Westward Expansion and the Issue of Slavery

Georgia Standards SSUSH8 The student will explain the relationship between growing north-south

divisions and westward expansion.

a. Explain how slavery became a significant issue in American politics; include the slave rebellion of Nat Turner and the rise of abolitionism (William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglas, and the Grimke sisters).

b. Explain the Missouri Compromise and the issue of slavery in western states and territories.

d. Describe the war with Mexico and the Wilmot Proviso.

e. Explain how the Compromise of 1850 arose out of territorial expansion and population growth.

SSUSH9 The student will identify key events, issues, and individuals relating to the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War.

a. Explain the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the failure of popular sovereignty, Dred Scott case, and John Brown’s Raid.

Essential Question

As America fulfills Manifest Destiny and expands from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, will the newly acquired land be slave or free?

The Missouri Compromise (1820)

The Road to the Missouri Compromise Northwest territories -

land acquired from the British after their defeat in the American Revolutionary War.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787 strictly forbade slavery in these territories.

The Road to the Missouri Compromise Louisiana Purchase (1803) – vast amount of land purchased from France;

doubled the size of the United States The question after acquisition of this land: Will it be free or slave?

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 To keep the balance of slave state and free states in

Congress, Kentucky Senator Henry Clay proposed the Missouri Compromise.

The Compromise included the following terms: 1. Maine entered as free state, carved out of Massachusetts 2. Missouri entered as slave state 3. Slavery outlawed in Louisiana Purchase north of the 36/30

line of latitude

FREE

SLAVE

War with Mexico (1846-1848)

Onto War…With Mexico The addition of Texas to the Union was a big issue during

the 1830s-40s.

American immigration into the Mexican state of Texas exploded in the 1820s shortly after Mexican independence from Spain.

Soon, Texas (with its American-born majority) would lead a revolt against the Mexican government.

In retaliation Mexico invaded Texas in 1836; defeated Texan forces at the Battle of the Alamo.

“Remember the Alamo” became a rallying cry around the US, inspiring many to move to Texas to join the fight against Mexico

The Texas Revolution proved successful and eventually led to the independence of Texas

However after 9 years as an independent nation, Texas would enter the Union as a slave state in 1845.

Map of the United States (1846)

The War with Mexico (1846-1848) President James K. Polk (right) wanted to expand

the United States to the Pacific Ocean fulfilling “Manifest Destiny”.

Planned to buy California from Mexico but Mexico would not accept the offer.

Mexico still staked claim over the now US state of Texas.

Mexico also maintained a border dispute between the Rio Grande and the Nueces River with the US.

Polk sent General Zachary Taylor and his forces into the disputed territories.

Viewing the US army occupation of the region as a threat, Mexico mobilized its army.

What resulted was the Mexican-American War.

Territorial Gains of US After Mexican War• Treaty of Guadalupe-

Hidalgo officially ended Mexican War in 1848

• US gained California and much of the Southwest and Rocky Mountains (red)

The War’s Aftermath: The Wilmot Proviso David Wilmot, Representative

from PA Introduced amendment to

peace agreement with Mexico to forbid slavery in newly acquired territory

Did not pass Senate, never became law

In some sense, the Mexican War was the opening shots of the Civil War

Provided, That, as an express and fundamental condition to the acquisition of any territory from the Republic of Mexico by the United States, by virtue of any treaty which may be negotiated between them, and to the use by the Executive of the moneys herein appropriated, neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part of said territory, except for crime, whereof the party shall first be duly convicted.

- Wilmot Proviso, 1846

Territorial Expansion and Population Growth (1850-1860)

Gold Discovered in California Discovery of gold in

CA leads many West in search of riches

Residents petitioned Congress to grant statehood in 1849

CA’s proposed constitution forbade slavery

The Slavery Issue in Newly Acquired Territory

Free states were beginning to outnumber slave states.

Southerners were afraid that slavery would be abolished.

Territorial expansion and population growth were inadvertently tearing the nation apart

In order to appease the two sides, Henry Clay (who 30 years prior introduced the Missouri Compromise) proposed the Compromise of 1850.

Henry Clay

The Compromise of 1850 California would be

admitted as free Utah and New

Mexico Territories open to popular vote on slavery

Slave trade abolished in D.C.

Enforcement of Fugitive Slave Law

I have heard something said about allegiance to the South. I know no South, no North, no East, no West, to which I owe any allegiance.

- Henry Clay “Speech in the Senate”, 1848

“Bleeding Kansas”

Popular Sovereignty:

*States should decide for themselves whether they wanted to be free or they wanted to hold slaves.

Kansas-Nebraska Act Proposed in 1854 by Stephen A.

Douglas (right) Said that Nebraska and Kansas

would enter the Union with the principles of popular sovereignty

Act nullified the Missouri Compromise by allowing slavery in the “forever free” territories of the LA Purchase

“Bleeding Kansas” (1854-1859) Settlers from North and South

flocked to Kansas; each side wanting to outnumber the other

Proslavery forces had set up a state capital in Lecompton

Anti-slavery forces set up a state capital in Topeka

Violence erupted over the vote of allowing or banning slavery in the new Kansas Constitution.

Popular sovereignty was clearly not working.

Stephen A. Douglas

Democratic President

Franklin Pierce

1856 Democratic Presidential

nominee James Buchanan

In 1856, Northern Senator Charles Sumner gives his “The Crimes Against Kansas Speech”. In response to Sumner’s insults directed at his Senator uncle, South Carolinian representative Preston Brooks attacked and nearly killed Sumner on the Senate floor. Violence over slavery had made its way into the halls of Congress.

Preston Brooks

Charles Sumner

Ohio native and radical abolitionist, John Brown, moves his family to Kansas to fight against proslavery factions. He and his sons will murder for his cause.

Fumbling Towards War (1857-1859)

The Dred Scott Decision (1857) Dred Scott, a slave, sued for his freedom after

being taken by his master to a free state

The case went all the way to the Supreme Court

In 1857, the Court ruled against Scott, claiming that slaves were property and could be taken anywhere.

Supreme Court also ruled the MO Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional saying that slavery could not be prohibited in federal territories.

South rejoiced, North was appalled.

John Brown’s Raid 1859 – John Brown of Kansas (right)

decides to help start a slave uprising to end slavery once and for all.

Planned to seize weapons at an armory in Harper’s Ferry, VA and give weapons to slaves.

His plan failed. He was captured and executed.

North saw him as a martyr; South saw him as a terrorist.

Event pushed the divided nation even further apart.

Civil war was just around the corner…

“I am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land can never be purged away but with blood.”

- John Brown, December 2, 1859

The Election of 1860

Election of 1860

South Carolina Secedes Upon hearing of the

news of Lincoln’s election, South Carolina secedes from the Union.

10 other states would follow and secede.

These states would make up the new Confederate States of America.