Maria Chavez

Period 4
AP U.S. History
Pangburn
DBQ #6
In the early to mid-nineteenth century, the term “Manifest Destiny” was coined by
Americans who believed American expansion throughout North America was not only justified,
but was inevitable. This belief brought westward travelers trouble when they began their
expansions into the unsettled lands. Unlike the U.S. citizens, Native Americans didn’t believe in
the same Manifest Destiny and many conflicts arose such as the Seminole War of 1835-1842, a
result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, authorized by Andrew Jackson, also referred to as the
Trail of Tears. The westward expansion began to cause more tension when Texas gained its
independence and requested to be part of the United States. There were many conflicts dealing
with Texas. Firstly, the balance would be disturbed between free and slave states which was an
issue that lasted for decades. Slavery was a vital factor in the South’s economy and daily life was
unimaginable without it. Secondly, Mexicans made many border raids, such as the attack against
General Zachary Taylor, spilling the blood of a dozen American soldiers on American soil which
sparked the start of the Mexican-American War. The south’s desire to continue with slavery and
spread it to the new states of the union, soley Texas, was the main cause of the Mexican-
American War because slavery went against Mexican government policies, angered abolitionists,
and Texas’ annexation was argumentably questionable in relation to how the U.S. benefitted,
although the annexation of Texas would reduce foreign threats and complete America’s Manifest
Destiny.
While Texas was still inhabited and under Mexican government, they were anti-slavery
based. Even as an independent nation, the Mexican government wanted to reclaim Texas. The
south brought slaves into Texas which went against Mexico’s policies and fueled resentment
against America, later leading to war. The purpose of document 1 is to show the spread of
slavery and how in 40 years, the south had violated Mexico’s anti-slavery beliefs and proved that
America would be taking the Lone Star State. Mexico had warned many times that the
annexation of Texas into the U.S. would result in war. The extension of slavery would once
again result in bloodshed.
Texas was below the 36° 30° line and would be allowed into the union as a slave state.
This angered abolitionists who didn’t want to see slavery expand throughout the new states. The
south, however, relied almost entirely on slave produced cash crops. Document 2 states that
abolitionists fear Texas to become pro-slavery and the south to develop a slave system and
market, bringing more slavery into the U.S. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate the
ignorance and misinforming of the citizens in relation to the cause of the Mexico-American War,
being the spread and continuance of slavery in new states.
While Texas was undergoing the process of annexation, many arguments could be made
whether or not it was beneficial to the union. In terms of the south’s benefit, document 3
addresses the likely division of the state into five. Out of the five, only two would be
geographically capable of sustaining slavery and slave produced cash crops. The other three
hypothetical states would be admitted as free states, doing little to nothing for the south in terms
of majority government control. The upcoming presidential election made a decision more
complicated. One of the runners for president, Zachary Taylor, a general whose troops were
attacked by a Mexican cavalry prior to the war, believed in the war and saw it as a chance for
political gain. However, this would bring difficulty to his successor as well as shame to the
presidency, as stated in document 5. The then current president, Polk, was a democrat who was
conflicted on the decision on whether to declare war for the annexation, or leave Texas and risk
the threat of foreign affairs annexing Texas and ruining the Manifest Destiny goal so many
Americans were encouraging. The purpose of this document is to show the division of the
political parties at the time. Whigs and democrats were largely divided on the issue of Texas, its
statehood, and slavery status. This would cause more tension between abolitionists and slave-
supporters.
Although the annexation of Texas would come with tribulation, the reward of the
Manifest Destiny continuing was one that the U.S. was willing to take. The addition of Texas
would guarantee that foreign powers such as France or Britain would not take Texas and disrupt
the United States’ conquest in controlling all of North America. Document 4 and document 6
both state how if America didn’t take Texas in as a U.S. state, Britain and France would ally to
take it for themselves. The purpose of these two documents are to highlight the risks America
was faced with if Texas didn’t become part of the union.
Slavery was a growing issue in America long before the country had even become
independent. The spread of slavery westward was a moral, political, social, and economic issue
that americans divided themselves upon. The expansion west made this problem more disastrous
and problematic. Along with the Mexican-Amercan War, slavery would also be the cause of the
Civil War in 1861, roughly 20 years after the Mexican-American War. The south’s perseverance
to continue slavery would end in bloodshed of thousands of soldiers and would eventually lead
to the emancipation proclamation, freeing slaves in the confederacy. Later, the Thirteenth
Amendment would outlaw slavery entirely in the United States of America in 1865. The war
between Mexico and America in 1846 was pivotal in the growth of America, at the cost of peace
between not only Mexico, but between the northern abolitionists and southern slaveholders and
supporters.