American Progress aka Manifest Destiny

American Progress -by John Gast (1872)

Maine boundary with CanadaOregon boundary settlement Texas Revolution and Texas AnnexationMexican War and the Mexican CessionOverland TrailsCalifornia Gold RushCompromise of 1850Sectional TensionsManifest Destiny and Its Legacy [1841-1850]

Maine Boundary Settlement, 1842 The Aroostook War - (Battle of the maps)

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Manifest DestinyManifest Destiny a phrase used by leaders and politicians in the 1840s to explain continental expansion by the United States revitalized a sense of "mission" or national destiny for many Americans.An American political and societal belief that it was the United States God-given right, its apparent destiny, to overspread the continent of North AmericaJohn L. OSullivan - (1839) - notably in 1845

John L. OSullivan - Manifest DestinyIt is time for opposition to the Annexation of Texas to cease. . . . It is time for the common duty of Patriotism to the Country to succeedif this claim will not be recognized, it is at least time for common sense to acquiesce [agree] with decent grace in the inevitable and the irrevocable.

. . . Why, were other reasoning wanting, in favor of now elevating this question of the reception of Texas into the Union, out of the lower region of our past party dissensions, up to its proper level of a high and broad nationality, it surely is to be found, found abundantly, in the manner in which other nations have undertaken to intrude themselves into it, between us and the proper parties to the case, in a spirit of hostile interference against us, for the avowed object of thwarting our policy and hampering our power, limiting our greatness and checking the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions. . . .

Manifest Destiny - Why?High birthrate and the rapid influx of immigrants (Irish and German) = demand for space.Estimated 4 million Americans moved west between 1820 and 1850.Panic of 1819 and Panic of 1837 caused people to look to the West for a fresh startFrontier land =:inexpensive in some cases, free.Economic opportunity for commerce and entrepreneurial enterpriseLand ownership = wealth Land ownership =:self-sufficiencypolitical powerIndependent self-rule OR popular sovereigntyOpportunity for West Coast ports for trade

Manifest Destiny

The Conquest of the WestManifest DestinyAggressive and Fantastic AdvertisingOregon CountryRepublic of TexasMexican War (1846-1848)Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

Overland Trails to the West, 1840

Map 13.3 Routes to the West, 18351860 (p. 374)

(Chapter 13) Emigrant Train Bedding Down for the Night A "train" of emigrants to the Far West usually traveled around twenty miles a day in so-called Conestoga wagons. These wagons, shown here, each had slanting gates and a cloth cover supported by bows of bent wood. They were each drawn by a team of four to six horses or mules. In this painting, we see emigrants preparing for the evenings rest against the backdrop of a lovely sunset. The horses have been unyoked from their harnesses. The cover of the wagon on the right has been taken down, exposing casks that probably carried water. The women occupy themselves taking take care of the small children, one an infant, and preparing dinner. We see men and boys performing various tasks. A man on the far left gathers hay for the horses and livestock. Another man, on the left, herds the cattle, while in the left foreground a young man draws water from a convenient stream. On different sides of the pot that presumably holds dinner for the group, a balding man holds a rifle and pets his dog, while a small child does the wash. The painting projects an image of plenty, cooperation, security (the rifle), and contentment. Realistically, the serenity of this painting was rarely evident on the Overland Trail. Difficult trails, animals dying from thirst and exhaustion, and frequent childbirths marked the journey west for many emigrants.

In what ways does this painting romanticize the Overland Trail? How would this emigrant train have forded a river? Would hay have been available to feed the animals each night? Are there enough horses to pull the four wagons shown? The women all have clean, white aprons. If they washed them, where did they dry them? What's in the pot over the fire?Why did these emigrants bring sheep and cattle with them? Does this painting reflect Americans general perception of the trip west?

(Chapter 13) Emigrant Train Bedding Down for the Night

Overland Trails

The Texas Revolution (1835-1836)Texans angered by Mexicangovernment policyTexans refuse to convert to Catholicism Texans refuse to give up slaveryFighting erupts between Tejanos and Mexican armyTexans declare independence from MexicoFamous battles:Alamo, San Jacinto, Goliad, et al

Texas Revolution

Major Battles in the Texas Revolution: 18351836

Map 13.1 American Settlements in Texas, 18211836 (p. 371)

The Alamo

Assault on the Alamo (p. 371)

The Texas Revolution and the formation of the Lone Star Republic1835-- Texas declares independence from Mexico1836-- Mexican army led by Santa Anna goes to Texas to crush rebellionBattle of the AlamoBattle of San Jacinto1836-- Santa Anna captured by Sam Houston and signs treaty establishing the independence of Texas1841-- Santa Anna returns to presidency of Mexico1844-- James K. Polk is elected president of the United States1845-- Santa Anna presidency overthrown in Mexico1845-- United States annexes Texas. Mexico does not recognize Texas independence or annexation

Sam Houston, by Martin Johnson Heade, 1846 (p. 373)

Texas Independence

The Election of 1844

President James K. PolkTennessee CongressmanYoung Hickory - Andrew Jackson protegeNapoleon of the StumpPresident from 1845-1849Ardent Expansionist

Map 13.2 Territorial Conflict in Oregon, 18191846 (p. 373)

The Oregon Controversy, 1846: 54 40 or FightResolved by treaty with theBritish in 1846

Oregon - 54 40 or Fight!

The Mexican-American War [1846-1848]1846-- Polk orders General Taylor to advance to the Rio Grande. Mexico attacks.1846-- The United States declares war on Mexico1846-- U.S. and Britain settle Oregon boundary dispute1847-- U.S. Army occupies Mexico City1847-- Santa Anna is stripped of military command1848-- Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ratified by U.S. Congress1849-- James K. Polk dies months after leaving office.

General Zachary TaylorBorn in Orange County, Virginia in 1784In 1808 Zachary joined the army as an infantry officerDuring the War of 1812, he distinguished himself under William Henry Harrison.General and popular hero of the Mexican American WarOld Rough and ReadyThe 12th President of the United States

General Winfield ScottBorn in 1786 near Petersburg, Virginia He practiced law, served in the armyWar of 1812, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonelScott undertook a successful five-mo nth campaign from Vera Cruz to Mexico City In 1852 Congress offered Scott the pay, rank, and emoluments of a lieutenant general, the first person to hold that office since George WashingtonOld Fuss and FeathersWhig party's unsuccessful candidate for President in 1852

Antonio Lopez de Santa AnnaBorn in 1795 in Japala in the province of VeracruzAt 15 became a cadet in the Spanish Army stationed in MexicoFought in the Mexican War of Independence in 1821Led a revolt against the new emperor, Agustin de IturbideDefeated the Spanish invasion in 1829President of Mexico 11 timesOften ruled as a dictator but always overthrown

Major Battles of the Mexican-American War

Battles of The Mexican War

Street Fighting in the Calle de Iturbide, 1846 (p. 377)

James K. Polk and Expansionism

Mexican-American War

Mexican-American War: American FirstsThe United States' first foreign war. The first war anywhere in the world to be photographed. The first war in which steamboats played an important role. The first war in which newspaper correspondents regularly reported from the seat of war. The first war in which graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point participated. Among these were a number of officers who would later face each other across the battlefields of the Civil War: Robert E. Lee,Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, Braxton Bragg, Ulysses S. Grant, George Meade, George McClellan, and William T. Sherman, to name but a few.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848)

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo: Feb. 2, 1848Ended the Mexican War. TEXAS: Confirmed U.S. claims to Texas and set Texas boundary at the Rio Grande riverMEXICAN CESSION: Mexico ceded California and New Mexico to the United States (includes present-day California, Nevada, and Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming)PAYOUT: U.S. paid $15 million and assumed claims against Mexico by U.S. citizens (about $2 million unpaid). Treaty was ratified by the U.S. Senate on Mar. 10, 1848, and by the Mexican Congress on May 25.

Map 13.5 The Mexican Cession, 18481853 (p. 382)

Mexican-American War: SignificanceIn the end, the Mexican American War had an immense impact on United States history.Thirteen thousand American lives were lost = two thousand were on the battlefield.It added over 500,000 square miles to the American frontier. It helped America to fulfill its manifest destiny, extending it from the Atlantic to the Pacific. With this new territory, however, came disputes that led to further sectional divide and ultimately contributed to the Civil War.

California Gold Rush Country1849 - Sutters MillSet of a rush of speculators headed for CaliforniaSo many people arrived in CA during 1848-1849 that California was able to attain statehood in 1850.

Map 13.6 The California Gold Rush, 18491857 (p. 385)

California: Spanish Missions and PresidiosMuch of the coast had been settled by Spanish Catholic missions and PresidiosWere set up to secure settlements and provide for local American IndiansAlthough part of Mexican government = VERY loosely connected

California and the Gold Rush: California StatehoodCalifornia: Gold discovered in 1848 - after Treaty of Guadalupe-HidalgoGold Rush of 1849Drew people from all over the US and worldEnough settlers to gain statehood by 1850 (Compromise of 1850) as a Free-Soil State.

The California Gold Rush

American Progress by John Gast (1872)Illustration taken from ABC-CLIO subscription websiteMap 17.1: Maine Boundary Settlement, 1842 (The American Pageant 5 ed.)Map: The Webster-Ashburton Treaty, 1842http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/prelude/manifest_destiny_overview.htmlMap 13.1: Trails to the West, 1840 (American Pageant 12 ed.)Questions for Discussion:Think about what the photo suggests about social organization at Pueblo Bonito. How would the building of so massive a complex been coordinated? Would you expect the inhabitants to have been highly individualistic or intensely communal? How do they compare in this respect with other Native American peoples discussed in this chapter?

Figure 54: Texas RevolutionMap 13.2: Major Battles in the Texas Revolution, 18351836 (Enduring Vision 5 ed)Map 13.3: The Election of 1844The Oregon Controversy, 1846Map 13.5: Major Battles of the Mexican-American WarFigure 55: The Southwest and the Mexican WarSource: infopleaseMap 18.1: California Gold Rush Country