USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The westward expansion carried slavery down into the Southwest, into Mississippi, Alabama, crossing the Mississippi River into Louisiana. Finally, by the 1840’s, it was pouring into Texas. So the expansion of slavery, which became the major political question of the 1850’s, was not just a political issue.

Detailed explanation-2: -A complex mix of political, social, and economic factors fueled American expansionist sentiment in the 1840s. Many Americans subscribed to the concept of “Manifest Destiny, ” the belief that Providence preordained the United States to occupy as much land on the continent as possible.

Detailed explanation-3: -One of the main reasons was for personal economic gain. Many Americans believed that if they could not succeed where they were, they could always move West and start over. After all, that was how the nation had grown so large. The Panic of 1837 was an incentive for many, but the migration had begun before then.

Detailed explanation-4: -By 1800 or so, however, slavery was once again a thriving institution, especially in the Southern United States. One of the primary reasons for the reinvigoration of slavery was the invention and rapid widespread adoption of the cotton gin.