeps national attention from focusing on the annexation of Texas until the mid 1840’s

Politics of Expansion Whig Ascendancy of the early 1840’s Dominated the Presidency and Congress from 1840-1844 (Harrison and Tyler) Whig issues Replacement of the national bank Creation of “revenue” tariffs Whig agenda falls apart under Tyler Desperate for an issue Tyler pushes for the annexation of Texas Instantly divides the nation

Politics of Expansion Election of 1844 Henry Clay (Whig) vs. James K. Polk (Democrat) Clay opposed annexation Polk favored annexation Voters clearly chose Polk & “Manifest Destiny”

Manifest Destiny Oregon Polk had pushed for the seizure of the Oregon territory Campaign slogan: 54 40 or fight Polk attempted to secure the Oregon territory all the way to the Alaska border Problem: British claimed the same territory Solution: Compromise at the 49th parallel Both sides wanted to avoid war

Manifest Destiny Mr. Polk’s War/Mexican War (1846-1848) Polk successfully oversaw the annexation of Texas (1845) Annexation/Texas Revolution had severely strained U.S. relations with Mexico Polk chose to provoke war with Mexico with hopes of expanding U.S. territory all the way to CA Sent Zachary Taylor into Texas Sent John C. Fremont to California Taylor was successful in provoking a war with Mexico and Fremont leads an uprising in CA U.S. wins the war despite Mexican numerical superiority Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848 U.S. acquires most of the current Southwest to CA

The Problem of New Territory Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo added a significant amount of territory to the United States below the 36 30 line established by the Missouri Compromise Northerners feared the effect this new territory would have on the sectional balance of the U.S. Wilmot Proviso Proposed by Northern Democrat David Wilmot Served to further divide the country Alienated Southern Democrats Allowed Whigs to retake Presidency in 1848 (Taylor) Dividing issue: Whether or not Congress had the power to regulate slavery Country is split on sectional lines

The Problem of New Territory Popular Sovereignty Took the issue of slavery out of the hands of Congress Proposed by Democratic candidate Lewis Cass Fails to prevent the split in the Democratic party Free-Soil Party

California Gold Rush Gold is discovered in California in 1848 Creates a national frenzy # of settlers bound for CA up 6,000% from previous year Abundance of settlers and lawless atmosphere created the immediate push for statehood Gold miners feared competition & rejected the notion of a slave state California also created a problem with the existing 36 30 line Created need for a new system for determining free vs. slave states

Compromise of 1850 Henry Clay authors a multipart compromise rolled into one enormous omnibus bill Bill fails as a package but is later passed in individual parts 7 Part Compromise

Growing Suspicion of the North Southerners saw the failure to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act as part of a growing Northern hostility towards slavery Weakens Whig party, leaving the Democrats the only true national party (1852, Pierce, Dem. elected) Abolitionist movement gained substantial momentum Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin Sold over 2 million copies (burned in the South) Radical abolitionists like Garrison frightened the South Primary Southern fear: Slave rebellion

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) Most Americans naively assumed the Compromise of 1850 put an end to sectional problems Proposed by Stephen A. Douglas to grant territorial status to Nebraska territory Assumption: Kansas-slave, Nebraska-free Invalidated the Missouri Compromise (some saw as a broken promise) Creates national chaos Final straw for Whig party (Republican party born- uniting antislavery factions)

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) Act results in “Bleeding Kansas” Proslavery voters “fixed” the first territorial election in Kansas Open warfare between slave-state and slave-state factions “Sack of Lawrence” Pottawatomie Massacre (John Brown) Lecompton Constitution Drafted by pro-slavery factions Eventually voted down after much controversy Clearly displayed that fair elections were impossible as a result of the slavery issue

Last gasps of the Union Election of 1856 Buchanan (Dem.) defeats Fremont (Rep.) and Fillmore (Know Nothing) Moderate Buchanan will attempt to try and keep the union together despite disastrous circumstances Dred Scott Case (1857) Showed that nonpartisan solutions to slavery were impossible Harper’s Ferry (1859) Confirmed Southern fears/Aroused Northern sympathy

Election of 1860 By 1860 South is contemplating succession from the Union Escalating conflict with the North convinced the South that Union was unsalvageable Return to Calhoun’s philosophy of nullification Lincoln is elected Made famous by his debates with Douglas Confirmed fore to the expansion of slavery Fails to win any state outside the North Result is Southern secession (SC first)

Big Picture: What factors had gradually pushed the nation apart over time? Was the Civil War inevitable?