Westward Expansion and
the Compromise of 1850
John C. Calhoun…
Daniel Webster…
Henry Clay…
Key events that led to the
Compromise of 1850:
§  The Treaty Of Guadalupe-Hidalgo: ended the Mexican War; gave the
U.S. the Mexican Cession.
§  The Wilmot Proviso and Calhoun’s resolutions: ideas on how to handle
the slavery question in new territory.
§  Lewis Cass and Popular Sovereignty: adds a new wrinkle to the salvery
debate.
§  Presidential Election of 1848: Taylor defeats Cass.
§  The California Gold Rush, 1848-1849: increases the importance of new
lands added after the Mexican War.
Summary questions:
§ Discuss the impact of territorial expansion on national
unity between 1800-1850.
§ The Compromise of 1850 and its aftermath marked
the culmination of an old style of politics; its reception
and results indicated that a new style of politics would
become dominant.” Assess the validity of this
generalization.