The concept of territorial expansion or manifest destiny, if you will, was born in 1840 and it was said that the American people deserved to control the entire continent. But as with all ideas, there were some complications. The North and South were becoming, for lack of a better word, hostile towards each other due to disputes over slavery. As the United States was taking control of new lands, the status of slavery was high on everyone's agendas. The United States attempted to resolve this conflict through the implementation of the Missouri Compromise, but to no avail. Although territorial expansion seemed to be the best solution for the growing country of the United States, it either started a controversial debate over slavery. Those who opposed expansion feared that it would aggravate the slavery issue and threaten the Union. Primarily, the North was known for its anti-slavery movements and chose not to cooperate until slavery was abolished. However, the South encouraged the practice of slavery by claiming that it was a source of labor for “Southern whites.” However, on the upside of...