[APUSH 1] Manifest Destiny Vocabulary

Manifest Destiny

19th century belief it was America’s God given destiny to settle the continent of North America (to spread their superior culture)

• Both East to West as well as North to South

  • Ex: “Canada, Canada, Canada” = War Hawk cry in Congress

• Originally people wanted to spread into Mexico and Central America

• Idea doesn’t go away! = Cuba = 90 miles away from coast

John O’Sullivan

American columnist who coined the term “Manifest Destiny”

Trailblazer

Mountain men who created East to West passage routes for western settlement

Overlander

Someone who travels overland to the West

Oregon Trail

trail from Independence, Missouri to the West Coast

• Average trip would take 6 months

• Crossing the Oregon Trail was an ACCOMPLISHMENT!

• You had to time the journey right, otherwise disaster would strike

  • Ex: Donner Party was forced to resort to cannibalism during the harsh winter

Tejano

Native inhabitants of Texas (Spanish speaking)

• The O.G. settlers of Texas

• Not treated well = they are caught in the middle by Texans and Mexicans??

• Hated by both sides

Empresario

American plantation owners who are given land grants by the Mexican government to grow cotton (land agent)

• Mostly in East Texas, as it was a rich cotton growing area

• Rest of Texas not worth much

Texian

An American living in Mexican owned Texas

• Becomes Texan once Texas gained its independence

Stephen F. Austin

1st and most successful empresario

• 1st guy to exploit Texas

• The American Texan Moses

Sam Houston

• Military leader of the Texians

• 1st President of independent Texas nation

Santa Anna

Dictator and military leader of Mexico during the Mexican-American War

• Declares himself dictator of Mexico in 1834 and insisted on enforcing Mexico’s laws in Texas

• Gets exiled to Cuba after Texas gained independence

• Asked to come back by American government to stop the war and uses it to his advantage to take over Mexico

  • Declared himself “Leader for Life”

The Alamo (in modern-day San Antonio)

a Spanish mission/church where a group of Texians make their last stand that becomes a symbol of Texan & American independence

this involved heavy losses for Mexicans although they eventually won and killed almost all survivors

• Classic case of New School (Mexico) v. Old School (Alamo fighters)

• Davy Crockett has Tennessee volunteers

• Colonel William B. Travis has Texan volunteers

• American/Texan group is rugged, experienced fighters (30-40 years old)

• Santa Anna has to draft 17-18 year-old Mexican ranchers

• 13 day siege; 400-600 of 1,500 Mexicans die v. 183 Americans (3 allowed to live)

Battle of San Jacinto River

American victory where Santa Anna agrees to give away Texas for his life

Treaty of Velasco = Texas; Mexican legislature doesn’t accept

• 18min battle

• Americans heavily outnumbered; attack during a “siesta” (aka an afternoon nap)

• Santa Anna essentially has a gun to his head

• Treaty is signed BUT Mexican Congress doesn’t agree = DOESN’T MATTER to Texans!

Lone Star Republic

Texas as an independent country

• U.S. Congress will NOT annex Texas

• The issue of adding another slave state WITHOUT a free state would start too many problems

• Jackson & Van Buren want to add a possible 5 new states from Texas, but cannot at the time

• Threat of war w/ Mexico also was a problem

• Britain wanted control of Texas due to their desire for a cheap source of cotton, but when America annexed Texas, Britain became angry at America and tried to retaliate during the Civil War (cotton diplomacy from the Confederates)

Annexation

President Tyler adds Texas as a state in 1844 before his term ends

• This goes against his personal feelings

• Tyler = a President w/out a party

• Tyler = a WINO (Whig In Name Only) = hates Jackson

  • He is essentially a dying breed = old Republican = states’ rights

• Adds Texas because it is what the people want; although he believes it to be unconstitutional

James K. Polk

Nicknamed “Young Hickory”

• Jackson was “Old Hickory” and Polk was a strong Jackson supporter

Dark Horse” candidate (Democrat)

Strong believer of Manifest Destiny (Texas, Oregon, & California)

• 1844 Democratic nomination split between:

  • Martin Van Buren = against immediate annexation of Texas

  • John C. Calhoun = pro-slavery and pro-annexation

• Democrats choose a dark horse (lesser known candidate) who is committed to expansion and Manifest Destiny; a protégé of JAX; favored the annexation of Texas, the “reoccupation” of Oregon, and the acquisition of California

“Who is James K. Polk?”

Henry Clay’s arrogant Presidential slogan for the 1844 Presidential election

• This was a bad slogan because it got people interested in who Polk really was

• Clay believes he has this election in the bag! (very arrogant)

• HE IS A COMPROMISER! = does not have enough good friends

• Clay was the opposite from Jackson, as he was neither LOVED or HATED

• Greatest American politician to never become President

“Fifty-Four Forty or Fight”

Polk’s Presidential slogan to gain the entire Oregon Territory from the British, and was also the Manifest Destiny slogan

• 54-40 was the parallel between the Oregon Territory and Russian Alaska

Oregon Treaty (1846)

Cut Oregon Territory in half between the US and Britain at the 49th parallel

• Changes the Treaty of 1818 (signed by John Quincy Adams) which gave joint control of the territory

Nueces River

What Mexico claimed is the southern border of Texas

Quotes from Polk: "shed American blood upon the American soil" and "American blood has been shed on American soil"

• The Nueces and Rio Grande rivers are at the heart of the border dispute between the U.S. & Mexico.

• Everyone asked the question, “What is the southern border of Texas?”

• Lincoln was a Freshman Congressman from Illinois that protested the war since he doubted that American blood was been shed on American soil

  • This is the reason he is a single term representative

Rio Grande River

What the US claimed is the southern border of Texas

Quotes from Polk: "shed American blood upon the American soil" and "American blood has been shed on American soil"

• The Nueces and Rio Grande rivers are at the heart of the border dispute between the U.S. & Mexico.

• Everyone asked the question, “What is the southern border of Texas?”

• Lincoln was a Freshman Congressman from Illinois that protested the war since he doubted that American blood was been shed on American soil

  • This is the reason he is a single term representative

Stephen Kearny

“Long March” from New Mexico to coast of southern California

Cuts off American part of Mexican territory

• After this Mexico City cannot administer that part of the territory

• Not enough Mexican supporters in the area; it is basically populated by Indians who hate both sides

John C. Fremont

Captured northern California and declares it the Bear Flag Republic

Bear Flag Republic

Independent northern California country after the overthrow of Mexican authority

• California waswaiting for the war to end, since once the war was over, the Bear Flag Republic would be annexed IMMEDIATELY

• California knows this fate; they will NOT have to wait like Texas did

Winfield Scott

"Old Fuss and Feathers"; American war general who captured Mexico City

• He had victories at Vera Cruz and captures Mexico City (Sept. 1847)

Zachary Taylor

“Old Rough and Ready”; American war general who led an attack on northern Mexico

• Had a major victory at Buena Vista (Feb. 1847)

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)

Treaty that ends of Mexican-American war signed by Nicholas Trist

Texas southern border = Rio Grande River

US gets the Southwest and West for $15 million (California & New Mexico)

• America pays $ to the Mexican Congress to avoid a guerilla war

• Mexican Congress OFFICIALLY declares the territory US property and gives up all claims

• Tells Mexican inhabitants to leave or they become American, which loses the reason for Mexicans to continue fighting on

Mexican Cession

Land that the U.S. gained from the Mexican-American War treaty (former Mexican territories of California and New Mexico)

Gold Rush

Men seeking fortune mining gold in California during 1849 (49ers)

Gadsden Purchase (1853)

The US purchases a tract of land in the Southwest from the Mexican government for $10 million to build the railroad

• Signed under Franklin Pierce’s presidency

• This small amount of land is needed because it is flat and populated

• The railroad connects cities/people = it cannot be in the middle of nowhere

• The railroad connects cities/people, so it cannot be in the middle of nowhere. Railroads are NOT straight lines, as they avoid natural land barriers and go to places where people are located.

Wilmot Proviso

Introduced to Congress in 1846, stating that slavery should not be allowed in any territory acquired from Mexico

Never passed, but provided a well-defined proposal that allowed the free-soil forces to attract thousands of followers

Compromise of 1850

Proposed by Henry Clay

1. California = Free State

2. Remainder of Mexican Cession divided into 2 territories = Utah & New Mexico; settlers in these territories decide slavery on majority vote (popular sovereignty)

3. No slave trade in Washington D.C, but slave holding is OK

4. Strong Fugitive Slave Law

• This was where the last great speeches by Clay, Webster, and Calhoun on the Senate floor happened