Origins of U.S. Expansionism Notes

Origins of U.S. Expansionism Notes

Class Objectives

  • Discuss the U.S.'s role in the global community during the early 19th century.

  • Outline the U.S.'s efforts to expand its territory and trade networks to become a global superpower.

  • Form a claim about the significance of early U.S. expansion.

Manifest Destiny

  • Term describing U.S. desire to expand to the Pacific Coast.

  • Strategic move for Pacific markets with a quasi-religious justification.

  • Supported by rhetoric of white supremacy.

The U.S. at Sea

  • Increased U.S. involvement in international markets.

  • Barbary War: First U.S. international conflict to protect maritime trade from piracy.

  • Whale hunting: A significant industry with devastating effects on whale populations.

  • Northern coastal city growth: Spurred by access to sea markets.

Urbanizing America

  • New York: Population boom, gaining around 100,000 people per decade.

  • Baltimore: Briefly the nation’s second-largest city.

  • Cincinnati: First major Midwestern city, later surpassed by Chicago and St. Louis.

  • The South: Lagged behind in urbanization, except for New Orleans.

Monroe Doctrine

  • U.S. claimed "protection" over the Western Hemisphere.

  • Began intervention in the Caribbean and Latin America.

  • Sought expansion opportunities in Mexico.

Trail of Tears

  • 1830 Indian Removal Act: Forced relocation of indigenous nations west of the Mississippi.

  • Jackson ignored Supreme Court decisions on native land rights.

  • Thousands died during forced marches due to cold and unfamiliar conditions.

Republic of Texas

  • U.S. settlers in Mexican territory (Texas) often disobeyed Mexican laws, especially regarding slavery.

  • Texan Revolution (1835-36): Led to the establishment of the independent Republic of Texas.

  • The U.S. delayed annexation to avoid war with Mexico.

Mexican-American War

  • Polk moved troops to contested borders, provoking conflict to justify invasion.

  • The U.S. quickly secured northern Mexico, aided by a rebellion in California.

Protesting the War

  • Whigs like JQA and Abraham Lincoln opposed the war.

  • Figures like Thoreau protested, influencing civil disobedience globally.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

  • U.S. gained approximately 900,000 square miles of territory.

  • The U.S. did not control most of the land.

  • Comanche remained a real power for several decades.

California Gold Rush

  • Gold discovery led to a population rush to San Francisco.

  • California quickly became a state.

Millard Fillmore, Expansion, and the Spectre of Slavery

  • Fillmore's administration opened Japan to Western powers.

  • The administration faced disputes over slavery in new territories.

Lincoln and the West

  • Homestead Act: Opened the West to loyal citizens during the Civil War.

  • Settlers moved westward, claiming farmland.

  • The U.S. military controlled native populations.