Manifest Destiny
American Progress by John Gast (1872)
Here Columbia leads civilization westward
with American settlers, stringing telegraph
wire as she travels; she holds a schoolbook.
The different economic activities of the
pioneers are highlighted and, especially, the
changing forms of transportation. The
Native Americans and wild animals flee.
Manifest Destiny –
Belief that the United States would
inevitably expand westward to the
Pacific Ocean and into Mexican
territory
John O'Sullivan, editor of the New
York newspaper 'The Morning Post',
first used this phrase to express the
long held belief that white
Americans had a God-given right to
occupy the entire North American
continent.
John O’Sullivan
Why did Americans think they were so special?
Are you surprised by the reasons that O’Sullivan
gives for expansion?
Do you think he really believes that God wants
Americans to expand?
This theory that Americans are special is called
“American Exceptionalism.” It’s this idea that
America has had such a unique history and has
become so powerful that there’s something really
special about it.
Map of United States, 1872
Actual Map of United States 1816
John Melish’s 1816 Map
John Melish
John Melish could have drawn the map
of the United States to just include
American territory.
Instead he drew the continent from sea
to sea.
Why did he choose to draw the map
this way?
Americans Headed West to…
Escape religious persecution
Find new markets for commerce
Claim land for farming, ranching, and
mining
Locate harbors on the Pacific
Seek employment and avoid creditors
after panic of 1837
Spread the virtues of democracy
The Homestead Act, 1862
In 1862 the
government of
America passed an
act that allowed
people to purchase
160 acres of Plains
land for a very small
price
The only
requirement on their
part was that they
paid a small
administration
charge and built a
house and lived on
the land for at least
5 years.
Go West Young Man!
Newspapers ran
advertisements of
success stories of
people who had
claimed lands under
the Homestead Act
Settlers and Native Americans
Increased numbers of white settlerspushing NA off lands
Some assimilate (adopt white culture) and
some fight back
The Black Hawk War-1832
• Chief Black Hawk of Sauk Tribe leads rebellion
against US starting in Illinois Territory, spreads
to Wisconsin Territory
Settlers and Native Americans
The Black Hawk War
Illinois Militia kill 200+ from Sauk and Fox
Tribe
Forcibly removed to lands west of Missippi
Settlers and Native Americans
Treaty of Fort Laramie 1851
Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow,
Sioux meet with US
representatives in Laramie,
Wyoming
Agree to give NA control of
lands in central plains and
east of Rocky Mountains if
NA agreed not to attack
settlers
Manifest Destiny
Describe what Manifest Destiny means.
Compare and contrast the European
American’s feelings about Manifest
Destiny and the Native American’s
feelings about Manifest Destiny.
Trails West
Santa Fe Trail
Independence, Missouri
to Santa Fe, New
Mexico
Major Trade Route w/
Mexico
Eventually used for
invasion of Mexico
“Circle-Up the Wagons”
Fear of Comanche
Attacks
Oregon Fever
Stories and rumors grew about the
territory
“pigs roamed about pre-cooked”
“6 feet tall grain”
1840 to 1860
60,000 Travelers on Oregon Trail
• Independence, Missouri – Columbia River
• 2,100 miles
Traveled in prairie schooners –
lightweight covered wagons hitched to
teams of oxen
• Could travel at 2 miles per hour
• 5 – 6 month journey
The Oregon Trail
Hardships
Smallpox, Native
American attacks, cholera,
dysentery
Many died on voyage
Annex – U.S. added
Oregon without bloodshed
Became a state in 1859
Travelers attracted by free
land (up to 640 acres)
1840-1859
52,000 emigrants moved to
Oregon
Death on the Oregon Trail
Cholera
a bacterial infection of
the small intestine
Dysentery
an inflammatory disorder
of the intestine, especially
of the colon, that results in
severe diarrhea containing
mucus and/or blood in the
feces with fever and
abdominal pain. If left
untreated, dysentery can
be fatal.
The Mormons
Mormon or Latter
Day Saint – follower
of the Church of the
Latter Day Saints
Founded by Joseph
Smith
Holy Books - Book of
Mormon and Bible
Joseph Smith
Farmer in upstate
New York
1820s – had a vision
to start a new
Christian religious
group
Published “The Book
of Mormon”
Journey into the Desert
Under constant
persecution, the
Mormons moved from
New York to Ohio to
Missouri to Illinois
1844 – A mob attacked
and killed Smith (while
in Jail)
Smiths successor
Brigham Young, led the
Mormons to safety in
Utah
15,000 followed him
Brigham Young
1850 – became the
Governor of Utah
By 1860 – 30,000
Mormons lived in
Utah
1896 – Utah
becomes the fortyfifth state
Mormonism – Basic Beliefs
Mormon Church –
restoration of the
‘Christian Church’
God has a physical
body, is married, and
can have children
Strongly focused on
traditional family life
and values
Oppose – abortion,
homosexuality,
gambling, tobacco,
coffee, tea, and use of
drugs
Polygamy – the
practice of having more
than one wife
This practice was
discontinued over a
century ago
Mormons Today
1.3% of U.S.
population
13 million
members
worldwide
More members
outside U.S. than
inside
Geographical Distribution
United States-5,208,827
Canada-158,511
Mexico-884,071
Caribbean-115,610
Central America-472,038
South America-2,548,979
Europe-412,907
Asia-750,478
Africa-153,565
South Pacific-363,875
Well-Known Mormons
“Fifty-four Forty or Fight!”
Campaign slogan of
democrat James K.
Polk
Promised to extend
the Northern Border
of the U.S. to 54°40’
N or fight for it
49°N was eventually
peacefully settled
with Great Britain
The Mission System
Before Mexico wins its independence
from Spain in 1821, Spain had a system
of Roman Catholic missions in
California, New Mexico, and Texas.
Goal of Missions = convert Native
Americans to Catholics and settle them on
mission lands
Spanish soldiers manned presidios (forts)
to protect the missions
Presidio (Fort)
Spanish Mission
Mexican Independence
Mexico wins independence from Spain in
1821
Mexico had difficult time controlling northern
territories (Texas, New Mexico, California)
To prevent border violations by horse thieves
and to protect the territory from Native
American attacks, Mexico encouraged
Americans to settle in Texas
38,000 eventually come
Mexico invites U.S. Settlers
Mexico offered enormous land grants to
agents, who were called empresarios
Empresarios attracted American settlers who
eagerly bought cheap land
Agreed to obey Mexican laws and observe the
official religion of Roman Catholicism
Anglo population (English-speaking) soon
outnumbered Tejanos (Texan of Mexican
decent) who lived in Texas
Stephen F. Austin
Most successful
empresario
Issued 297 land grants;
later known as “Old
Three Hundred”
Each received:
• 177 acres of farmland
• 4428 acres for stock
grazing
• 10 year exemption from
paying taxes
Gone to Texas
Word spread about
life in Texas
1836
3500 Tejanos
1200 Native
Americans
45,000 Anglos
5,000 AfricanAmericans
Texas Revolution
John Quincy Adams offered to buy
Texas for $1 million; Andrew Jackson
for $5 million
Both rejected
1833 Mexican dictator, Antonio Lὁpez
de Santa Anna, arrest Austin when he
requested more independence for
Texas
Started the Texas Revolution
Santa Anna marched troops to Texas to
force residents to obey the laws
Davy Crockett
“King of the Wild Frontier”
Congressmen from
Tennessee (House of
Representatives)
1833-1835
Lost reelection
Moved to Texas
Arrived at the Alamo
on Feb. 6, 1836
Santa Anna arrived on
Feb. 23rd
The Republic of Texas
May 1836 – Sam
Houston defeats Santa
Anna at the Battle of
San Jacinto
Santa Anna signs peace
treaty giving up Texas
Republic of Texas is
formed
Sam Houston is elected
President
Annexation of Texas
Texans, upon gaining
independence, immediately
voted to join U.S.
South wanted another
cotton growing slave state
North Did not want another
slave state
James Polk wins election of
1844
February 1845 – Texas
becomes the 28th state
Annexation of Texas
Border between Mexico and Texas still
an issue
U.S. wanted Rio Grande to be southern
border and to buy California for $25 million
and New Mexico for $5 million
Mexico outraged!
The U.S. – Mexican War (1846 – 1848)
Polk Wants War
Believed war with
Mexico would bring
in New Mexico and
California
Supported claim
that Texas’s border
stopped at Rio
Grande river,
Mexico said it
stopped at Neuces
River
War Begins
General Zachary
Taylor sent to Texas
to protect southern
border
Mexico attacks
Killed 9 Americans
Captured 55 others
Taylor asks Polk to
declare war
War Begins – April
1846
The U.S. – Mexican War is the very first war the U.S.
fought outside of its own territory …
… as well as the first
major event captured by
photographs
Some Americans confuse this war with the
Texas Revolution (1835 – 1836).
Other Americans confuse this war with the
Spanish - American War (1898).
Another reason most Americans know little of this conflict
is that the Civil War overshadowed it 13 years later.
Paul Espinos: However, when this same war is mentioned
south of the border, even a Mexican with a limited
education will say: “Oh, the war where the Gringos stole
our territory.”
Paul Espinosa
The U.S. – Mexican War is a very important
war but also a very controversial one.
Consequently, many critics of the time period referred
to the conflict as “Mr. Polk’s War.”
11th POTUS
(1845 – 1849)
For Mexicans, the war is simply the North American
Invasion (La Intervención Norteamericana).
The U.S. – Mexican War expanded America’s border
to the Pacific and dramatically shaped the future of
both the U.S. and Mexico.
For Mexico, the war was a traumatic event that
resulted in the loss of many lives, half its territory and a
great deal of pride and hope for the future
Opposition
Many anti-slavery
Americans
challenged the war
Included Abraham
Lincoln
The North did not
want another slave
state entering the
Union
Kearny Marches West
Colonel Stephen
Kearny and troops
march from Kansas
to New Mexico
“The Long Marcher”
New Mexico falls to
US
The Bear Flag Republic
The 500 citizens of
California revolt
against Mexican
rulers in 1846
Create the Bear Flag
Republic
Mexico surrenders
California in 1847
The War in Mexico
American troops easily overpowered
Mexican troops
US troops led by Captain Robert E. Lee and
Ulysses S. Grant
Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott
Making Peace
Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo 1848
Mexico gave up all of
California and New
Mexico
Also known as
Mexican Cession
• Included California,
Nevada, New Mexico,
Utah, and most of
Arizona
Taylor’s Election in 1848
Democrats- Lewis
Cass
Free-Soil PartyVan Buren
Whig PartyZachary Taylor
Gadsden Purchase
1853
US purchased land
for $10 million
dollars
The continental U.S.
is now complete
Gold Rush
Gold discovered on
January 24, 1848
Forty-niners – gold
seekers who went to
California in 1849
Over 300,000 people
traveled to California
in search of gold!
Effects of the Gold Rush
Many Native Americans died from disease and
genocide
150,000 in 1840
30,000 in 1870
One in twelve forty-niners died
death and crime rates during the Gold Rush were
extraordinarily high
Environmental Damage
gravel, silt and toxic chemicals from prospecting
operations killed fish and destroyed habitats
California became a state (1850)
Eurkea (“I Have Found It”) became State Motto
The “Golden State”
Development of Transcontinental Railroad
Gold Today
The high price of
gold is due to its
rare amount. Only
three parts out of
every billion
(0.000000003) in
the Earth's crust is
gold.
February 16, 2010 $1370 per ounce
Transcontinental Railroad
1756 miles
Omaha –
Sacramento
6 years to build
Union Pacific
Railroad and
Central Pacific
Railroad met in
Promontory Point,
Utah
Celebrated
connection with
gold spike
Transcontinental Railroad
Chinese Labor
Many workers were
imported for China
to work on the
western half of the
transcontinental
railroad
Wages were minimal
and working
conditions were
harsh
Other Territorial Gains by the U.S.
Alaska from Russia –
1867
Hawaii – 1898
Puerto Rico, Guam,
Cuba*, and the
Philippines* from
Spain – 1898
America Samoa 1899
Virgin Island from
the Dutch – 1917