Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumMexican-American War and Sectional Tension

Read the excerpt below and answer the question that follows.

"What is the territory, Mr. President, which you propose to wrest from Mexico? It is consecrated to the freedom of man, by her organic law... If you acquire it, you must take it as it is. Will you then, by your law, establish slavery where it is now forbidden?... You ask for territory for the purpose of establishing slavery there, and thus changing the balance of political power in this Union. If you persist in this, the Union is dissolved!"
— Senator Thomas Corwin, Speech in the United States Senate, 1847

Which of the following historical developments did the arguments in the excerpt most directly foreshadow?

  1. A
    The permanent resolution of sectional divisions through the federal executive's establishment of popular sovereignty.
  2. B
    The immediate expansion of the Monroe Doctrine to create military alliances with newly independent Latin American republics.
  3. The intensification of sectional conflict over the status of slavery in the territories acquired from the Mexican Cession.Answer
  4. D
    The outbreak of a civil war sparked primarily by southern resistance to federal industrial tariff policies.

Answer

The intensification of sectional conflict over the status of slavery in the territories acquired from the Mexican Cession.
The correct response identifies the intensification of sectional conflict over the status of slavery. The acquisition of territory through the Mexican-American War disrupted the delicate sectional balance in Congress, leading to a series of intense legislative debates and compromises (such as the Compromise of 1850) that ultimately failed to prevent secession and war.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus context, noting that Senator Thomas Corwin is criticizing the acquisition of Mexican territory and warning that introducing slavery there will disrupt the Union.
The core issue is identified as the debate over the expansion of slavery into territories gained from the Mexican-American War.
This establishes the historical context of the Senator's speech and its focus on sectional balance.
2
Connect Corwin's warning ('the Union is dissolved!') to subsequent historical events between 1847 and 1861.
The acquisition of the Mexican Cession resulted in intense legislative debates (like the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act) and violence, ultimately leading to secession.
This links the warning in the source to the actual historical outcome of sectional tension.
3
Evaluate the options to identify which choice correctly describes the intensification of sectional conflict over slavery's expansion and eliminate incorrect options that rely on historical misconceptions.
The option highlighting the intensification of sectional conflict over the status of slavery is selected as the correct development.
This aligns with the main pedagogical goal of assessing understanding of Period 5 sectional tensions.

Key Concept

The impact of the Mexican-American War on sectional tensions and the debate over the expansion of slavery.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Mexican-American War and Sectional Tension

More questions from this topic