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