1. The Debate on Slavery Heats Up
The Impending Crisis
The Debate on Slavery Heats Up

2. Expanding America and Manifest Destiny
As the slave debate continued in America, a new factor was added in; expansion.
Should new areas in America be encouraged to make slavery legal?
Manifest Destiny: vision of America as a territorial empire
It is America’s destiny to spread the American democratic promise.

3. The Wilmot Proviso
Missouri Compromise established a line in which no added territories would become slave states.
Mexican War broke out after a dispute on the border when America annexed Texas.
Anticipating new land gains David Wilmot proposed that slavery be prohibited from any territory taken from Mexico.
This was countered by proposals to extend the Missouri Compromise Line all the way to the East Coast.
Popular Sovereignty, or letting the people of each state decide, was another option

4. The California Gold Rush and Slavery
After gold is discovered in California in 1848, a huge population increase takes place over the next year.
The lure of gold caused the population to rise from 14,000 to 220,000 by 1852.
Statehood would be in the very near future for California, and both the North and the South wanted California on their side.

5. Compromise of 1850
Slave States and Free States wanted to add California as a state, but each wanted the state to have a different policy on slavery.
Desired mostly for its population and a chance to gain its representative support.
Compromise of 1850
California added as a free state
New Mexico added as a state with no limitations on slavery.
Fugitive Slave Laws: now government officials in free states were required to help recapture escaped slaves and return them to their masters.
Also did not require any proof that the individual was a slave.

6. The Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott v. Sanford 1857
Dred Scott, a slave who was taken to a free territory, sued for his freedom.
Case was taken to the Supreme Court, who decided that to grant Scott freedom would be illegally taking Sanford’s property.
More importantly, the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Roger Taney of Maryland, declared that slaves were not citizens and therefore could not claim a suit against the court.

7. Homework
Describe the beliefs of Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln regarding slavery.