Slavery and Westward Expansion Flashcards

What is Westward Expansion in the USA in the 1840s and 1850s?

Settlers moved west and the USA added new lands that later became states.

Why did Westward Expansion make the slavery issue worse?

New states could be slave or free, changing the balance between North and South in the Senate.

What was the Missouri Compromise (1820)?

It let Missouri join as a slave state and Maine as a free state, and banned slavery north of 36°30' in the Louisiana Purchase (except Missouri).

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What was Manifest Destiny?

The belief that Americans should spread across the continent to the Pacific. It encouraged westward growth and raised the slavery question.

Why did Texas joining the USA in 1845 matter for slavery?

Texas entered as a slave state and was very large, so it boosted Southern power and sparked fresh debate.

What new lands did the USA gain after the Mexican-American War (1846-48)?

The Mexican Cession, including California, New Mexico, and Utah. People argued over whether slavery would be allowed there.

What was the Wilmot Proviso (1846)?

A proposal to ban slavery in any land won from Mexico. It did not pass, but it increased North-South tension.

What does popular sovereignty mean in the slavery debate?

People living in a territory would vote to allow or ban slavery.

What did the Compromise of 1850 decide about the West?

California became a free state. Utah and New Mexico would use popular sovereignty to decide on slavery.

How did the California Gold Rush (1848-49) affect the slavery debate?

It brought a fast rise in population, so California sought statehood as a free state, upsetting the balance and leading to the 1850 Compromise.

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