1. Ch. 10.1

2. The Impact of the War with Mexico  Major American Impacts:  Mexican Cession – Gained 1/3 more land.  Free California  Slavery – Wilmot Proviso

4. The Impact of the War with Mexico  President Polk did not think slavery would be an issue in the new Mexican Territory.  He was wrong.  Wilmot Proviso – outraged southerners.  Sen. Lewis Cass (MI) – Proposes popular sovereignty.  Let the citizens of each state decide if they want slavery or not.

5. Pros and Cons of Popular Sovereignty ProsCons  Seems democratic.  One man, one vote  Removes the slavery debate from national politics.  Wouldn’t impact slavery in the existing states.  Encourages westward expansion—more freedom.  Could lead to corruption.  One man, many votes.  Could still deny human rights to African-Americans.  Wouldn't impact slavery in the existing states.  Could lead to too much freedom, which could cause confusion in national politics.

6. Whig Party after the Mexican-AM War  Whig Party chose Zachary Taylor as their presidential candidate for the election of 1848.  Party was split.  Conscience Whigs – anti-slavery, anti-Taylor.  Cotton Whigs- pro-slavery, pro- Taylor.  Manufacturers who relied on southern cotton.  Conscience Whigs quit the Whig party and joined Northern Democrats who opposed slavery.  Formed the Free-Soil Party.

7. Election of 1848  Three Candidates:  Democrat: Lewis Cass  Supports popular sovereignty.  Free-Soil: Martin van Buren  Supports Wilmot Proviso, very anti-slavery.  Whig: Zachary Taylor  Avoids slavery issue; uses his military achievements in speeches—Jacksonian democracy.  Taylor wins election of 1848.

8. California  1849- 80,000 gold miners flood into California.  “Forty-Niners”  California wished to be admitted to the Union as a free state.  Missouri Compromise? Oregon? Wilmot Proviso?  The slavery issue is raised again.  Southern states begin threatening secession.

9. Compromise of 1850  Sen. Henry Clay (The Great Compromiser) comes up with a plan to form a compromise.  Compromise of 1850  1. California admitted as a free state.  2. Rest of the Mexican Cession would have no restrictions on slavery. (Goodbye Wilmot Proviso, hello Popular Sovereignty.)  3. Texas/New Mexico Border was established.  4. Slave trade abolished in the District of Columbia, but not slavery altogether.

10. Compromise of 1850  5. Congress could not interfere with domestic slave trade.  6. The federal gov’t would pass a new fugitive slave law.  7. The federal gov’t would take on Texas’ debts.

11. Compromise of 1850  Causes a great debate.  Sen. Stephen Douglass (IL) divides the plan into smaller bills.  Allows congress to vote on specific parts of it they liked.  The bills end up passing through congress.  Significance:  Provides a short-term solution for slavery, but the country is still divided on the issue.