WESTWARD EXPANSION & MANIFEST DESTINYWill a growing nation lead to greater Nationalism or increased Sectionalism?

What is Manifest Destiny?

Definition: belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable. Thought of as “God’s will”

Back under President Monroe… John Quincy Adams (Secretary of State)

made national security & expansion top priorities Remember the Monroe Doctrine! Rush-Bagot Treaty : limited ships in Great

Lakes Adams-Onís Treaty (1819)

Spain gives Florida to the United States

Establishes new border between U.S. and Spanish Territory

As we expand…

As the United States continues to grow and new states / territories are added slavery will become a major issue & conflict

Why? Balance of power

Until 1818, the U.S. had been equally divided as 10 free states and 10 slave states

Illinois admitted as free state in 1818

The Issue of Missouri

After Illinois becomes is admitted as free state, most expect Missouri to follow as a slave state Original statehood bill proposed that

Missouri be a slave state but must gradually free it’s slaves Passes the House, but fails Senate

What now? Henry Clay and others work to resolve the

issue Reach a compromise

Missouri Compromise (1820) Missouri admitted as slave state Maine admitted as free state Dividing line created for the rest of

Louisiana Territory 36°30’ N Parallel line

“Missouri Compromise Line” States north of line = free States south of line = slave

Missouri is an exception

Major Trails

The settlers needed routes to travel Many of these were formed along traditional Native

American trade routes and trails Oregon Trail

Made well-known after missionaries traveled all the way to Oregon

Independence, Missouri to Portland, Oregon Santa Fe Trail

Stretched from Independence, Missouri to Sante Fe, New Mexico

780 miles Much of the stretch was dangerous (Native

American attacks, weather, drought, terrain)

Western Settlers

Even before government action created new territories & states, many Americans left their homes and headed west

Why might they want to settle the west? Seemed adventurous! New opportunities Exploration Avoid creditors or the law Religious persecution

The Mormon Migration

Migrated along the Oregon Trail First established in New York by Joseph

Smith Faced persecution in New York,

Illinois, & Missouri Smith eventually murdered by angry mobs

New leader Brigham Young Moves followers out of U.S. territory and

settle in Salt Lake City, Utah

Speaking of Oregon…

The Oregon Territory (not a state yet) was a point of conflict for U.S. and Britain Britain also claimed parts of Maine and

Minnesota in the 1840s Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842) takes care of

Maine and Minnesota Continued a “joint occupation” of Oregon

James Polk during 1844 election adopts slogan “Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!” Wanted to annex all of Oregon

Nations eventually agree to new boundaries

Mission System

Before Mexican independence in 1821, Native Americans & settlers often encountered “Mexican” populations as a result of Spanish Missions Missions were locations/churches set up

by the Spanish crown in order to convert people to Catholicism

Missions decline after Mexico’s independence

Impact of Independence

After Mexican independence: Many Native Americans forced in to labor or

they fled Trade opportunities between Mexico and

United States Northern provinces (present day Arizona, New

Mexico, California, Texas) Mexico found that it was hard to control

and protect such a large, spread out piece of land Native American attacks

Mexico invited U.S. settlers

Land Grants

Mexico’s government offered land grants (give them land!) to empesarios Empesarios then would attract other

American settlers to the land American (Anglo) population soon

outnumbered the tejano population Tejano = Mexicans living in Texas

Stephen F. Austin

Stephen F. Austin would become one of the most well known empesarios Offered land to over 300 families, each receiving

177 acres of farmland OR 4,000 acres of ranchland Given this success, Presidents John Quincy Adams

and Andrew Jackson both tried to purchase Texas By 1936, Texas population was

3,500 Tejanos 12,000 Native Americans 45,000 Anglo Americans 5,000 African Americans

So what exactly “is” Texas now?

Calls for Independence

Austin had been advocating for greater self-government in Texas Imprisoned on return home from Mexican

capital by Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

Several rebellions erupted Santa Anna marches troops to San

Antonio in an effort to force Texas back under Mexican control

In 1835, Texans attack Mexican troops at the Alamo

“Remember the Alamo”

In response to his forces being driven from the Alamo, Santa Anna attacks Americans at the Alamo and kills many

Sam Houston, an American “Texan,” leads the Texans in their eventual defeat of Mexico in the Battle of San Jacinto Shouts of “Remember the Alamo”

September 1836, Sam Houston becomes president of Republic of Texas Becomes a state in 1845

Polk Pushes War

President Polk comes to office in 1844 Believes that only way to settle continued

tension with Mexico is through war Annexation of Texas made tensions worse

Sectionalism meant different views of war Abolitionists and many northerners

opposed expansion and the war Southerners favored expansion in order

to expand slavery

War Begins

Mexican American War begins when General Zachary Taylor leads U.S. troops to the Rio Grande river Mexico views as violation of their rights and

sends troops across the river 9 Americans killed

Polk then uses this to convince Congress of the need for war Who “started” it?

Not Just Texas!

Polk has plans to capture more than just Texas during this war Kearny marches to New Mexico, falls

without a single shot fired Republic of California

Polk once again offers to buy California Instead, group of American settlers led by

John C. Fremont take control of town of Sonoma Declare independence from Mexico

California Gold Rush

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

War ends with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Sets the Rio Grande as border between U.S. – Mexico

Still today U.S. agrees to pay $15 for land that will include

Texas California Nevada New Mexico Utah Arizona Parts of Colorado and Wyoming

Gadsden Purchase (1853)

5 years later, United States “completes the set” and acquires remaining land of present-day Southwest

Gadsden Purchase Establishes current borders