Crash Course US History Notes: Manifest Destiny, Texas, California, and the Mexican-American War (Vocabulary Flashcards)

A set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on Manifest Destiny, Texas history, California’s growth, and the Mexican-American War.

Manifest Destiny

19th-century belief that the United States was destined to expand across North America, often seen as divinely sanctioned and inevitable.

Empire of Liberty

Jeffersonian idea that expansion would spread liberty and republican government across the continent.

Oregon Trail

Overland route used by thousands of settlers heading to Oregon Country; involved long wagon journeys and widespread disease; Oregon Territory was initially jointly controlled by the US and Britain.

Tejanos

Mexican residents of Texas who played a key role in early Texan history before and during the independence movement.

Moses Austin

Early empresario who received a land grant from Mexican authorities to settle Americans in Texas.

Stephen F. Austin

Son of Moses Austin; continued land sales and settled American families in Texas, helping to establish Anglo-American communities.

Alamo

1836 siege in San Antonio where Mexican forces defeated Texan defenders; became a symbol of Texan resistance.

Battle of San Jacinto

1836 decisive Texan victory over Santa Anna that secured Texas independence.

Lone Star Republic

The independent Texas Republic (1836–1845) before Texas was admitted to the United States.

Annexation of Texas

1845 incorporation of Texas into the United States, fueling the sectional and political tensions of the era.

Oregon boundary (49th parallel)

Agreement with Britain that divided Oregon at the 49th parallel, helping restore the balance between free and slave states.

Mexican-American War

War (1846–1848) sparked by expansionist aims and border disputes; ended with Mexican defeat and territorial gains for the U.S.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

1848 treaty ending the Mexican-American War; Mexico ceded California, New Mexico, and other territory; U.S. paid $15 million and set the Rio Grande as the border for Texas.

California Gold Rush

1848 discovery of gold that triggered a massive influx of migrants (the 49ers) and rapid population growth, including many Chinese workers.

California Constitution of 1850

State constitution that restricted political participation to whites; barred certain groups from voting; reflected era nativism and exclusionary policies.

Know Nothings (American Party)

Nativist political party opposed to immigration and Catholic influence; secrecy led to the nickname “Know-Nothings.”

Free Soil Party

Political party formed to oppose the expansion of slavery into new western territories; nominated Martin Van Buren in 1848.

Compromise of 1850

Four-part legislative package brokered by Henry Clay to resolve sectional tensions: California admitted as a free state; slave trade banned in D.C.; Fugitive Slave Law; popular sovereignty in new territories.

Henry Clay

leading nationalist and broker of the Compromise of 1850, known as the Great Compromiser.

John C. Calhoun

Pro-slavery senator who argued against compromises that favored abolitionist positions; emphasized minority rights of slaveholding regions.

William H. Seward

Senator and abolitionist voice who opposed compromise on anti-slavery grounds; later Secretary of State under Lincoln.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Transcendentalist philosopher-poet who warned that westward expansion could have dangerous consequences; quipped about future outcomes.

Thoreau and Civil Disobedience

Henry David Thoreau’s essay advocating principled civil disobedience; criticized war and government actions, influencing American thought on individual conscience.