Westward Expansion, Texas, and the Mexican-American War

Flashcards about Westward Expansion, Texas Annexation, and the Mexican-American War

Who controlled the territory West of the Mississippi River before Mexican independence?

Spain controlled most of the Trans Mississippi West.

Which countries had joint occupation of the Oregon Territory?

Great Britain and America had joint occupation of the Oregon territory.

Who coined the phrase "manifest destiny?"

John O'Sullivan, the editor of the Democratic Review, coined the phrase "manifest destiny."

What was Manifest Destiny?

The belief that Americans had a god-given right to spread their civilization across the continent.

What was the southern border of the Louisiana Purchase territory that excluded Texas established by?

Transcontinental treaty of 1819 with Spain.

What did Mexico offer Americans to encourage settlement in Texas?

Land in return for token payments, pledges to become Roman Catholics, and Mexican citizens.

Who led the first group of American settlers to Texas?

Stephen Austin led the first group of American settlers to Texas.

What policy change did Mexico make in 1829 regarding Texas?

Abolished slavery in Texas in 1830 and forbid further immigration from The US.

Who was the dictator of Mexico during the Texas Revolution?

General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana.

Who was appointed as commander in chief of the Texans during the Texas Revolution?

Sam Houston.

What was the outcome of the battle at the Alamo?

The Mexicans killed all the men who were defending the Alamo, inspiring the Texans to fanatical resistance.

What happened at the Battle of San Jacinto?

Sam Houston and the Texans surprised and defeated Santa Ana and the Mexican army, winning Texas independence.

Who was elected as the first president of the Republic of Texas?

Sam Houston.

Why did Andrew Jackson refuse to annex Texas initially?

He did not want to risk sectional division in the nation by bringing in another slave state.

Why were southern slave owners in favor of annexing Texas?

To bring in another slave state and prevent Britain from influencing Texas towards abolition.

What was the key issue in the election of 1844?

The reoccupation of Oregon and the reannexation of Texas.

Who won the presidential election of 1844?

James Polk.

How did Texas enter the United States?

Congress annexed Texas by joint resolution.

What was Polk's campaign slogan regarding the Oregon territory?

Fifty-Four Forty or Fight.

What was the eventual boundary agreed upon for the Oregon Territory between the US and Britain?

The 49th Parallel.

What river did Mexico claim as the southern boundary of Texas?

The Nueces River.

What river did America and Texas claim as the southern boundary of Texas?

The Rio Grande.

Whom did Polk send to Mexico as a secret agent to negotiate the border and purchase California and New Mexico?

John Slidell.

What was the result of the skirmish between Mexican and American troops north of the Rio Grande?

Polk used it as justification to ask Congress for a war declaration, claiming American blood had been spilled on American soil.

What was the opinion of the Whigs and those in New England about the Mexican-American War?

They opposed the war, feeling it was a war of southern slave owners.

Who was sent as the commander of an expedition to Veracruz during the Mexican-American War?

Winfield Scott.

What was the name of the treaty that ended the Mexican-American War?

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.