Unit 9 Westward Expansion and Reform Packet 2024

Unit 9: Westward Expansion & Reform Movements

Key Events

• Abolition: Movement aimed at ending slavery.

• Annexation of Texas: Texas joined the US, leading to tensions with Mexico.

• Care of the Disabled and Mentally Ill: Reforms initiated for better treatment.

• Education: Expansion and reform of public education.

• Gadsden Purchase: Acquired land from Mexico to facilitate a southern railroad.

• Gold Rush: Massive migration triggered by the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848.

• Louisiana Purchase (1803): Land acquisition from France, doubling the size of the US.

• Manifest Destiny: Belief that US expansion across the continent was preordained.

• Mexican Cession: Land obtained from Mexico including California and New Mexico.

• Mormon Migration: Movement of Mormons seeking religious freedom.

• Northwest Ordinance: Established procedures for territories to become states.

• Oregon Territory: Acquired as part of the expansion westward.

• Prisons: Reforms aimed at improving conditions in prisons.

• Purchase of Florida: Acquired from Spain (Adams-Onis Treaty).

• Second Great Awakening: Religious revival which spurred social reforms.

• Seneca Falls Convention: First women's rights convention.

• Temperance Movement: Advocated for the reduction or prohibition of alcohol.

• Transcendentalism: Philosophical movement promoting individual intuition.

• U.S.-Mexican War: Conflict over territory resulting in significant land gain.

• Women’s Rights Movement: Efforts aimed at securing equal rights for women.

Important Figures

• Brigham Young: Leader of the Mormon migration to Utah.

• Dorothea Dix: Advocate for the mentally ill and prison reform.

• Edgar Allan Poe: Noted writer and poet.

• Elizabeth Cady Stanton: Key organizer of the Seneca Falls Convention.

• Frederick Douglass: Abolitionist leader and former slave.

• Harriet Tubman: Key figure in the Underground Railroad.

• Henry David Thoreau: Philosopher and writer advocating for civil disobedience.

• James K. Polk: U.S. President during significant territorial expansion.

• Sojourner Truth: Women's rights activist and former slave.

• Susan B. Anthony: Activist for women's rights and suffrage.

• Walt Whitman: Poet known for celebrating individuality and democracy.

Vocabulary Terms

• Abolitionist: A person advocating for the end of slavery.

• Manifest Destiny: The belief that American settlers were destined to expand across North America.

• Cession: The act of giving up land, typically via treaty.

• Secede: To withdraw formally from an organization or political entity.

• Suffrage: The right to vote in political elections.

Detailed Study Notes

The Mexican-American War (1846-1848)

• Causes: Disputes over Texas and territory; desire for California and New Mexico; tensions after Texas joined the Union.

• Major Events: Annexation of Texas, American troops entering disputed territory, warfare leading to the capture of Mexico City.

• Effects: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo resulted in significant territorial gains for the U.S. including California and New Mexico.

Abolition Movement

• Focused on ending slavery, driven by moral and humanitarian principles.

• Key Figures: William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth.

• Notable works include 'Uncle Tom’s Cabin' by Harriet Beecher Stowe which highlighted the realities of slavery.

Reform Movements

• Education Reform: Advocated by Horace Mann; focused on public education and inclusion of all children.

• Prison Reform: Led by Dorothea Dix, aimed at humane treatment of prisoners and the mentally ill.

• Women’s Rights: Seneca Falls Convention called for women's suffrage and rights, spearheaded by Stanton and Mott.

Westward Expansion

• Manifest Destiny portrayed as a justification for growth into new territories, often at the expense of indigenous populations.

• Effects on Native Americans: Displacement and loss of lands due to expansionist policies.

• Rise of new cultural and economic opportunities leading to immigration and settlement patterns.

Social and Cultural Developments

• Transcendentalism: Philosophical movement emphasizing individual intuition and connection to nature.

• Prominent writers: Thoreau, Whitman, and Poe.

• Artistic movements demonstrated the American landscape and cultural identity.