HIST-UA 651 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Wilmot Proviso, Mexican Cession, Southern Democrats
23 Aug 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Belief that the united states had the right to expand across the continent and connect from ocean to ocean. Caused conflicts with the people who were living in the territory that the us wanted to acquire. Lincoln and douglas both ran for the us senate in illinois. Engaged in seven debates on the topic of slavery. Lincoln lost the election but douglas lost the presidency in 1860 and his credibility. Largely opposed by northern abolitionists, they feared it would promote spread of slavery to the territories. U. s. wanted to build railroads to construct new cities & towns but there was a huge debate about new territories being either free state or slave state. So in order to gain new territory w/o major conflict/disagreement, senate douglas introduced this act with popular sovereignty (authority of government is created & sustained by the consent of the people)
