Chapter 8 Section 1

Slavery and Westward Expansion

Conflict statements: What conflicts have arisen so far? How does the idea of sectionalism play into this? How would you have solved any of these sectional conflicts?

Do Now

#1-Was there a way to prevent conflict? #2-“Many in the South once believed that

slavery was a moral and political evil. That folly and delusion are gone. We see it now in its true light, and regard it as the most safe and stable basis for free institutions in the world.” –John C. Calhoun (What do you think?)

I. Impact of War with Mexico

• Southerners believed they had the constitutional right to retrieve an escaped slave

• Northerners disagreed

• Mexican War heightened tensions between opposing viewpoints

I. Impact of War with MexicoA. President Polk Sees Trouble

Ahead• Polk thought no one

would take a slave into SW b/c of the dry climate- it would support farming

• Angry debate in congressB. Wilmot Proviso

• 8/1846 David Wilmot proposed “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist” in the new territory

• He viewed Polk as “pro-southern”

• Polk had helped the south at the expense of the north

Provided, territory from that, as an express and fundamental condition to the acquisition of any 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.

I. Impact of War with Mexico

• Proposal outraged southerners• They believed an anti-slavery proposal would

threaten slavery everywhere• N. democrats and Whigs passed the Proviso in the

H.o.R• Senate refused to vote• Calhoun tried to prepare resolutions to counter- he

argued that states owned territories together and Congress had no right to ban slavery; he warned if the north failed to heed to southern concerns revolution, anarchy and civil war would erupt

I. Impact of War with Mexico

C. Popular Sovereignty• Wilmot Proviso made the issue of slavery

sectionalize the country even more• Senator Lewis Cass proposed a solution- citizens of

a new territory should decide for themselves Popular Sovereignty

• Appealing because it removed the issue from national politics, it was democratic

• Abolitionists said it still denied African Americans the right to not be enslaved

• North supported b/c they felt it would be the north to settle new territory and therefore outlaw slavery

I. Impact of War with Mexico

D. The Free Soil Party Emerges• Election of 1848-Whigs chose Zachary Taylor-Whigs

were split• Northern Whigs known as Conscious Whigs opposed

slavery and Taylor• Northern Whigs who supported Taylor and voted with

Southern Whigs were known as Cotton Whigs

• Conscious Whigs quit with the nomination of Taylor and joined with anti-slavery democrats and abolitionist party to form the Free Soil Party

I. Impact of War with Mexico

D. The Free Soil Party Emerges• Opposed slavery in “Free Soil” of western

territories• Condemned slavery as immoral• Wanted preservation of w. territories for white

farmers• Slavery would make it difficult for free men to

find work

I. Impact of War with Mexico

E. 1848 Election• Dem. Lewis Cass

• Supported popularsovereignty, promised toWilmot Proviso

• Free Soil: VanBuren• Strongly against slavery

backed Wilmot Proviso

• Whig: Zachary Taylor• Avoided the issue

• Taylor won!!!

II. The Search for a Compromise

1. Slavery came to center stage• Discovery of gold in California led to application for statehood-

controversial issue slave or non-slave state• 1848 gold brought thousands to California

• 1849 more than 80,000 “49ers” arrived • Mining towns sprang up-needed to organize a government

• Polk urged congress to create territorial government for California and New Mexico

• No agreement about slavery

• Taylor was a southern slaveholder-didn’t believe expanding slavery would aid its survival

• Believed the people of California should decide

• California applied in Dec. 1849 as a free state

II. The Search for a Compromise

A. The Great Debate Begins– Problem: if CA enters as a free state it

upsets the balance- southern slaveholders become minority- begin talking secession

– 1850 Henry Clay: “the great compromiser”

II. The Search for a Compromise

A. The Great Debate Begins• Resolutions grouped into pairs

1. Allowed California to come in as a free state-organized the rest of Mexican cession w/o restrictions

2. Settled border between New Mexico and Texas in favor of New Mexico-Texas would have the federal government assume their debts

3. Outlawed slave trade in D.C. but not slavery itself4. Final 2 were southern concessions

– Congress prohibited from interfering with the domestic slave trade and would pass a new fugitive slave act to help southerners recover slaves

II. The Search for a Compromise

A. The Great Debate Begins• Triggered debate• Any compromise would require Calhoun’s

approval• Calhoun’s address agitated-didn’t think

Clay’s compromise would save the union-again threatened secession

• Daniel Webster-called for senate to put national unity above sectional loyalties-supported Clay

II. The Search for a Compromise

B. The Compromise of 1850– Congress didn’t pass-Taylor opposed-then

Taylor died– Millard Fillmore takes over-supports behind

compromise– End of summer-Calhoun dies

• Compromise divided into several smaller bills• By fall Congress passed

– For a short time it eased tensions over slavery