Westward Expansion Legislation and Effects on Slavery
How did Westward Expansion affect the institution of slavery?
As Americans moved west, the United States added more territories. This raised the issue of whether or not to allow slavery in these new territories. The national government passed laws that affected slavery in the new territories.
The Missouri Compromise (1820)
By the time of the Missouri Compromise in 1820, there was much controversy over slavery. Because the cotton gin had been invented, southern states were even more dependent on slave labor while northern states were slowly freeing their slaves. Some northerners wanted slaves in the state of Missouri to be slowly freed as well. Southern states worried that they would lose power in Congress if there were more free states than there were slave states. Because immigration caused the population in the north to increase, there were more representatives from the northern free states in the House of Representatives and less from the southern slave states. This caused the southern states to become even more determined to hold on to equal representation in the Senate. In 1819, Missouri requested to be admitted to the United States as a slave state. This request would upset the balance between free and slave states. The goal of the Missouri Compromise was to avoid future controversy between the North and the South and keep the balance between free and slave states.
The Missouri Compromise:
By the time of the Missouri Compromise in 1820, there was much controversy over slavery. Because the cotton gin had been invented, southern states were even more dependent on slave labor while northern states were slowly freeing their slaves. Some northerners wanted slaves in the state of Missouri to be slowly freed as well. Southern states worried that they would lose power in Congress if there were more free states than there were slave states. Because immigration caused the population in the north to increase, there were more representatives from the northern free states in the House of Representatives and less from the southern slave states. This caused the southern states to become even more determined to hold on to equal representation in the Senate. In 1819, Missouri requested to be admitted to the United States as a slave state. This request would upset the balance between free and slave states. The goal of the Missouri Compromise was to avoid future controversy between the North and the South and keep the balance between free and slave states.
The Missouri Compromise:
- Added Missouri as slave state
- Prohibited slavery in the Louisiana Territory in the area north of 36 30’ latitude line (the southern boundary line of Missouri) except for the state of Missouri
- Added Maine (formerly part of Massachusetts) as a free state
The Annexation of Texas (1845) & the Mexican Cession (1848)
The Annexation of Texas was delayed for nine years because Texas wanted to be admitted to the United States as a slave state. Texas was finally annexed as a slave state in 1845. The Mexican War also led to more controversy over slavery. Some northerners wanted Congress to declare that all parts of the territory that was from Mexico (the Mexican Cession) would be free. That is, that slavery would be prohibited in this region, while southerners wanted the area to be open to slavery.
The Annexation of Texas was delayed for nine years because Texas wanted to be admitted to the United States as a slave state. Texas was finally annexed as a slave state in 1845. The Mexican War also led to more controversy over slavery. Some northerners wanted Congress to declare that all parts of the territory that was from Mexico (the Mexican Cession) would be free. That is, that slavery would be prohibited in this region, while southerners wanted the area to be open to slavery.
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a result of California applying to be admitted to the United States as a free state. After the discovery of gold in California in 1849, people rushed to California to “get rich quick.” The people who moved to California did not want to compete with slave owners who would use their slaves to mine for gold. Because California applied for admission as a free state, the balance of slave states and free states would be upset. To settle this issue, the Compromise of 1850:
The Compromise of 1850 was a result of California applying to be admitted to the United States as a free state. After the discovery of gold in California in 1849, people rushed to California to “get rich quick.” The people who moved to California did not want to compete with slave owners who would use their slaves to mine for gold. Because California applied for admission as a free state, the balance of slave states and free states would be upset. To settle this issue, the Compromise of 1850:
- Allowed California to be a free state
- Outlawed the slave trade, but not slavery itself, in Washington, DC
- Allowed the people living in the rest of the Mexican Cession to decide whether or not they wanted to be a slave or free state through a vote. This is a concept known as popular sovereignty.
The Fugitive Slave Act (1850)
Southerners were happy when the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. The Fugitive Slave Act stated that:
Southerners were happy when the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. The Fugitive Slave Act stated that:
- If an escaped slave was caught anywhere in the United States, then they must be returned to their masters in the South
- Free African Americans in the North were required to have proof of their freedom (to prove that they were not an escaped slave from the South)
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)The Kansas-Nebraska Act was also the result of westward expansion. The Kansas Territory was in the northern part of the Louisiana Territory and therefore, according to the Missouri Compromise, it could not be a slave state. However, some politicians wanted to build a transcontinental railroad through Kansas and they needed to get southern support. Therefore, the United States passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Kansas Nebraska Act:
- Repealed the 36 30’ slavery line in the Louisiana Purchase (originally from the Missouri Compromise)
- Allowed the people living in these territories to decide for themselves through a vote whether or not to allow slavery within their borders (popular sovereignty)
Free and Slave States, 1854
Dred Scott Decision (1858)
The Dred Scott Decision was a case taken by the Supreme Court. The case was made of mostly proslavery Southerners. Their goal was to settle the controversy over slaves taken or escaped to areas where slavery was not legal. Dred Scott was a slave whose master had taken him into free territory. With the help of northern abolitionists, Dred Scott sued his master for his freedom claiming ‘once free, always free.’ The Supreme Court decided that African Americans were not citizens of the United States, even if they had been born in the United States. Therefore, African Americans had no right to sue in the Supreme Court. Furthermore, the court ruled that slaves were property. Slaves had no rights at all and could be taken anywhere in the United States. This ruling by the Supreme Court meant that slavery was legal throughout the United States. Instead of settling the controversy over slavery, the Dred Scott Decision further divided the United States and greatly increased tensions between the North and South. Northerners were angered by the Dred Scott Decision. They saw the Dred Scott Decision as denying them the right to outlaw slavery in the northern states as well as in the territories through popular sovereignty. Northerners felt that the Dred Scott Decision limited democracy. Southerners, on the other hand, were overjoyed because slavery was now legal everywhere.
The Dred Scott Decision was a case taken by the Supreme Court. The case was made of mostly proslavery Southerners. Their goal was to settle the controversy over slaves taken or escaped to areas where slavery was not legal. Dred Scott was a slave whose master had taken him into free territory. With the help of northern abolitionists, Dred Scott sued his master for his freedom claiming ‘once free, always free.’ The Supreme Court decided that African Americans were not citizens of the United States, even if they had been born in the United States. Therefore, African Americans had no right to sue in the Supreme Court. Furthermore, the court ruled that slaves were property. Slaves had no rights at all and could be taken anywhere in the United States. This ruling by the Supreme Court meant that slavery was legal throughout the United States. Instead of settling the controversy over slavery, the Dred Scott Decision further divided the United States and greatly increased tensions between the North and South. Northerners were angered by the Dred Scott Decision. They saw the Dred Scott Decision as denying them the right to outlaw slavery in the northern states as well as in the territories through popular sovereignty. Northerners felt that the Dred Scott Decision limited democracy. Southerners, on the other hand, were overjoyed because slavery was now legal everywhere.
Documents
4-5.5_legislation_and_effects_on_slavery_notes.pdf |
4-5.5_legislation_and_effects_on_slavery_notes.docx |
Sources
Text: ed.sc.gov
Image 1: http://philschatz.com/us-history-book/resources/CNX_History_11_02_Missouri.jpg
Image 2: http://www.fofweb.com/Electronic_Images/Maps/MexicanAnnexation.gif
Image 3: http://www.ushistory.org/us/images/00080486.gif
Image 4: http://image.pbs.org/video-assets/pbs/american-experience/65630/images/Mezzanine_483.jpg
Image 5: https://vickyyang2014.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/img_1940.png
Image 6: https://etc.usf.edu/maps/pages/800/808/808.jpg
Image 7: https://dccaptial.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/dreadscott.jpg
Text: ed.sc.gov
Image 1: http://philschatz.com/us-history-book/resources/CNX_History_11_02_Missouri.jpg
Image 2: http://www.fofweb.com/Electronic_Images/Maps/MexicanAnnexation.gif
Image 3: http://www.ushistory.org/us/images/00080486.gif
Image 4: http://image.pbs.org/video-assets/pbs/american-experience/65630/images/Mezzanine_483.jpg
Image 5: https://vickyyang2014.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/img_1940.png
Image 6: https://etc.usf.edu/maps/pages/800/808/808.jpg
Image 7: https://dccaptial.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/dreadscott.jpg