Louis Pisha AP US History
Chapter 11: Expansion and Sectional Crisis
Westward to the Pacific
Manifest Destiny
Texas
Oregon
California
The Mormon Migration
Polk and the Triumph of Manifest Destiny
The Election of Polk
The Acquisition of Texas and Oregon
War With Mexico
The Background
The Military Campaigns
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Crisis and Compromise
The Issue of Slavery Expansion
The Election of 1848
Taylor and the Crisis
The Compromise of 1850
The Aftermath
Public Reaction to the Compromise
Franklin Pierce
Surviving Sources of Friction
▪ American desires for expansion quelled for a time because of addition of Midwestern states
▪ Expansion impulse suddenly stirred—never gone but brought up the touchy question of whether slavery be permitted to expand into new territories
Westward to the Pacific
Manifest Destiny
▪ Americans sorely tempted by land just over the border
▪ Trappers and traders long going out west
▪ Trade with Orient, harbors
▪ Fear of US security impinged upon, esp. by British
▪ Concept of Manifest Destiny—connected to America idealized as model democracy
▪ Also connected with the necessary racism to subdue Indians and Latin Americans
Texas
▪ Mexico rejected offers to buy it but Americans moved in anyway
▪ Tension over Americans being under Mexican control which they weren’t used to caused Mexicans to change policy and not let Americans in, almost abolished Mexico’s federal system, and overall threatened Am rights of democracy
▪ Texas declared independence—Santa Anna moved in and beat us at the Alamo but at San Jacinto, Houston defeated and captured him—forced to sign treaty giving it up
▪ Republic of Texas framed a constitution but also wanted to join US
▪ Plenty of pro-annexation sentiment in S, but N especially abolitionists against admitting another slave state
▪ Jackson was annexationist but didn’t want to hurt Van Buren’s chances so didn’t say it till later—Van Buren also refused to recognize so Texas turned to Europe who hoped to start a state to rival and buffer US
▪ Spurred Tyler to open negotiations with Texas—Calhoun got a treaty for ratification by Senate but also sent British and note defending slavery so doomed the treaty
Oregon
▪ US claim to the area based on merchants, discovery of mouth of Columbia, Lewis and Clark, Astoria
▪ British claim based on discovering it first, first overland trip
▪ Unable to agree on a line of division so postponed the question in 1818
▪ British had it to themselves until mountain men and Astor’s agents came as American advance guard
▪ Someone said Western Indians eager for Christianization (dubious) so a bunch of missionaries went out there (with limited success) and told everyone it was great there
▪ People began to get “Oregon Fever”—Oregon Trail started in early 1840s and eventually began demanding US government there
California
▪ Spanish built missions along California coast, but eventually sank into political chaos
▪ US contacts: Whaleboats stopping for supplies, New England ships for trade, some occasional sailor settled, mountain men found it from land, a few merchants came
▪ Oregon Trail split to lead to California
The Mormon Migration
▪ Moved all over in a search for religious toleration: NY to Ohio to Missouri to Illinois to Council Bluffs to Salt Lake basin
▪ Meanwhile, John Smith arrested and murdered for polygamous revelations—leadership to Young who moved them to Salt Lake City: an isolated region
▪ Even though a desert when they got there, irrigated it and made it work—when annexed to US, tried to create state, “Deseret,” but Utah instead
Polk and the Triumph of Manifest Destiny
The Election of Polk
▪ Exposed a variety of tensions: national policy especially economic, moral dimension of slavery, drive for expansion to Pacific
▪ Clay and Van Buren expected to receive nominations of their parties, but Texas question: Whigs nominated Clay and said nothing about Texas, but Democrats nominated Polk with clear plan to annex Texas and keep Oregon
▪ Clay had to shift his position to accept annexation if on “just and fair terms,” but Polk still won
▪ Polk not an outstanding background but hard-working and determination in office
▪ Reflected Jacksonian and Southern sentiments—got a low revenue tariff passed (Walker Tariff) which delighted the South but pist the North
▪ Also reestablished Independent Treasury System, blocked internal-improvements bills for Great Lakes, and in general opposed American System
The Acquisition of Texas and Oregon
▪ Proposed that two houses simply vote to annex Texas, which provoked heated debate, but they did it, and Texas also accepted it—Dec. 1845 a state
▪ Oregon not so easy, because Am and British not agreed on a line—both sides insisted on whole thing
▪ Did not want war with England because might be with Mexico—notified Britishminister would agree to divide it along 49th Parallel, who rejected it outright without consulting
▪ Polk gave Britain the year’s notice of get out, and Americans seemed ready for war, but British foreign office liked the plan
▪ Buchanan got proposal from British dividing it at 49th Parallel but Britain get all of Vancouver Island
▪ Senate passed it
War With Mexico
The Background
▪ Causes of war: no US compensation for claims against Mexican government, anger over Am annexation of Texas, dispute over Texas boundaries, determination of Polk to get or buy New Mexico and California
▪ Mexico broke off relations with US when annexed Texas—but Texas not satisfied with southern boundary
▪ Polk commanded Taylor to advance to the Rio Grande to seize the disputed territory
▪ When sent Slidell to Mexico to negotiate Texas, offered to buy New Mexico and California, which angered Mexicans
▪ War message made more speedily when Mexico crossed the Rio Grande and casualty-ed 16 Americans, and Americans put the blame on the Mexicans for starting the war
▪ War support not as strong with Whigs, NE, abolitionists, Mass
The Military Campaigns
▪ Mexicans greater unity, enthusiasm, larger standing army—but outdated, inferior resources, incompetent generals—US had 60,000 volunteers and General Scott
▪ Taylor crossed Rio Grande and pushed to Monterrey where defeated Mex but permitted them to retreat, but he showed overcaution and was split up
▪ Santa Anna attacked him, but US defeated him
▪ Kearny captured Santa Fe without firing a shot and continued on to California—meanwhile, Americans there declared independence and naval forces also raised American flag, so not much for him to do there
▪ Scott landed at Vera Cruz, besieged it, beat Santa Anna at Cerro Gordo and took Mexico City
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
▪ Polk sent Trist to take care of opportunities for peace
▪ After delay, Trist sent back but ignored it and negotiated a great treaty—when he returned, instead Polk fired him but got the treaty ratified
▪ Treaty: US got California, New Mexico, Rio Grande boundary for $15 million and assumption of US claims against Mexico
▪ US also extended authority over various racial minorities, which was hard for a racist society—many assumed would be assimilated, but Anglos of those areas certainly didn’t
Crisis and Compromise
The Issue of Slavery Expansion
▪ Before Mexican War, going to buy territory from Mexico but question whether slavery should be prohibited
▪ Wilmot Proviso amendment to prohibit slavery in new territory—kept failing to be passed
▪ Northerners arguing slavery immoral in the territories so by implication in the South—Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in existing states, but question whether could in new ones
▪ Many opponents of slavery actually anti-Southerners, and many more just racist and wanted to keep whites away from blacks, in addition to just antislavery
▪ Debate over whether Congress could prohibit slavery in new territories—one position was this had been done in the past frequently (Clay) but Calhoun said until applying for statehood, Congress no authority to deny slavery
▪ Compromise doctrine: popular sovereignty: let the people of the area decide—both sides would hope to put more of their people there
The Election of 1848
▪ Polk not candidate, and California and New Mexico had no government
▪ Democrats split: Calhoun extreme pro-slavery,Van Buren “Barnburners”, Free-Soil Wilmot Proviso-ists
▪ Nominated Cass—Whigs nominated Taylor who had no political principles but moderation, who won
▪ Delegates from Barnburners, Free-Soil democrats, Conscience Whigs met and made Free-Soil Party—Van Buren for Prez: “Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Land, Free Men”
▪ Impressive vote for a third party organized 3 months before the election, but not enough
Taylor and the Crisis
▪ Taylor good man but could not deal with a crisis—tried to have no sectional loyalties
▪ California and New Mexico being ruled by army officers, and situation intolerable after Gold Rush
▪ California’s population had exploded and getting out of hand, so Taylor told them to frame constitutions and apply to Union as states—1849 California did constitution, and 1850 New Mexico too, both as free states
The Compromise of 1850
▪ Pro-slavery-ists would break up the Union rather than accept this, and on verge of crisis
▪ Mississippi called for a convention of South—feared South use it to secede
▪ Clay’s plan:
- California free state
- Territorial governments no restriction on slavery
- Texas abandon claim to E New Mexico
- Fed government pay for Texas’s public debt
- D.C. could not be used as a depot in international slave trade
- Slavery in D.C. only abolished with consent of residents and compensation
- New and more rigorous Fugitive Slave law
- Congress say no power to interfere with interstate slave trade
▪ Calhoun said no, and furthermore that South should secede if don’t get demands right away
▪ Webster pleaded for Union and tried to be a moderate while making agreement palatable
▪ Debate wore on and opinion to compromise increasing
▪ Taylor died so couldn’t veto it—by 1850, all passed
▪ Differences from original as passed: Texas boundary fixed as is today, Texas paid $10 million for their share of the disputed land
The Aftermath
Public Reaction to the Compromise
▪ Few satisfied entirely and some not at all—North thought it was tools of the slave power—South radicals called for radical action
▪ Good example= Georgia Platform—accepted compromise but Georgia would resist anything antislavery
▪ Most however accepted it as a relief from sectional tension
Franklin Pierce
▪ Democrats strongly endorsed it and chose Pierce for prez
▪ Whigs nominated Scott—landslide victory for Pierce
▪ Although had some Southern qualities, and North didn’t like him for it, did carry out provisions of the compromise
Surviving Sources of Friction
▪ California upset balance of slave and free states, and many more free states on the way
▪ Fugitive Slave Act milked by Southerners and hated by Northerners—trial without jury and judge got more commission if judged they were a slave
▪ Also required Northerners to assist in capture of runaways, so some states passed laws to interfere with its operation
▪ Could not stop the abolitionists—Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Stowe, although not factually accurate, paints realistic and horrible picture
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