California was already a "free" state, wasn't it? Apart from that, I am told that the cotton grown in California is grown because of irrigation pumps that carry the water and distribute it. They didn't have such a system in 1860. I'm thinking it was at least the 1920s before such stuff was developed.
I am also assured that everything in west Texas and further west, is only grown as a result of irrigation systems which did not exist, and would not exist for many decades into the future.
Why do you associate expansion of slavery with growing cotton. Surely slaves can be put to other uses.
Cotton was the primary cash crop using slaves. Why would you put them in the territories to make piddling amounts of money when they could make far more money in the cotton or tobacco fields? Bad investment.
If you look up the wikipedia entry on New Mexico territory, I believe it says there was 12 slaves in the entire territory, and that's when it extended all the way to California!
What I discovered is that slavery could not have spread. Neither Cotton nor Tobacco will grow in any of the territories slavery could have expanded to, at least not for another 60 years or so it would take to make modern irrigation pumps.
The simple truth is that in 1860, slavery could not spread. It was literally impossible.
Those are your statements which are incorrect. Plenty to do in the west and the use of slaves would save money. Shipping, Mining, constuction, farming, cattle sheep and so on.
The problem is that for 25 years the south was fighting to do one and one state admissions. That would be one slave and one free state to keep the balance in the congress so that slavery would not be abolished.
When Lincoln ran he was not for continuing one and one admissions and the south was worried. Thats why southerners tried to assassinate him at the Baltimore train station when he switched trains coming to DC for the first inauguration. Pinkerton unraveled the plot and probably saved Lincoln’s life.
But stay there was no use for slaves is inaccurate and a false assumption tying that use to just tobacco and cotton.