Growing Tensions Over Slavery: Impact of the Mexican-American War

1. Chapter 14.1 Growing Tensions over Slavery The Missouri Compromise seemed to calm tensions between the north and south But the Mexican American War added new territories and new arguments over power

2. I. Slavery and the Mexican American War • During this time both new slave states and new free states expanded the country and tensions in the U.S. • The south at this point seemed to have the advantage with regards to power

3. A. The Wilmot Proviso • The new land gained from the war was not affected by the Missouri Compromise so feeling the south had gained more power representative David Wilmot of Pennsylvania proposed that all new additions from the war be slave free • He called this the Wilmot Proviso, however it never made it through the senate and the south felt like the north was attacking their ideals with these new ideas

4. B. An Anti-slavery Party • New political parties were on the rise because of the Proviso. • A presidential candidate from Michigan Lewis Cass proposed that new areas have popular sovereignty or idea that the people of the state/ territory vote on all their own issues rather then elected officials doing all the work

5. Many leaders wanted to take a stand on ending slavery • The new party that was created was called the free soil party and they believed that all new land should be free soil for all people • Former President Van Buren was a leader for the Free Soil Party but they didn’t win the next election instead Zachery Taylor war veteran won

6. II. A Bitter Debate • After the Gold rush California had enough people to become a state • Then began the arguments for it to be a slave/free state both sides wanted it. • Southern states threatened to secede if it became a free state and the north not only wanted California but also Washington D.C. to be free

7. Finally Henry Clay (the great compromiser) helped come up with a solution to the crisis • He came up with a series of proposals for both the north and the south for the compromise but senator John C. Calhoun was against it, but unfortunately he would fall ill and die in a few weeks and never was able to see his arguments to Clay become successful

8. He argued that allowing Calif. As a free state would expose the South to continued attacks on slavery and he could only come up with 2 ways to protest this: • Constitutional amendments • Secede or leave the union of the United States completely

9. 3 days later Massachusetts senator Daniel Webster came to support Clay’s ideas and wanted to end the bitter division between the north and south • The big question is what side or view will prevail? The existence of the United States will depend on this