Mexican American War Sectionalism

Slavery was a major issue in the United States. The Northern and the Southern states had different point of views on just about anything. The north wanted nothing to do with slavery, but the south was just the opposite. This clashes between the north and the south caused sectionalism of the United States. Sectionalism is a slow tearing of the nation. Many issues such as slavery, industrialization, tariffs, and culture sharply divided the country. The demand for slavery in the south kept increasing, as there was a rise in the tobacco industry requiring more laborers. There were different categories of slaves: City slaves, which were primarily skilled workers; Domestic Slaves, who worked in the house; this was mostly women; Field slaves, which …show more content…
When Texas was annexed into the United States, Mexicans had cut all relations with the United States. President James Polk ¬¬¬¬¬¬ordered James Taylor to occupy the space between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande. When Mexicans learned of this they crossed over to the Rio Grande and attacked Americans troops. Hearing this news, the United States Congress immediately approved a declaration of War against the Mexicans. As president Polk was growing impatient with how slow the war was progressing, he sent Nicholas Trist to negotiate a settlement. “On February 2, 1848, he reached agreement with the new Mexican government on the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, by which Mexico agreed to cede California and New Mexico to the United States and acknowledge the Rio Grande as the boundary of Texas” (p.297). The Mexican-American War had regenerated the slavery-extension issue that had been put to rest during the Missouri …show more content…
A slave named Dred Scott and his spouse Harriet initially filed the Dred Scott Case in 1846; they filed a suit for their freedom. His master who was an officer in the U.S. Army took Dred Scott from Missouri to Illinois. After his master received orders to return to Missouri, he took Dred Scott with him and soon passed away. So after that with help from an abolitionist, he filed a case in federal court that he should be a free man because he had resided in a free state for a long period of time. Supreme Court’s Chief Justice at the time was Roger Taney, who was a slave owner himself. Eleven years later in March of 1857, the Supreme Court made a decision that Dred Scott will not be given his freedom because slaves are not considered American citizens. Not being a citizen and having basically no rights his case was denied. This ruling affected millions of slaves in