congress debates the fate of the nation: analyzing the ......congress debates the fate of the...

CongressDebatestheFateoftheNation:AnalyzingTheWilmotProviso&PresidentPolk’s1848Map

CenterforLegislativeArchivesNationalArchivesandRecordsAdministration

www.archives.gov/legislative

Worksheet2:AnswerKey

(Individualanswersmightvary)

1. WhatdidtheWilmotProvisosayaboutslaveryinthenewlyacquiredWesternterritories?

TherecouldbenoslaveryorinvoluntaryservitudeinanyterritorygainedbytreatyfromMexico.

2. ListthreewaysinwhichtheWilmotProvisowouldhavespurredunityandthreewaysitwouldhavespurreddivisioninAmerica.

WaysofSpurringUnion WaysofSpurringDivisionEndeddisputeovertheWesternterritoryacquiredfromMexico

Drivena“wedge”betweenNorthernandSouthernmembersoftheWhigandDemocratic

PartiesRemovedtheissueoftheextensionof

slaveryfrompoliticsElevatedslaverytoanational

politicalissuePreservedthepartiesasnational

institutionsStrengthenedtheFreeSoilpartyin

theNorth

3. WriteahypothesisaboutwhethertheWilmotProvisowouldhaveprimarilyunitedordividedthenationandwhy.

Byelevatingslaverytoanationalissue,anddrawingalinebetweenNorthernandSouthernmembersofbothpoliticalparties,theWilmotProvisoprimarilydividedthenation.

CongressDebatestheFateoftheNation:AnalyzingTheWilmotProviso&PresidentPolk’s1848Map

CenterforLegislativeArchivesNationalArchivesandRecordsAdministration

www.archives.gov/legislative

Worksheet3:AnswerKey

Directions:Outline and labelthefollowingareasonthismap:a.theFreeStatesin1848,b.theSlaveStatesin1848,c.theNorthwestTerritory,d. IndianTerritory,e.the36°30’lineoflatitude,f.theOregonTerritory,g.theareaofthecountryaffectedbytheWilmotProviso. DrawinformationrequiredfromthePolkMapfacsimile.

CongressDebatestheFateoftheNation:AnalyzingTheWilmotProviso&PresidentPolk’s1848Map

CenterforLegislativeArchivesNationalArchivesandRecordsAdministration

www.archives.gov/legislative

Worksheet5:AnswerKey(Individualanswersmightvary)

1. ListfivesignificantdifferencesbetweenPresidentPolk’s1848mapandamapofthe

UnitedStatestoday.

1. Californiaismuchbigger–includingseveralotherstates2. Texasismuchbigger3. NewMexicoissmaller4. TheMexicanborderisfurthernorth5. OregonincludesthestatesofWashingtonandIdaho

2. ListfourexamplesofsignificanttypesofinformationmissingfromthePolkmap.

e.g.,informationaboutpopulation)1. Informationabouttheeconomy2. Informationabouttransportation(railroadsandcanals)3. Informationaboutagriculturalproduction4. Informationaboutclimateandweather

3. Writeaone-sentencestatementsummarizingtheargumentPresidentPolk’smapmadeaboutdividingtheWest.

MakingacompromiseaboutslaverybyextendingtheMissouriCompromiseline(36°30’)tothePacificwilldividethenewlyacquiredterritoryinawaythatcouldbeacceptabletoboththeNorthandSouth.

4. DirecteachgroupofstudentstowriteahypothesisonWorksheet3aboutwhetherthesolutionofferedbythePolkMapwouldhaveprimarilyunitedordividedthenationandwhy.Answerswillvary:ThePolksolutionmighthaveunitedNorthandSouthinacompromise,exceptthattheWilmotProvisohaddividedthem.AcceptingPolk’scompromisewouldhaverequiredrepresentativesofbothregionstobackoffpointsmadeinresponsetoWilmot–theNorthtoacceptslaveryintheWesternterritory,andtheSouthtoacceptlimitsonslaveryintheWesternterritory.

CongressDebatestheFateoftheNation:AnalyzingTheWilmotProviso&PresidentPolk’s1848Map

CenterforLegislativeArchivesNationalArchivesandRecordsAdministration

www.archives.gov/legislative

Worksheet6:Answer Key

Directions:UseinformationfromthetablesonPresidentPolk’smaptocreateandcolorthreecontrastingbargraphs.Useadifferentcolorforeachareaandlabeleachentry.(Note:ThearealabeledIndianTerritoryisnotincludedinthisanalysis.)

AreaofExistingFreeandSlaveStates(includingTexas)

AreaofStateandTerritoriesDividedasProposedbytheWilmotProviso

AreaofStatesandTerritoriesasProposedbyPresidentPolk'sMap

(Californiadividedat36°30’)SqMi2,200,0002,100,000 994,4352,000,000 N.W. 994,4351,900,000 Territory N.W.1,800,000 Territory1,700,0001,600,0001,500,0001,400,0001,300,0001,200,000 526,0781,100,000 California 204,3831,000,000 321,695 S. California900,000 325,530 325,530 N. California 325,530800,000 Texas Texas Texas700,000 341,463 341,463600,000 610,798 Oregon 610,798 Oregon 610,798500,000 SlaveStates SlaveStates SlaveStates400,000 454,340 454,340 454,340300,000 FreeStates FreeStates FreeStates200,000100,000

Free Slave Free Slave Free Slave