Homework Five Answers - Student Eleven

1. First, the Mexican war resulted in a major annexation of territory to the united states from Mexico. It also provided training and experience to many of the soldiers and officers who would go on to take leadership in the civil war. Thirdly, since the annexed territory became a slave state, it influenced the balance of power between the slave states and the abolitionists in favor of the former.

2. The Whig party was fractured by the issue of slavery; it’s abolitionist and pro-slave members polarized towards the Republican and Demcratic parties respectively.

4. Because the country was so evenly divided, and so violently partisan, mainly over the slave issue. At each election, the opposition party was outraged and the incumbent candidate’s party was complacent, resulting in constant upturns.

5. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book certainly opened the eyes of many people to the suffering inherent in the American social and legal system for the slaves. To the extent that it infuriated abolitionists and egged them on to oppose slavery, the book did contribute to the war; but the northern states would have been adamant in the opposition to slavery even without Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and the war was also fueled by a number of political and economic issues.

7. The battle of the Alamo was significant not because of it’s actual tactical momentousness, but because the slaughter of the Texians who defended the fort (many of whom were distinguished soldiers) inspired other Texians to join the fight for independence from Santa Anna’s Mexican forces.

8. Yes. The united states would have had to walk the razor-thin line between the divided opinions of it’s citizens and compromise would have been necessary on both sides; but I do think it would have been possible. Many other countries had slavery at the time and eventually abolished it. This would undeniably have been more difficult for the United States, since (a) the economy and social structure of the south was inordinately reliant on it, and (b) the United States was unusually polarized in opinion between North and South. But in time probably slavery would have slowly died out as more people became aware of the moral problems with it. However, I don’t think that the civil war should have been avoided in this way; in my opinion it was more important to abolish that institution than to protect the unity of America. Finally, I think the civil war could have been expedited in a far more bloodless manner, particularly had it occurred earlier in the nation’s life.

NathanR