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Missouri Compromise
In 1819, Missouri requested admittance for statehood. Should’ve been an easy process, but the issue of whether or not Missouri should become a slave state or a non-slave state delayed the process. To solve this issue, Massachusetts gave up Maine and made it into a new non-slave state, then Missouri followed and became a slave state. This was one of the first balancings 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
President Andrew Jackson administration created the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Which forcibly moved native tribes from the east coast, out of their homelands, to west of the Mississippi into territories like Oklahoma and Nebraska. This newly acquired land from the natives allowed for more expansion of slavery, farmland, and cities westward and south. -
Manifest Destiny
John L. Sullivan coined this phrase. This phrase that was part of Anglo-American cultural. 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 Union
Texas joining the Union was a controversial action. 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 Democrates. When American annexed Texas, America was also brought into the dispute over territory over the southern Texas border. -
Wilmot Proviso
This bill declared that any new territory acquired by the Mexican-American War would be a non-slave state. Examples of territories: New Mexico and Utah. This favored Republicans and abolitionists whose political party wanted to get rid of slavery in all new territories, but for Democrats, this was a failure. The bill passed the House of Representatives, but was deadlocked in the Senate and never passed to become law. -
California Gold Rush
Gold nuggets were found in Sacramento Valley in California in 1842. By 1848, 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 grew to over 100,000. The expansion was noticeable when cities quickly grew mainly beside rivers, coastlines, and gold caches. -
California Joins Union
Like Texas joining the union in 1845, California was also a controversial decision when entering the Union in 1850. 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, one slave, and one non-slave. When California joined the Union as a non-slave, the decision favored Northern Republicans. Creating even more political tensions within American and Congress. -
Gadsden Purchase
James Gadsden in 1853, traveled to Mexico City to discuss the Gadsden purchase. Mexico agreed to his terms and signed the treaty. The U.S paid approximately $10,000,000 for 29,600 square miles along the Mexican-American border. This purchase ended the disputed territory between the U.S and Mexico. Also, this new territory would be used to construct a transcontinental railroad across the U.S connecting the west and the north which allowed more substanal expansion of western territory. -
KE-NE Acts
The KE-NE Acts allowed for popular sovereignty to rule when deciding which new territories like Kanas and Nebraska are slave or non-slave. This is due to the conflicting ideas between the North and the South if these 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. Democrates 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. This proposal did not pass. Details of this proposal leaked to members of Congress and citizens as well. Republican lawmakers did not like the idea of the U.S becoming imperialistic and expanding slavery. This proposal appealed more to the Southern Democrates with the idea of expanding slavery.
