The Republic of TexasMilitary
Texas independence and the Alamo
American settlers in Texas revolt against Mexico; after the doomed stand at the Alamo, they win independence and establish the Republic of Texas.
American History · Chronicle V of X
Antebellum America & Westward Expansion
Manifest Destiny · 1836-1860
Manifest Destiny, the Mexican War, and the crisis over slavery.
- Span
- 1836 – 1860
- Entries
- 9
Entry 1 of 9
Manifest DestinyPolitical
Manifest Destiny and annexation
The belief that the United States was destined to span the continent — 'Manifest Destiny' — drives the annexation of Texas and fuels demands for still more territory.
War with MexicoMilitary
The Mexican-American War
Victory over Mexico brings California and the Southwest into the Union, but the new lands reopen the explosive question of whether slavery should expand westward.
Gold and ReformCultural
Gold Rush and the Seneca Falls Convention
The discovery of gold in California draws hundreds of thousands westward, while at Seneca Falls reformers issue the first major call for women's rights in America.
An Uneasy CompromisePolitical
The Compromise of 1850
Congress tries to balance slave and free states, but the harsh Fugitive Slave Act outrages the North and deepens sectional bitterness.
Bleeding KansasPolitical
Kansas-Nebraska Act and a new party
Letting territories vote on slavery sparks violence in 'Bleeding Kansas' and gives rise to the antislavery Republican Party.
The Courts and the CrisisPolitical
The Dred Scott decision
The Supreme Court rules that Black Americans are not citizens and that Congress cannot bar slavery from the territories, inflaming the North and pushing the nation nearer to war.
The BrinkPolitical
John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
Abolitionist John Brown attacks a federal arsenal hoping to spark a slave uprising. His execution makes him a martyr in the North and a terror in the South.
Toward DisunionPolitical
Lincoln's election and secession
Abraham Lincoln wins the presidency without a single Southern electoral vote; within weeks South Carolina secedes, and the Union begins to break apart.
1 more entry, to 1860