# data[].attributes.body
This Padlet project is a timeline of the years 1844 - 1877 in the US with specific events and battles that occurred. If you ever wondered about the Civil War and the Reconstruction of US, as well as the events that led to them, this timeline will give you a lot of insight about the specifics.
-Asel Kahveci

# data[].attributes.headline
1845: Manifest Destiny & Impact on the Westward Movement

# data[].attributes.subject
1845: Manifest Destiny & Impact on the Westward Movement

# data[].attributes.body
Manifest Destiny was the imperialist idea that the US was destined to expand its dominion and spread democracy from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. This was also used to justify the removal of Native Americans along the way, and purchase territories like the Louisiana Territory to expand the nation westwards.

# data[].attributes.body
In the following cartoon made by John Gast in 1846, we can see the representation of Manifest Destiny in the lives of American citizens. Columbia, the female figure of America, leads Americans into the West and into the future by carrying their values as well as progress such as the innovations of the time like telegraphs. We can also see that the Native Americans and the animals are being pushed into the wilderness while the Americans are moving towards the light. This can be interpreted as how the Manifest Destiny was seen as a bright movement for the US in the means of expanding territory.

# data[].attributes.body
The Mexican American War began when the US annexed Texas and Mexico challenged the border. It then ended with the Guadalupe Hidalgo treaty where Mexico gave up California and New Mexico. The war, however, caused further sectionalism between the North and the South as it resurfaced the slavery issues. After claiming California, the US miners extracted tens of thousands of gold which became known as the California Gold Rush.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Mexican American War: Video Explanation

# data[].attributes.subject
The Mexican American War: Video Explanation

# data[].attributes.body
The above link explains why and how the Mexican American War occurred at the time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Was the Mexican-American War? | History

# data[].attributes.body
After the Mexican American War, a debate over slavery in the territories of the US erupted. Many Southerners sought to expand slavery to the newly acquired lands, while many Northerners opposed such expansion. These increasing disagreements concerned many Americans as it split the nation apart and created strong sectionalism as basis for the Civil War.

# data[].attributes.body
Proposed by Henry Clay, the Compromise of 1850 was made up of bills that attempted to resolve disputes over slavery in the new territories added to the United States. It admitted California as a free state, left Utah and New Mexico to decide for themselves, and defined a new Texas & New Mexico boundary. Although it postponed the Civil War, the compromise was unable to please both pro slave and anti slave groups.

# data[].attributes.body
The above link detailedly explains the main points of the Compromise of 1850, who was involved, as well as the reasons for it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Compromise of 1850 was made up of five bills that attempted to resolve disputes over slavery in new territories added to the United States in the wake of the Mexican-American War (1846-48). It admitted California as a free state, left Utah and New Mexico to decide for themselves whether to be a slave state or a free state, defined a new Texas-New Mexico boundary, and made it easier for slaveowners to recover runways under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 was the mastermind of Whig senator Henry Clay and Democratic senator Stephan Douglas. Lingering resentment over its provisions contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.

The Mexican-American War

The Mexican-American War was a result of U.S. President James K. Polk's belief that it was America's " manifest destiny " to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. Following the U.S. Victory, Mexico lost about one-third of its territory including nearly all of present-day California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. A national dispute arose as to whether or not slavery would be permitted in the new Western territories.

Who Was Responsible for The Compromise of 1850?

Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky, a leading statesman and member of the Whig Party known as "The Great Compromiser" for his work on the Missouri Compromise, was the primary creator of the Missouri Compromise. Fearful of the growing divide between North and South over the issue of slavery, he hoped to avoid civil war by enacting a compromise.

Famed orator and Massachusetts senator Daniel Webster, while opposed to the extension of slavery, also saw the compromise of 1850 as a way of averting national discord, and disappointed his abolitionist supporters by siding with Clay.

When Clay, facing health problems, grew too ill to argue his case before the senate, his cause was taken up by Democratic senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, an ardent proponent of states' rights when it came to deciding the issue of slavery.

John C. Calhoun, a former vice president-turned senator from South Carolina, sought the expansion of slavery into new territories, but in an 1850 speech to the Senate, wrote: "I have, senators, believed from the first that the agitation of the subject of slavery would, if not prevented by some timely and effective measure, end in disunion."

When the full compromise failed to pass, Douglas split the omnibus bill into individual bills, which permitted congressmen to either vote or abstain on each topic. The untimely death of President Zachary Taylor and ascendancy of pro-compromise Vice President Millard Fillmore to the White House helped contribute to the passage of each bill. Calhoun died in 1850 and Clay and Webster two years later, making their roles in the Compromise of 1850 one of their last acts as statesmen.

Main Points of The Compromise of 1850

The Compromise of 1850 was made up of five separate bills that made the following main points:

Permitted slavery in Washington, D.C., but outlawed the slave trade

Added California to the Union as a "free state"

Established Utah and New Mexico as territories that could decide via popular sovereignty if they would permit slavery

Defined new boundaries for the state of Texas following the Mexican-American War, removing its claims to parts of New Mexico but awarding the state $10 million in compensation

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required citizens to assist in apprehending runaway slaves and denied enslaved people a right to trial by jury.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

The first Fugitive Slave Act was passed by Congress in 1793 and authorized local governments to seize and return people who had escaped slavery to their owners while imposing penalties on anyone who had attempted to help them gain their freedom. The Act encountered fierce resistance from abolitionists, many of whom who felt it was tantamount to kidnapping.

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 compelled all citizens to assist in the capture of runaway slaves and denied enslaved people the right to a jury trial. It also placed control of individual cases in the hands of federal commissioners, who were paid more for returning a suspected slave than for freeing them, leading many to argue the law was biased in favor of Southern slaveholders.

Outrage over the new law only increased traffic along the Underground Railroad during the 1850s. Northern states avoided enforcing the law and by 1860, the number of runaways successfully returned to slaveholders hovered around just 330.

Both Acts were repealed by Congress on June 28, 1864, following the outbreak of the Civil War, the event proponents of the Compromise of 1850 had hoped to avoid.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Compromise of 1850 was made up of five bills that attempted to resolve disputes over slavery in new territories added to the United States in the wake of the Mexican-American War (1846-48). It admitted California as a free state, left Utah and New Mexico to decide for themselves, defined a new Texas-New Mexico boundary, and made it easier for slaveowners to recover runway slaves.

# data[].attributes.headline
1851-1860: The Political Divide & New Parties

# data[].attributes.subject
1851-1860: The Political Divide & New Parties

# data[].attributes.body
After the Compromise of 1850 and the Election of 1852, a major realignment of the American political party system occurred by the rise of the Republican party as a response to the Democrat Party and the Whigs. The Republicans opposed the extension of slavery into western territories, believing that slavery should be restricted to its traditional Southern boundaries. The emergence of these new parties divided the nation once again along with Nativist parties.

# data[].attributes.body
With the Dred Scott decision where the Supreme Court ruled that having lived in a free state didn’t entitle a slaved person to his freedom; abolitionist movements started to spread. Lincoln/Douglas debates spurred the nation as Lincoln was an abolitionist and Douglas supported slavery. This put Lincoln in the spotlight, foreshadowing his election. Many Americans followed Lincoln’s lead as seen with the Harper’s Ferry where people led abolitionist riots. After the Election of 1860 with Abraham Lincoln’s victory, South Carolina and many other Southern states seceded from the Union to create the Southern Confederacy because they desired to preserve the institution of slavery.

# data[].attributes.body
After the Southern states seceded from the Union and the issues of slavery deepened with the growth of abolitionist movements; the war between the Northern states loyal to the Union and the Southern states that seceded took place. Abraham Lincoln gave a speech called the Gettysburg Address where he believed that the War was a struggle for freedom and equality for all. The Civil War ended with the surrender of the Southern Confederacy mainly because of the Vicksburg battle that split the Confederacy apart and the Sherman’s March that frightenEd the Southern states to abandon the Confederate cause.

# data[].attributes.body
In this letter written by Abraham Augustus Bowles, he explains his pioneer experiences as he goes to the Civil War. This is the first page of the letter, but in the next 10 pages; he talks about where he was stationed and how he had little to no food. He also talks about what he was expected to do and how he had such difficult times.

# data[].attributes.body
After the Civil War, the South’s economy was devastated as most of the war was fought in the South and much of its wealth had been destroyed because of the emancipation of the slaves. A large number of soldiers also had been killed. This solidified Northern control in the Congress and attracted more immigrants to the North instead of the South. The 13th Amendment was passed, completely abolishing slavery. Following the abolition, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated during a play to revive the Confederate.

# data[].attributes.body
To build unity between the states, Lincoln proposed a plan to reintegrate the Southern states into the Union by granting presidential pardons to all Southerners. The Reconstruction Act of 1867 was passed to readmit the Southern states to the Union. Politics then fluctuated because not all Republicans supported slavery; people known as Radical Republicans wanted the abolition of slavery and held the Southern states culpable for the war. In many states, there were an emergence of black codes which limited the freedom of African Americans. As a response, 14th & 15th Amendments were passed which suggested that all persons born were entitled equal rights and citizens cannot be denied of voting rights because of gender or race. Johnson became during this time period, and was later impeached because he fired a radical ally.

# data[].attributes.headline
1870-1877: The Collapse of The Reconstruction

# data[].attributes.subject
1870-1877: The Collapse of The Reconstruction

# data[].attributes.body
After the Reconstruction, there came The Panic of 1873, an economic depression of America caused by too many railroads being created than what existing markets could bear. There were also civil right setbacks in the Supreme Court because it was ruled that the Congress wasn’t able to punish a state that violated the civil rights of African Americans. Many white Southerners were calling for Redemption, the return of white supremacy and the removal of rights for blacks. This political pressure was backed up by groups like the Ku Klux Klan and mob violence. In 1877, Hayes withdrew the last federal troops from the South, thereby ending the Reconstruction. Over the next decades, the civil rights that blacks had been promised crumbled under white rule in the South.

# data[].attributes.body
All of the chosen events during the time period of 1844-1877 impacted the sectional conflicts at the time as well as the history of the United States. The Mexican American War, the Compromise of 1850, the Southern Secession and the emergence of new political parties contributed to the split of the North and the South. They all proved that both sides had very different notions, and the sectionalism became unbearable to the point of the Civil War. This meant American revolution, as the 13th-14th-15th Amendments were passed. I think that all of these subjects contributed to the history of the US a significant amount since if the war wasn’t fought, there would still be the institution of slavery. It also showed to the Americans that the unity of the South and the North must always be evident in order to advance as a nation with equal opportunities for all.

# data[].attributes.body
I definitely overall enjoyed this project because of the fact that the history of the US proves how we as a nation should be united at all times. When sectionalism starts to occur, all it brings is violence and wars. I liked to research about the Civil War as well as Abraham Lincoln because I think that he played a key role in abolitionism. I found it enlightening to research about such important events.