SSUSH8 The student will explain the relationship between growing northsouth divisions and westward expansion.
• a. Explain how slavery became a significant issue in
American politics; include the slave rebellion of Nat
Turner and the rise of abolitionism (William Lloyd
Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and the Grimke sisters).
• b. Explain the Missouri Compromise and the issue of slavery in western states and territories.
• c. Describe the Nullification Crisis and the emergence of states’ rights ideology; include the role of John C.
Calhoun and development of sectionalism.
• d. Describe the war with Mexico and the Wilmot Proviso.
• e. Explain how the Compromise of 1850 arose out of territorial expansion and population growth.

• Nat Turner was a slave in
Southampton County, Virginia.
• Believed that God had chosen him to free the slaves.
• In 1831, he led an uprising in which he killed his owner and 60 other whites before being captured.
• In pursuit of Nat, the white bounty hunters killed 100 slaves trying to capture Nat and his followers
• Significance: following this slave uprising some southern states passed stricter slave “codes” or laws. This was looked down upon by Abolitionists in the North.
Widening the difference between the North and South regions.

• An agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the
Congress, involving the regulation of slavery in the western territories. It prohibited slavery in the former Louisiana
Territory north of the parallel
36 °30' north except within the boundaries of the proposed state of Missouri. To keep the balance, Maine was admitted as a free state in response to
Missouri entering as a slave state.

• The Nullification Crisis was a sectional crisis during the presidency of Andrew Jackson created by South Carolina's 1832 Ordinance of
Nullification.
• This ordinance declared by the power of the
State that the federal Tariff of 1828 and 1832 were unconstitutional and therefore null and void within the sovereign boundaries of South
Carolina.
• The controversial and highly protective Tariff of
1828 (known as the "Tariff of Abominations") was enacted into law during the presidency of
John Quincy Adams. The tariff was opposed in the South. Its opponents expected that the election of Jackson as President would result in the tariff being significantly reduced.

John C. Calhoun on Nullification Crisis
• South Carolina representative who wrote and spoke of the
Nullification Crisis between
States and the National
Government.
• Significance : This is the first time that State’s Rights had been brought to the forefront (which later is used as justification in the Civil
War). Differences between one region of the United
States and another are becoming apparent.
(Sectionalism)

• Sectionalism is defined as loyalty to the interests of one's own region or section of the country, rather than to the country as a whole.
• Sectionalism in the U.S. increased steadily
1800 –1860.
– The North, without slavery, industrialized, urbanized and built prosperous farms.
– The South concentrated on plantation agriculture based on slave labor, together with subsistence farming for the poor whites.

–Britain
–France
–Russia
–Spain
–United States

• Eventually everyone but Britain and the U.S. gave up their claims on the Oregon Territory
• Webster Ashburton Treaty gave both the U.S. and Britain joint occupation of the territory
• IN 1844 Democratic Presidential Candidate
James Polk called for the entire Oregon
Territory using his motto:
– “54 40 or fight”
– Gave up at 49 degrees , because land north of 49 was not suitable for agriculture.

• Mexico encouraged Americans to settle in
Texas region
• Native American and Mexican government had had disputes over the area. Having
American citizens in the area was a security attempt by Mexico
• Stephen F. Austin established the first colony in Texas.

• Anglo Settlers in Texas rebel against Santa Anna’s oppressive government and declare their independence from Mexico.
• Anglo troops are massacred at the Alamo
• “Remember the Alamo” was the battle cry after this loss.
• After the victory at San Jacinto River under the leadership of Sam Houston, Texas became the
Republic of Texas. “The Lone Star” Republic
• It remained its own country for 7 years when it was annexed into the U.S.
• The annexation process was part of the reason the
U.S. goes to war with Mexico.

• Three Reasons that the U.S. and
Mexico went to war*
– Boundary Disputes in the Texas Area
• Mexico believed the boundary should be north of the Rio Grande
• U.S. believed the boundary was at the Rio
Grande
– Texas joining the United States (being
Annexed)
– Bad relations between governments

• President of the
U.S. was James
K. Polk
• After this war, he was the one president responsible for adding more territory to the U.S. than any other president.*

• General Winfield
Scott*
• “Old Fuss and
Feathers”*
• Captured the city of Vera Cruz and
Mexico City
• His leadership during the Mexican
War brought the war to an end

General Winfield Scott enters Mexico City September 14, 1847

• General Zachary Taylor*
• “Old Rough and Ready”*
• Fought in battles in North Mexico
• Captured Monterey
• Defeated Santa Anna in the battle of Buena Vista
• Later became President of the
U.S.

Zachary Taylor at the battle of Monterey

• Stephen Kearny
• “The Long Marcher”
• Marched through
New Mexico and to
California
• California became the “Bear Flag
Republic”

• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
• This was an agreement with Mexico that
– The boarder of Texas was the Rio Grande
– They also Ceded (gave up) the areas of New
Mexico and California to the U.S.
– U.S. agreed to pay $15 Million for the
Mexican cession which included present day
California, Nevada, New Mexico , Utah and most of Arizona, parts of Colorado and
Wyoming.

• President Franklin Pierce
• 1853
• $10 Million to Mexico
• This area was at lower elevation that could be used for the
Transcontinental Railroad*
• This established the present day boarders of the Continental U.S.

• Sutter’s Mill
• Discovered in 1848, which caused many people to Rush to California in 1849
• Nicknamed “49ers” because of the year
• People would travel in the following ways:
– either across the country on land
– sail to the southern tip of south America and upward to the coast of California
– By the Atlantic Ocean to the isthmus of Panama and cross then continue up by boat on the Pacific
Ocean to California

An 1846 proposal brought forward by Pennsylvania
Congressman David
Wilmot that stipulated that none of the Mexican
Cession territory would be allowed to permit slavery.
Out of the arguments for this proviso came the
Compromise of 1850.

Compromise of 1850 (Henry Clay)
• Abolished the slave trade in the District of
Columbia, but slavery is still permitted.
• Obligated Congress to create became the
Fugitive Slave Law.
• Admitted California as a free state
• Separately organized the territories of Utah and
New Mexico without restrictions on slavery. The inhabitants of these places would decide upon slavery when they applied to be admitted as states.
• Texas would relinquish the land in dispute to
Mexico. They would be given 10 million dollars in return as compensation that could be used to pay off its debt to Mexico.

• In your own words, What was Nat Turner’s
Rebellion?
• What was the Missouri Compromise?
• What was the Nullification Crisis?
• What is Sectionalism?
• Explain the Compromise of 1850.