Ostend Manifesto 1854

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The Ostend Manifesto named for its location written, Ostend Belgium, was designed to be a secret plan, to be written by American diplomats, outlining the United States' acquisition of Cuba, which would be turned into a slave territory. The plan called for a radical display of American affluence and power stating that if Spain was unwilling to sell Cuba then that the U.S. would take it with force. The plan however did not remain secret and was leaked. Northerners became angered by the document seeing it as a way for slavery to spread its influence. The North, who was unhappy with some of the pieces of the Compromise of 1850, now only had further reason to impose themselves on the abomination of slavery.