Did The Mexican War Fuel The Crisis for The American Civil War?

The nineteenth century was a defining moment in the balance of power in the American government. The Mexican War was able to alter the once equal distribution of power between the North and the South, in favor for the South. Northerners felt they were being inundated by the Southern ambition to transform the lands obtained from the Mexican war into slave states. Northerners even condemned the war as a “slave power conspiracy”, and considering the Northern beliefs this statement was very accurate.

Even before the Mexican War had begun Northern and Southern conflicts were increasing. The Northerners were at disadvantage with the inauguration of President Polk, and because  a slave counted as three-fifths of a person when determining the number of representatives. Therefore, the Southerners obtained more representatives then the North felt they deserved and President Polk understood the Southern ideals far better than those of the North. Most Northerners were hoping for the inauguration of President Martin Van Buren, but he was unable to obtain presidency because he opposed the annexation of Texas. The Northerners were also agitated by the fact that Polk refused to increase the amount of land America had in Oregon territory because the Southerners didn’t want war with Britain, but they were willing to have war with Mexico for more Southern land.  The North felt they were being overpowered in the House of Representatives and by the President.

During and After the Mexican War Northern ambitions seemed to become harder to press forth. Considering most of the land from the “Mexican cession” was under the Mason Dixon line, the Southerners were able to subdue the Northerners in the Senate. The Northerners were not able to pass many bills that the Southerners rejected because there were thirty senators for the South and only twenty-eight senators for the north. An example of a bill rejected by Southerners but endorsed by Northerners would be the Wilmot Proviso. As a result to the North having less senators then the South, the Northerners had a tough time with the Senate.