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Difficulty: MediumManifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

Senator Thomas Corwin, speech on the Mexican-American War, 1847:

"What is the territory, Mr. President, which you propose to wrest from Mexico? It is consecrated to the heart of the Mexican by many a battle... But you say you want room for your people. Have you not room enough? ... Go home, and admit that we have land enough, and let us cultivate what we have... Why should we go on a crusade of plunder to obtain more? ... Will you take this territory and hold it by the title of the sword, while you profess to be the great apostle of liberty?"

Which of the following best explains the primary objection of Whigs, such as Thomas Corwin, to the territorial expansion of the United States in the 1840s?

  1. A
    They believed that expansionism violated the Monroe Doctrine by establishing new American colonies in the Western Hemisphere.
  2. They feared that acquiring new territories would inflame sectional tensions by reopening divisive debates over the extension of slavery.Answer
  3. C
    They argued that the federal government lacked the constitutional authority under popular sovereignty to determine the slave status of new territories.
  4. D
    They feared that expansion would lead to immediate tariff disputes with European trading partners, which they viewed as the primary cause of sectional division.

Answer

They feared that acquiring new territories would inflame sectional tensions by reopening divisive debates over the extension of slavery.
The Whig Party generally opposed the territorial expansion of the 1840s, especially the Mexican-American War, because they feared that acquiring new territory would reopen the divisive national debate over whether slavery should be permitted in new lands. This fear was realized with the introduction of the Wilmot Proviso and the subsequent sectional crises that led to the Compromise of 1850.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the speaker's main arguments and tone.
The speaker (Thomas Corwin) opposes the acquisition of Mexican territory, viewing it as a 'crusade of plunder' and questioning the U.S. claim of needing more land.
Understanding the source's anti-expansionist position is necessary to evaluate Whig objections.
2
Connect the Whig opposition to the broader historical context of the 1840s.
Whigs feared that acquiring territory from Mexico would disrupt the Missouri Compromise's balance and reignite intense sectional debates over slavery.
Connecting the document to Period 5 themes identifies the primary cause of Whig concern.
3
Evaluate the options to find the statement that best reflects the Whig concern about sectionalism and slavery.
The option stating that expansion would inflame sectional tensions over the extension of slavery is correct, while other options misinterpret the Monroe Doctrine, popular sovereignty, or the primary cause of sectional disputes.
This confirms the correct option based on mainstream historical consensus.

Key Concept

Whig opposition to Manifest Destiny and the connection between territorial expansion and sectional conflict over slavery.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

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