Historical Catalyst Do you see yourself living in/ near Clifton Park in 10 years? Why or why not? FRONT WINDOWS FRONT WINDOWS FRONT WINDOWS FRONT WINDOWS FRONT WINDOWS How did Americans justify westward expansion? MANIFEST DESTINY MANIFEST- clear or obvious DESTINY- future or fate 1- Find at least three specific details in the painting 2-analyze what you think the artist was trying to say about westward expansion: How is western expansion justified? American Progress John Gast The Situation by the 1830s How would these groups View the idea of Manifest Destiny? Physical Map (1143) Climate Map (1145) Precipitation Map Population Map (1148) Oregon Country Mountain Men 1820s 1 st Americans in Oregon Fur trappers- BEAVERS Missionaries 1830s- Missionaries to Oregon Country (2 nd Grt. Aw.- convert the Natives) Word of country heads back east- OREGON FEVER Panic of 1837 Huge economic depression into the 1840s Massive unemployment, inflation Oregon Trail: 1840s- wagon trains start heading west w/ settlers 2,000 miles/ 4-6 months 5000 by 1844 Texas Independence 1820s Stephen Austin: led farmers into Mexican Texas Early 1830s Mexico: enforces laws Texans dont like gradual emancipation of slaves Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna Republic of Texas Texas declares independence Sam Houston: Commander of army The Alamo (dont need to remember) 183 Texans vs. 6,000 Mexicans 12 day siege; victory or death! Santa Anna victory (despite 1500 dead) Lone Star Republic ( ) Texas wins independence Asks to be annexed (added) to the U.S. Congress debates annexation- Sectionalism: S- extend slavery west N- would tip balance in Senate to the South Would lead to war with Mexico Election of annex Texas and Oregon? Dem, Polk Yes- Whig, Clay - No Polk- pro annexation Clay- anti annexation Manifest Destiny the U.S. should take over the rest of North America John L. OSullivan, journalist, 1845: Read over the excerpts and answer the questions. How does the United States justify westward expansion? PREDICT How does the United States justify westward expansion? The theory that Americans are special is called American Exceptionalism. Its the idea that America has had such a unique history and has become so powerful that there is something special about it What do you think of this theory? President Tyler Pro- annexation song Anti-annexation pamphlet James Polk (Democrat) 11 th U.S. President ( ) Strong advocate of Manifest Destiny James K Polk ( ) achieves Manifest Destiny 1844 election James Polk president fan of Manifest Destiny Fifty-four forty or fight! (line of latitude) Treaty of 1846 U.S. and Great Britain divide Oregon at 49 th parallel Congress votes to annex Texas The Mexican War ( ) VS. Causes of War with Mexico The U.S. offered to purchase California and New Mexico; Mexico refuses. The U.S. inherits a boundary dispute between Texas and Mexico American troops are killed there- gives us a reason for war Major Highlights General Zachary Taylor American blood on American soil! Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) Texas to the U.S. (Rio Grande is border) Mexican Cession: Land that currently makes up New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nevada & California to the U.S. Mexico receives $18 Million for land losses Mexican Cession Gadsden Purchase (1853) 30,000 square miles of present-day southern New Mexico & Arizona to the U.S. Mexico receives $10 Million The California Gold Rush- Gold discovered 1848 Polk.. Why isnt he celebrated? Should America be ashamed of this chapter in its history? Should we not have done it? Manifest Destiny Achieved- fill in the map: Date, description of HOW the U.S. acquired each territory (see map A28) By Sea, via Panama/goldrush/jou rney_panama.html By Sea: Around the Hornush/journey_capehorn.html Overland- CA Trailskids.org /waybac k/goldrus h/journe y_oregon.html 49ers Chinese Immigration Tens of Thousands of Chinese come to San Francisco in the 1850s Population booms 14, ,000 in five years Trend continues today According to this typical defense of the war with Mexico, what beneficial things will American Anglo-Saxons bring with them? California will, probably, next fall away from...Mexico.... Imbecile and distracted, Mexico never can exert any real governmental authority over such a country.... The Anglo-Saxon foot is already on its borders. Already the advance guard of the irresistible army of Anglo-Saxon emigration has begun to pour down upon it armed with the plow and the rifle, and markings its trail with schools and colleges, courts and representative halls, mills and meeting houses. A population will soon be in actual occupation of California, over which it will be idle for Mexico to dream of dominion... All this without agency of our government, without responsibility of our people- -in natural flow of events(Blum 277)Blum Losers of Gold Rush Chinese & Mexicans- foreign tax on Chinese miners; violence Natives- 1000s die in 1845; less than 30,000 by 1870 Lost land- became workers Placer mining- done by hand with simple tools Sluicer box, or Long Tom Panning for gold Life in camp- 1 in 12 49ers perish within 2 years Male dominated Poor sanitation Disease: cholera, dysentry Life cheap- huge murder, violence rate Law?- vigilante justice- no official govt Lots of vice- drinking, violence, gambling, prostitution Hydraulic mining Negative effects Hard Rock mining Big $$$$ Dig deep into mts.