Unit 5 APUSH Terms - Chapter 12

Samuel Morse (1844)

1) Invented the telegraph.

2) Allowed people to send messages over a longer distance.

3) His invention was often built along the same lines as railroads to match the growth of transportation.

James K. Polk (1844

1.) Won the presidential election in 1844 (11th president of the U.S.) and was considered a "dark horse" candidate.

2.) Was a protégé of Andrew Jackson and ran on the platform of continued expansion and Manifest Destiny. Favored the annexation of Texas and acquisition of Oregon, rallying Americans under the slogan "Fifty-four Forty or Fight" to symbolize his commitment to acquiring the Oregon Territory.

3.) Was president during the Mexican War and was responsible for the Mexican Cession.

Annexation of Texas (1846)

1) Texas declared its independence from Mexico, which then led to debates over whether the U.S. should take it over or not.

2) Texas wasn't made a state right away due to the concerns over admitting another slave state.

3) Became an issue in 1844 presidential election with Polk who was in favor of Manifest Destiny. Texas was finally annexed once Polk took office.

Mexican-American War (1846-1848)

1) A war fought between the U.S. and Mexico over land.

2) Early cause was the annexation of Texas, but Manifest Destiny was the driving force of the war.

3) Ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which led to the cession of a large portion of Mexico to the United States for 15 million dollars.

Wilmot Proviso (1846)

1) An unsuccessful proposal to ban slavery in the territory acquired in the Mexican-American War.

2) Proposed by a Northern congressman David Wilmot in order to stop the spread of slavery.

3) Showed that as the U.S. acquired more land, there were more debates over whether slavery should be extended.

“Fifty-four Forty or Fight” (1846)

1) This was the slogan of Polk and the Democratic party in the election of 1844 in reference to the acquisition of the Oregon Territory.

2) Demanded that U.S. should take all land up to the southern border of Alaska or go to war.

3) Manifest Destiny was the driving force behind this but U.S. settled on the 49th parallel as the northern border, avoiding conflict with Great Britain.

Mexican Cession (1848)

1) The U.S. won this land from Mexico as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

2) This territory refers to the southwestern portion of the U.S.

3) This territory made the debate over the spread of slavery the prime issue of the 1850's.

California Gold Rush (1848)

1) Began when discovered at Sutter's Mill.

2) Caused a massive migration of settlers to move to the territory.

3) Led to this territory becoming a state in the Compromise of 1850.