The Middle Period, 1817-1858

The Lecompton Convention Ordered--Robert J. Walker and F. P. Stanton--Stanton and the "Free-state" Men--Walker's Address--The "Free-State" Legislature and Mass-meeting--The Plan...

The Growth of Slavery not Seriously Checked by the Prohibition of the Foreign Slave-trade--The General Government Powerless Against Slavery in the Existing Commonwealths--The Po...

Eli Thayer and His Emigrant Aid Scheme--Reports in Regard to its Character and Purposes--The Missouri "Border Ruffian" of 1854--Nebraska for the North and Kansas for the South--...

The Philosophy of Abolition--William Lloyd Garrison--The Civil Status under the Constitution of 1787--Points at which Slavery Could be Legally Attacked--Garrison's Methods--The...

The Indian Question in Georgia--The Indian Springs Convention--The Repudiation of the Agreement--The Controversy between the Administration and Georgia--The Creek Convention of...

The Connection of California with the Mississippi Valley--Nebraska--Mr. Douglas' Nebraska Bill and Report--The Surprising Assumptions in the Report--Mr. Douglas' Purpose--The Re...

Bills for Oregon Territory--Thirty-six Degrees and Thirty Minutes to the Pacific--Mr. Rhett on the Rights of the South in the Territories--The Third Oregon Bill--The Party Platf...

Jackson's Ideas Concerning Internal Improvements--The Maysville Road Bill--The Slavery Question not Involved in the Vote on the Bill or in the Veto--Railway Building Begun--The...

Slavery and the Industrial Policies of the Union--President Monroe and Protection after 1820--The Committee on Manufactures--The Tariff Bill of 1823--The General Character of th...

First Appearance of Slavery in the British North American Colonies--Early Theory of the Benefits of Slavery--The Earliest Legal Recognition of Slavery in the Colonies--Northern...

Arkansas and Michigan--Florida and Iowa--Texas--The Austin Grant--Local Government in Texas--The Attempts by the United States to Purchase Texas--The Texan Revolution--General S...

Personal Differences, and Party Division--Military Confederation of the Spanish-American States--Invitation to the United States to send Representatives to the Congress at Panam...

The Influence of Physical Geography upon Political Development--Defect in the Southern Boundary of the United States before 1819--The Treaty of Paris of 1763--The Boundary betwe...

Jackson and the Bank in his First Annual Message--Jackson's Relations to the Portsmouth Branch of the Bank--Jackson's Opposition in Principle to the Bank--The Political Science...

General Character of the Acts of the Fourteenth Congress--Madison's Message of December 5th, 1815--Change in the Principles of the Republican Party--The United States Bank Act o...

Change of Attitude of the Slaveholders by the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850--The First Cases Under the New Law--The Opposition to the Execution of the Law--Establishment of the "Un...

General Character of the Presidential Contest of 1824--John Quincy Adams--DeWitt Clinton--William H. Crawford--John C. Calhoun--Daniel Webster--Henry Clay--Andrew Jackson--The N...

Slidell's Mission to Mexico--The Failure of the Mission--The Concentration of the Mexican Forces at Matamoras--The United States Forces Ordered to the Rio Grande--Hostilities Op...

The Origin of the Dred Scott Case--Two Dred Scott Cases--The Facts of the Cases--The Case in the Missouri Courts--The Case in the United States Courts--The Case a Genuine Procee...

Jackson and the Bank after the Election of 1832--The Power of the Secretary of the Treasury over the Government Deposits--Removal of McLane and Duane--Taney's Report to Congress...

The Popularity of the Democratic Position, and Mr. Clay's Letter of August 16th--The Abolitionists Declare against Mr. Clay--The Triumph of Polk--Tyler's Recommendation to Annex...

Extent of Oregon and Claims to it--The Nootka Convention--Louisiana and Oregon--Astoria--The Joint Occupation Agreement of 1818--Spain's Claims on Oregon Ceded to the United Sta...