Manifest Destiny Vocab

Caroline

A U.S. steamboat attacked and set on fire by British forces in 1837 while supplying Canadian rebels; heightened tensions between the U.S. and Britain.

Creole

An American ship seized by rebelling slaves in 1841 who were granted asylum by the British in the Bahamas, straining U.S.-British relations over slavery.Aroostook War

Aroostook War

A bloodless conflict (1838–1839) between American and British lumberjacks over the Maine–New Brunswick border; resolved by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America; used to justify westward expansion, including conflicts with Britain and Mexico

“54-40 or fight”

A slogan used by Americans demanding full control of the Oregon Territory up to the northern latitude line of 54°40′, threatening war with Britain.

Liberty Party

A minor political party in the 1840s that opposed slavery and sought to prevent its expansion; it influenced the politics of westward expansion

Spot Resolutions

Proposed by Abraham Lincoln, demanding President Polk show the exact "spot" where blood was shed on American soil, challenging the justification for war with Mexico.

California Bear Flag Republic

A short-lived independence movement by American settlers in California in 1846 during the Mexican-American War before U.S. annexation.

Battle of Buena Vista

A key U.S. victory in the Mexican-American War (1847) where General Zachary Taylor repelled a larger Mexican force, boosting American morale.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The 1848 treaty ending the Mexican-American War; Mexico ceded vast territory (including California and the Southwest) to the U.S.

Conscience Whigs

Northern Whigs who opposed the Mexican-American War and slavery on moral grounds; critical of the expansionist agenda.

Wilmot Proviso

A proposed amendment to ban slavery in any territory gained from Mexico; it failed but intensified the slavery debate in Congress.