Compromise of 1850

        When Henry Clay and Daniel Webster prepared to deliver their plan to save the Union before the U.S. Senate, they would be addressing a collection of very important Americans.  Members of the 31st Congress of the United States included some of the most talented and influential leaders of the United States.  American Historians have labeled this "The Golden Age of the Senate" because of the collection of talent that was serving.  Some of these members were:

Salmon P. Chase from Ohio: would later serve in Lincoln's Cabinet

Jefferson Davis from Mississippi: future President of the Confederacy

Sam Houston from Texas: Former President of Texas, believed in keeping the Union together.

John C. Calhoun from South Carolina: Strong advocate for State's Rights.

Stephen A. Douglas from Illinois: Democratic nominee for President in 1860.

Thomas Hart Benton from Missouri: Jacksonian leader of the Democratic Party advocated westward expansion but spoke out against slavery.

Lewis Cass from Michigan: Jackson's former Secretary of War, later Secretary of State.  Advocated General Popular Soverignty for people living in new territories

John Bell from Tennessee: Southern politician who was against the expansion of slavery

Hannibal Hamlin from Maine: Lincoln's first Vice-President

  All of these leaders and their Senate counterparts understood that the nation was on the brink of civil war over the issue of expanding slavery. 

Below is timeline detailing the passing of the Compromise of 1850:

January 29, 1850: After confiding with Daniel Webster, Henry Clay introduced his Compromise to the U.S. Senate.

February 5th and 6th: Clay addresses the Senate 

March 4th: John C. Calhoun's speech against the Compromise of 1850 is read to the Senate

March 7th: Daniel Webster delivers his speech calling for support of Clay's Compromise

March 31st: John C. Calhoun dies

April 17th: Thomas Hart Benton is threatened by Senator Foote from Mississippi on the Senate floor

June 3rd-11: Nine slave states sent delegates to the Nashville Convention to consider a course of action if slavery was banned in the West.  Some called for secession.

July 9th: President Taylor, who threatened to veto any legislation that would allow slavery to expand passed away.  President Fillmore was open to resolving the issue of slavery with compromise. 

September: The Compromise is broken into five sections, and are all passed by both the House and the Senate. 

 

Here are the notes from class. 

Daniel Webster and The Compromise of 1850

       By 1850, U.S. Senator Daniel Webster had achieved a very successful career in U.S. politics. He served ten years in the House of Representatives and another 19 years in the Senate. As one of the nation's leading attorney's he appeared in several high profile legal cases earning him the reputation as being of the leading Constitutional scholars in the country.  As Secretary of State Webster successfully negotiated a treaty with Great Britain establishing the border between Maine and Canada.
        Webster was also one of the most vocal critics of slavery in the Senate earning him a great deal of praise from abolitionist across the country. So when Senator Henry Clay sought out Webster's help in January of 1850 it came as quite a shock to many Americans.
         The debate over admitting California as a state brought the issue of slavery to the front of American politics.  California's statehood meant that the balance between free and slave states in the Senate would be gone.  The issue of how settlers in other newly acquired territories would decide on slavery was also brought up.  Should the Federal Government declare those areas open or closed to slavery, or should the residents of those territories decide?  There were even some people in the South and the North calling for the Union of the country to break apart because of slavery.
      In the past Webster and Clay had worked together in Congress as well as been on opposing sides of an issue.  Clay knew that Webster's number one goal was to preserve the United States and prevent a civil war from taking place.  Webster's  support of  Clay's new compromise would be appealing to many Northerners and help Clay get his plan passed.  Webster had the reputation and the ability to get other Northerners to back up Clay, without  Webster's help Clay knew that his plan would look like a southern strategy and alienate Northern Senators and Congressmen.

Tonight for H.W.:

Read and Markup the handout on Daniel Webster. 
     

California and the Compromise of 1850

            In 1849 California sent a request to Congress asking for statehood and launched a crisis that the brought the country closer to disunion.  California became eligible for statehood shortly after the discovery of gold near Sacramento.  A new state threatened the balance in the Senate that had been preserved since the Missouri Compromise of 1820.  Many Northerners welcomed the idea of a new state entering the Union knowing that California would most likely become a free state.
           The issue of California also sparked the debate of popular sovereignty or the belief that the people living in a region should have the right to decide their own fate, or in this case if slavery should be allowed or banned.  Supporters of popular sovereignty cited that these were the ideals of Thomas Jefferson and that they were truly democratic and fair.  Critics of popular sovereignty believed that the right to decide if a territory was eligible for slavery should be reserved for Congress and the federal government not the states.   They believed that popular sovereignty threatened the union of the country.
         The Gold Rush brought thousands of Americans into California over the course of a few months. Many of these new settlers were young single men hoping to make a fortune immediately.  Other settlers were businessmen who where hoping to make money by providing food, shelter, or supplies to the miners.
        Californians were divided over the issue of slavery. Some emigrants to California were slave owners who brought their slaves with them or came from the South and believed that slavery should be allowed in California.  Slavery was seen by some miners as unfair competition and felt that it should be banned for economic reasons while others saw slavery as being morally wrong and did not want to see it spread any further.  The anti-slavery residents were the majority of the population and sought to make sure that when California became a state it would become a free state.
         As Congress began the heated debate over admitting California it became very clear that the issue of slavery was driving the country apart.  Northern Senators and Congressmen warned against the growing influence of slavery in the West while many Southern members of Congress argued that the Federal Government did not have the right to exclude slavery from new land.
         Senator Henry Clay became increasingly concerned over the fate of the country when he saw many of his  colleagues refusing to work together.  Clay hoped that he could create an act of legislation that would hold the country together but knew that he could not do this alone.

What to Cite?

    Other then citing your quotes there might be some information in your essay that you will need to cite.  Citing your work is very important in a history essay because it builds trust and credibility with your readers.  Citing states where you got your information from as well as giving credit to the work and research of other writers.

   The biggest question that you need to ask when writing your essay is, "What information do I need to cite?"

     Unfortunately, I do not have a special formula for you to follow when it comes to citing.  What I do have are some examples of when citations are needed as well as why they are needed and examples when citations are not needed.

  Example 1:

    The Mexican-American War was fought between 1846 and 1848 and claimed the lives of over 13,000 American soldiers.  (Class Notes)

     Reason for Citation: specific number of casualties that were listed.

Example 2:

  One opponent of the Mexican-American War was American poet and writer Henry David Thoreau, who believed that the war was morally wrong. (Zinn, "We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God, p. 6)

   Reason for Citation: Although Thoreau was not directly quoted, his ideas were mentioned

Example 3:

   Before achieving independence, Texas was once controlled by the Mexican government.

   Why no citation? Nobody's opinion was being referenced or quoted and a specific piece of data is not given.
    

Using Quotes

    Many students writing a history paper or essay find that using a quote brings a great deal to their work.  Directly quoting an author or historical figure can greatly improve your argument and assist you in getting your point across.
     For our essay on the Mexican-American War it is required to have at least one quote for each of the body paragraphs.  These quotes are part of your evidence that you are using to support your claim.  Here is some advice, You should be able to place what ever quote you are using in your own words. In other words do not use a quote that you do not fully understand.  In my opinion I think that the most common mistake students make when trying to use a quote in an essay is failing to properly introduce the quote:
         
          Opponents of the Mexican-American War claimed that the war would help spread slavery. "Slaveholders crossed the Sabine River with their slaves."
 
        Yes, the quote is connected to the idea of the paragraph but we do not know the quote's author or the context (background).

Here is a link to the presentation from today on using quotes in your essay.  Tomorrow is or last day of having the computers in the classroom.  I hope that by tomorrow the following is done for your essay:

   1. Introduction

   2. Two-Three Body Paragraphs

   3. Quotes have been reviewed and given the proper context.

Tonight's H.W.

  Today in class we looked at some different tactics on writing a proper introduction for an essay.  Here is a link to the notes from class. The Rough Draft for your essay is due Friday before we leave for February Vacation.  When you are working on your homework you need to have your Writing in History Shouldn't Be a Mystery handout with you.  Use the pages that offer advice on writing a thesis as well as working on your claims and evidence. For tonight I want you to choose to do one of the following:

   1. Look over Body Paragraph One with Mr. Chute's Checklist and make any needed corrections.    Then work on Body Paragraph Two.

  2.  After looking over Body Paragraph One, write your Introduction Paragraph for the essay.

Body Paragraph 1

 Once you have created your Googledocs document for your Mexican-American War essay I want you to start writing the first body paragraph.  That is the only thing that I want you to focus on, writing the body paragraph.  Do not worry about the Introduction and Thesis we are going to devote class time to that, focus on getting your first claim and evidence down.  That is the H.W. for tonight, finish Paragraph 1
   A good paragraph should have a structure that is easy to follow, for example:

   Background Information
   Claim/Thesis Statement
   Supporting Evidence and Details

   If you follow this format it will make your paragraphs easy to read and give your essay a natural flow.

Before you start your body paragraph I recommend you look at page 4, Social Studies Do's and Don'ts  in your Writing in History Packet.  On this page are some simple pieces of advice that will make a very big difference in your final product.

  On page 6 you will find some advice on how to write a claim and on page 7 is some advice on evidence.

Mr. Chute  has created a form to help with paragraph structures for the essay that you may want to check out.
 

Google Docs

                 
     I hope that you are taking some time to enjoy your Snow Day and the now three day weekend.  We now have one less day to be working on the essay together in class, a day that we can not make up.  I am encouraging you all to be proactive and start the assignment on your own by setting up the essay on google docs.  
     If we had class today we were to spend time on drafting our thesis statements and our opening paragraphs.  You can still do this by using your Writing in History Packet for guidelines and helpful tips.  Here is a link offering advice on how to write a good thesis statement on Youtube.

                                        

For the Mexican-American War Essay we are going to be using googledocs again.
Be sure to sign in to the Wellesley Google Apps website.  Please Note: This is different than your own personal google account.

You will need to use your regular school computer ID and PASSWORD.
Here is the link

Once you have successfully logged in, you need to set up your document and share it with me so I can have access to it.

1. Select DRIVE to see your google docs account.

2. Select CREATE and select "Document".

 

5. A new document will come up and now you need to STOP and immediately rename the document. Click on the name of the document at the top of the page using the following format: 
Period#Word for Name of Assignment_LastName

So, in this case, my dog Thurman Mullady would name his paragraph: Period6MxAmWar_Mullady

6. Your last step is that you need to share the document with me so I can see it. Select Share in the upper right hand corner of the doc. 

7. Type in my last name and select my name from the list. Now, select that I can comment.

8. hit DONE

9. Congrats, you did it!!! Begin writing and enjoy using GOOGLE DOCS!!

For Additional Information click on the link to Mr. Chute's site on how to create a google doc.

  I am going to close this post with a request.  In the beginning of the year, I asked you to get the contact information of some classmates. You have also worked with other students before on the Indian Removal Act.  If you checked the site, please encourage your classmates to check it as well. It will reduce set up time in class and increase the amount of time you will have to work on your essay.

 Thank you,

Mr. M

Snow Day!!

Since we do not have school tomorrow, please check the website tomorrow for some tips on working on your introduction.

Mexican-American War

Overview: In 1846 the United States declared war with Mexico. Like many wars the United States has fought, this war had its strong supporters and its vocal critics. By the end of the war, over 40,000 people from both sides were dead and almost half of the land controlled by Mexico was added to the United States (making the U.S. about ⅓ bigger). This writing assignment requires you to take a stand and answer the following question: Was the United States Justified in Going to War with Mexico?

There are two options for your essay:

    Option 1: An Essay with 3 Body Paragraphs (Claims) that will be supported with 2 pieces of evidence. Three quotes are needed for this essay.

   Option 2: An Essay with 2 Body Paragraphs (Claims) that will be supported with 3 pieces of evidence.  Two quotes are needed for this essay.

To be successful for this essay you will need to be focused, be willing to challenge yourself, be able to ask questions when you need some assistance, be open to coming in before or staying after school if you think it will help you, and to plan ahead so that you get everything completed that is needed for you to do your best work.

  In order to have a well thought out essay you should take advantage of the following sources:

  Your Primary Source Packett
  Your Bucket  Lists
  The Howard Zinn Reading
  The Notes from Class
  The Mexican-American War Documentary

Being a good historical writer will reacquire you to use multiple sources in presenting your information. This will create a balanced paper that will offer a better chance of proving your thesis.

   Here is a basic timeline for the essay but these dates are subject to change.

Friday, February 8th: Tree Maps Completed

Tuesday, February 12th: Body Paragraphs are Completed

Wednesday, February 13th: Rough Draft of Essay Completed and brought to Class

Monday, February 18th: Final Document is Shared on Google Docs with Mr. Mullady

Document F

   U.S. Naval Commander John D. Sloat was ordered by the government to sail to California at the outbreak of the Mexican-American War.  Sloat was sent to California for two reasons:

   1. to make sure that the British did not attempt to seize California

   2. claim California in the name of the United States.

     When Sloat's forces arrived off the coast of Monterey California was in a period of economic decline.  The Mexican farming ranching industries had suffered heavy losses and the Mexican population had not effectively grown over the past decade.  There were 4,000 Californians of Spanish descent living in the territory.  The area's biggest city was San Diego with a population of 1,300 followed by Monterey with 1,000 then the cities of Santa Barbara and San Francisco with 800 people living in each community.  With such small numbers scattered around California, Sloat knew that the Mexican government would have a tough time defending the area.


 Your H.W. tonight is to finish marking up Document F.

   Then find 3 reasons why the Mexican-American War was not justified and use three quotes from the Primary Source Packet that supports those reasons.

Using Your Primary Source Packet

       Over the course of the past few weeks we have been discussing whether or not the Mexican-American war was just.  In class we made lists that gave reasons that supported both arguments and gathered evidence to support those claims.
   
     The Primary Source Packet is taking that fact finding to the next level by having use specific historical quotes as evidence.  Documents A, John O'Sullivan's essay on the Annexation of Texas listed reasons why the United States needed to take control of Texas as well as California.  In his essay, O'Sullivan explains why it was necessary for the United States to expand.

   Document B is sections of President Polk's Address to Congress requesting a declaration of war with Mexico.  In his message the President outlines the events leading up to the war as well as explaining why it is necessary for the U.S. to take action against Mexico.

   Last night for H.W. you read and analyzed Document C a letter from the President of Mexico to the Mexican people addressing the Annexation of Texas. In his letter President Hererra explains the Mexican perspective regarding the hostile relationship with the United States.

   Document D is portions of a speech from Charles Sumner to the Massachusetts State Legislature regarding the Annexation of Texas.  Sumner was a very vocal critic of slavery and believed that the expansion of America was only an excuse to expand slavery.

There is no homework this weekend.

Enjoy the big game.