"I am Wallace Franklin: publisher, editor, reporter, and printer of The California
Herald. Over the last years, I have done my best to inform the townspeople of
political happenings in the East and South of our nation.
I write this at the beginning of my memoir because our young nation is at a
crossroads, and I feel it necessary to record events while I am still able.
In today’s edition of the newspaper, I am including the image of a painting. As I
study it, I think it may be representative of the beginnings of our current crisis."
The painting portrays the West as an undeveloped wilderness with no other
occupants. In this way, the painting reveals the element of manifest destiny that
concludes (A) whites are destined to advance civilization.
"I have taken to recording my thoughts each evening as I begin to write this
chronicle of my life.
"I am reminded of an earlier vision of the West. I recall Thomas Jefferson’s
conviction that the future of the United States lay to the West and how he
attempted to bring this about with his land ordinances and, of course, the
Louisiana Purchase."
That vision is being demonstrated in the idea of .
● the public domain
● federalism
● western expansion
● republicanism
● imperialism
● manifest destiny
, "As I continue to contemplate these past events and inscribe them in my journal,
I would be remiss if I did not note the pivotal issue of slavery and its expansion
into the West. I printed many articles about the controversies that were occurring
in Washington, DC, at this time in our history.
"I provided this information for my readers because of high interest and high
stakes, as well. The country was quickly expanding to the West, and
well-established practices, such as slavery, were being forced into the political
arena.
"To my mind, three events related to slavery and Western expansion contributed
to the crisis that we see today."
Place the events in the correct chronological order.
1. a. The United States formally annexed Texas.
2. c. James Marshall discovered gold in the American River in California.
3. b. A compromise was reached over California’s admission to the country as a
free state.
● a. The United States formally
annexed Texas.
● b. A compromise was reached over
California’s admission to the country
as a free state.
● c. James Marshall discovered gold in
the American River in California.
"After the war with Mexico and as the controversies about the spread of slavery
continued, a new political party emerged: the Free-Soil Party. It put forth a
candidate in the 1848 presidential election. Although that candidate did not win,