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Difficulty: HardManifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

"We are told that this annexation [of Texas] will extend and perpetuate slavery. The very reverse is the fact... Texas is the only safety-valve... If Texas is annexed, she will drag the whole slave population of the South and South-west in that direction... By this process, the slave population will slide of itself, by the laws of gravity, out of the Union into Mexico and Central America, where the slave will become a free laborer, and the negro race be merged and lost in the population of those countries."

— Robert J. Walker, letter on the annexation of Texas, 1844

Which of the following historical developments during the 1840s most directly challenged the argument presented in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The successful pacification of the territorial slavery debate through the application of popular sovereignty in new Western lands
  2. The rapid intensification of sectional conflict over the expansion of slavery into territories acquired from MexicoAnswer
  3. C
    The emergence of federal tariff policies as the primary driver of Southern secession threats during the late 1840s
  4. D
    The interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine as an active military alliance between the United States and Mexico

Answer

The rapid intensification of sectional conflict over the expansion of slavery into territories acquired from Mexico
The correct option is correct because the annexation of Texas in 1845 and the subsequent Mexican-American War led to the acquisition of vast new territories (the Mexican Cession). Rather than allowing slavery to peacefully disperse and dissolve as Walker argued, this westward expansion immediately reignited intense sectional disputes over whether slavery would be permitted in the new territories, as seen in the Wilmot Proviso debates and the Compromise of 1850.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the author's main argument in the provided excerpt.
The author argues that the annexation of Texas would act as a 'safety valve,' causing slavery to diffuse southwestward out of the United States into Mexico and Central America, thereby peacefully resolving the issue of slavery.
Understanding the premise of the argument is necessary to identify what historical development would challenge it.
2
Recall historical events of the 1840s related to Texas annexation and westward expansion.
Following Texas annexation, the United States fought the Mexican-American War, gaining the Mexican Cession. This led to fierce debates (such as the Wilmot Proviso) over the expansion of slavery.
Placing the source in its immediate chronological and thematic context helps evaluate its validity.
3
Identify which development directly contradicts the 'safety-valve' theory.
The acquisition of Western lands led to an immediate crisis over slavery's expansion rather than its peaceful diffusion, which directly challenged Walker's prediction.
This aligns with the correct answer stating that rapid intensification of sectional conflict over slavery's expansion challenged the argument.

Key Concept

The ideological justifications for Manifest Destiny and the subsequent sectional conflicts over the expansion of slavery in the West.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

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