US History Chapter 6 Savvas

Junipero Serra

a Spanish Franciscan priest who helped establish 9 missions in the present-day state of California. Born in Spain, they arrived in Mexico City in 1750 to begin missionary work among the American Indians.

expansionists

a person who favors expanding the territory or influence of a country

Manifest Destiny

the 19th century doctrine that westward expansion of the United States was not only inevitable but a God-given right

Santa Fe Trail

a trail developed by traders in the mid-1800s, connecting Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico

Mountain Men

American trappers who explored the Rocky Mountains area in the early 1800s

Oregon Trail

a trail from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon that was used by pioneers in the mid-1800s

Brigham Young

an American religious leader who served as the second president of the Mormon church. After Mormon leader Joseph Smith's murder in June 1844, he took command of the church and led the Mormons westward out of Illinois.

Treaty of Fort Laramie

the 1851 treaty that restricted American Indians to specific areas away from the major trails

Stephen F. Austin

inherited his father's land grant from the Mexican government and eventually helped found key American settlements in Texas when that territory was still part of Mexico. He was an influential figure as Mexico and the United States fought for control of Texas. He also worked to protect the interests of American slaveholders in Texas.

Antonion Lopez de Santa Anna

a Mexican army officer and politician who played major roles in the political and military conflicts in Mexico in the mid-1800s, including the Texas revolt in 1836 and the Mexican-American War.

autonomy

the independent control over one's own affairs

Lone Star Republic

the nation formed in 1835 by Texans who declared independence from Mexico

Alamo

the fortified former mission in San Antonio that was the site of the 1836 defeat and slaughter of Texans by Mexican troops

Sam Houston

the only American to serve as governor of two different states—first Tennessee, then Texas. In between, he was commander of the Texan army, president of the Republic of Texas, and U.S. senator from Texas.

James K. Polk

a lawyer and politician who served as the 11th president of the United States from 1845 to 1849.

Zachary Taylor

grew up on the Kentucky frontier and enlisted in the army in 1806. he served in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, and the Seminole Wars in Florida. He became a hero for his command of U.S. forces in the Mexican-American War.

Winfeild Scott

a career U.S. Army officer who was one of the most influential American military figures of the first half of the 19th century. he held the rank of general in three wars and was the commanding general of the U.S. Army from 1841 to 1861.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

the 1848 treaty ending the Mexican-American War

Gadsdem Purchase

the 1853 purchase of land (present-day Arizona and New Mexico) from Mexico

Wilmot proviso

the proposed, but rejected, 1846 bill that would have banned slavery in the territory won from Mexico in the Mexican War

California Gold Rush

the mass migration to California after the discovery of gold in 1848

forty-niners

a miner who went to California after the discovery of gold in 1848

Placer mining

the use of metal pans, picks, and shovels to harvest gold from the banks and beds of rivers and streams

hydraulic mining

use of water to erode gravel hills into long sluices to catch any gold