Final answer:
The westward expansion of American settlement had a significant impact on the debates surrounding slavery. The Louisiana Purchase, the Missouri Compromise, and the acquisition of land from Mexico shaped the positions of both the North and the South.
Step-by-step explanation:
The westward expansion of American settlement had a significant impact on the debates surrounding slavery.
With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the question arose as to whether the newly acquired lands would be slave or free. This raised tension and concerns among Americans, as they grappled with the expanding plantation slavery driven by the cotton gin.
The Missouri Compromise in 1820 attempted to address the issue by allowing Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state and Maine as a free state, while also drawing a line at the southern boundary of Missouri (36°30' parallel) to prevent slavery in future territories north of that line. While it offered a temporary solution, it set the stage for further debates.
The acquisition of land from Mexico, including California and New Mexico, through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, intensified the sectional divide. Southerners advocated for the expansion of slavery into these territories, while Northerners opposed it. This led to the Compromise of 1850, which included provisions such as allowing California to enter the Union as a free state.
Overall, the westward expansion of American settlement, including the Louisiana Purchase, the Missouri Compromise, and the acquisition of land from Mexico, shaped the positions of both the North and the South on the issue of slavery and contributed to the growing sectional tensions that ultimately led to the Civil War.