Chapter 14 • 1820-1860
Manifest Destiny
Chapter 15 . 1850-1865
The Civil War
Chapter 16 • 1865-1896
Reconstruction
CHAPTER
14
Manifest Destiny
Years 1820-1860
Stephen Austin led 300
families into Texas
James Polk elected
president
Compromise of 1850
Gadsden Purchase
1821
1844
1850
1853
AJamo defeated
Texas won its
independence
Gold discovered in
California
Zachary Taylor elected
president
Franklin Pierce elected
president
1. Westward to the Pacific
Learn these important terms:
T o Americans in the 1840s, the
West meant new lands and new
opportunities. At that time, however,
the western boundary of the United
States was in the Great Plains. This
was east of the Rocky Mountains.
Much of the western part of the continent still belonged to Mexico.
Many Americans wanted this land
to belong to the United States. Settlers
in the 1840s wanted the vast farm
land that the West offered. Traders
wanted to use the harbors along the
Pacific coast for their ships going to
and from China and Japan .
In the 1840s, Americans believed
that the western part of the continent
should belong to the United States.
One writer said it was the Manifest
Destiny (MAN-uh-fest DES-tuh-nee),
or fate, of the United States to take
over all the land between the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans.
In this chapter you will read about
how the United States grew until it
reached the Pacific coast. You will
read about brave people in Texas who
fought for their independence from
Mexico. You will also read about
another war. This war was between
Mexico and the United States.
You will learn what the growth of
the United States did to the conflict
over slavery. Would the territories in
the West become slave states? Could
the nation's leaders help the United
States grow without making the slavery problem worse?
Lone Star Republic
Oregon Trail
Monnon Trail
missionaries
Monnons
annex
Remember the main idea:
Most Americans wanted the United
States to reach the Pacific Ocean.
Americans settled in Texas, Utah,
Oregon, and California.
Look for answers to these
questions:
1. How did Texas win its independence from Mexico?
2. Who settled in Oregon, Utah,
and California?
3. Why did some Americans want
to keep Texas out of the United
States?
In t he first half of t he 1800s, t he United
States expanded into the far west. Texas
and then Oregon became states . But p rior
to statehood, each had its conflicts.
The New Texans
In the early years of the 1800s, few
people lived in the Mexican territory of
Texas. Around 1820, however, an Ame rican named Moses Austin learned that the
land in Texas was good for growing cotton and raising cattle. He asked Mexico to
let him bring American settlers into t hat
region. Moses Austin died in 1821. But
Mexico agreed to let his son, Stephen
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297
Mexico did not like the way the Texans
were acting. In 1830, it passed another
law against slavery. It also said that no
more settlers could come into Texas from
the United States. This law upset the Texans. Stephen Austin went to Mexico City
to talk about the problem, but he was
thrown into prison.
In 1835, the Texans revolted. A small
army of Texans took over the Alamo, a
Mexican fort near San Antonio. General
Santa Anna, the Mexican leader, attacked
the Alamo with thousands of troops. The
Texans were outnumbered and short of
supplies, but they refused to surrender.
They knew that Sam Houston (HYOOstun), the Texan general, was trying to
gather an army to the east. By keeping
Santa Anna busy, the Texans in the Alamo hoped to give Houston time to build
his army.
The Mexicans attacked the Alamo
many times, but they could not defeat the
Texans. Then, on March 6, 1836, three
thousand Mexicans made their final
attack. The two hundred Texans in the
REPUBLIC OF TEXAS, 1836
The leadership of Stephen Austin (1793-1836)
enabled Americans to settle in Texas and grow
strOng enough to sepacate themselves from Mexico.
Austin, lead three hundred families into
eastern Texas.
By 1830, twenty thousand Americans
had settled in Texas. The Mexican government considered these new settlers
Mexicans. Most of the settlers, however,
still thought of themselves as Americans,
or simply as Texans. They did not even
learn to speak Spanish. When Mexico
passed a law against slavery, the Texans
simply ignored it. Texas was far away
from the Mexican government, so Texas
planters felt safe in keeping slaves.
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UNIT 5
REPUBUC
OF TEXAS
1836
CLAlMED
BY TEXAS
AND MEXICO
G U L F
OF
MBXICO
MEXICO
Think: Davy Crockett fights off his attackers with his empty gun in Fall of the Alamo by Robert Onderdonk.
Crockett, Jim Bowie, and nearly 200 others died defending the abandoned mission they had made into a fort .
Respond : What did the Mexicans leam from the strong stand the Texans took at the Alamo?
Alamo fought until the last man was
dead. Among those who died in the battle
were the famous frontiersmen Davy
Crockett and Jim Bowie.
News of the battle of the Alamo
brought new volunteers to Houston's
army. When the Texans met Santa Anna's
army at the Battle of San Jacinto (SAN
juh-SIN-toh), "Remember the Alamo"
was their battle cry. The Texans won the
battle and captured Santa Anna . He
agreed to give Texas its independence.
Texas became an independent nation
known as the Lone Star Republic. Sam
Houston was elected its first president.
Davy Crockett
(1786- 1836)
became a living
American folk
hero because of
his humorous
speeches and
his talent as a
frontiersman .
Chapter 14
299
Think: Albert Bierstadt made the Oregon Trail look like paradise in his painting. However. life on the trail was
harsh and dangerous. Many died trying to reach Oregon. Bierstadt painted The Oregon Trail after taking part in
an expedition to map the trail. Respond : Why would he choose to show the trail like this?
Houston and most other Texans wanted
Texas to join the United States . Most
Southerners and Westerners agreed with
the Texans. However, the people of the
Northeast did not want Texas to become
part of the United States. They knew that
the Southerners wanted to divide Texa s
into several slave states. Northerners did
not want more slave states. They did not
want the South to have more votes in Congress. Some Americans were also worried
that if Texas joined the United States, war
might break out with Mexico. Neither
President Jackson nor President Van
Buren wanted to stir up trouble. For the
time being, Texas remained an independent nation.
The Far West
Texas was not the only western territory that interested American settlers. In
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UNIT 5
the 1830s, a few traders, settlers, and
missionaries (MIH-shun-air-eezl. or reli-
gious workers, moved into the Oregon
region. The Oregon region included what
are now Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and
parts of western Canada. This land was
claimed by both the United States and
Great Britain.
The early settlers sent news of Oregon
to the eastern states. The settlers told of
land that was good for farming. Soon,
many new settlers were arriving in Oregon. Some traveled by ship aU the way
around South America. Most, however,
traveled by land in covered wagons over
the famous Oregon Trail. By 1845, over
five thousand Americans had settled in
Oregon. Like the Texans, the American
settlers in Oregon wanted their territory
to become part of the United States. In
1843, these settlers went to Congress
with this request .
HISTORY MAKERS
---Sam Houston--The Texas Raven
"My son," said the
chief, "your Cherokee
name will be Raven.
The raven is a friend to
the Cherokee. When
the Great Spirit made
fire, he put it in a hollow tree. Men wanted
fire, so Raven flew into
the tree and tried to
snatch a burning coal.
You too, are a friend, so we give you
Raven's name."
Sam Houston lived with the Cherokee chief and his family for about
three years. He liked Indian life much
more than going to school, working
on his mother's farm, or tending the
general store.
Sam Houston was nineteen when
the War of 1812 began. He joined the
militia and fought under General
Andrew Jackson . Jackson was impressed with Houston's courage in
battle. When Houston was badly
wounded, however, his injuries kept
him from fighting. He was appointed
Indian agent to the Cherokees. He
persuaded the tribe to leave their
lands in Tennessee and move west to
government land .
After the war, Sam Houston became a lawyer. His friendship with
General Jackson helped him enter
Tennessee politics. He
was elected to Congress twice, and in
1827 he became governor of Tennessee. Two
years later he was running for
reelection
when his young wife
suddenly left him. He
resigned the governor's
office, and returned
to his friends, the Cherokees.
Sam Houston lived with the Indians for several more years. In 1832,
encouraged by President Jackson,
Houston went to Texas . He quickly
became involved in Texas politics. As
a result, he helped draft the Texas
Declaration of Independence and
Constitution. In addition, Houston
led the Texas army that defeated
Santa Anna and made Texas independent of Mexico . He was then
made president of the Lone Star
Republic. After Texas became a
state, he served as governor and as a
senator. Sam Houston worked long
and hard to bring Texas into the United States . He opposed secession, and
he left office when Texas seceded
from the Union in the Civil War. Sam
Houston remained loyal to those he
supported-his Indian friends and
the United States of America .
Chapter 14
301
OREGON TERRITORY BOUNDARY SETTLEMENT, 1846
CANADA
UNITED
STATES
OREGON
TERRITORY
•
Sail Lake Clly
•Kansas City
MEXICO
PACIFIC
OCEAN
r
Another group of Americans who settled in the West was the Monnons
(MORE-muns). a religious group begun in
the 1820s. When the Mormons were
forced to leave Illinois in 1846, they settled near the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The
Mormons' route to Utah, known as the
Monnon Trail, was later followed by
many other settlers.
Americans were also interested in California. In the 1840s, California was part
of Mexico. California offered great land
for farming. It also had good ports, such
as San Francisco, which were useful in
trading with China and Japan. The American settlers in California wanted it, too,
to become part of the United States.
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UNIT 5
The Election of 1844
During the presidential campaign of
1844, the debate over making Texas a
state was very important. President Tyler
wanted Texas to be a slave state. But
Tyler did not get along with his party, the
Whigs. They chose Henry Clay for their
candidate. Clay did not want to make
northern voters angry. He decided not to
talk about Texas.
The Democrats had trouble even choosing a candidate. Many northern Democrats wanted Martin Van Buren, but the
southern Democrats opposed him. They
did not think he wanted Texas to become
a slave state. The Democrats tried many
times to choose a candidate but they could
not agree.
Finally, they made a compromise. They
chose James K. Polk, who had not even
been in the running before. Polk believed
in Manifest Destiny. He told the voters
that he wanted both Texas and Oregon to
become states. This pleased the American people, because Texas would become
a slave state and Oregon would become a
free state. The balance of slave states and
free states would continue. Polk defeated
Clay and became the new president of the
United States.
James Knox Polk
(1195-1849).
America's eleventh
president. worked
extremely hard
in office and
accomplished most
of his goals. Few
presidents have
shared his
success rate.
For a while, it seemed that war over
Oregon was likely. However, in 1846, the
United States and Great Britain agreed to
divide Oregon . The northern part of Oregon became part of Canada. The southern
part became a territory of the United
States. In 1859, Oregon became a free
state. It was the thirty-third state.
In the 1840s, the United States won
new territories that connected the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts. However, the
trouble with Mexico was not yet over. In
the next section you will see how conflict
with Mexico led to war.
Section Review
Think: James Polk is shown here with his running
mate, George Dallas. The two won the election of
1844. Respond: What symbols were used in this
work celebrating the men?
As it turned out, Polk never had to act
on the Texas question . At the very end of
Tyler's term, Congress made Texas the
twenty-eighth state.
After Polk became president, he tried
to annex (an-NEKS) Oregon, or make it
part of the United States. Many Americans were willing to go to war with Great
Britain over the Oregon region. "54 0 40 '
or Fight'" became a famous slogan,
because 540 40 ' was the latitude of the
Oregon region's northern border.
1. Why did American settlers in
Texas disagree with the Mexican
government? What was the outcome of this disagreement?
2. Why did some Americans want
Texas to become a state? Why
did other Americans oppose annexing Texas?
3. Who won the election of 1844?
Why did Americans give him
their support?
4. What two nations claimed the
Oregon region? How did Oregon
become a territory of the United
States?
Chapter 14
303
2. The Mexican War and
Its Results
Lewn these important terms:
Rio Grande
Bear Flag Revolt
Mexican Cessi on
Free-Soilers
Mexican War
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Wilmot Provi so
Remember the main idea:
The United States won a war
against Mexico and gained n ew
lan ds . The question of slavery in
this new territory soon became a
problem.
Look for answers to these
questions:
1. What were t h e cau ses of the
Mexican War? How did the outcome of the war solve these
problems?
2 . What leaders became heroes because of the Mexican War?
Which of these heroes became
president?
3 . How did the new lands won in
the Mexican War make the conflict over slavery worse?
In the 1840s, ill feeling grew between
Mexico and the United States. Mexico was
angry at the United States for annexing
Texas. Mexico was also angry because the
United States wanted settlers in California to break away from Mexico . The United States wanted New Mexico, the land
between Texas and California, to become
3 04
UNIT 5
an American territory, too. Finally, the
United States and Mexico disagreed
about the southern boundary of Texas.
The United States claimed the boundary
was t h e Rio Grande (REE -oh GRAND).
the l,885-mile-long river. The Mexicans
claimed that the Nueces River (noo-AYsus). located further north, was the
boundary of Texas.
The Mexican War
In 1845, President Polk sent John Slidell (sly-DELL) to talk to the Mexican government about these problems. Slidell
was to offer Mexico thirty million dollars
for California, New Mexico, and the area
between the Nueces River and the Rio
Grande. However, Mexican leaders refused to see Slidell.
When Polk learned that the Mexicans
would not talk with Slidell, he took action .
Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to
move his troops across the Nueces River.
Although the Americans did not attack
the Mexican army, the Mexicans saw this
move as an invasion. They crossed the Rio
Grande and attacked the Americans . Polk
then asked Congress to declare war on
Mexico. On May 13, 1846, Congress did
so. The Mexican W ar had begun.
Mexico expected to win the war quickly. Its army was large and well trained
and was fighting on its own land. In addition, the Mexican government thought
Great Britain and France would help Mexico fight the war.
Furth ermore, the Mexicans thought
that the American army was very weak.
When the war started, the American army
had _only eight thousand troops . These
soldiers had to march hundreds of miles
over rough country to fight the Mexicans.
In Mexico, the Americans were far from
their sources of supply. Moreover, Congress was slow in voting money for the
war. Many northern Congressmen did not
support war with Mexico .
Think. : Richard Woodville's War News from Mexico shows the reactions of a variety of American stereotypes.
Poor and wealthy alike gather on the porch of an American hotel and post office to get the latest news.
Respond : What do you think each person in the painting is thinking?
Chapter 14
305
The Mexicans did not win the war,
however. The help they expected from
Great Britain and France did not come. As
a result, the Mexican army ran short of
supplies. Worst of all, it had poor leadership. The battles agrunst the Texans
had proved that Santa Anna was not a
good general.
To the surprise of the Mexicans, the
American army won three quick victories
in northern Mexico. Then, early in 1847,
General Taylor's army defeated the last
important Mexican force in northern Mexico. His victory at the Battle of Buena Vista (BWEN-uh VEE-stuh) made Taylor a
national hero.
called him "Old
Rough and Ready.
Another small army, led by General
Stephen Kearny (KAHR-nee), captured
New Mexico before marching into California. When Kearny arrived, he discovered
that the Americans and some Mexicans
living there had already captured the fort
at Sonoma. The Americans claimed that
California was now an independent republic, like Texas. This revolt became
known as the Bear Flag Revolt. Within a
few months, General Kearny and John C.
Fremont (FREE-mahnt) won control of
all California.
The most important battles of the Mexican War were won by General Winfield
Scott. In March of 1847, Scott's army
landed on the east coast of Mexico. They
captured the city of Veracruz (ver-uhKROOZ). From Veracruz, Scott's men
fought their way inland. They defeated
Santa Anna's army and captured Mexico
City. The Mexican leaders realized that
they could not win. The war soon ended.
Think: This lithograph shows General Scott (on the brown horse) marching into Mexico City's main square.
Scott's forces had braved the treacherous route from Veracruz to Mexico City before taking Mexico's capital.
Respond: What can you learn about the Mexican people bY,looking at this image?
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UNIT 5
In 1843, more than one thousand people crossed the mountains and plains of the Oregon
Trail. In good weather the ox
teams that pulled the wagons
could travel about two miles an
hour. Thus , they could cover
nearly twenty-five miles in a
day . On this day in June, however, the wagons had traveled
only four miles by nightfall.
You learn from the paragraph
above that the wagons that traveled
the Oregon Trail were pulled by ox
teams. The paragraph states this
information directly. You can also
figure out that the weather on that
particular day in June probably was
not good . Although the paragraph
does not directly give information
about the weather that day, you can
infer it, or figure it out. The paragraph has clues that help you make
this inference . For example, the
paragraph states that only four miles
instead of twenty-five had been covered that day . The paragraph also
states that good weather could result
in many miles being covered. Therefore, you can guess that bad weather
could result in few miles being covered. Inferring information in this
way is sometimes called "reading
between the lines." It requires you
to do more than just read the stated
information .
Read the following paragraph about
travel on the Oregon Trail, and
answer the questions. Some of the
308
UNIT 5
answers are stated directly. To
answer other questions, you need
to infer, or figure out, the answers.
The oxen struggled to pull the
wagon through axle-deep mud.
Progress was slower and slower
until it was finally clear that the
heavily loaded wagon would go
no farther. The family gathered
to ~alk about how to lighten the
load. Sarah's face saddened as
she heard the plan. For the last
time she touched the heavy oak
dresser that had been her mother' s . She pulled her tiny, oneweek-old baby closer. The
baby's soft warmth comforted
Sarah as she thought about the
entry she would make in her
journal that night . Its pages had
nearly been filled during the
two months since the family had
left their home in Iowa.
D
Why was it difficult for the
oxen to pull the wagons? Is the
answer stated in the paragraph,
or did you need to infer it?
fdI
How did the family make the
load on the wagon lighter? Is
the answer stated in the
paragraph, or did you infer it?
II
From what place had the family
started the trip? Is the answer
stated, or did you infer it?
D
Where had the baby been born?
Is the answer stated, or did you
need to infer it?
THE UNITED STATES IN 1848
CANADA
MEXICAN CESSION
\
MD
l
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
TOtAS
PACIFIC
OCEAN
New Land and New Problems
Mexico agreed to peace by signing the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (GWAHdah-LOO -pay ee-DAL-goh) in 1848. In
this treaty, Mexico lost almost one-third
of its land. New Mexico and California
became territories of the United States.
Also, the southern boundary of Texas
became the Rio Grande. In return, the
Mexican government received about fifteen million dollars-half of what Polk
had once been willing to pay.
The land won by the United States in
the Mexican War was ca lled the Mexican
Cession (SEH-shun). The United States
now stretched from the Atlantic coast to
the Pacific coast. It reached all the way
north to Canada and south to the winding
Rio Grande.
With this new land came new problems, however. The United States soon
had to decide if slavery would be allowed
in the Mexican Cession. Even before the
war ended, the House of Representatives
passed the Wilmot Proviso (WIL-maht
pruh-VYE-zoh). This law said that slavery
would not be allowed in any new land
won in the war. Southerners in the Senate
refused to agree to this law. President
Polk then suggested that the old Missouri
Compromise Line of 1820 be extended to
the Pacific coast. Slavery would be allowed south of the line, but not north of it.
Very few Americans liked Polk's plan.
Many Northerners did not want slavery in
any new territory of the United States.
Many Southerners wanted Congress to
allow slavery in all new territories. A
third group of Americans thought that
each territory should decide for itself
about slavery.
The slavery question was important in
the election of 1848. President Polk
refused to run again. The Democrats
picked Lewis Cass, a senator from Michigan, to become their candidate. The
Whigs chose General Zachary Taylor,
"Old Rough and Ready."
Neither candidate said clearly whether
he was for or against the spread of slavery. Cass, the Democratic candidate, did
say that he thought each territory should
decide for itself about slavery. Since Cass
did not oppose slavery, many Northerners
Chapter 14
307
3. Between Two Wars
Learn these important terms:
Zachary Taylor
(1784 - 1850)
dressed simply. as
a frontier fanner,
even while president.
He w as a true patriot
who worked to keep
the nation united .
would not support the Democrats. Instead, they supported a new political party called the Free-Soilers . Free-Soi lers
were against the spread of slave ry into
any new territories. Their candidate was
Martin Van Buren.
The confli ct over the s lavery question
divided the Democratic Party. As a result,
Zachary Taylor, the Whig candidate, won
the election.
The United States now stretched from
coast to coast. Those who believed in
Manifest Destiny were very happy. However, the problem of slavery in the territories was still not settled. In the next section, you will see how Senator Henry Clay
tried to settle the issue with one more
important compromise.
Section Review
1. What conflicts arose between the
United States and Mexico after
Texas won its independence?
2. Which army was stronger at the
beginning of the Mexican War7
What American generals won
important victories?
3. What was the Mexican Cession?
4. What problems arose over the
new territories in the election of
18487 Who won the election?
Forty-Niners
Compromise of 1850
Gadsden Purchase
Fugitive Slave Act
Know- Nothings
Remember the main idea:
The Compromise of 1850 settled
the slavery question for awhile. A
large number of new immigrants
helped the nation grow and change.
Look for answers to these
questions:
1. How did the discovery of gold
change the history of California?
2. What did the Compromise of
1850 state?
3. In what ways did the United
States change during the 1850s7
During the 1840s and 1850s, the issue
of slavery continued to cause problems.
Northerners wanted new states and territories to be free. Southerners wanted
them to allow slavery. The issu e of immigration also received much attention. As
the United States continued to grow,
these problems became bigger. As you
will see, growth came abo ut in several
different ways.
Gold!
In 1839, the Mexican government
allowed John A . Sutter to build a trading
post in northern California. Sutter's Fort
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309
Think: Sutter's Mill (above) was a sawmill on the
banks of the American River near what is now
Sacramento. Respond : How did what happened here
change California?
became an important place for Americans
traveling to California. When people
began to settle around his fort, Sutter
wanted to supply them with lumber. He
sent workers to build a sawmill on a river
a few miles away. One day in 1848, a
worker found some bright yellow nuggets
in the river bed. When he had these
stones tested, he found that he had discovered gold.
News of his discovery spread like wildfire. Hundreds of people left San Francisco to search for gold. From San Francisco,
the news quickly reached the rest of the
nation. All over the country, people left
their farms, shops, and factories to head
for the gold fields. People even came from
Europe, South America, and China. Within a year, eighty thousand people had
come to California. They all hoped to
strike it rich .
Only a few Forty-Niners, or people who
came to California around 1849 looking
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UNIT 5
for gold, actually became rich. However,
the Gold Rush changed California almost
overnight. Thousands of new businesses
were started to serve the miners. Many of
the people who came to find gold took
jobs and settled down . Mining camps
grew into new towns, and San Francisco
became a great city. By late 1849, about
100,000 people lived in California.
President Taylor wanted California to
become a state without first becoming a
territory. The people of California agreed.
California was admitted as a free state in
1850. About the same time, New Mexico
and Utah asked Congress to organize
their areas into territories in which slavery was forbidden.
Conflict and Compromise
Southerners were very angry when
they learned about California and the new
territories. The Southerners were against
California's becoming a free state, because free states would outnumber the
slave states. The free states would then
have more members in the Senate. Southerners talked about having their states
secede, or withdraw from the United
States. Most Northerners, on the other
hand, were happy that California and the
new territories did not want slavery.
A variety of ways to uncover gold are shown
in this painting about the California Gold Rush.
p
How many different ways of mining can
you find?
Think: Henry Clay urged the Senate
to pass his Compromise of 1850. This
engraving. styled after the works of
Rothermel, also shows Millard
Fillmore (upper right) listening
intently to Clay's plea. Respond :
Why was the acceptance of this bill
so important?
Senator Henry Clay tried to settle the
problem peacefully. Clay drew up a plan
which became known as the Compromise
of 1850. This Compromise contained five
main points:
1. California would indeed become a
free state.
2. Utah and New Mexico would become
territories. The people of those territories
would decide for themselves if they
wanted slavery.
3. The slave trade (but not slavery)
would be ended in Washington, D.C., the
nation's capital.
4. Congress would pass a strong law
called the Fugitive Slave Act. Tills law
would force the northern states to return
runaway slaves to their owners.
5. Congress would also pay the debts
that Texas had developed when it was an
independent republic .
There was bitter debate in Congress
over Clay's plan. Both southern slave
owners and northern abolitionists opposed it. Even President Taylor was
against the plan. He did not like the idea
of paying Texas's debts. And he saw no
reason to argue about annexing California. However, during the debate over
Clay's plan, President Taylor grew ill and
died. His vice president, Millard Fillmore,
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UNIT 5
became president. Fillmore was in favor
of the compromise. Clay's supporters now
worked even harder to get the compromise through Congress. They finally succeeded. With Fillmore's signature, the
compromise became law.
Most Americans were happy that the
Compromise of 1850 had passed. They
knew how dangerous the debate had
been. The South had come close to seceding. However, many Southerners were
still unhappy about losing their majority
in Congress. Also, the compromise angered aholitionists. They did not want to
return runaway slaves. Because of the
Fugitive Slave Act, many runaway slaves
had to go to Canada to find freedom.
Millard Fillmore
(1800- 1874) rose
through the political
ranks in New York.
When he became
president upon
Taylor's death. he
pushed through the
Compromise of 1850.
THE U.S. AFTER THE COMPROMISE OF 1850
Drawing an inference is like making a good, careful guess. Your guess must
be based on facts, however-in this case the information given you directly on
the map. The title of the map tells you that there was a compromise. From this
alone, you can infer that there was some difference of opinion that had to be
settled by each side giving in to some degree.
Look at the map key.
R
-
M
u.
1. What does each of the three
colors stand for? From this
direct information , what do you
infer the quarrel and
compromise are about?
2. How many light green states or
territories are there on the map?
How many red states? What can
you infer from this division?
3. What can you infer about the
problem from the position of the
compromise line?
4. What difference was there
between the Missouri
Compromise of 1820 and the
Compromise of 1850? What can
you infer from the fact that this
new compromise was needed?
5 . Can the three territories (peach)
affect the balance between
North and South
mathematically?
6. Based on what you see , would
you think that the Compromise
of 1850 could solve the slavery
question? Explain your answer.
7. If there were to be a war over
slavery between the North and
the South, which side would you
guess Missouri, Kentucky, and
Virginia would take? Why?
C ANADA
/
OREGON
TERRITORY
UNSETILED
TERRITORY
UTAH
TERRITORY
MJaaoUrf Comproml
NEW MEXICO
PACIFIC
OCEAN
TERRITORY
UNSETTLED
TERRITORY
TEXAS
Slave states
GU L F O F
MEXI CO
New Americans
When Franklin Pierce
(1804-1869) was
elected, he was
dashing-the nation's
youngest president.
National conflicts
during his tenn
demanded his
concentration, but
Pierce's perfonnance
was malTed
by his grief over his
son's death.
A New Purchase
In the election of 1852, the Democrats
chose Franklin Pierce as their candidate.
Pierce was a Northerner, but he was not
an abolitionist. The Whigs chose General
Winfield Scott, the Mexican War hero.
Many southern Whigs left their party
because they were angry at the northern,
anti-slavery Whigs. As a result, the Whig
party grew very weak. Pierce won the
election with ease.
During Pierce's term in office, the United States gained a small strip of land in
the southern part of the New Mexico territory. The government wanted this land
for a railroad line from New Orleans to
California. The United States bought the
land from Mexico in 1853 for ten million
dollars. This deal was called the Gadsden
Purchase (GADZ-dun).
Winning new lands was not the only
way in which the nation grew . In the
1840s and 1850s, many new immigrants
came to the United States. Some came
from England, Sweden, Norway, and
Denmark. A great famine in Ireland in
1846 brought thousands ofIrish people to
the United States. There was also a large
number of German immigrants. In 1854
alone, over 400,000 immigrants arrived
in the United States.
Most of these immigrants settled in the
North. Very few went to the South. The
Irish stayed mainly in the cities of the
Northeast. The Germans often moved to
farms or cities in midwestern states, such
as Wisconsin and Missouri.
The new immigrants helped the United
States grow in many ways . However, not
all Americans welcomed them. Immigrants often stayed in their own groups
and did not speak or dress like other
Americans. Some Americans were upset
by these differences. They blamed immigrants for the growth of slums. Some
Americans also said that there was more
crime in the cities because of the large
number of immigrants.
In the 1850s, Americans such as these
formed a group that opposed the immigrants. The groups' members were called
Think: Below, Irish immigrants touch American soil for the first time as they leave their ship. Extremely poor
because of a famine in Ireland, many Irish accepted the low wages they were offered. Respond : How are all
workers affected when one group is willing to work for very low wages?
Think: Know-Nothings formed a secret society against immigrants. They formed a political party, which backed
Millard Fillmore in an unsuccessful 1856 ca mpaign . Above, a mob of Know-Nothing s tears through the streets of
Boston. Respond: Why were the Know-Nothings afraid of immigrants?
Know-Nothings because they wanted
their group to be secret. When anyone
asked a member about the group, the
member would answer, " I know nothing."
The Know-Nothings tried to end immi gration and to keep immigrants from becoming citizens and voting. They fo rmed
a political party and were strong for a
few years, but their party soon died out.
The growth of the nation in the 1840s
and 1850s made the United States one of
the largest nations in the world. This
growth also caused the slavery problem to
worsen . Leaders such as Henry Clay
worked hard to hold the nation together.
But the compromises of these leaders
could not solve the slavery problem once
and for all. Within a few years, the conflict
between the North and the South led to
war. In the next chapter, you will read
about this terrible war.
Section Review
1. What great discovery changed
the history of California? How
did this discovery make the conflict between the North and the
South worse?
2. What was the Compromise of
1850? Who supported it? Who
opposed it?
3. What deal did the United States
make with Mexico in 1853? Why
did the United States want to
make this deal?
4. Why did some people oppose the
coming of n e w immigrants to the
United States? What wa:s the
name of one of these groups?
Chapter 14
315
Chapter
CHAPTER SUMMARY
Americans settled in Texas in
the 1820s. In 1835, Texas revolted
against Mexico and became an
independent state. Texas wanted
to join the United States as a slave
state, but some people opposed
this plan. Americans also settled
in Oregon, Utah, and California.
James Polk was elected president
in 1844. Soon after, Texas became
a slave state, and Oregon became
a free territory.
By making Texas a state, the
United States caused problems
with Mexico. These problems led
to war in 1846. After Mexico lost
the war, the United States claimed
California and New Mexico. Northerners and Southerners disagreed
about allowing slavery there.
The Whig candidate, Zachary
Taylor, became president in 1848.
That same year, gold was discovered in California. In 1849, California asked to become a free
state. Utah and New Mexico
wanted to be free territories.
Southerners were angry that slavery would not be allowed in these
territories. To calm them, Henry
Clay proposed a compromise. California became a free state, but
Congress passed a stronger law
against runaway slaves.
In 1852, Franklin Pierce became
president. During his term, The
Gadsden Purchase added land to
the Southwest. New immigrants
came to the United States.
316
UNIT 5
Key W ords
Write a sentence to explain the
meaning of each of these terms.
Manifest
Destiny
annex
M exican
Cession
Wilmot
Proviso
Fugitive
Slave Act
Know-Nothings
Major Events
Choose the answer that best
completes the statement.
1. In 1835, a small band of Texans
a) took over the Alamo.
b) seceded from the United States.
c) discovered gold .
2. In 1844, the Democrats
compromised on a candidate for
president and chose
a) Henry Clay.
b) Martin Van Buren.
c) James Polk.
3 . The Mexican War began when
a) the Alamo was destroyed.
b) California became a state.
c) Mexican soldiers crossed the
Rio Grande.
4 . The final battle of the Mexican
War was fought at
a) Vera Cruz.
b) San Antonio .
c) Mexico City.
5 . In 1853, the United States bought
land from Mexico in order to build
a) an army base.
b) a railroad line .
c) a shipping port.
•
w
R e VIe
Important Facts
Skill Review
Answer each question with at least
one complete sentence.
Study this map. then answer the
following questions.
1. Who was Stephen Austin? What
did he accomplish?
2. What is the Alamo? For what is it
remembered?
3. What was the Lone Star
Republic? What happened to it?
4. Why were some people opposed
to Texas becoming a state?
5. What was the Oregon Trail? Why
was it important?
6. Who were the Mormons? Where
did they settle?
7. Why did the United States and
Great Britain almost go to war in
the 1840s?
1. The Mormons left Nauvoo in
February 1846. What can you infer
about the weather at that time?
2. Between April and July 1847. an
advance party traveled about one
thousand miles from Winter
Quarters to Salt Lake. About how
many miles did they go a day?
3. What can you infer about land and
climate problems on this trip?
\, 0
200 MI
Average Annual Precipitation
"
~ . - ---_lnches-----.c.ent~,~lte s
1""'"
' 0 200Km
Less than 10
Les~t~ a!! 25
!
C
\
/}~.
1O'20 D 20.~
~ .
20-40
D
50-"100
WInter
8. What were the causes of the
Mexican War?
9. What were the terms of the
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo?
10. What was the Bear Flag Revolt?
11. Who were the Free-Soilers?
12. What event changed California
almost overnight? How was it
changed?
13. What was the Compromise of
1850?
14. What was the Gadsden Purchase?
MEXICO
The Mormon 1i'ail
Critical Thinking
Write a paragraph to answer each
question.
15. From what countries did the new
immigrants come? Where did
they settle?
1. In what ways was the "Manifest
16. Name the areas which joined the
United States as territories or
states between 1840 and 1850.
2. How did the conflict over slavery
affect the nation in the 1840s and
1850s?
Destiny" of the United States
fulfilled during the 1840s?
Chapter 14
317