Chapter 17 - Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy

The Accession of "Tyler Too"

• At the beginning of Harrison’s presidency, Daniel Webster and Henry Clay expected to control the presidency because Harrison wasn’t a commanding figure
• Harrison died 4 weeks into his presidency which disrupted Webster and Clay’s plans
• ==John Tyler== ==was vice president to Harrison==
  • Contradicted many of the Whig Party’s ideas

John Tyler:  A President without a Party

• The Whigs introduced several policy changes when the party won the presidency
  • The Whigs ended the Independent treasury system
• A bill for a “Fiscal Bank” which would establish a new Bank of the United States, was passed through Congress but Tyler vetoed it
• Tyler was rejected by his former Whig Party and later reluctantly signed the Tariff of 1842 because he recognized the government’s need for revenue

A War of Words with Britain

• The ==“Third War with England” was sparked by periods of public disdain for Britain==
  • The Third War was fought with editorials in the papers
• There was a small rebellion in Canada in 1837 but it failed because it was backed by few Canadians
• British officials in the Bahamas offered asylum to 130 Virginia slaves who had rebelled and captured the American ship, Creole in 1841

Manipulating the Maine Maps

• British wanted to build a road linking seaport of Halifax to Quebec in 1842 and the proposed road ran through disputed territory in northern Maine leading to skirmishes breaking out between locals, referred to as Aroostook War
• London Foregin Office sent Lord Ashburton to Washington to settle dispute to prevent a wider-reaching war
  • Negotiated with Daniel Wester and agreed to a new boundary for Maine that put disputed road in Canadian territory

The Lone Star of Texas Shines Alone

• Mexico considered Texas as one of their provinces hat was in revolt, in the 8 years following 1836
  • Mexico refused to recognize Texas’s independence and threatened war if America protected Texas
• Texas made treaties with France, Holland, and Belgium
• Britain was interested in seeing an independent Texas as they hoped it could be used to weaken America
• British were also interested in having Texas as a trading partner that was friendlier than the Americans

The Belated Texas Nuptials

• ==Texas== ==was a leading issue in presidential campaign of 1844==
• Democrats were pro-expansion and supported annexation of Texas while Whigs opposed it
• ==James Polk== ==(Democrat) won the election of 1844 and Tyler took that as a sign to acquire Texas before he left the presidency==
  • Polk signed a resolution in 1845 which invited Texas to become the 28th American state

Oregon Fever Populates Oregon

• Four nations claimed part of the Oregon Country at one time: Spain, Russia, Britain, and the United States
  • Spain gave up its American territory with the Florida Treaty of 1819
  • Russia gave up its land with the treaties of 1824 and 1825
• ==Britain== ==controlled the Oregon territory that was north of the Columbia River while America controlled the southern territory==
• Britain had a smaller population in the Oregon territory but it didn’t want to give up its claims with the disputed territory became an issue in the election of 1844

A Mandate for Manifest Destiny

• Whigs chose Henry Clay for election of 1844
• Democrats chose James K. Polk
• Polk won the election of 1844, said he would protect Texas, and avoided the issue of slavery
• Idea of Manifest Destiny spread across America in the 1840s and 1850s
  • ==Many Americans felt that God had destined them to spread their democratic institutions over the continent and over South Americas as well==
• Democrats strongly supported the idea of Manifest Destiny

Polk the Purposeful

• Polk had 4 goals in his presidency: lower the tariff, restore the independent treasury, acquire California, and to settle the Oregon Country dispute without violence
• Independent treasury was restored in 1846
• Britain presented Polk with the Oregon Country up to the 49th parallel

Misunderstandings with Mexico

• Population of California (1845) consisted of Spanish-Mexicans and Indians
  • Polk wanted to buy California from Mexico but relations with Mexico were poor because of the annexation of Texas
• Polk sent John Slidell to Mexico City in 1845 to buy California for $25 million with the offer being rejected

American Blood on American Soil

• Polk ordered 4,000 men under General Zachary Taylor to Rio Grande on January 13, 1846
  • Polk asked Congress to declare war on Mexico on May 9, 1846
• Before Polk’s request, Mexican troops had already attacked American troops
• Many people in Congress accused Polk of provoking war
• Mexico wasn’t willing to sell California, with war seeming to be the only way in which America could get California

The Mastering of Mexico

• Polk didn’t want war, he just wanted California
  • Polk hoped America could pull out of war with California
• ==General Stephen W. Kearny== ==led 1,700 troops to Santa Fe==
• General Zachary Taylor won many victories included a victory over a large Mexican force at Buena Vista
• General Winfield Scott was successful in attling his way to Mexico City and became Lincoln’s first choice n leading the Union Army in Civil War

Fighting Mexico for Peace

• ==Nicholas P. Trist== ==signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on February 2, 1848==
  • ==Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo== ==ceded Texas and area that included California to America for $15 million== with this area being half of Mexico
• Antislavery Whigs in Congress opposed war
• Expansionists also opposed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo because they wanted all of Mexico

Profit and Loss in Mexico

• ==Mexican War== ==provided field experience for officers who became generals in the Civil War==
  • Officers including Captain Robert E. Lee and Lieutenant Ulysses S. Grant
• ==David Wilmot== ==proposed an amendment that stated that the territory from Mexico should remain slave-free==
  • Wilmot’s amendment came to be known as the Wilmot Proviso, which never passed the Senate because Southerners didn’t want to get rid of the possibility of future slave states from the territory