Chapter #16: The South and the Slavery Controversy – Big Picture Themes
1. Cotton ran the South before the Civil War— it was "King Cotton." The entire southern economy was based on cotton.
2. The South had developed a pyramid-like social structure. From top-to-bottom: planter aristocrats, small farmers, the white majority (who owned no slaves), free blacks, slaves.
3. Life as a slave could be wildly varied—some slave owners were kind toward their slaves, some were immensely cruel. In all situations, slaves were not free to do as they pleased.
4. Abolition (move to abolish slavery) began with the Quakers. Frederick Douglass became the main spokesman against slavery. And William Lloyd Garrison printed "The Liberator", a radical abolition newspaper.
5. Southerners countered that northern workers were treated even worse than slaves. Slave owners, they said, had a vested interest in their slaves. Northern factory workers exploited then fired their workers.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
Nat Turner
He was semiliterate. He was a visionary black preacher, he led an uprising (1831) that slaughtered about 60 Virginians, mostly women and children. His uprising sent a wave of hysteria sweeping over the south.
Sojourner Truth
A freed black woman in New York who fought tirelessly for black emancipation and women's rights. She was also known as Isabella and she held audiences spellbound with her deep resonant voice and the religious passion with which she condemned slavery.
Theodore Dwight Weld
Lanky, tousle-haired. He had been evangelized by Charles Grandison Finney in NY's burned over district in the 1820's. He was self educated and simple in manner and speech. He appealed with special power and directness to his rural audiences of untutored farmers. He was materially aided by 2 wealthy and devout NY merchants Arthur and Lewis Tappan who paid his way to Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. Weld was expelled with others in 1834 for organizing an 18 day debate on slavery, the were called the "Lane Rebels" and they were full of the energy and idealism of youth. Weld also assembled a potent propaganda pamphlet called American Slavery as It Is (1839). It influenced Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
She wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, using the emotional power of dehumanizing slave auctions as the plot of the book.
William Lloyd Garrison
An abolitionist and reformer. Emotionally high strung son of a drunken father and a spiritual child of the Second great awakening. Published in Boston the first issue of his militantly antislavery newspaper, The Liberator, which triggered a 30 year war of words and helped start the civil war. He made clear he wouldn't tolerate slavery and would try to end it. He gained followers. He appeared more interested in his own righteousness than in the substance of the slavery evil itself. He demanded the North secede from the South but didn't elaborate the results. On the 4th of July he publicly burned a copy of the Constitution.
David Walker
A monument to the cause of black freedom. His Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World (1829) advocated a bloody end to white supremacy.
GUIDED READING QUESTIONS:
"Cotton is King!"
Know: Eli Whitney, Cotton Gin
1. What is meant by "Cotton is King?" How did its sovereignty extend beyond the South? What implications did its rule have?
It meant that cotton dominated Southern economy and that it was their most important crop and income. Other nations, like Britain, wanted southern cotton. Also, the North depended on it as Northern shippers exported it and that brought in money to the north. Cotton accounted for half the value of all Am exports after 1840. It held foreign nations in partial bondage and Britain was dependent on the South and it gave the south power.
The Planter "Aristocracy"
Know: Chivalry
2. In what ways was the south "basically undemocratic?"
They were more a oligarchy than democracy, a gov but the few. The South was heavily influenced by a planter aristocracy and a select group of families provided the political and social leadership of the section and nation. The planter aristocrats enjoyed a big share of southern wealth, they could educate their children in the finest schools and their money provided the leisure for study, reflection, and statecraft. This type of rule was "basically undemocratic", it widened the gap between rich and poor and destroyed tax-supported public education because the rich planters could send their children to private schools.
Slaves and the Slave System
Know: One crop economy
3. What were the weaknesses of the South's dependence on cotton?
It made them vulnerable in case cotton became unprofitable because it was the South was a single crop economy, it made the south at the mercy of world conditions; it also made the south dependent on slavery. It was financially unstable, i.e over speculation etc. It discouraged a healthy diversification of agriculture.
The White Majority
Know: Yeoman Farmer, hillbilly
4. Why did many whites who did not own slaves support slavery?
In the hopes that one day they'll reach the point where they can own slaves and have power and riches. It was their dream, the "American Dream" of upward social mobility and they took pride in their presumed racial superiority which would be diminished if the slaves were free. Some of the whites were worse off than slaves but they took comfort that they outranked some.
Free Blacks: Slaves Without Masters
Know: Emancipate, mulattoes
5. Would it have been better to be a free Black in the North or in the South? Explain.
In the south, many free blacks in the south owned property, they were a "third race" and they were vulnerable to being hijacked. In the North, free blacks were denied education and were beaten. The irish hated them. In the south, they hated the race but liked individuals because most were raised by black nurses but in the north it was the opposite and the antiblack feeling was stronger than in the south, so it's better to be free in the south.
Plantation Slavery
Know: Chattel, natural increase, Harriet Beecher Stowe
6. "...planters regarded slaves as investments [like a mule]...." Explain what was positive and what was negative about this situation for slaves.
The positives were that people tend to take care for their property, the slaves were clothed, sheltered, fed, and cared for when they're sick; that's better than some factory workers or the poor whites. Slave owners paid for them so they want to ensure their investments stay healthy enough to work. The negatives were that since they were treated as property or investments, they were dehumanized and it was possible for masters to separate families and harshly punish them in the hope that the slave will be better disciplined and so better investments, also slaves could be sold.
Life Under the Lash
Know: Overseer, breaker, Old South, Deep South
7. Give evidence to show that slaves developed a separate, unique culture. What circumstances made this possible?
A majority of blacks lived on plantations with communities of 20 or more slaves, where the family life of slaves tended to be relatively stable and a culture arose. Evidence of a unique culture was the practice of naming children for grandparents or adopting the surname of a forebear's master. Blacks also displayed their cultural roots when they avoided marriage between first cousins unlike the planter aristocracy. Also african roots were seen in their religious practices, a mixture of christian and African with responsorial style of preaching.
The Burdens of Bondage
Know: Peculiar institution, Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner
8. Thomas Jefferson once said that having slaves was like holding a wolf by the ears, you didn't like it but you couldn't let go. How does this section help to explain this statement?
This means that even though slavery is really bad, it's helping to maintain the economy and that it's a necessary evil, yes it was immoral but it was necessary for the economy of both the north and the south. Also, it made the south into a reactionary backwater in an era of progress.
Early Abolitionism
Know: Abolition, The American Colonization Society, Theodore Weld, Arthur and Lewis Tappan, Harriet Beecher Stowe
9. Describe some of the early abolitionists.
Quakers, Monroe, who founded the Am Colonization Society. Weld who appealed to rural farmers. Arthur and Lewis, brothers who supported weld. Lyman Beecher. Harriet Beecher Stowe, catherine Beecher and Henry Ward Beecher.
Radical Abolitionism
Know: William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, David Walker, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass
10. How were the attitudes of William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass different? When dealing with an issue that is moral and political, how rigid should a person be?
Garrison was stern and uncompromising and he was harsh and he published newspapers, writing. Douglass was more of an orator. Douglass was as flexibly practical as Garrison was stubbornly principled. Garrison often seemed more interested in his own righteousness than the substance of slavery evil itself. Douglass increasingly looked to politics to end slavery and were pacifistic.
The South Lashes Back
11. How did the South defend itself against the attacks of abolitionists?
A way the south fought against abolitionists attacks was by claiming that slavery was supported by the Bible and wisdom of Aristotle. They claimed it was good for the Africans who were lifted from the barbarism of the jungle and clothed with the blessings of Christian civilization. It was pointed out that the relationships of master-slave really resembled those of a family. They also contradicted the happy servants to wage slaves in horrible factories with no breaks and it was argued that they were set adrift if they outlived their usefulness.
The Abolitionist Impact in the North
12. How did Northerners view abolitionists? Did they have any success?
Abolitionists, especially the extremists were for a long time unpopular in the north. Northerners thought of slavery as a constitutional lasting bargain. The north had a heavy economic stake in the south so the north developed strong hostility towards abolitionists. The north had mobs and tongue lashings against the abolitionists, their property were damaged and some were killed. Politicians stayed away from them. They had some success, many citizens saw the south as the land of the unfree and became hateful of it.
Chapter #17: Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy – Big Picture Themes
1. A boundary dispute with England over Maine was settled peacably. In the long run, the U.S. likely got the better end of the deal.
2. Texas finally joined the U.S. Since the Texas revolution, it’d been hanging in the balance. American lawmakers finally decided it was too good of a prize to let slip by, so it was annexed in 1845
3. Oregon was next on the list of lands to seal up. It was shared land, mainly between the U.S. and England. After some negotiating over the border, the 49th parallel was agreed upon. Again, the U.S. likely got the better.
4. The election of 1844 saw James K. Polk run on a Manifest Destiny platform. Americans liked the idea, voted him in, and he went after California.
5. When the Mexican-American war was over, the prize of California that Polk had wanted, was obtained. So was all of the modern American Southwest.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
John Tyler
Was elected VP and became the 10th President of the United States when Harrison died, was the President responsible for annexation of Mexico after receiving mandate from Polk. He opposed many parts of the Whig program for economic recovery
Slidell’s Mission
Slidell was sent to Mexico, by Polk, to negotiate an agreement so the Rio Grande River would be the southern border of Texas. He was instructed to offer, a maximum of $30 million for California by Polk and his administration. With the guidance of General Zachary Taylor, U.S. troops were stationed at the U.S./Mexico border, ready defend against Mexican attack. The Mexican government rejected Slidell's mission. So war ensued.
John C. Fremont
American military officer, explorer, the first candidate of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States, and the first presidential candidate of a major party to run on a platform in opposition to slavery. The Great Pathfinder and the Governor of California.
Manifest Destiny
The 19th century American belief that the U.S was destined to expand sea to shining sea. It was used by Democrats in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico; First used for the annexation of Texas issue. Opposed by Clay, Webster and Lincoln, but supported by Polk.
James K. Polk
The 11th President of the U.S (1845-1849). A Governor of Tennessee (1839-1841). Was the surprise candidate for president in 1844, defeating Henry Clay of the rival Whig Party by promising to annex Texas. Was the last strong pre-Civil War president. Famous for his foreign policy successes. Threatened war with Britain over the issue of which nation owned the Oregon Territory, then backed away and split the ownership of the region with Britain. When Mexico rejected American annexation of Texas, he led the nation to a victory in the War. Secured passage of the Walker tariff of 1846, which had low rates that pleased the South, and he established a treasury system.
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
signed August 9, 1842, resolved several border issues between the U.S and British North American colonies. Resolved a dispute over the location of the Maine-New Brunswick border, established the border between Lake Superior and the Lake of the Woods. It reaffirmed the location of the border (at the 49th parallel) in the westward frontier up to the Rocky Mountains. It called for a final end to the slave trade on the high seas, and agreed to sharing the Great Lakes. The treaty was signed by Daniel Webster and British diplomat Alexander Baring.
Spot Resolution
Offered in the U.S House of Repsin 1847 by Abe, the resolutions requested President Polk to provide Congress with the exact location (the "spot") where blood was spilled on Am soil, as Polk had claimed in 1846 when asking Congress to declare war on Mexico. Lincoln was so persistent in pushing his "spot resolutions" that some began to call him as "spotty Lincoln." Lincoln's resolutions were a direct challenge to the validity of the president's words, and represented an ongoing political power struggle between Whigs and Democrats.
The Tariff of 1842
Black Tariff; a protectionist tariff adopted in the U.S to reverse the effects of the Compromise Tariff of 1833.The bill restored protection and raised average tariff rates to almost 40%. The impact of the 1842 tariff was felt almost immediately by a sharp decline in international trade in 1843. Imports into the U.S almost 1/2 from their 1842 levels and exports, which are affected by overall trade patterns, dropped by~ 20%. The Tariff of 1842 was repealed in 1846 when it was replaced by the Walker Tariff.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty was negotiated by Nicholas P. Trist. After a few failed attempts at an armistice, he signed the treaty on Feb 2nd, 1848. The treaty was successful, giving Am claim to Texas, and all of the land west of Texas, to Oregon, and Cali. The U.S. paid $15 million for the land, which increased the size of the country by ~ 1/3. Some were resentful of the victory over Mex and the treaty because they thought that the U.S. should get all of Mexico. Others were angry because they thought Polk hadn't followed the "Anglo-Saxon spirit of fair play."
Wilmot Proviso
(1846) Amendment that prohibited slavery from territories from Mexico. Introduced David Wilmot, the failed amendment increased tensions between North and South over slavery; it never became federal law, but it was eventually endorsed by the legislatures of all but one of the free states, and it came to symbolize the issue of slavery.
1. Cotton ran the South before the Civil War— it was "King Cotton." The entire southern economy was based on cotton.
2. The South had developed a pyramid-like social structure. From top-to-bottom: planter aristocrats, small farmers, the white majority (who owned no slaves), free blacks, slaves.
3. Life as a slave could be wildly varied—some slave owners were kind toward their slaves, some were immensely cruel. In all situations, slaves were not free to do as they pleased.
4. Abolition (move to abolish slavery) began with the Quakers. Frederick Douglass became the main spokesman against slavery. And William Lloyd Garrison printed "The Liberator", a radical abolition newspaper.
5. Southerners countered that northern workers were treated even worse than slaves. Slave owners, they said, had a vested interest in their slaves. Northern factory workers exploited then fired their workers.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
Nat Turner
He was semiliterate. He was a visionary black preacher, he led an uprising (1831) that slaughtered about 60 Virginians, mostly women and children. His uprising sent a wave of hysteria sweeping over the south.
Sojourner Truth
A freed black woman in New York who fought tirelessly for black emancipation and women's rights. She was also known as Isabella and she held audiences spellbound with her deep resonant voice and the religious passion with which she condemned slavery.
Theodore Dwight Weld
Lanky, tousle-haired. He had been evangelized by Charles Grandison Finney in NY's burned over district in the 1820's. He was self educated and simple in manner and speech. He appealed with special power and directness to his rural audiences of untutored farmers. He was materially aided by 2 wealthy and devout NY merchants Arthur and Lewis Tappan who paid his way to Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio. Weld was expelled with others in 1834 for organizing an 18 day debate on slavery, the were called the "Lane Rebels" and they were full of the energy and idealism of youth. Weld also assembled a potent propaganda pamphlet called American Slavery as It Is (1839). It influenced Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
She wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, using the emotional power of dehumanizing slave auctions as the plot of the book.
William Lloyd Garrison
An abolitionist and reformer. Emotionally high strung son of a drunken father and a spiritual child of the Second great awakening. Published in Boston the first issue of his militantly antislavery newspaper, The Liberator, which triggered a 30 year war of words and helped start the civil war. He made clear he wouldn't tolerate slavery and would try to end it. He gained followers. He appeared more interested in his own righteousness than in the substance of the slavery evil itself. He demanded the North secede from the South but didn't elaborate the results. On the 4th of July he publicly burned a copy of the Constitution.
David Walker
A monument to the cause of black freedom. His Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World (1829) advocated a bloody end to white supremacy.
GUIDED READING QUESTIONS:
"Cotton is King!"
Know: Eli Whitney, Cotton Gin
1. What is meant by "Cotton is King?" How did its sovereignty extend beyond the South? What implications did its rule have?
It meant that cotton dominated Southern economy and that it was their most important crop and income. Other nations, like Britain, wanted southern cotton. Also, the North depended on it as Northern shippers exported it and that brought in money to the north. Cotton accounted for half the value of all Am exports after 1840. It held foreign nations in partial bondage and Britain was dependent on the South and it gave the south power.
The Planter "Aristocracy"
Know: Chivalry
2. In what ways was the south "basically undemocratic?"
They were more a oligarchy than democracy, a gov but the few. The South was heavily influenced by a planter aristocracy and a select group of families provided the political and social leadership of the section and nation. The planter aristocrats enjoyed a big share of southern wealth, they could educate their children in the finest schools and their money provided the leisure for study, reflection, and statecraft. This type of rule was "basically undemocratic", it widened the gap between rich and poor and destroyed tax-supported public education because the rich planters could send their children to private schools.
Slaves and the Slave System
Know: One crop economy
3. What were the weaknesses of the South's dependence on cotton?
It made them vulnerable in case cotton became unprofitable because it was the South was a single crop economy, it made the south at the mercy of world conditions; it also made the south dependent on slavery. It was financially unstable, i.e over speculation etc. It discouraged a healthy diversification of agriculture.
The White Majority
Know: Yeoman Farmer, hillbilly
4. Why did many whites who did not own slaves support slavery?
In the hopes that one day they'll reach the point where they can own slaves and have power and riches. It was their dream, the "American Dream" of upward social mobility and they took pride in their presumed racial superiority which would be diminished if the slaves were free. Some of the whites were worse off than slaves but they took comfort that they outranked some.
Free Blacks: Slaves Without Masters
Know: Emancipate, mulattoes
5. Would it have been better to be a free Black in the North or in the South? Explain.
In the south, many free blacks in the south owned property, they were a "third race" and they were vulnerable to being hijacked. In the North, free blacks were denied education and were beaten. The irish hated them. In the south, they hated the race but liked individuals because most were raised by black nurses but in the north it was the opposite and the antiblack feeling was stronger than in the south, so it's better to be free in the south.
Plantation Slavery
Know: Chattel, natural increase, Harriet Beecher Stowe
6. "...planters regarded slaves as investments [like a mule]...." Explain what was positive and what was negative about this situation for slaves.
The positives were that people tend to take care for their property, the slaves were clothed, sheltered, fed, and cared for when they're sick; that's better than some factory workers or the poor whites. Slave owners paid for them so they want to ensure their investments stay healthy enough to work. The negatives were that since they were treated as property or investments, they were dehumanized and it was possible for masters to separate families and harshly punish them in the hope that the slave will be better disciplined and so better investments, also slaves could be sold.
Life Under the Lash
Know: Overseer, breaker, Old South, Deep South
7. Give evidence to show that slaves developed a separate, unique culture. What circumstances made this possible?
A majority of blacks lived on plantations with communities of 20 or more slaves, where the family life of slaves tended to be relatively stable and a culture arose. Evidence of a unique culture was the practice of naming children for grandparents or adopting the surname of a forebear's master. Blacks also displayed their cultural roots when they avoided marriage between first cousins unlike the planter aristocracy. Also african roots were seen in their religious practices, a mixture of christian and African with responsorial style of preaching.
The Burdens of Bondage
Know: Peculiar institution, Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner
8. Thomas Jefferson once said that having slaves was like holding a wolf by the ears, you didn't like it but you couldn't let go. How does this section help to explain this statement?
This means that even though slavery is really bad, it's helping to maintain the economy and that it's a necessary evil, yes it was immoral but it was necessary for the economy of both the north and the south. Also, it made the south into a reactionary backwater in an era of progress.
Early Abolitionism
Know: Abolition, The American Colonization Society, Theodore Weld, Arthur and Lewis Tappan, Harriet Beecher Stowe
9. Describe some of the early abolitionists.
Quakers, Monroe, who founded the Am Colonization Society. Weld who appealed to rural farmers. Arthur and Lewis, brothers who supported weld. Lyman Beecher. Harriet Beecher Stowe, catherine Beecher and Henry Ward Beecher.
Radical Abolitionism
Know: William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, David Walker, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass
10. How were the attitudes of William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass different? When dealing with an issue that is moral and political, how rigid should a person be?
Garrison was stern and uncompromising and he was harsh and he published newspapers, writing. Douglass was more of an orator. Douglass was as flexibly practical as Garrison was stubbornly principled. Garrison often seemed more interested in his own righteousness than the substance of slavery evil itself. Douglass increasingly looked to politics to end slavery and were pacifistic.
The South Lashes Back
11. How did the South defend itself against the attacks of abolitionists?
A way the south fought against abolitionists attacks was by claiming that slavery was supported by the Bible and wisdom of Aristotle. They claimed it was good for the Africans who were lifted from the barbarism of the jungle and clothed with the blessings of Christian civilization. It was pointed out that the relationships of master-slave really resembled those of a family. They also contradicted the happy servants to wage slaves in horrible factories with no breaks and it was argued that they were set adrift if they outlived their usefulness.
The Abolitionist Impact in the North
12. How did Northerners view abolitionists? Did they have any success?
Abolitionists, especially the extremists were for a long time unpopular in the north. Northerners thought of slavery as a constitutional lasting bargain. The north had a heavy economic stake in the south so the north developed strong hostility towards abolitionists. The north had mobs and tongue lashings against the abolitionists, their property were damaged and some were killed. Politicians stayed away from them. They had some success, many citizens saw the south as the land of the unfree and became hateful of it.
Chapter #17: Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy – Big Picture Themes
1. A boundary dispute with England over Maine was settled peacably. In the long run, the U.S. likely got the better end of the deal.
2. Texas finally joined the U.S. Since the Texas revolution, it’d been hanging in the balance. American lawmakers finally decided it was too good of a prize to let slip by, so it was annexed in 1845
3. Oregon was next on the list of lands to seal up. It was shared land, mainly between the U.S. and England. After some negotiating over the border, the 49th parallel was agreed upon. Again, the U.S. likely got the better.
4. The election of 1844 saw James K. Polk run on a Manifest Destiny platform. Americans liked the idea, voted him in, and he went after California.
5. When the Mexican-American war was over, the prize of California that Polk had wanted, was obtained. So was all of the modern American Southwest.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
John Tyler
Was elected VP and became the 10th President of the United States when Harrison died, was the President responsible for annexation of Mexico after receiving mandate from Polk. He opposed many parts of the Whig program for economic recovery
Slidell’s Mission
Slidell was sent to Mexico, by Polk, to negotiate an agreement so the Rio Grande River would be the southern border of Texas. He was instructed to offer, a maximum of $30 million for California by Polk and his administration. With the guidance of General Zachary Taylor, U.S. troops were stationed at the U.S./Mexico border, ready defend against Mexican attack. The Mexican government rejected Slidell's mission. So war ensued.
John C. Fremont
American military officer, explorer, the first candidate of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States, and the first presidential candidate of a major party to run on a platform in opposition to slavery. The Great Pathfinder and the Governor of California.
Manifest Destiny
The 19th century American belief that the U.S was destined to expand sea to shining sea. It was used by Democrats in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico; First used for the annexation of Texas issue. Opposed by Clay, Webster and Lincoln, but supported by Polk.
James K. Polk
The 11th President of the U.S (1845-1849). A Governor of Tennessee (1839-1841). Was the surprise candidate for president in 1844, defeating Henry Clay of the rival Whig Party by promising to annex Texas. Was the last strong pre-Civil War president. Famous for his foreign policy successes. Threatened war with Britain over the issue of which nation owned the Oregon Territory, then backed away and split the ownership of the region with Britain. When Mexico rejected American annexation of Texas, he led the nation to a victory in the War. Secured passage of the Walker tariff of 1846, which had low rates that pleased the South, and he established a treasury system.
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
signed August 9, 1842, resolved several border issues between the U.S and British North American colonies. Resolved a dispute over the location of the Maine-New Brunswick border, established the border between Lake Superior and the Lake of the Woods. It reaffirmed the location of the border (at the 49th parallel) in the westward frontier up to the Rocky Mountains. It called for a final end to the slave trade on the high seas, and agreed to sharing the Great Lakes. The treaty was signed by Daniel Webster and British diplomat Alexander Baring.
Spot Resolution
Offered in the U.S House of Repsin 1847 by Abe, the resolutions requested President Polk to provide Congress with the exact location (the "spot") where blood was spilled on Am soil, as Polk had claimed in 1846 when asking Congress to declare war on Mexico. Lincoln was so persistent in pushing his "spot resolutions" that some began to call him as "spotty Lincoln." Lincoln's resolutions were a direct challenge to the validity of the president's words, and represented an ongoing political power struggle between Whigs and Democrats.
The Tariff of 1842
Black Tariff; a protectionist tariff adopted in the U.S to reverse the effects of the Compromise Tariff of 1833.The bill restored protection and raised average tariff rates to almost 40%. The impact of the 1842 tariff was felt almost immediately by a sharp decline in international trade in 1843. Imports into the U.S almost 1/2 from their 1842 levels and exports, which are affected by overall trade patterns, dropped by~ 20%. The Tariff of 1842 was repealed in 1846 when it was replaced by the Walker Tariff.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
This treaty was negotiated by Nicholas P. Trist. After a few failed attempts at an armistice, he signed the treaty on Feb 2nd, 1848. The treaty was successful, giving Am claim to Texas, and all of the land west of Texas, to Oregon, and Cali. The U.S. paid $15 million for the land, which increased the size of the country by ~ 1/3. Some were resentful of the victory over Mex and the treaty because they thought that the U.S. should get all of Mexico. Others were angry because they thought Polk hadn't followed the "Anglo-Saxon spirit of fair play."
Wilmot Proviso
(1846) Amendment that prohibited slavery from territories from Mexico. Introduced David Wilmot, the failed amendment increased tensions between North and South over slavery; it never became federal law, but it was eventually endorsed by the legislatures of all but one of the free states, and it came to symbolize the issue of slavery.