History - ch.12 vocab

Annex

To add

Continental divide

The Highpoint in the Rocky Mountain that divides the watershed of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans

Exodus

a mass departure of people

Individualism

Self-reliant independence, inspired by the west

Manifest destiny

The idea that the US had the right and the obligation to expand its territory across North America to the Pacific Ocean. Coined by John O'Sullivan.

Mountain men

The American fur trappers and explorers who began to explore and move west

Pioneer

A settler moving to a new and unfamiliar land

Rendezvous

A temporary market where trappers met to trade and socialize every summer (1825-1840)

Wagon train

A large group of covered wagons that traveled together across the North America continent as American pioneers moved Westward. The journey was bad and took several months

Margin

The amount by which something is won or lost

Presidio

Military post or settlement

Siege

A Tactic in which a military force surrounds a city in an attempt to take control of it

Contiguous

Connected

Diplomat

A person sent to another nation to represent his or her countries interest. Ex.John Slidell

Gadsden purchase

A sale of land in 1853 from Mexico to the US that established the current US southwestern border, $10million deal

Insurrection

A rebellion

parallel

A line of latitude, used for land ownership

Boom town

A town that experiences a great population increase in only a short time period. Ex. Mining camps

Californio

A resident of California, who was Spanish/ Mexican descent, and lived there before the gold rush

Forty-Niner

One of the thousands of prospective minors who traveled to California seeking gold, arrived in 1849

Prospector

A person with ownership of a colony, including the right to manage and distribute land into established government

rancho

Land granted by Mexico to settlers in the form of large estates in what is now California

Wilmot Proviso

A plan introduced by David Wilmot, cold for slavery in any territory

John O'Sullivan

Magazine editor, who coined "manifest destiny"

Brigham Young

A Mormon leader who brought them further west, after Joseph Smith died

Stephen F Austin

Inherited land from his father and carried out his father's plan known for being the father of Texas.

Santa Anna

Mexican dictator who was in charge when war broke out between the Mexicans and Americans. He lost Texas to rebels, and was the leader of the armed forces during the war.

Sam Houston

Commander of the Texas army at the battle of San Jacinto; later elected president of the Republic of Texas. City of Houston was named after him.

James K Polk

Speaker of the house and governor of Tennessee in 1844, supported annexation

Zach Taylor

As a general , lead troops sent by Polk to Rio Grande