Civ. US L2

Civi US

5.2.13

Création de la nation Américaine

I)4 The key issues: the territories and the place of slaves

Première moitié 19e

a) the territories

were a central question in the first decades of the US. Indeed, the extent of the territories was anon. It was necessary to make provisions of the creation of new states.

(50 states) (48 + Alaska & Hawaii)

The Constitution so give the possibility to introduce new state. So the territories become a major issue.

1803: the USA acquired Louisiana from Napoleon

the US double the size of the US territory. This is the beginning of Westward (extension vers l'ouest) expansion. The conquer of Westward.

From 1804 to 1806 took place the Lewis Clark expedition. It was led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They were the first once on American history to cross the continent from the east to the est. They were the first once to see the pacific coast. They were helped by a girl named Sacagawea (interprète, guide) from Shoshone. They faced many dangers (cold, hunger, wild animals and naked/indian troops). Only one man lost (31 at the beginning – one death)

Texas: (2e plus grand etat des US)

was first Spanish territory (at 1810).

1810-1821: independence War

Mexicans won and gained independence from Spain

Texas was populated with many Americans → second revolution in texas because they wanted Texas to join US.

The Revolution took in 1835-1836. And Texas became independent (Republic of Texas)

Finally, Texas join US in 1845

b) the place of slaves

The question of slavery is delicate but a central one of the history of US.

However, the Americans had been ill-at-ease (mal à l'aise) with slavery since the creation of the nation. That is something … on the Constitution. For instance, article 1 section 9, “The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight (1808)”

Postponing any legislation on the matter to twenty years in the future which means that the problem is not settled. This is because the... did not want to endanger the creation of the nation.

Article 4 section 2 clause 3 is none as the fugitive slave clause

It prohibited any citizen to help fugitive slave

Article 1 section 2 clause 3

included the famous “three fifths compromise”

“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons “

This is clearly that a slave is equal to 60% of a white man. This proportion was used to calculate the population of the state. And at the time both taxation and political representation were lent to the population of the States. (aucun état n'a interet à mentir)

c)the 1850's : the reunion of both issues

Gradually, Northern states are more and more opposed to slavery whereas the Southern were determined to keep slavery because slavery was extreme important for the economy of the south. The south is rural and agricultural while the north had become industrial.

From the ... , the Northern states had started to put end the slavery on their territories.

So there is a difference of rising of to type of states. On one hand, we have the free states where slavery is abolished and you have also slave states where slavery was legal.

The borderline between the free states and slave states was called the Mason-Dixon line. Ideological tensions are growing between the north and the south. However, the south had a law on his sight. Slavery was legal in the Constitution and the north could not change that. So the opposition took place between the abolitionist were mostly from the north and belong to the Whig Party and the defenders of slavery were mostly from the south and belong to the Democratic Party.

North

South

Pro-abolition

Pro-slavery

Industrial

Rural

Whig/ Rep

Democratic Party

The slavery issue became more and more important during the presidential election.

Especially a new problem. Should the new states legalize slavery

There are 3 options:

The North said the new states should be free states

The south said the new states should be slave states

Popular sovereignty: let the people choose, but it did not work.

This question of legalizing slavery in the new states is called the expansion of slavery. Questions of territories & slavery (expension de l'esclavage selon l'expension du territoire)

The Whig Party suffered a large defeat in the presidential election in 1852. And it was agonizing after that.

This lead of the creation of Republican party in 1854.

1856: the first run for the presidential was encouraged. (1/3 point of the population)

The Southerners mostly democrats had threatened to leave the union. But it did not happened in 1856. However, they issued the same threat of seceding from the union four years later from the presidential elections on 1860. Extreme political tensions.

1857: the

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