Discussion Board

Part 1

What was Manifest Destiny? What happened in the United States because of it?

Part 2

Explain the controversy surrounding the Fugitive Slave Act. What happened as a result of this legislation? Was popular sovereignty a fair way of resolving the territorial slavery issue or an act of legislative cowardice?

ALSO COMMENT ON ANOTHER STUDENT‘S COMMENT BELOW

Manifest Destiny was a 19th century belief that the expansion of the United States was predetermined by God. The three major phases were the special virtues of the American people and their institutions, the mission of the US to redeem and remake the west, and an irresistible destiny to accomplish this essential duty.

This led to a war with Mexico. The Treat of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war, which stated the US now included an additional 525,000 square miles. This would create California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.

The Fugitive Slave Act was passed by Congress in 1850. It was very controversial. The Act required that escaped slaves, upon capture, be returned to their masters and that officials and citizens of free states had to cooperate.

Slaves were successfully escaping to the northern states by the thousands, so the southern states wanted more stricter laws. This law now brought legal trouble to anyone that helped a slave escape.