1800-1860: Government and Politics
1800-1860: Chapter Six: Government and Politics
by JONATHAN EARLE
CONTENTS
CHRONOLOGY 170
OVERVIEW 177
TOPICS IN THE NEWS
American Expansion: The Great Land Ordinances 179
Burr and Jefferson: Election of 1800 179
Fortunate Accident: The Louisiana Purchase 180
The Great Journey: Lewis and Clark 180
Passages from the Journal of William Clark 181
Hour of Crisis: War of 1812 182
Internal Improvements: The American System 185
The Missouri Compromise 186
Native Americans and Removal 186
In Tocqueville’s Eyes 188
Black Hawk’s Surrender Speech 189
A New Land: Texas and Annexation 189
Rivalry Along the Rio Grande: War with Mexico 192
President James K. Polk’s War Message 192
The Wilmot Proviso, 1846 194
The Slavery Issue: The Election of 1848 195
The Slavery Issue: Western Politics and The Compromise of 1850 196
Transportation: Paying for the Railroads 198
Union in Crisis: The Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Republican Party 199
War on the Border: Bleeding Kansas 200
HEADLINE MAKERS
Daniel Boone 201
Henry Clay 202
David (Davy) Crockett 203
Stephen A. Douglas 203
Andrew Jackson 204
Sacagawea 205
PUBLICATIONS 206
Sidebars and tables are listed in italics.