1.3
Expansion, Conflict, and Civil War (1807–1877)
September 1, 2025
Shivohm Karogal
5
Min Read
AI Summary
These revision notes focus on the westward expansion of the U.S. and the deepening sectional conflicts over slavery. Manifest Destiny fueled the belief that expansion was inevitable, highlighted by the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which doubled U.S. land but displaced Indigenous peoples. The North’s growing industrial economy contrasted with the South’s reliance on enslaved labor, leading to tensions addressed by laws like the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which triggered violent clashes. The Civil War ended slavery through the 13th Amendment, and Reconstruction aimed to secure rights with further amendments, though systemic discrimination and economic struggles persisted in the post-war South.
Manifest Destiny & the Louisiana Purchase
Manifest Destiny: The belief that U.S. expansion westward was justified and inevitable.
Louisiana Purchase (1803): Doubled U.S. territory; displaced Indigenous populations.
Sectional Differences, Slavery, and Abolition
North: Industrialized economy, decreasing reliance on slave labor.
South: Agriculture-driven, dependent on enslaved labor.
13th Amendment (1865): Abolished slavery, but discrimination persisted.
Civil War Origins
Compromise of 1850: Admitted California as a free state; defined slavery borders.
Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): Allowed popular sovereignty on slavery; led to violence (“Bleeding Kansas”).
Civil War and Reconstruction
Reconstruction Amendments (13th, 14th, 15th): Abolished slavery, granted citizenship, and voting rights.
Post-war South: Faced economic hardship; African Americans faced segregation and systemic inequality.