The Impending Crisis

1. The Impending Crisis 1836 - 1860

2. Introduction • Until the 1840s, tensions between North & South remained relatively contained • New sectional issues arose around the expansion of slavery

3. Looking Westward • More than a million sq. miles of new territory came under the control of the U.S. during the 1840s • “Manifest Destiny” ideology

4. Manifest Destiny • Am. destined by God & history to expand its boundaries • John O’Sullivan (1845) • Reflected nationalism of 19th cent.; social perfection mvmts • “Empire of liberty”

5. American Progress

6. Texas • In early 1820s, MX govt. encouraged Am. immigration into TX • Majority were white southerners & their slaves; est. cotton production • By 1830s, twice the # of Ams. than MXs

7. Texas, cont. • Empresarios – received sizable land grants from MX in return for bringing settlers into region • Stephen Austin • MX banned slavery in TX in 1830 • Independence declared in 1836

8. Texas, cont. • General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana defeated Ams. @ Alamo & Goliad • General Sam Houston & Battle of San Jacinto • TX granted independence • Tejanos

9. Texas, cont. • Pres. Houston offered to join Union • Jackson doesn’t recognize TX until 1837 • Van Buren & Harrison also avoid issue • Pres. Tyler • 1845 (Polk)

10. Oregon • OR Territory • Britain & U.S. claimed sovereignty • 1818 treaty allowing for “joint occupation” • Ams. outnumbered British by 1840s

11. Go West!! • Hundreds of thousands of Anglo & African Ams. into far western regions of continent, 1840 – 1860 • Most traveled in family groups, young, shorter migrations before larger “trains”

12. Go West…(cont) • Economic opportunity • Religious missions • Mormons • Major depots in IA and MO; joined wagon trails • OR Trail & Santa Fe Trail

13. War is afoot… • The growing number of Anglo Ams. west of the MS put great pressure on the govt. to annex TX, OR, & other territory

14. The Democrats and Expansion • Election of 1844 • Clay (Whig) • James K. Polk (Democrat) • Polk won • TX became a st. in 1845

15. The Democrats and Expansion, cont. • Polk resolved the OR question • “Fifty-four forty or fight!” • 1849 boundary fixed at the 49th parallel

16. The Southwest and California • Dispute over boundary between TX & MX • Rio Grande River vs. Nueces River • Polk sends small army to Nueces line • Part of area in dispute was NM

17. The Mexican War • Polk sends John Slidell to try & buy land from MX; MX refused • Jan. 1846 – Polk ordered Taylor’s army in TX to move across Nueces to Rio Grande • May 1846 - war

18. The Mexican War, cont. • War had many opponents in U.S., esp. Whigs • Polk planned most of military strategy • Taylor to cross Rio Grande, into northeastern MX, beginning w/Monterrey, before marching to MX City

19. The Mexican War, cont. • Polk ordered offensives against NM & CA • Colonel Stephen W. Kearny & Santa Fe • Bear Flag Revolution & John C. Frémont

20. The Mexican War, cont. • MX refused to end the hostilities or cede the conquered territory • General Winfield Scott occupied MX City • New govt. took power & negotiated peace • Feb. 1848 – Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

21. Polk’s Legacy

22. General Winfield Scott – Entry into Mexico (1851)

23. Slavery and the Territories • Wilmot Proviso (David Wilmot of PA – antislavery Democrat) • Amendment to appropriation bill prohibiting slavery in any territory acquired from MX

24. Slavery and the Territories, cont. • Polk supported a proposal to extend the MO Compromise line to Pacific coast • Others supported “popular sovereignty”

25. Slavery and the Territories, cont. • Pres. campaign of 1848 – both Dems. & Whigs tried to avoid the slavery question • Dems. – Lewis Cass • Whigs – Zachary Taylor • Free-Soil Party emerged from the opponents of slavery; candidate was Van Buren • Taylor won a narrow victory

26. The California Gold Rush • 1848 gold in Sierra Nevada Mtns. • “Forty-niners” • 1st Chinese migrants; Anglo Ams., Europeans, South Ams., Mexicans, freed slaves, slaves • Discrimination • Foreign Miners’ Tax

27. Rising Sectional Tensions • CA adopted a constitution prohibiting slavery; applied for statehood • NM as soon as it was ready • Calhoun

28. The Compromise of 1850, cont. • Provisions: • CA as a free st. • Popular sovereignty in the rest of territories acquired from MX • Abolition of slave trade in DC • More effective fugitive slave law

29. The Compromise of 1850, cont. • 1st dominated by Clay, Calhoun, & Webster • Defeated in July of 1850 • 2nd group of politicians emerge

30. The Compromise of 1850, cont. • William H. Seward (NY) • Jefferson Davis (MS) • Stephen A. Douglas (IL)

31. The Compromise of 1850, cont. • New leaders were able to produce a compromise • Led by Douglas, the “omnibus bill” was divided into a series of measures to be voted on one by one • September 1850

32. The Crises of the 1850s • The sectional conflict seemed to briefly be forgotten amid booming prosperity & growth

33. The Uneasy Truce • Pres. election of 1852 • Dems. – Franklin Pierce • Whigs – Winfield Scott

34. The Uneasy Truce, cont. • Whigs plagued by defections of antislavery northerners • Refused to openly condemn slavery • The “Conscience” Whigs • Free-Soil Party was gaining in numbers

35. The Uneasy Truce, cont. • Pierce won • Fugitive Slave Act – most controversial of the provisions of the Comp. of 1850 • Many northerners were openly defying it • Personal liberty laws

36. “Young America” • Expansion of democracy around the world as a way to divert attention from the controversies over slavery

37. “Young America,” cont. • Ostend Manifesto (1854) made the case for seizing Cuba by force • Kingdom of Hawaii (1854) • Mvmt. to annex Canada

38. Slavery, Railroads, and the West • Great Plains were suitable for farming • Railroads & slavery • Support for a transcontinental railroad • Gadsden Purchase (1853)

39. The Kansas-Nebraska Controversy • Douglas wanted transcontinental railroad for Chicago • Introduced a bill (Jan. 1854) to organize territory west of IA & MO

40. The Kansas-Nebraska Controversy, cont. • Proposed territory was north of the MO Compromise line • Douglas offers popular sovereignty • KS-NE Act • Republican Party (1854)

41. “Bleeding Kansas” • Anglo settlers from both the North & the South moved into area • 1855 election for a territorial legislature

42. “Bleeding Kansas,” cont. • Proslavery forces elected a majority to legislature (fraudulent) • Free-staters enacted their own “govt.” in Lawrence • Town is sacked by proslavery forces

43. “Bleeding Kansas,” cont. • John Brown • Pottawatomie Massacre • Senator Charles Sumner (MA) beaten by Rep Preston Brooks (SC)

45. The Free-Soil Ideology • Differing economic & territorial interests • “Slave power conspiracy” threatened the future of the anglo laborer & property owner • New Republican Party

46. Buchanan and Depression • Pres. election of 1856 • Dem.- James Buchanan • Rep. – John C. Frémont • Know-Nothing – Fillmore • Buchanan won

47. The Dred Scott Decision • Dred Scott v. Sanford • Questions status of slavery in territories • Chief Justice Roger Taney

48. The Dred Scott Decision, cont. • Scott couldn’t bring a suit in federal court because he wasn’t a citizen; Africans had no claim to citizenship • Congress possessed no authority to pass a law depriving persons of their slave property

49. Deadlock over Kansas • Buchanan supported KS admission as slave st. • Lecomptom Constitution – legalized slavery, but a majority of KS opposed slavery • St. in 1861

50. The Emergence of Lincoln • U.S. Senate election in IL • Douglas vs. Lincoln • Douglas defended popular sovereignty (Freeport Doctrine)