Unit 5 Topic 2 - Westward Expansion

Westward Expansion & Manifest Destiny (1844-1877)

Westward Expansion

• Historical Context:
  • Westward expansion was a major theme in the 18th and 19th centuries.
  • Expansion occurred first west of the Atlantic Coast, then into the Ohio River Valley.
  • The Louisiana Purchase significantly expanded American territory.
  • Westward expansion was considered a defining characteristic of American identity.

Manifest Destiny

• Origin:
  • The term "Manifest Destiny" was coined in July 1845 by newspaper editor John O. Sullivan.
• Definition:
  • The belief that Americans had a God-given right to possess the entire continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
  • Sullivan defined it as the right to "overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us".
  • "Providence" implies that this right was divinely granted.
• Expansion of the Idea:
  • Later, this impulse extended to include islands in the Pacific and Caribbean.

Reasons for Westward Expansion

• Access to Resources
  • Mineral and Natural Resources: The desire to access these drove westward expansion.
  • California Gold Rush (1848):
    • The discovery of gold in California led to a massive influx of people from the East.
    • People sought to "strike it rich" by staking claims.
  • Subsequent Discoveries: Gold and silver discoveries in Colorado, the Dakotas, and Nevada further spurred migrations west.
• Economic and Homesteading Opportunities
  • Preemption Acts (1830s and 1840s):
    • Congress made vast tracts of land available cheaply to those willing to settle.
    • These acts enabled people to buy land and establish homesteads.
  • Middle-Class Migration: The cost of moving west meant that mainly middle-class individuals and families undertook this migration.
• Religious Refuge
  • Mormon Migration:
    • Mormons, fleeing persecution due to their practice of polygamy, migrated to the Utah territory.
    • Approximately 70,000 Mormons migrated to Utah over about 20 years.

Political Manifestations: The Election of James K. Polk (1844)

• Polk's Beliefs:
  • James K. Polk was a strong believer in Manifest Destiny.
  • He aimed to annex Texas and Oregon into the Union.
• Texas
  • American Settlement: Americans had been settling in Texas since the 1820s, which was then part of Mexico.
  • Demographics: By 1830, Americans outnumbered Mexicans three to one in Texas.
  • Cultural Differences: The American settlers were primarily Southern, Protestant, and either slave-owning or sympathetic to slavery.
  • Mexican Regulations:
    • In 1829, the Mexican government required immigrants to convert to Roman Catholicism.
    • Mexico also outlawed slavery.
  • Texan Resistance: These requirements were largely ignored by the American settlers.
  • Texas Revolution (1836):
    • Texans, led by Sam Houston, revolted against Mexican authority and declared Texas an independent republic.
  • Mexican Response:
    • Mexico sent forces to suppress the rebellion.
    • The Mexican army won a significant victory at the Alamo, killing all American defenders.
  • Texan Victory:
    • Houston's army defeated the Mexican army at the Battle of San Jacinto, capturing the Mexican general.
    • The captured general was forced to sign a treaty granting Texas independence.
  • Mexican Government's Response: Mexico refused to recognize the treaty, arguing that the general did not have the authority to sign it. However, Texas maintained its claim of independence.
  • Application for Statehood:
    • Texas applied for annexation to the United States.
    • Presidents Jackson and Van Buren declined to annex Texas due to concerns about provoking a war with Mexico.
    • John Tyler attempted to annex Texas, but the Senate rejected the annexation.
• Oregon Territory
  • Competing Claims: Both the British and Americans claimed the Oregon Territory.
  • British Claims: Based on a profitable fur trade and longer-term settlement.
  • American Claims: Based on the desire for the territory and the increasing numbers of American missionaries and farmers settling there.
• Resolution and Annexation
  • Polk's Platform: Polk ran on a platform of annexing Oregon and Texas; he also desired California.
  • Mandate: Polk interpreted his election as a mandate to annex these territories.
  • Texas Annexation: Tyler annexed Texas in the final months of his presidency.
  • Oregon Treaty: Polk's administration reached an agreement with the British, dividing the Oregon Territory at the 49th parallel.
  • Senate Ratification: The Senate ratified the treaty, formally dividing the Oregon territory.
• Consequences
  • The annexation of Texas led to conflict with the Mexican government, ultimately resulting in war.