Notes

Overview Of Manifest Destiny

• In the 1840s, westward expansion led America to acquire all lands from the Atlantic to the Pacific in a movement called Manifest Destiny

• “Obvious“ “future”

• Americans flooded into the West for new economic opportunities

• the US gained Texas, Oregon, California, and other territories through treaty or war

• the growth of “King Cotton” and commercial farming led to a desire for new farmlands

• Improved transportation such as canals, steamboats, and railroads

• US Population Grew 300%

Movement Out West

• The earliest pioneers were fur traders, land speculators, and poor farmers looking for cheap land

• soon farmers miners, ranchers, and religious groups moved flooded in

• The Treaty of Fort Laramie created a vast Indian territory but was ignored by whites expanding west

• it took half a year to cross the organ trail

• 1/10 of the people who set off in the organ trail did not survive due to accidents and disease

Texan Independence

• in 1835, Texans were in open rebellion against the Mexican government

• Texans lost at the Alamo but the battle created inspiration

• “Remember the Alamo!”

• Texans led by Sam Houston, captured Santa Anna and won their independence in 1836

• from 1836-1845, Texas is an independent nation

• Houston invited the USA to annex Texas, but the debate over slavery kept America from adding Texas as a state

• Democrat James K. Polk won the election of 1844 and became the “manifest destiny” president.

• Texas was admitted into the Union in 1845

• The Mexican-American War ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848

• Mexico gave up territory in the southwest called the Mexican Cession

• 5 years later, the US bought the Gadsden Purchase for $10 million to build a southern railroad

Gold Rush

• when the Mexican war broke out in 1846, Californians revolted from Mexican rule and created an independent nation

• “Forty-Niners” hoping to strike it rich came from the East, Latin America, Europe, and Asia

• California gold rush brought a boom in population

• Gold fever and immigration to California were national

Oregan Anexxing

• President Polk wanted to add Oregon as a free state but Oregon was occupied by the USA and British

• USA and Britain Compromised and split Oregan in half

• Oregan became a free state in 1846

Highlights

• westward expansion

• acquire all lands from the Atlantic to the Pacific

• The US gained Texas, Oregon, California, and other

• desire for new farmlands

• US Population Grew 300%

• The Treaty of Fort Laramie

• Texans lost at the Alamo

• “Remember the Alamo!”

• Texans won their independence in 1836

• annexing of Texas

• “Manifest Destiny” president

• Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

• Mexican Cession

• Southern Railroad

• Californians revolted from Mexican rule

• “Forty-Niners”

• Oregan became a free state in 1846

Dates

• 1812-1867: Westward Expansion

• 6-7 Months: Time It took to travel the Organ Trail

• 1836: Texas wins independence

• 1836-1845: Texas is an independent nation'

• 1845: Texas is admitted into the union

• 1846-1848: Mexican-American War

• 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo