Manifest Destiny, & Expansion Westward (copy)

Manifest Destiny

1845-1890

• Manifest Destiny: The belief that God meant for the U.S to expand West across North America

• The point was to expand the U.S from East to West.

• U.S would gain land 4 times in that time and accomplish it.

• 3 reasons for westward expansion:

  • Becoming stronger with more territory

  • Manifest Destiny

  • Ways to get money

• 3 reasons why Manifest Destiny is bad:

  • Oregon territory argument

  • Mexican American war

  • California Gold rush and slavery.

• 3 main places:

  • Oregon(Oregon Trail)

  • Texas(Alamo)

  • California(Gold Rush)

• Example: Louisiana purchase with Thomas Jefferson and the French.

  • Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore, described the land as rich and luscious.

• As America slowly moved west, they thought it’s their life mission to move west, given by god (Manifest Destiny).

  • Manifest Destiny used by politicians/war hawks to expand America and remove Natives.

• Southern plantation owners needed more land for cotton.

  • Steel plow and mechanical reaper made the west more profitable.

  • This caused the Cherokee to be transferred from their homes, causing the Trail of Tears.

• Settlers left their homes in the East and go to the West because

  • Too many people and there needs to be more space

  • Chance to get money

  • New way of life

  • Search of Adventure

Oregon Territory

• You need to go on a path with fertile soil to reach Oregon, that being the Oregon trail.

• America claimed Oregon Territory through fur trades.

• The U.S couldn’t just take Oregon since a lot of countries already owned a part of it.

• The 49th parallel so America could stay in Oregon with no conflicts with Britain.

Texas

• The Mexican people invited some people from America settle there.

• Texans fought the Mexicans because they wanted officially get Texas for themselves.

• The Lone Star Republic is independent Texas.

• Annexing Texas was an issue since there would be an uneven number of slave to free states.

• James K. Polk did it for the belief of Manifest Destiny.

• Polk also wanted California and other New Mexican territory.

The Alamo

• In the Alamo, Texans were massacred and the survivors made a battle cry, it was, “Remember the Alamo.”

• Stephen F. Austin led the army to defeat the Mexicans in the Battle of San Jacinto.

Mexican American War

• General Zachary Taylor and his troops went to promote war with Mexico.

• The plan worked, and they fought the Mexicans in Northern Mexico, Mexico city, and California.

• It ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe.

• It gave the U.S a lot of land, and it was

  • CNUNMACWKO

• The Bear Flag Republic was California when it was independent.

  After the Mexican American War

• California was good for the U.S because of it’s gold and land.

• There was the California Gold Rush during 1848.

• Some people were called 49ers, because they came to California during 1849.

  Other Purchases

• There was the Gadsden Purchase, where America gave Mexico $10 million for a little strip of land at the Southern end of the Rocky Mountains.