14. AN EXPANSIVE NATION (from Lewis and Clark to Manifest Destiny, the Frontier

who was elected president?

Thomas jefferson

luisiana purchase year

1803

what did luisiana purchase?

doubled the size of us

What was the significance of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803?

• doubled the size of the USA,

• bought from France for $15 million.

• This land stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to New Orleans.

• It was a key moment in U.S. expansion

What was the goal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

• aimed to explore and map the newly acquired Louisiana Territory,

• to develop fur trade routes,

• to study the local flora, fauna, and geography.

• It lasted from 1804 to 1807.

How did settlers view Native American land during the period of U.S. expansion?

• as something to be possessed and cultivated, whereas Native Americans saw it as their homeland to be lived on and respected.

• This clash of ideologies led to displacement and violent conflicts.

What was "The Indian Question" in the 1810s?

• referred to conflicts between white American settlers and Native American tribes.

• President Jefferson proposed that Native Americans either assimilate as farmers or move westward.

• Many tribes resisted but faced violence, land theft, and forced relocation.

What was the significance of Tecumseh's resistance?

• sought to unite Native tribes against U.S. expansion.

• He aimed to halt white settlement and preserve Native lands, but was ultimately defeated, and his efforts were undermined by the U.S. military and British abandonment.

What were the main causes of the War of 1812?

• British impressment of American sailors, tried to make them join navy

• British trade restrictions

• support for Native resistance against U.S. expansion

• the desire for Canada

What were the outcomes of the War of 1812?

• ended with the Treaty of Ghent in 1814,

• resulting in no major territorial changes.

• However, it boosted American nationalism,

• made Andrew Jackson a hero

• weakened Native American resistance to U.S. expansion.

What was the Monroe Doctrine and its significance?

• it stated that the Americas were no longer open to European colonization, asserting U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere.

• nobody tried to challenge it

What is "Manifest Destiny"?

• the belief that the U.S. was destined by God to expand westward across North America.

• It was used to justify the acquisition of territories like Texas, Oregon, and California, driven by a desire for land, resources, and economic growth.

How did the U.S. acquire Texas and what led to the War with Mexico?

• Texas was originally part of Mexico → declared independence in 1836 after battles like the Alamo.

• The U.S. annexed Texas in 1845, leading to war with Mexico.

• The conflict resulted in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ceded Texas, California, and New Mexico to the U.S

What was the Trail of Tears?

• the forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation and other tribes to reservations west of the Mississippi River in the 1830s.

• Thousands of Native Americans died during the journey due to harsh conditions and disease.

How did the U.S. government handle Native American resistance?

• Native American resistance was often met with violence and forced relocation.

• Significant events include the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876) where Native forces defeated U.S. troops, and the Massacre at Wounded Knee (1890), marking the end of major resistance.

What was the impact of the 1830 Indian Removal Act?

• led to the forced relocation of Native tribes to reservations, displacing thousands of people from their ancestral lands.

• This policy was central to President Andrew Jackson's vision of westward expansion and the U.S. frontier.

What were the effects of the U.S. victory in the Spanish-American War (1898)?

• he U.S. defeated Spain, gaining control of the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, and Puerto Rico.

• Cuba became a U.S. protectorate, marking the U.S.'s emergence as an imperial power with overseas territories.

What was the Ghost Dance Movement and its impact?

• was a Native American spiritual movement that prophesied the return of ancestral lands and the removal of white settlers.

• It caused alarm among the U.S. government, leading to the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890, where hundreds of Native Americans were killed.

How did the U.S. government’s treaties with Native Americans often fail?

• Despite signing treaties promising land and rights, the U.S. government frequently broke its promises, leading to further displacement and violence against Native populations.

• By 1934, Native Americans had lost 86% of their land.

What role did Sacajawea play in the Lewis and Clark Expedition?

• a Native woman was an interpreter and guide for the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

• Her knowledge of the land, language, and Native tribes proved invaluable in helping the explorers navigate through the western territories.

What was the significance of the Battle of the Alamo?

• was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution.

• It marked a fierce resistance by Texan rebels against Mexican forces.

• Despite the defeat, the rallying cry “Remember the Alamo” became a symbol of Texan and American resolve to fight for freedom and independence.

How did "Manifest Destiny" influence U.S. foreign policy in the 19th century?

• led to the justification of U.S. territorial expansion across North America, including the annexation of Texas, the Oregon Trail, and the Mexican-American War.

• It framed U.S. actions as divinely ordained, which contributed to conflicts with both Native Americans and neighboring countries like Mexico.

How did Andrew Jackson’s policies affect Native American tribes?

• led to the forced displacement of thousands of Native Americans from their ancestral lands to reservations.

• His aggressive approach to Native Americans was seen as an obstacle to U.S. expansion and a way to make room for white settlers.

What was the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)?

• ended the Mexican-American War, with Mexico ceding a large portion of its northern territories to the United States, including present-day California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

• This treaty fulfilled the goals of Manifest Destiny but deepened the divide over slavery in the U.S.

How did the U.S. government treat Native American resistance after the 1870s?

• After theNative American resistance was met with more systematic efforts to suppress and eliminate any opposition.

• Policies focused on relocating Native Americans to reservations, stripping them of their cultural practices, and breaking up tribal communities.

• The massacres at Wounded Knee and the reduction in Native land marked the decline of organized resistance.

What was the impact of the U.S. expansion on Indigenous cultures?

• U.S. expansion resulted in the near-destruction of Native American cultures.

• Tribes were forced off their lands, their ways of life were disrupted, and many were displaced onto reservations.

• The loss of ancestral lands, along with forced assimilation efforts, caused irreversible cultural damage and social upheaval for Indigenous communities.

How did the concept of "The Frontier" shape the American identity?

• The concept of "The Frontier" played a critical role in shaping American identity.

• It symbolized freedom, adventure, and the possibility of new beginnings.

• It also created a mythos around the "frontiersman" as a rugged individual who was integral to the development of the U.S. However, it also served to justify the displacement of Native Americans and the exploitation of natural resources.