Ardoin - Manifest Destiny

What was Manifest Destiny?

The belief that "It is the divine mission of the U.S. to expand to the Pacific Ocean."

→ God wants us to do this, so we have to do what God tells us to do.

Up till this point, who does this western territory belong to?

Mexico

Which Americans really supported westward expansion?

>> Land-hungry Americans who want more fertile soil.

>> Patriots who fear that Britain wants to claim the land for themselves.

>> Eastern merchants who wanted ports on the Pacific coasts.

>> Nationalists who sought American greatness.

Who campaigns in the Election of 1842?

William Harrison (Whig Party) v. Andrew Jackson (Democrat)

Who won the election of 1840 and why?

Harrison won the election by capitalizing on Jackson's common man theme and handing out beer and small log cabins.

What happened to Harrison after he gave his inaugural address in the rain?

He contracted pneumonia and died.

Who became president after William Harrison died in office?

John Tyler

→ was once a Democrat who supported states' rights, but is now a Whig

What is significant about John Tyler?

He annexed Texas because he

realized he would go down in history as having done nothing.

What was the Oregon Trail?

A 2,000-mile long trail that connected Missouri to Oregon.

Why did farmers consider the Oregon Trail a necessity at the time?

The bank had been completely destroyed under Jackson's administration, and farmer's think the economy could profit off of Oregon's fertile soil.

What was the Oregon Trail like?

The journey was very difficult. Indians were mad at the Americans and would interfere when they could, and people usually ran out of food before even getting close to Portland.

How much money did it cost to get across?

$600

How long did it take to get across?

6 months or longer

Who owns Texas at this time?

Mexico

Why do southerners want to own Texas?

It is a large territory where southerners can expand their plantations.

Who brings the first American families into Texas?

Stephen F. Austin

What does Mexico think about Americans in their territory?

They don't mind if the Americans agree to become Catholic and follow their laws and customs (which means no slavery).

Who is the dictator that started to get very angry at the Americans for not following the rules?

Santa Anna

>> he abolished most of the colonist's rights

Why are Americans that now settle in Texas considered illegal?

It is not their territory, and they refuse to obey the rules of Mexico.

What happens between the Mexicans and Americans?

There is a "skirmish" (a rebellion) in San Antonio, and Santa Anna vowed to crush the Americans.

Where is the American's rebellion crushed?

The Alamo

Why is this mission a bad place to crush a rebellion?

There are many women and children staying there who could be killed accidentally.

Who tells the Americans they do not have to stay and fight at the Alamo and why?

Col. William B. Travis

→ He knows that the 185 Americans don't stand a chance against 4,000 Mexican soldiers.

Who was the only survivor that was skinned and then executed?

Davy Crockett

Who was Jim Bowie?

He invented the Bowie knife and died in battle.

What is the significance of these events at the Alamo?

It angers the Americans.

→ Sam Houston and 900 men capture Santa Anna during "siesta hour", and force him to declare the Republic of Texas.

What happens when the Americans release Santa Anna?

He takes back what he told Houston. He was forced to sign the document, and he doesn't recognize the Republic of Texas.

→ Who owns Texas now?

Who was the president at the time that wanted to leave Texas as an independent country?

Andrew Jackson

>> Texas remained independent until Tyler's administration.

Who was the next president after John Tyler?

James K. Polk

Who did Polk run against, and why was it surprising that he won?

Henry Clay

→ He was a "dark horse" candidate. (the underdog)

What does Polk promise that gets him many votes?

- He would annex Texas. >> Polk said this before it Tyler annexed it at the end of his presidency.

- He would annex Oregon and California.

When was the Mexican-American war?

1846-1848

What was the cause of the Mexican-American war?

Polk wanted to purchase California "diplomatically" from Mexico, so he sends a representative, John Slidell, to offer them $25 million for California. However, Mexico is still mad about Texas and refuses to sell it to him.

Why doesn't Polk immediately declare war?

Polk thinks this is a not a valid reason to declare war, and he doesn't want the U.S. to come off as aggressive.

Who does Polk send to the disputed territory in Texas?

General Zachery Taylor

What does Polk hope will happen to Taylor in Texas' disputed territory?

Polk hopes that the Mexican army will see Taylor, shoot him, and give Polk a reason to declare war.

What ends up happening that gives Polk a reason to declare war?

A Mexican accidentally shot an American.

Why is the reason for war not entirely accurate?

The American was not shot on American soil, he was shot on disputed territory.

What was the real reason the U.S. declared war?

Trouble in "disputed" territory in Texas.

Why do Americans not care about having a legitimate reason to declare war?

War was romantic.

Who was in charge of attacking southern Mexico, which would include the attack on Mexico City?

Winfield Scott

What difficulties did Scott's soldiers face?

>> low number of troops

>> epidemics and disease

>> rugged territory

>> fighting the civilian population

What were the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?

>> Mexico agreed to give the U.S. all claims to Texas, New Mexico, and California. This was roughly 40% of Mexico's territory.

>> The U.S. agreed to pay them $15 million.

>> The U.S. promised to respect the civil, religious and property rights of those Mexicans living in the territory.

What did the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo become known as?

The "Mexican cession".

What is the debate over the newly purchased land?

>> The north says slavery should not be allowed to expand. Congress has control over territories, and they could outlaw it.

>> The south says that slavery cannot be prohibited in new territory because of the 5th amendment which states that a person cannot be denied property (slaves) without due process.

→ This is a constitutional argument.

What does Polk want to do to solve the debate?

He wants to extend the Missouri Compromise Line across the U.S.

Who is a politician that claims popular sovereignty?

Stephen Douglas

What does Douglass propose?

California should be free or state based on the votes in the election.

Why are both sides okay with popular soverignty?

The northerners like the idea because there are no plantations in California anyway, and the southerners like it because they can cheat on voting day.

Where did a worker in John Sutter's sawmill find gold?

He found gold in a stream in California.

What did this worker do when he found the gold?

He told many people.

→ More and more people started to move into California in an attempt to find gold.

How much did the population of California increase in one year?

California's population went from only 6,000 people to 85,000.

→ Now California can apply for statehood.

What is the problem with this new admission?

There is an upset balance of slave vs. free again. Henry Clay writes one more compromise on his death bed, the Compromise of 1850.

What are the terms of the Compromise of 1850?

California will enter as a free state, and popular sovereignty will determine the rest of the territory. Their would be no slave trade in the north; however, there would be a stricter fugitive slave law.

What did Clay mean by a stricter fugitive slave law?

If you get caught hiding a slave (particularly northerners) you would serve jail time.

What is the overall significance of the Compromise of 1850?

It held off the civil war. From 1850-1860, the north is going to grow in industry.