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Westward Expansion
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Missouri Compromise
Missouri requested admittance for statehood in 1819. The issue of whether or not Missouri should become a slave state or a non-slave state delayed the process. Massachusetts gave up Maine and made it into a new non-slave state, then Missouri followed and became a slave state to solve this issue. This was one of the first balancing of the states so that there would be the same amount of slave states and non-slave states moving west. -
Indian Removal Act of 1830
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was created by President Andrew Jackson and his administration. It forcibly moved native tribes from the east coast, to west of the Mississippi. This newly acquired land from the natives allowed for more expansion of slavery, farmland, and cities westward and south. -
Manifest Destiny
Settlers pushing west were motivated by Manifest Destiny by believing that it was their God-given right. Americans expanded their territory, dominated all non-white inhabitants that lived there,
conquered the lands westward and settled there. -
Texas Joins the Union
When the U.S adopted the new territory in the west. Southern states wanted Texas to be a slave state for the simple purpose of expanding slavery. The Northern Republicans wanted Texas to become a non-slave state. Texas entered the Union as a slave state, which favored the Southern Democrats. When American annexed Texas, America was also brought into the dispute over territory over the southern Texas border. -
Wilmot Proviso
This was a bill declared that any new territory acquired by the Mexican-American War would be a non-slave state.This favored Republicans and abolitionists whose political party wanted to get rid of slavery in all new territories.The bill passed the House of Representatives, but was stalemate in the Senate and never passed to become law. -
California Gold Rush
In 1848 gold nuggets were found in Sacramento Valley, California The word quickly spread south and to the east coast so people traveled to California on ships and on wagons. By 1849, the population in California dramatically increased. -
California Joins the Union
Republicans wanted California to become a non-slave state and Democrats wanted it to become a slave state. Some believed California should be split into two states having one a slave state and one a non-slave state. When California joined the Union as a non-slave, the decision favored Northern Republicans. Thus created more political tensions within American and Congress. -
Gadsden Purchase
In 1853, James Gadsden traveled to Mexico City to discuss the Gadsden purchase. Mexico agreed to his terms and signed the treaty. The U.S paid approximately 10 million dollars for 29,600 square miles along the Mexican-American border. This purchase ended the disputed territory between the U.S and Mexico. The new territory would be used to construct a transcontinental railroad across the U.S connecting the north and west. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act allowed for popular sovereignty to rule when deciding which new territories are slave or non-slave. This is due to the conflicting ideas between the North and the South, whether the new territories should be slave or non-slave. The Republicans and apologists disliked this because they wanted to completely abolish slavery in all territories and states. Democrats liked this, because it allowed for the expansion of slavery westward. -
Ostend Manifesto
In 1854, President Franklin Pierce tried to secret annex Cuba from Spain after the U.S tried to buy Cuba from Spain. The purpose of this was to try and balance the slave and non-slave states. However the proposal did not pass. Republican lawmakers did not like the idea of the U.S becoming imperialistic and expanding slavery. This proposal appealed more to the Southern Democrats with the idea of expanding slavery.
