Manifest Destiny 

Movement West

Manifest Destiny Defined

•     Manifest Destiny is a term for the attitude prevalent during the 19th century period for American expansion that the United States not only could, but was destined to, stretch from coast to coast. This attitude helped fuel western settlement, Native American removal and war with Mexico. The phrase was first employed in 1845 by magazine editor John L. O'Sullivan.

The Settlement of Texas

•     Texas was originally claimed by Spain, and then Mexico after its independence

•     Texas was largely settled by Americans who were allowed to settle in Texas with the understanding that:

○  They would not have slavery

○  They would all be Catholic

○  They would become Mexican citizens

•     In fact, few did

•     Americans in Texas proclaimed their independence in 1836, calling themselves the "Lone Star Republic."

Showdown in 1845

•     The election of James K. Polk accelerated problems

•     As president, he planned to annex the area of Texas.

•     He offered to buy the two northernmost territories of Mexico for $25 million but was turned down

•     He then deployed troops past the Nueces River to the Rio Grande, 150 miles further south.

The Mexican War, 1846-1848

•     Fighting in 1846, and ended with the capture of Mexico City in 1848.

•     The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave the US the two pieces of northern Mexico and established the Rio Grande as the "TX" border.

•     Mexico received $15 million and lost half its territory

Other Impacts of the Mexican War

•     New territory was acquired, called the Mexican Cession.

•     Just after the war began, there was a rule proposed in Congress that said no slavery could exist in territory acquired from Mexico.

•     One of the medium-term impacts was that settlement became wide open to a new territory that dramatically changed the political landscape of the country.

The Oregon Territory

•     Polk had campaigned promising to annex Texas and acquiring all of the disputed Oregon Territory.

 •     Britain and the U.S. both claimed it, and demanded that they each get the whole thing.

•     For a while, they were content to jointly administer the area.

•     One of the campaign slogans for Polk was "54'40" or fight!"

•     The issue was solved peacefully by negotiating the Oregon Treaty.

•     Now solved, people began moving westward in larger numbers.

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Oregon Trail

The overall length of the route was almost 2200 miles.

It would take approximately 4-6 months to make the trip and was dependent upon a number of factors. Travelers would cover an average of 15-20 miles per day.

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Geronimo

•     39 Apache were chased by 5,000 Americans in 1886

○  80 mi/day

•     Geronimo born in 1820s in modern day Arizona

•     Apache were split into separate tribes

○  Multiple sub-bands

•     Apache raids quickly stole horses and other provisions, to trade later

○  Mexicans found this intolerable

○  Mexican government offered payments for scalps

○  Geronimo completed four raiding expeditions by 17

•     Ceremonies for birth and walking

•     Hair cut short as sign of mourning

•     Geronimo began seeking revenge after murder of wife, mother, and children

○  Lured Mexican soldiers into battle with 200 men

•     First Contact with American was friendly trade

•     1848-End of M-A war redrew U.S. boundaries into Apache lands

•     Deal negotiated to allow trade and mail through Apache men

○  Miners in SW killed and sold Apache

§  Decapitated venerated chief and boiled skull

§  Geronimo sent to take revenge

□     Ambushed coaches and wagon trains

•     Tucson newspapers called for retribution

•     Ulysses S. Grant sent George Crook to handle escalating violence

○  Empathetic for Apache's, believed that natives could be "civilized" with education

○  Forced natives onto reservations, to "improve" their lives, but hunted dissidents

○  Forced Navajos into submission

○  Crook played Apaches against each other, offering incentives to scouts to hunt dissident Apaches

•     Chiricahua allowed to stay on land. If raids stopped into US

○  After chiefs death, reservation moved to San Carlos by Clum

§  Chiricahua slipped away, chase for Geronimo began

§  Surrounded by Apache scouts in 1877

§  Released 4 months later onto unviable reservation

○  The "Dreamer" urged return to traditional Apache life in 1881

§  Discouraged rebellion in favor of reunification

§  Arrested by officials' scouts, resulting in firefight and rebellion

□     7 cavalry men, 17 Apache, and Dreamer dead

○  On Sept. 30, 1881, Geronimo escaped, beginning resistance

○  Posse led by Clum pursued Geronimo toward Mexico, failing to catch him after 2 days

○  Proposed mass abduction of Apaches from reservation-April 18,1882

§  Faced opposition from local Apache leaders

§  Were met with Mexican ambush-78 Apache died

•     Peaches abducted, interrogated for information about Geronimo in stronghold

○  Told U.S. officials location of stronghold, leading to occupation

○  Returned to reservation, but allowed to choose location

○  May 17,1885 Geronimo fled Turkey Creek, pursued by cavalry

§  Killed all witnesses

○  Discussed terms for surrender in 1886

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○  Crook promised return to Arizona in exchange for two years in prison

§  Geronimo fled again with small group

§  Crook removed and replaced by Nelson

§  Apaches deported to Florida