In the 1800 - 1850's, the United States was at a pivotal state. We were still finding ourselves; it was the teenage years of our nation. A lot of changes were occurring and citizens were still unsure of how the United States would turn. Bad decisions were made; experiences teach us what to do and how not to do it. Ultimately we become torn on issues on basic issues not addressed in the Constitution. Events that will lead to a chaotic civil war, from one perspective, pull the two sides together but in the end self-interest rules.
National unity among the states was the goal, but many plans seemed to either backfire or get overcome by the people's drive toward war, for example President Polk's coercion for westward expansion (doc 3). He called it Manifest Destiny; …
