Westward Expansion and Its Factors

Economic Factors of Westward Expansion

• Economic opportunities like farming and mining fueled westward expansion.
• The pursuit of land and resources was a key motivator.

Romanticism and Westward Migration

• Romanticism's emphasis on nature and individualism highlighted the westward journey as a pursuit of freedom.

Party Positions on Expansion

• Democrats supported expansion.
• Whigs were more cautious, sometimes opposed.

Election of 1844 and Expansion

• James K. Polk's victory led to efforts for Texas annexation and expansion in Oregon and California.

Causes of the Mexican-American War

• Border disputes over Texas.
• US expansionism.
• Mexico's refusal to negotiate.

Lincoln's "Spot Resolutions" and Opposition to War

• Lincoln questioned the justification for the war, reflecting anti-war sentiment.

Thoreau's Protest of the Mexican War

• Thoreau protested the war by refusing to pay taxes and writing "Civil Disobedience."

Wilmot Proviso and Slavery Debate

• The Wilmot Proviso aimed to ban slavery in territories from Mexico, increasing sectional tensions.

Compromise of 1850

• California's admission as a free state.
• A stricter Fugitive Slave Act.
• Popular sovereignty in other territories.

Fugitive Slave Act and Northern Opinion

• The act required returning escaped slaves, strengthening anti-slavery sentiment in the North.

Southern California Migrants and Slavery

• Southern gold-seekers in California opposed statehood as free to avoid weakening Southern political power.

Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Popular sovereignty determined whether Kansas and Nebraska would permit slavery.

Popular Sovereignty

• Popular sovereignty allowed residents of a territory to decide on the issue of slavery.

Bleeding Kansas and John Brown

• Violent conflict over slavery in Kansas.
• John Brown led anti-slavery attacks in the region.

John Brown's Attack on Harper's Ferry

• Brown attacked the federal armory to incite a slave rebellion.

Dred Scott Supreme Court Decision

• The court ruled against Dred Scott's citizenship and declared the banning of slavery in territories unconstitutional.
• The court aimed to resolve the slavery issue.

Abolitionists vs. Free-Soil Advocates

• Abolitionists sought to end slavery everywhere.
• Free-soilers opposed its expansion but not outright abolition.

Political Party Changes

• The Whig Party dissolved.
• The Republican party emerged against slavery's expansion.

1860 Presidential Candidates' Positions

• Lincoln: Opposed slavery expansion.
• Douglas: Supported popular sovereignty.
• Breckenridge: Supported slavery expansion.
• Bell: Sought to preserve the Union without a strong stance on slavery.

Pre-Civil War Slavery Approach

• The approach to slavery was about drawing lines, working out solutions, and ending conflict.
• Examples were the Missouri Compromise and Compromise of 1850.

Caning of Charles Sumner

• Sumner was attacked by Brooks in Congress.
• This increased sectional tensions and boosted the Republicans.
• The incident affected the 1856 presidential election.

Lincoln's Election and Secession

• Lincoln's election without Southern support led to Southern secession.
• This was a new development in the presidential elections of the period.

Southern Explanations for Secession

• The states argued for their right to secede to protect slavery and states' rights.

Confederate and Union Soldier Motives

• Both sides fought for their homes, duty, honor.
• Union soldiers were primarily about preserving the Union.
• Confederates fought for states' rights and slavery.

Black Men Joining the Union Army

• Joining the military gave Black men the chance for freedom and equality.

Emancipation Proclamation

• It freed enslaved people in Confederate states.
• It was limited, excluding border states for political reasons.

Lincoln's View of the Confederacy

• Lincoln maintained that the Confederacy was in rebellion.
• He didn't recognize the Confederacy as a separate country to prevent legitimizing secession.

Hard War Tactics

• “Hard war,” such as Grant and Sherman's, emphasized aggression and destruction to quickly end the conflict.
• This led to civilian suffering.

Union and Confederate Military Advantages

• The Union had more resources and manpower.
• The Confederacy had better military leadership and local knowledge.

Lincoln's Reconstruction Approach

• Lincoln aimed for a lenient approach to Southern reintegration.
• This clashed with Radical Republicans' harsher stance and President Johnson’s approach, which was similar to Lincoln's, but more flexible regarding southern autonomy.

Freedmen's Bureau

• The Bureau aided freedmen with education, healthcare, and legal services.

Andrew Johnson's Background

• Johnson, a Southern Democrat, was a former slave owner, unlike Lincoln's nationalistic stance.

Black Codes

• Black Codes were laws that severely limited Black Americans’ freedoms.
• Aims to maintain a labor force in the South, permitting work contracts yet forbidding land ownership and specific rights.

Tenure of Office Act and Impeachment

• This act restricted presidential power to remove officials without Senate approval, leading to Johnson's impeachment.

1876 Election and Resolution

• The election was contested, and the winner, Rutherford B. Hayes, was determined by a commission.
• This was due to widespread voter fraud and disputed results.