- (from the reading assignment) According to the Texas Legislature in the “Declaration of Causes: February 2, 1861, A declaration of the causes which impel the State of Texas to secede from the Federal Union,” why did they argue that it was necessary for Texas to secede from the Union? In one detailed paragraph, summary the contents of the Declaration.
- What was the purpose of the Lewis and Clark expedition? To what extent were Jefferson’s goals realized/accomplished?
- Why did John Tyler negotiate a Treaty of Annexation with Texas? Why did the Senate not approve the Treaty?
Associated reading – https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/declaration-causes-seceding-states#Texas%C2%A0 - Why did James Polk want to annex California? And if he was able to do that, he felt he would also need to annex New Mexico…why?
- Why did Polk believe he could acquire vast Mexican territories without going to war? What was John Slidell supposed to do to accomplish this? Why did Slidell fail?
- What was the Kansas-Nebraska Act? What brought it about? Why did it so enrage Northerners?
- How did John Brown’s Raid impact sectional relations? Why was it that after the Raid, the South was so unwilling to compromise?
- Abraham Lincoln had no intention of disturbing slavery in the South. If that was true, why did the Southern state secede from the Union?
- What does the video on Andrew Jackson tell us about Jackson’s opposition to the Bank of the United States?
Associated video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGfxyeuy8u8 - Who was Peggy Eaton? What did she allegedly do that was so controversial? How and why did Jackson respond to the crisis in the way in which he did?
- According to the Sally Hemings video, how is the Monticello Historic Site interpreting the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings today? What do visitors learn about this issue?
Associated Video for above – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyZaVH7dbqc