adams- onis treaty
john q. adams entered into a treaty with spain over the border between oregon and california
whitman mission
two people traveled to oregon country as missionaries to convert native americans to christianity. they set up a mission among the cayuse people near present day walla walla washington
oregon trail
route from independence, missouri to oregon country near the pacific ocean
manifest destiny
phrase written by john o’ sullivan enforcing earlier ideas that the us should stretch from the atlantic to pacific ocean
election of 1844
james k. polk was the candidate for the democratic party, while henry clay was for the whig party
james k polk
supported manifest destiny and gaining all of oregon. “fifty four forty or fight”.
henry clay
presidential candidate in 1844; did not take a strong position on the oregon country issue
moses austin
mexico offered him a tract of land to establish a colony
stephen f austin
set up a colony (texas) with 300 families
antonio lopez santa anna
new president in 1833; declared himself dictator and abolishes mexican constitution; sent an army to punish rebels
gonzales
1st battle of texas independence; mexican army tried to seize a cannon held by the texans at gonzales
alamo
texans converted a spanish mission into a fort here
davy crockett
from kentucky; a coleader at the alamo
jim bowie
inventor of a knife; coleader at the alamo
william b travis
26 year old leader at the alamo
washington on the brazos
a meeting took place here; texas declared independence and became the republic of texas
republic of texas
texans established this after becoming independent from mexico
sam houston
commander in chief of the texas forces. he ordered texas troops to abandon their fort goliad. he was texan president and sent a delegation to washington d.c. asking the u.s. to annex texas
goliad
texas troops retreated but were faced with mexican forces. they fought and texas surrendered, but many were executed
battle of san jacinto
houston with 900 troops surprises santa anna’s army of 1300. santa anna is captured and forced to sign a treaty granting texas independence
lone star republic
andrew jackson
didn’t want texas to become a state because it would unbalance the amount of slave states and free states
martin van buren
didn’t allow texas to become a state because of issue with slavery and war with mexico
john tyler
favored favored texan annexation, but the senate didn’t approve with the issue of slavery
william becknell
traveled to santa fe; the first american trader to reach santa fe
santa fe trail
from independence, mi to santa fe
john c. feremont
an army officer who wrote of california’s mild climate and vast natural resources
james k. polk
had a vision of new mexico and california being part of the u.s. he offered to buy the land, but new mexico wouldn’t sell it
texas- mexico border
the u.s. and mexico had different views on where this border was
rio grande river
the u.s. claimed that the texas/mexico border was here
nueces river
mexico claimed that the texas/mexico border was here
john slidell
was sent to propose a deal of $30 million for california and new mexico in return for mexico’s acceptance of the rio grande as the texas boundary
general zachary taylor
marched his forces across the disputed territory. he captured matamoros, monterrey, and buena vista
polk’s war plan
american forces would drive mexicans out of the disputed land, then take over new mexico and california, and lastly capture new mexico city
general stephen watts kearny
led about 1,500 troops along the santa fe trail from fort lovenworth to new mexico. he captured santa fe without firing a shot. he moved on to califorina
bear flag republic
a small group of americans declared california independence and became known as this
kit carson
met along with john c. fremont in sonoma
commodore john sloat
u.s. navy force under him captured monterrey and san francisco
general winfield scott
was given the task of capturing mexico city. he left new orleans and sailed to a part of vera cruz. he marched and captured mexico city
treaty of guadeloupe hidalgo
mexico gave up texas and agreed to the rio grande as the border between texas and mexico
mexican cession
mexico ceded california and new mexico to the u.s. in exchange for $15 million
gadsden purchase
u.s. paid mexico $10 million for a strip of land along the southern edge of present day arizona and new mexico.
california gold rush
people discovered gold in california and came to get it
levi strauss
immigrant who sold “sturdy pants”; denim jeans
joseph smith
new englander living in new york who had a vision from god to start a mormon church
mormon church
first established in new york but was persecuted, then moved west to illinois but was persecuted and an angry mob killed joseph smith
brigham young
decided to move out west; ended up at the great salt lake and established a nation
nauvoo
the town that the mormons bought and renamed
mormon trail
a migration by the mormons that served as a valuable route to the western u.s. it ended at salt lake
deseret
nation set up by brigham young
millard fillmore
president of the u.s. who appointed brigham young as governor of the utah territory