1. Adams- Onís Florida Purchase Treaty—1819

 In the resulting treaty of 1819, Spain, realizing that Jackson might seize all of Florida,

ceded Florida to the US for $5 million.

 In exchange for the US dropping its weak claim to Texas, Spain gave up its claim to the

Oregon territory and set the boundary between Oregon and Mexico at the 42nd parallel.

2. Andrew Jackson in Florida—1818

 Arguing that Seminole Indians and runaway slaves were using Spanish Florida as a

refuge from US law, Jackson obtained permission to take a military force into Florida.

Once there, Jackson exceeded the limits of his authority, hanging Indians and British

subjects and seizing Spanish posts.

 Though most in Washington were ready to disavow Jackson, Secretary of State J.Q.

Adams seized the opportunity to press Spain for concessions.

3. Tallmadge Amendment—1819

 This measure sought to block admission of Missouri as a slave state by blocking further

importation of slaves into the state and requiring the gradual emancipation of existing

slaves.

 The South managed to defeat the amendment in the Senate. But this raised Southern

concerns that the North might try to ban slavery in the rest of the Louisiana Territory and

perhaps even attack slavery in the South.

4. Missouri Compromise—1820

 To maintain the sectional balance between North and South, Missouri was allowed to

enter the Union as a slave state at the same time Maine entered as a free state.

 Also, the Louisiana Purchase north of 36⁰ 30′, except Missouri, was closed to slavery.

5. Stephen Austin—Texas

 Hoping to populate this northern province, Mexico invited American settlers to Texas.

Stephen Austin was given permission in 1823 to bring 300 families, provided they

adopted the Catholic religion and Mexican customs. They didn’t.

 In 1830 Mexico emancipated its slaves and forbade further importation of slaves to

Texas. Tensions arose as Mexico also tried to halt further immigration into Texas and

deprive Texas of self-governance.

 In 1833 Austin was jailed when he attempted to negotiate these issues with the Mexican

government.

6. Texas War for Independence—1836

 Sam Houston led a rebellion that defeated the Mexican forces in a few months.

 After the Texan victory at San Jacinto, Mexican General Santa Anna was forced to sign

treaties withdrawing troops from Texas and setting the Rio Grande as Texas’s southern

border.

 Texas then applied for annexation to the US, but concern over the issue of adding such a

large slave territory to the nation postponed Texas annexation until 1845.

7. Manifest Destiny

 This was the belief that the US was destined to spread to the Pacific, perhaps over the

entire continent.

 Motivations for Manifest Destiny included the following: 1) hunger for land, 2) fear that

the British would gain control of the western part of North America, 3) the need for

Pacific ports to facilitate trade with Asia, 4) the belief that expansion would allow the

spread of democracy, 5) the desire to expand American power, and 6) the desire for new

markets for American products.

8. Settlement of the Oregon Country (NOT IN OPENSTAX)

 Missionaries such as Jason Lee and Marcus Whitman came to Oregon in the 1830’s and

1840’s, sending back to the US glowing reports of the prospects for settlement.

 Between 1840 and 1848, 11,500 settlers came to Oregon on the Oregon Trail, solidifying

the American claim to the territory/

9. The Election of 1844

 James Polk (Democrat) beat Henry Clay (Whig). Clay had tried to straddle the issue of

annexing Texas while Polk was clearly in favor.

 Out-going President Tyler took Polk’s victory as a mandate to annex Texas, and he

signed the resolution three days before leaving office.

 Polk was the nation’s first dark-horse candidate elected president.

10. 54°40’ or Fight!

 In part to calm Northern fears about expansion into Texas, the Democrats during Polk’s

1844 campaign proposed acquiring all of the Oregon Territory up to the boundary with

Russian Alaska (54°40’).

 Polk knew that it would take a war with Britain to obtain all of Oregon. He hoped to use

the threat of war to persuade Britain to accept the compromise they had rejected in the

past, the 49th parallel (the current boundary). In 1846 the 49th parallel was agreed to as

the northern boundary.

11. President Polk – the most successful president in history?!

 Polk was successful in achieving his four main goals: lower the tariff (from 32% to 25%),

restore the independent treasury system, acquire California, and settle the Oregon dispute.

12. Treaty of 1818

 This treaty fixed the boundary line between the United States and Canada at the 49th

parallel from Lake of the Woods (northern Minnesota) to the Rocky Mountains.

 The treaty also provided that the United States and Britain would jointly occupy the

Oregon country for a period of ten years and decreed that the US and Canada would share

the valuable Newfoundland fisheries.

13. 54°40′/ Russo-American Treaty—1824

 The first success of the Monroe Doctrine was the Russian decision to halt their expansion

in the Western Hemisphere at 54 o 40′, the southern tip of the Alaskan panhandle.

14. British Claims to the Oregon Country

 The British had strong claims to the Oregon country based on prior discovery and

exploration, treaty rights, and actual occupation by British citizens. The British Hudson

Bay Company traded profitably with the Indians for furs.

15. American Claims to the Oregon Country

 America also had claims based on exploration (Gray and the Columbia River, Lewis and

Clark’s expedition) and occupation (activities of Astor’s American Fur Company, arrival

of 5000 Americans by 1845, many inspired by the reports of missionary Marcus

Whitman).

 American and British pioneers continued to live side by side through all this but America

gained the advantage of population with influx of US settlers to the West in 1840’s.

 Missionaries such as Jason Lee and Marcus Whitman came to Oregon in the 1830’s and

1840’s, sending back to the US glowing reports of the prospects for settlement.

 Between 1840 and 1848, 11,500 settlers came to Oregon on the Oregon Trail, solidifying

the American claim to the territory.

16. Texas Annexation—1845

 Although the South favored annexing Texas, the North was opposed because they

thought it would expand slavery, increase Southern representation in the House, and (if

the Texas territory were split into several states) greatly boost Southern representation in

the Senate.

 Texas was annexed by a joint resolution of Congress (which took only a simple majority

in both houses) rather than by a treaty (which would have required a 2/3 vote in the

Senate).

17. John Slidell’s Mission to Mexico

 Polk sent Slidell to Mexico in 1845 to purchase California. He was instructed to offer a

maximum of $25 million for California and the area east of it. The Mexican people

refused to hear Slidell’s insulting proposition. Mexico was still upset about the loss of

Texas.

18. Polk’s War Message

 Polk proposed to his cabinet a declaration of war based on Mexico’s unpaid claims to

Americans and on the rejection of Slidell. The cabinet urged that such a declaration be

postponed until Mexico started shooting.

 Polk had already sent General Taylor to the Rio Grande (into territory Mexico claimed).

When Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande and attacked Taylor, Polk sent a war

message to Congress asking for a declaration of war since Mexico had shed “American

blood on American soil.”

19. Lincoln’s Spot Resolutions

 Lincoln, a Whig congressman, introduced several resolutions demanding to know the

precise spot on American soil where American blood was shed. Polk’s opponents in

Congress were pointing out that the battle took place on land that no previous president

had claimed as American soil.

20. John C. Frémont & California Bear Flag Republic

 Frémont had been sent to California in 1845 to “watch over American interests.” He

interpreted his instructions liberally, and with a small, armed group, seized Sonoma and

proclaimed the independent Bear Flag Republic in June 1846.

21. Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott in Mexico

 Taylor (Old Rough and Ready) led American forces to several victories in northern

Mexico. In February 1847, he defeated Santa Anna at Buena Vista. His successes made

him a presidential contender.

 Scott (Old Fuss and Feathers) captured Vera Cruz and Mexico City in what was widely

seen as a brilliant campaign despite a shortage of troops, disease, and a lack of political

support. Scott’s victory in Mexico City essentially ended the war.

22. Nicholas P. Trist & the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

 Trist and Scott arranged an armistice (a halt in the fighting), but Santa Anna used the

time to strengthen his defenses. Polk, unhappy with Trist, recalled him. Trist wrote back,

refusing to return. Before Polk could act further, Trist concluded the Treaty of Guadalupe

Hidalgo.

 The treaty 1) confirmed the US title to Texas, 2) set the Rio Grande as the southern

border of Texas, 3) gave the US the land between Texas and the Pacific in exchange for

$15 million, and 4) committed the US to pay the $3.25 million in claims owed to US

citizens by Mexico.

23. California and the 49ers

 Gold was discovered in California in 1848. In 1849 there was a huge rush of 100,000

gold seekers to the territory.

 Californians, encouraged by President Taylor, bypassed the territory stage, drafted a

constitution that barred slavery, and applied for statehood. Predictably, the North and

South disagreed about the status of slavery in California.

24. Wilmot Proviso—1846

 At the start of the Mexican War, Representative David Wilmot introduced a bill to block

slavery from any territory the US might win from Mexico. Wilmot and many other

Northern Democrats had supported the annexation of Texas on the assumption that Texas

would be the last slave state.

 The measure passed in the House but failed in the Senate.

25. Free Soil Party—1848 (See Chapter 14 ID’s as well)

 Northern antislavery forces were unhappy with the choices of Cass and popular

sovereignty or Whig Zachary Taylor, a slaveholder. They formed the Free-Soil Party,

favoring the Wilmot Proviso and a homestead act that would give small farms to those

who wished to settle on public lands.

 Components of the party included antislavery Northern Democrats, Conscience Whigs,

members of the Liberty Party, and eastern workers who wanted a homestead act.

 The Free Soilers argued that slavery undermined the dignity of labor and limited social

mobility. Viewing slavery as an economically inefficient, obsolete institution, they

believed that slavery should be contained, and that if contained, it would ultimately

disappear.

26. Popular Sovereignty

 Introduced by Lewis Cass, Democratic candidate in 1848, the popular sovereignty

doctrine stated that the people of a territory should determine the status of slavery

themselves. It had a widespread appeal. The public liked it because it followed the

democratic tradition of self-determination. Politicians liked it because it seemed a

reasonable compromise between a ban on slavery and Southern demands to protect

slavery.

27. The Compromise of 1850

 The Compromise of 1850 was the work of Henry Clay. He was supported by Stephen

Douglas and Daniel Webster.

 California had petitioned for admission as a free state; this would upset the sectional

balance in the Senate. Southern states threatened secession. The nation faced a real

possibility of war.

 The Compromise called for admitting California as a free state, organizing Utah and New

Mexico as territories on the basis of popular sovereignty, adjusting the Texas/New

Mexico border (which created a larger area likely to be free soil), transferring

responsibility for Texas’ public debt to the national government, abolishing the slave

trade (not slavery) in the District of Columbia, establishing a tougher fugitive slave law,

and Congress passing a resolution denying its jurisdiction over interstate slave trade.

28. Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 (the Bloodhound Bill)

 This was one of the provisions of the Compromise of 1850. It decreed that fleeing slaves

could not testify on their own behalf and that they were denied a trial by jury. The federal

commissioners who handled the cases received $5 if a slave was declared free and $10 if

the slave was found to be a runaway. Northerners who aided the slaves in their escape

were subject to heavy fines and jail sentences. Further, this law allowed slave catchers to

capture slaves who had reached the North decades earlier.

 Though this law was no better enforced than its predecessors, it helped to unite the North

against slavery.

The Key ID’s below are NOT in the OpenStax textbook; however, they are important

events and terms to know going forward.

 The Aroostook War

o In the early 1840’s, both Britain and Maine claimed the Aroostook River Valley under

the peace treaty of 1783. Britain wanted a road to run through the valley as a defensive

precaution, and Maine wanted the timber. Lumberjacks from the two countries clashed,

and eventually both sides called out local militias.

 Battle of Maps & the Webster-Ashburton Treaty—1842

o The lumberjack dispute between Maine and the Canadian-British was settled by giving

the British less land but the desired Halifax-Quebec route.

o Despite the fact that the treaty gave each side a roughly equal piece of the disputed

territory, citizens on both sides felt cheated. However, Webster had obtained an ancient

map that indicated the British were entitled to the entire area in dispute. London officials

found an old map that proved the Americans were entitled to the entire area in dispute.

Both sides accepted the compromise as a result.