UNIT 2
WESTWARD EXPANSION
NOTES AND LECTURE
POINTS FOR
THE ENTIRE UNIT 2
The Articles of Confederation
The Big Idea
The Articles of Confederation provided a
framework for a national government.
Main Ideas
• The American people examined many ideas
about government.
• The Articles of Confederation laid the base
for the first national government of the
United States.
• The Confederation Congress established the
Northwest Territory.
Main Idea 2:
The Articles of Confederation laid
the base
for the first national government
of the United States.
• The Articles of Confederation created a
national government with limited powers.
– Congress could settle conflicts among states,
make coins, borrow money, ask states for
money and soldiers, and make treaties with
other nations.
– States had the power to refuse requests.
– There was not a president or a national court
system.
• The Second Continental Congress passed the
Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777,
and sent them to each state for ratification.
• The first national government of the United
States was established after the last state ratified
the Articles in March 1781.
Main Idea 3:
The Confederation Congress
established the Northwest
Territory.
• Congress passed
Land Ordinance
of 1785 to raise
money to pay
debts.
• Ordinance provided
for surveying and
dividing western
lands.
• Land was split into
townships.
• Each township was
divided into lots for
sale to the public.
• Congress passed
Northwest
Ordinance of
1787.
• Established
Northwest
Territory and a
system for creating
new states
• Included what are
now the states of
Ohio, Indiana,
Michigan, Illinois,
Wisconsin, and
Minnesota
• Required the
provision of public
education and
banned slavery
Challenges for the New Nation
The Big Idea
The United States faced significant foreign and
domestic challenges under Washington.
Main Ideas
• The United States tried to remain neutral
regarding events in Europe.
• The United States and Native Americans
came into conflict in the Northwest Territory.
• The Whiskey Rebellion tested Washington’s
administration.
• In his Farewell Address, Washington advised
the nation.
Main Idea 1:
The United States tried to remain
neutral regarding events in
Europe.
• The French Revolution against the French
king broke out in 1789.
• France and Great Britain later went to war.
• Some Americans, including Thomas
Jefferson, supported the French.
• President Washington and others wanted to
remain neutral. He believed this was the
safest plan for the U.S. in the long run.
• The United States issued the Neutrality
Proclamation, in 1793, saying it would not
take sides.
Other Challenges to U.S.
Neutrality
Jay’s Treaty
• The British were
seizing American
ships in the French
West Indies.
• Washington wanted to
prevent another war;
so did the British.
• Jay’s Treaty was
signed in 1794.
• It settled disputes
that had arisen
between the two
countries in the
1790s.
• The treaty was
unpopular in the
United States.
Pinckney’s Treaty
• The Spanish disputed
the U.S. and Florida
border.
• Spain closed the New
Orleans port to U.S.
trade in 1784.
• This hurt the
American economy.
• Pinckney’s Treaty
was signed in 1795.
• The southern U.S.
border was set at
31° N latitude.
• The port of New
Orleans reopened.
Main Idea 2:
The United States and Native
Americans came into conflict in
the Northwest Territory.
• Americans settled in the Northwest Territory
despite Native Americans’ protests.
• Native Americans went to war.
• Early Native American victories came under
Chief Little Turtle.
• General Anthony Wayne’s troops won the
Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.
• The Treaty of Greenville ended the war in
1795 and gave Americans most Indian
lands in the Northwest Territory.
Main Idea 3:
The Whiskey Rebellion tested
Washington’s administration.
Reaction to Whiskey Tax
• People in areas like western Pennsylvania were
angry at the tax on American-made whiskey
passed by Congress in 1791.
• Whiskey was a cash crop to western
Pennsylvania farmers.
• Farmers were angry that cases about the law
were tried in district courts, often far away
from the people affected.
Whiskey Rebellion Is Crushed
• Fighting broke out in 1794.
• Washington led an army against the rebels,
but the Whiskey Rebellion ended without a
battle.
Chapter 8 – The Jefferson Era
Section
Notes
Jefferson Becomes
President
The Louisiana
Purchase
The Coming of War
The War of 1812
Quick Facts
The Election of 1800
Analyzing the War of
1812
Chapter 8 Visual
Summary
Video
Expanding
Frontiers
Maps
The Louisiana
Purchase and
Western
Expeditions
The War of 1812
Images
The USS
Constitution
First Lady Saves
Washington’s
Portrait
Jefferson Becomes President
The Big Idea
Thomas Jefferson’s election began a new
era in American government.
Main Ideas
• The election of 1800 marked the first
peaceful transition in power from one
political party to another.
• President Jefferson’s beliefs about the
federal government were reflected in his
policies.
• Marbury v. Madison increased the power of
the judicial branch of government.
Main Idea 1:
The election of 1800 marked the
first peaceful transition in power
from
one political party to another.
• Federalists John Adams and Charles C.
Pinckney ran against DemocraticRepublicans Thomas Jefferson and Aaron
Burr.
• Jefferson and Burr tied, with 73 electoral
votes each.
• The House broke the tie by selecting
Jefferson to be president; Burr became vice
president.
• The tie led to the passage of the Twelfth
Amendment, which provided for a separate
ballot for president and vice president in the
next election.
Parties and Beliefs
Adams and the
Federalists
Jefferson and the
DemocraticRepublicans
• Rule by the wealthy
class
• Rule by the people
• Strong federal
government
• Strong state
governments
• Emphasis on
manufacturing
• Emphasis on
agriculture
• Loose interpretation
of the Constitution
• Strict interpretation
of the Constitution
• British alliance
• French alliance
Main Idea 2:
President Jefferson’s beliefs
about
the federal government were
reflected in his policies.
• Democratic-Republican–controlled Congress
helped put his republican ideas into practice.
– Allowed the hated Alien and Sedition Acts
to expire.
– Lowered military spending.
– Got rid of domestic taxes.
• Believed main functions of federal
government were
– Protecting the nation from foreign threats.
– Delivering mail.
– Collecting customs duties.
• Kept some Federalist ideas, like Bank of the
United States.
Main Idea 3:
Marbury v. Madison increased the
power of the judicial branch of
government.
Backgroun
d
• William Marbury appointed justice
of peace by President Adams just
before he left office.
• Marbury’s commission was not
delivered; Jefferson took office.
• Marbury sued Jefferson
administration to get his
commission.
Supreme
Court
Ruling
• The law Marbury based his claim on
was unconstitutional—Judiciary Act
of 1789.
• Ruled that the Supreme Court did
not hear cases like this one,
according to the Constitution; thus,
the law that Marbury used was
unconstitutional.
Importance of Judicial Review
• Chief Justice John Marshall wrote Court’s
opinion in Marbury v. Madison.
• Ruling established judicial review—
Court’s power to declare an act of Congress
unconstitutional.
• Made judicial branch equal to other two
branches of government.
The Louisiana Purchase
The Big Idea
Under President Jefferson’s leadership, the
United States added the Louisiana Territory.
Main Ideas
• As American settlers moved West, control of
the Mississippi River became more
important to the United States.
• The Louisiana Purchase almost doubled the
size of the United States.
• Expeditions led by Lewis, Clark, and Pike
increased Americans’ understanding of the
West.
Main Idea 1:
As American settlers moved
West, control of the Mississippi
River became more important to
the United States.
• Thousands of Americans had settled
between the Appalachians and the
Mississippi by 1800s.
• Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio were
admitted as states.
• Settlers depended on the Mississippi and
Ohio rivers to move products east.
• Jefferson worried about foreign control of
New Orleans and Louisiana.
– Americans depended on the river, which
could be disrupted if a foreign power shut
down access to New Orleans.
Louisiana
Spanish Control
• Spain controlled both New Orleans and
Louisiana—land stretching from Mississippi
River to Rocky Mountains.
• Spain gave land to France in treaty.
French Control
• French leader Napoléon wanted to rebuild
France’s empire in North America.
• Rebellion in French colony of Haiti, in the
Caribbean, ended Napoléon’s dream in 1802.
Main Idea 2:
The Louisiana Purchase almost
doubled
the size of the United States.
• Jefferson sent ambassador to France to try
to buy New Orleans.
• The French offered to sell all of Louisiana.
– Napoléon had wanted to set up a North
American empire, but a revolt in Haiti
ruined those plans.
• Price was $15 million.
• Louisiana Purchase approved by Senate
on October 20, 1803.
• Nearly doubled size of United States.
Main Idea 3:
Expeditions led by Lewis, Clark,
and Pike increased Americans’
understanding
of the West.
Lewis and Clark Expedition
• Expedition to explore the Louisiana
Purchase.
• Led by Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark.
• Included 50 skilled frontiersmen.
• Began near St. Louis on May 14, 1804.
• Reached the Pacific Ocean in November,
1805.
Contact with Native Americans
Lewis used interpreters to talk to leaders of each
of the peoples they met.
Told them United States now owned land on
which Native Americans lived.
Relied on goodwill of the peoples they met.
- Given food by Shoshone, Nez Percé, and
others.
Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman, served as a
guide and interpreter.
Pike’s Exploration
• Zebulon Pike, an army officer, led another
expedition to the West in 1806.
• Explored area near Louisiana Territory’s
western border with New Spain
• Headed into Rocky Mountains in presentday Colorado
– Traveled into Spanish lands and was
arrested
– When finally released, still praised the
opportunities for doing business with the
Spanish
• Pike’s report offered Americans their first
description of the Southwest.
The Coming of the War
The Big Idea
Challenges at home and abroad led the United
States to declare war on Great Britain.
Main Ideas
• Violations of U.S. neutrality led Congress to
enact a ban on trade.
• Native Americans, Great Britain, and the
United States came into conflict in the West.
• The War Hawks led a growing call for war
with Great Britain.
Main Idea 1:
Violations of U.S. neutrality led
Congress
to enact a ban on trade.
• Overseas trade was profitable but risky.
– Barbary pirates, along the coast of Africa, would
capture ships.
– Attacks continued until the United States sent the
USS Constitution and other warships to stop the
pirates.
• British and French tried to stop the United
States from aiding the other while they were at
war in 1803.
• British stopped American merchant ships to
search for British sailors who had run away from
British navy.
– British sailors were forced to return and
sometimes U.S. citizens were taken by accident.
– British ship Leopard stopped U.S. Navy ship
Chesapeake and took sailors by force.
– Attack on Chesapeake stunned Americans.
The United States’ Response
Embargo Act
Non-Intercourse Act
• Embargo Act
passed in 1807,
banning trade with
all foreign countries
to punish Britain
and France
• Congress replaced
unpopular Embargo
Act with NonIntercourse Act in
1809
• Devastated
American
merchants, who lost
much money
without trade
• Damaged Jefferson
and strengthened
Federalists
• Had little effect on
Britain and France
• Banned trade only
with Britain, France,
and their colonies
• U.S. trade would
resume with first
side to stop violating
American neutrality
• Law was no more
suc-cessful than
Embargo Act
Main Idea 2:
Native Americans, Great Britain,
and the United States came
into conflict in the West.
Conflict Over Land
• British and Native Americans clashed with
American settlers over land in the West.
• British agents armed Native Americans along
western frontier.
Tecumseh Resists U.S. Settlers
• Tecumseh, a Shawnee chief, emerged as
leader.
• Hoped to unite Native Americans of
northwestern frontier, the South, and the
eastern Mississippi Valley.
The Battle of Tippecanoe
• Tecumseh founded village near Tippecanoe
and Wabash rivers in Indiana Territory.
– Tecumseh was a brilliant speaker and
leader.
– He wanted to unite the Native Americans
to resist settlers.
• Governor William Henry Harrison warned
Tecumseh not to resist power of the United
States.
• Harrison led army in attack on village in
1811.
– Was worried that with British backing,
Tecumseh could be a serious threat to
U.S. power in the West.
• U.S. forces won Battle of Tippecanoe, and
Tecumseh fled to Canada.
Main Idea 3:
The War Hawks led a growing call
for
war with Great Britain.
War Hawks
• Evidence of British support for Tecumseh
inflamed Americans.
• Some young members of Congress from the
South and West, called War Hawks,
demanded war against Britain.
• They were angered by British trade restrictions
and wanted to invade Canada for more land to
settle.
The Opposition
• New England Federalists opposed war.
• British trade restrictions hurt New England’s
economy.
• Others argued that the United States was not
ready to fight.
War Declared
• Republican James Madison was elected
president in 1808.
– Felt growing pressure from War Hawks.
– Decided Congress must vote on war in
1812.
• Congress voted, and the War Hawks won.
– Congress had declared war for the first
time in the nation’s history.
• Madison was reelected in 1812.
– Would serve as commander in chief
during War of 1812.
The War of 1812
The Big Idea
Great Britain and the United States went to
battle in the War of 1812.
Main Ideas
• American forces held their own against the
British in the early battles of the war.
• U.S. forces stopped the British offensives in
the East and South.
• The effects of the war included prosperity
and national pride.
Main Idea 1:
American forces held their own
against the British in the early
battles of the war.
War at Sea
• Britain had
hundreds of ships,
but most were
scattered around
the globe.
• Americans had less
than 20 ships, but
had well-trained
sailors and new
warships like the
powerful USS
Constitution.
• American ships
victorious in oneon-one battles.
• British blockaded
seaports.
Along Canadian
Border
• American leaders
wanted to invade
Canada.
• Attacks in 1812
failed
• Oliver Hazard
Perry won naval
Battle of Lake
Erie in 1813.
• American control of
Lake Erie
established.
• British driven out of
Northwest in 1813.
The Creek War
War erupted with Native Americans in the South,
who
were angry at settlers pushing into their lands.
Creeks attacked Fort Mims in Alabama, killing
about 250 defenders.
Andrew Jackson, leading 2,000 volunteers,
defeated the Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe
Bend in Alabama in 1814.
The Treaty of Fort Jackson ended war in 1814
and forced the Creeks to give up millions of
acres of their land.
Main Idea 2:
U.S. forces stopped British
offensives
in the East and South.
British Attacks in East
• British attacked Washington, D.C., in 1814.
• Set fire to White House, Capitol, and other
buildings.
• British shelled Fort McHenry at Baltimore,
Maryland.
• Americans refused to surrender, and British
retreated.
Battle of New Orleans
• British moved against New Orleans.
– Hoped to capture city and control
Mississippi River.
• Andrew Jackson commanded U.S. forces at
New Orleans.
– Troops included regular soldiers, free
African Americans, Choctaws, state
militia, and pirates.
• Battle began on January 8, 1815, with
5,300 British troops against about 4,500
Americans.
• British caught in open field; more than
2,000 casualties.
• American victory at Battle of New Orleans
made Jackson a hero and was last major
conflict of the war.
Main Idea 3:
The effects of the war included
prosperity and national pride.
Hartford
Convention
Treaty of
Ghent
Consequen
ces
• Group of New England Federalists
were going to Hartford
Convention to oppose war, but the
war ended before the convention.
• War’s end made party lose power.
• Treaty of Ghent signed before
negotiators knew of New Orleans.
• Each nation returned conquered
territory gathered.
• Feelings of patriotism among
Americans.
• Power of many Native American
groups broken.
• Lack of goods during blockade
boosted American manufacturing.
Chapter 9 – A New National
Identity
Section
Notes
American Foreign
Policy
Nationalism and
Sectionalism
American Culture
Quick Facts
Chapter 9 Visual
Summary
Video
The Impact of the
United States on
Its Neighbors
Maps
U.S. Boundary
Changes,
1818-1819
U.S. Roads and Canals,
1850
The Missouri
Compromise, 1820
Test Assessment Map
Images
The Erie Canal
American Arts
American Arts
(continued)
American Foreign Policy
The Big Idea
The United States peacefully settled disputes
with foreign powers.
Main Ideas
• The United States and Great Britain settled
their disputes over boundaries and control
of waterways.
• The United States gained Florida in an
agreement with Spain.
• With the Monroe Doctrine, the United States
strengthened its relationship with Latin
America.
Main Idea 1:
The United States and Great
Britain settled their disputes over
boundaries and
control of waterways.
• United States and British Canada both wanted
naval and fishing rights on the Great Lakes
– Rush-Bagot Agreement (1817) limited naval
power on Great Lakes for both
• Disputes over fishing rights off Canada, fur trade
in Oregon Country, and the U.S.–Canadian
border
– Convention of 1818 allowed U.S. fishing off
Canada and set the border between the United
States and Canada at the 49th parallel as far
west as the Rocky Mountains.
– United States and Britain agreed to share
Pacific Northwest
Main Idea 2:
The United States gained Florida
in an agreement with Spain.
• Conflict with Spain over American settlers
near the U.S.–Florida border
• Secretary of State John Quincy Adams
talked with Spain’s Luis de Onís.
• President James Monroe sent troops to
secure the border.
• There was conflict with the Seminoles over
settlements and runaway slaves.
The First Seminole War
and the Adams-Onís Treaty
Andrew Jackson’s troops captured Seminole
raiders, beginning First Seminole War in 1818.
U.S. troops captured Spanish military posts and
overthrew Spanish governor of Florida.
Spain and United States signed Adams-Onís
Treaty in 1819; settled all border disputes.
United States received East Florida, gave up
claim to Texas, and agreed to pay U.S. citizens’
claims against Spain.
Main Idea 3:
With the Monroe Doctrine, the
United States strengthened its
relationship
with Latin America.
• Latin American countries declared
independence from Spain.
– Simon Bolívar led many of these
revolutions.
– The United States feared European
countries would take control of newly
free countries.
• United States issued Monroe Doctrine.
– Warned European powers not to interfere
in Americas.
– Put Latin America in U.S. sphere of
influence.
The Monroe Doctrine: Four Basic
Points
• The United States would not interfere in the
affairs of European nations.
• The United States would recognize, and not
interfere with, countries that already existed
in the Americas.
• The Western Hemisphere was off-limits to
colonization by any foreign power.
• The United States would consider any
attempt by a European power to colonize or
interfere in the Western Hemisphere a
hostile act.
Nationalism and Sectionalism
The Big Idea
A rising sense of national unity allowed some
regional differences to be set aside and
national
interests to be served.
Main Ideas
• Growing nationalism led to improvements in
the nation’s transportation systems.
• The Missouri Compromise settled an
important regional conflict.
• The outcome of the election of 1824 led to
controversy.
Main Idea 1:
Growing nationalism led to
improvements in the nation’s
transportation systems.
• Nationalism: feelings of pride and loyalty
to a nation
• Henry Clay proposed the American
System: a series of measures to make
America economically self-sufficient.
– National bank to provide a single
currency, and improved roads and canals
funded by a protective tariff
– Some in Congress felt such
improvements were not permitted by the
Constitution.
– Clay argued that possible gains for the
country justified federal action.
– Congress agreed with Clay.
Henry Clay
• Served as a U.S. representative from
Kentucky, a senator, the Speaker of the
House, and secretary of state.
• Supported nationalism.
• Developed the American System.
• Dedicated to preserving the Union.
• Initiated the Missouri Compromise.
Roads and Canals
Roads
• Cumberland Road was first federally built
road
• Begun in Maryland in 1815, stretched to
Illinois by 1850
Canals
• Americans tried to make water transportation
easier by building canals.
• Erie Canal ran from Albany to Buffalo in New
York, allowing goods and people to move
between East Coast and towns on Lake Erie
• Success of Erie Canal provided incentive for
future canal building
The Era of Good Feelings
Era of Good Feelings: time of peace,
prosperity, and progress from 1815–1825.
National unity strengthened by two Supreme
Court decisions that reinforced federal power.
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) asserted implied
powers of Congress, allowing for creation of
national bank.
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) said states could not
interfere with power of Congress to regulate
interstate trade.
Main Idea 2:
The Missouri Compromise settled
an important regional conflict.
• Sectionalism, or disagreements between different
regions, threatened the Union.
• Missouri applied to enter Union as slave state, which
would change balance between free and slave states
• Initial compromise rejected
• Henry Clay proposed Missouri Compromise in 1820
– Missouri entered as slave state
– Maine would join Union as a free state, preserving
balance between free and slave states
– Slavery would be prohibited in any new states or
territories north of 36°30’.
• Disagreements between the North and South over
slavery continued.
Main Idea 3:
The outcome of the election of
1824
led to controversy.
• Andrew Jackson won the popular vote but
did not have enough electoral votes.
• The House of Representatives was required
by the Constitution to choose the winner;
they chose John Quincy Adams.
• Jackson’s supporters claimed Adams had
made a “corrupt bargain” with Henry Clay.
• Accusations grew after Adams made Clay
secretary of state.
• Controversy weakened Adams’s support.
Chapter 10 – The Age of
Jackson
Section
Notes
Jacksonian Democracy
Jackson’s
Administration
Indian Removal
Video
Native American
Reservations
Maps
Quick Facts
Regions of the United
States,
Early 1800s
Chapter 10 Visual
Summary
Second Seminole
War
Images
Andrew Jackson
Primary Source:
Jackson
against the Bank
Indian Removal
Jackson’s Administration
The Big Idea
Andrew Jackson’s presidency was marked
by political conflicts.
Main Ideas
• Regional differences grew during Jackson’s
presidency.
• The rights of the states were debated amid
arguments about a national tariff.
• Jackson’s attack on the Bank sparked
controversy.
• Jackson’s policies led to the Panic of 1837.
Main Idea 1:
Regional differences grew
during
Jackson’s presidency.
North
• Economy
based on
manufacturi
ng
• Support for
tariffs—
American
goods could
be sold at
lower prices
than British
goods
South
• Economy
based on
agriculture
• Opposition
to tariffs
increased
the cost of
imported
goods
West
• Emerging
economy
• Support for
internal
improvemen
ts and the
sale of
public lands
Tariff of Abominations
• In 1827, northern manufacturers had
demanded a tariff on imported wool goods.
– Would provide protection against foreign
competition.
• Southerners opposed a tariff because it
would hurt their economy.
• Congress passed a high tariff on imports
before Jackson became president.
• The South called it the Tariff of
Abominations.
Main Idea 2:
The rights of the states were
debated amid arguments about a
national tariff.
• Jackson was forced to deal with growing conflicts
over tariffs.
• The question of an individual state’s right to
disregard a law passed by Congress was at the
heart of a growing conflict over tariffs.
• Vice President John C. Calhoun supported the
South
– Advanced states’ rights doctrine
– States’ power greater than federal power
because states had formed national
government
– States could nullify, or reject, law judged
unconstitutional
• Calhoun’s theory was controversial.
– Produced the nullification crisis
States’ Rights Debate
• Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798-99
were early discussions on states’ rights.
• Daniel Webster debated Robert Y. Hayne in
Senate on nullification.
– Webster argued that the United States was one
nation, not a pact among independent states.
• Jackson urged Congress to pass lower tariff rate
in 1832.
– Jackson opposed nullification, but was worried
about the southern economy.
• South Carolina enacted Nullification Act to void
tariffs.
• Congress then passed another lower-tariff
compromise.
• States’ rights controversy continued until Civil
War.
Main Idea 3:
Jackson’s attack on the Bank
sparked controversy.
• Jackson did not always support federal power.
– Opposed Second Bank of the United States.
– Believed it unconstitutional: only states should
have banking power.
• Southern states opposed the Bank because they
believed it only helped the wealthy.
• In McCulloch v. Maryland, Supreme Court ruled
the national bank was constitutional.
– McCulloch was a cashier at the Bank’s branch
in Maryland who refused to pay the tax that
was designed to limit the Bank’s operations.
• Jackson vetoed the renewal of the Bank’s charter
in 1832.
Main Idea 4:
Jackson’s policies led to
the Panic of 1837.
• Jackson took funds out of the Bank and put
them in state banks.
• State banks used funds to give credit to
land buyers.
– Helped land expansion but caused
inflation.
• Jackson tried to slow inflation.
– Ordered Americans to use only gold and
silver to buy land.
– Still did not help the national economy.
• Jackson’s banking and inflation policies
opened the door for economic troubles.
Elections of 1836 and 1840
• Jackson chose not to run again in 1836;
Vice President Martin Van Buren was
nominated.
• Van Buren defeated four candidates
nominated by the new Whig Party.
• A severe economic depression called the
Panic of 1837 followed the election.
• People blamed Van Buren even though
Jackson’s economic policies had contributed
to the panic.
• Van Buren was defeated in 1840 by Whig
candidate William Henry Harrison.
Indian Removal
The Big Idea
President Jackson supported a policy of Indian
removal.
Main Ideas
• The Indian Removal Act authorized the
relocation of Native Americans to the West.
• Cherokee resistance to removal led to
disagreement between Jackson and the
Supreme Court.
• Other Native Americans resisted removal
with force.
Main Idea 1:
The Indian Removal Act
authorized the relocation of
Native Americans to the West.
• Native Americans had long lived in settlements
stretching from Georgia to Mississippi.
– Jackson and other political leaders wanted to
open land to settlement by American farmers.
• Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in
1830.
– The act authorized the removal of Native
Americans living east of Mississippi to lands in
the West.
• Congress then established the Indian
Territory.
– Native Americans would be moved to land in
present-day Oklahoma.
• Congress approved the creation of the Bureau of
Indian Affairs to manage removal.
Native American Removal
• Choctaw
– First to be sent to Indian Territory.
– 7.5 million acres of their land taken by
Mississippi.
– One-fourth died on the way.
• Creek
– Resisted but were captured and forced to
march to Indian Territory.
• Chickasaw
– Negotiated treaty for better supplies, but
many died.
Main Idea 2:
Cherokee resistance to removal
led to disagreement between
Jackson
and the Supreme Court.
Cherokee Nation
• Cherokees adopted white culture, had own
government and a writing system developed
by Sequoya.
• Georgia took their land, and Cherokees sued
the state.
• Supreme Court ruled in the Cherokees’ favor
in Worcester v. Georgia, but President Jackson
sided with Georgia and took no action to
enforce the ruling. This violated his
presidential oath to uphold the laws of the
land.
Trail
of Tears
• In 1838, U.S. troops forced Cherokees on 800mile march to Indian Territory. One-fourth of
18,000 Cherokees died.
Click window above to start playing.
Main Idea 3:
Other Native Americans resisted
removal with force.
• Chief Black Hawk of the Fox and Sauk
fought rather than leave Illinois.
– He was eventually forced to leave, after
running out of food and supplies.
• Osceola led his followers in the Second
Seminole War in Florida.
– Hundreds of Seminoles, including
Osceola were killed, and some 4,000
Seminoles were removed
– Small groups of Seminole resisted
removal, and their descendants live in
Florida today.
Chapter 11 – Expanding West
Section
Notes
Trails to the West
The Texas Revolution
The Mexican-American
War
The California Gold
Rush
History Closeup
Ranch Life
Quick Facts
Westward Movement in
the
United States
Chapter 11 Visual
Summary
Video
The California Gold
Rush
Maps
Trails Leading West
The Texas Revolution
Mexican-American War,
1846-1847
Skills Map Page:
Expansion
Growth of the United
States to
1853
Test Assessment Map
Images
Mormon Pioneers
Manifest Destiny
Battle of Buena
Vista
Staking a Claim
Trails to the West
The Big Idea
The American West
attracted a variety of settlers.
Main Ideas
• During the early 1800s, many Americans
moved west of the Rocky Mountains to
settle and trade.
• The Mormons traveled west in search of
religious freedom.
Main Idea 1:
During the early 1800s, many
Americans moved west of the
Rocky Mountains
to settle and trade.
• Some of the first Americans in the West
were mountain men: fur traders and
trappers.
• Many settlers traveled west over the Oregon
Trail.
• The Santa Fe Trail was another important
path west.
Mountain Men
• Fur traders and trappers, who were some of
the first Americans to explore the West
• John Jacob Astor created one of the
largest fur businesses, the American Fur
Company.
• Astor founded Astoria, one of the first
settlements in Oregon Country.
Oregon Trail
• Settlers were lured by rich resources and
the mild climate.
• The trail was 2,000 miles, beginning in Iowa
or Missouri and ending in Oregon or
California.
• Hard journey because of food shortages,
bad weather, and mountains and rivers that
were difficult to cross.
Santa Fe Trail
• The route led from Independence, Missouri,
to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
• Was originally a Native American trading
route
• Traders used the route to trade American
goods for Mexican goods; traders made
high profits.
• Difficult journey due to hot desert and
rough mountains
Main Idea 2:
The Mormons traveled west
in search of religious freedom.
• Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in western New
York in 1830.
• Their book of religious teachings is called
the Book of Mormon.
• Church members were persecuted because
of beliefs, including polygamy (one man
married to several women).
• Joseph Smith was murdered by a mob in
1844.
• Brigham Young became the new head of
the church and moved the group to Utah.
– Thousands of Mormons took the Mormon
Trail to Utah.
– By 1860, there were about 40,000 Mormons
in Utah.
The Texas Revolution
The Big Idea
In 1836, Texas gained its independence from
Mexico.
Main Ideas
• Many American settlers moved to Texas
after Mexico achieved independence from
Spain.
• Texans revolted against Mexican rule and
established an independent nation.
Main Idea 1:
Many American settlers moved to
Texas after Mexico achieved
independence from Spain.
• Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a Mexican priest,
led an unsuccessful revolt against Spain in 1810.
• Mexico gained independence in 1821.
– The new Mexican government hired empresarios,
or agents, to bring settlers to Texas.
• Stephen F. Austin, an agent, started a colony on
lower the Colorado River in 1822.
– Success attracted more American settlers, who
received free land in exchange for obeying Mexican
laws.
• Mexico was concerned about the number of Americans
and banned further settlement.
• General Antonio López de Santa Anna became the
ruler of Mexico.
Main Idea 2:
Texans revolted against Mexican
rule and established an
independent nation.
• War began October 1835 in a battle at
Gonzales, Texas.
• Texans declared independence on March 2,
1836.
• The Republic of Texas was established.
• Sam Houston was named head of the Texas
army.
• Stephen F. Austin went to the United States
to seek money and troops.
Major Battles
Battle at the Alamo
• Texans’ actions
angered Santa
Anna.
• Texas force of fewer
than 200, led by
Colonel Jim Travis,
occupied Alamo
mission near San
Antonio.
• From February 23
to March 6, 1846,
Texans held out
against huge
Mexican army.
• All defenders killed
in Mexican attack
on March 6.
Battle of San
Jacinto
• Santa Anna chased
Texans under Sam
Houston.
• Texans took stand
at San Jacinto River
near Galveston Bay.
• Houston’s forces
attacked on April
21, 1836, and
destroyed Mexican
army.
• Santa Anna
captured at Battle
of San Jacinto and
forced to sign treaty
giving Texas
independence.
Independent Nation
Sam Houston was the hero of the new
independent nation of Texas. Houston was
elected president; Stephen F. Austin became
secretary of state.
To increase the population, Texas offered land
grants to new settlers. Many from nearby
southern states brought enslaved Africans with
them.
Most Texans hoped that the United States would
annex, or take control of, Texas and make it a
state.
President Jackson recognized Texas as an
independent nation, but did not want to upset
balance between slave and free states by letting
a slave state enter the Union.
The Mexican-American War
The Big Idea
The ideals of manifest destiny and the
outcome of the Mexican-American War led
to U.S. expansion
to the Pacific Ocean.
Main Ideas
• Many Americans believed that the nation
had a manifest destiny to claim new lands
in the West.
• As a result of the Mexican-American War,
the United States added territory in the
Southwest.
• American settlement in the Mexican Cession
produced conflict and a blending of cultures.
Main Idea 1:
Many Americans believed that the
nation
had a manifest destiny to claim
new lands in the West.
• Americans believed they could build a new, better
society founded on democratic principles.
• The United States had a booming economy and
population in the 1840s.
– Needed more space for farms, ranches,
businesses, and families.
– Looked to the West.
• Some believed it was America’s manifest
destiny, or obvious fate, to settle all land to the
Pacific.
– Question was whether slavery would be
allowed in new territories.
Acquiring New Territory
• Democrat James K. Polk elected in 1844;
favored acquiring Texas and Oregon.
• Oregon
– Polk avoided war with Britain over
Oregon and negotiated treaty for land
south of forty-ninth parallel.
– Oregon organized as territory in 1848.
• Texas
– Texas annexed in 1845, but this action
angered Mexico.
California under Mexico
• Mexico had lost Texas but controlled other areas
in the present-day Southwest—New Mexico,
Arizona, Nevada, and California.
• The mission system was important in California,
carrying out huge farming and ranching
operations using Native American labor.
• Missions were broken up in the 1830s by Mexico.
– Land grants given to wealthiest California
settlers
– Created vast ranchos, or ranches
– Worked by vaqueros, or cowboys
• About 3,200 settlers, or Californios, were in
California in the early 1820s.
• Anglos, settlers from the United States, started to
arrive in small numbers. They began calling for
independence.
Mexican-American War
Conflict Breaks Out
• The United States and Mexico were engaged in
border disputes.
• John Slidell went to Mexico to try to buy New
Mexico and California for $30 million. Mexican
officials refused to speak to him.
• Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor and his
army into the border region around the Rio
Grande in 1846.
• U.S. troops clashed with Mexicans in April.
War Begins
• Congress declared war on Mexico in April.
• Taylor’s forces won battles south of the Rio
Grande in Mexico.
• General Stephen Kearny seized control of New
Mexico.
Bear Flag Revolt
Settlers
Only about 500 Americans were
in California in 1846, in contrast
to about 12,000 Californios.
Revolt
Americans seized Sonoma and
declared California to be an
independent nation on June 14,
starting the Bear Flag Revolt.
John C.
Frémont
U.S. Forces
Frémont, leader of a U.S. Army
mapping expedition, entered
California to support its
independence.
U.S. naval and military forces
invaded California in June 1846
and claimed California for the
United States.
War’s End
Buena Vista
• General Taylor’s forces defeated the Mexican
army under Santa Anna at Buena Vista in
February 1847.
• The Mexican army had fled overnight.
• It was a fierce battle with heavy casualties on
both sides.
Veracruz
• General Winfield Scott’s forces seized the port of
Veracruz in March 1847.
• Veracruz was the strongest fortress in Mexico.
Mexico City
• Scott’s troops took Mexico City in September
1847 after a brave defense by Mexican soldiers.
Main Idea 2:
As a result of the MexicanAmerican War,
the United States added territory
in the Southwest.
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended
the war in 1848
– Mexican Cession included present-day
California, Nevada, and Utah, and parts of
Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming
– Mexicans in the cession areas were “protected
in the free enjoyment of their liberty and
property, and secured in the free exercise of
their religion.”
– Also included area claimed by Texas north of
Rio Grande
– Increased size of United States by almost 25
percent
• In the Gadsden Purchase of 1853, the United
States paid $10 million for southern parts of
present-day Arizona and New Mexico.
Main Idea 3:
American settlement in the
Mexican
Cession produced conflict and
a blending of cultures.
Surge of American
Settlers
• Americans flooded
into the Southwest.
• New settlers battled
longtime residents to
control land, water,
and minerals.
• Most Mexicans,
Mexican Americans,
and Native Americans
faced legal, economic,
and social
discrimination from
settlers.
Cultural Encounters
• Different cultures
shaped one another in
the Southwest despite
conflicts.
• Names of places
showed Hispanic and
Native American
heritage.
• Mexican and Native
American knowledge
and traditions also
shaped many local
economies.
The California Gold Rush
The Big Idea
The California gold rush changed the future of
the West.
Main Ideas
• The discovery of gold brought settlers to
California.
• The gold rush had a lasting impact on
California’s population and economy.
Main Idea 1:
The discovery of gold
brought settlers to California.
• California controlled by Mexico before
Mexican-American War.
• Population was mostly Mexicans and Native
Americans.
• Mexican officials gave Swiss immigrant
John Sutter permission to found a colony
there in 1839.
– Became a popular rest stop for
immigrants.
• Donner Party: group of early settlers
traveling to California in 1846 that became
lost in the Sierra Nevada during heavy
snows and lost 42 of 87 members to
starvation.
Gold in California
• Gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in
January 1848.
• About 80,000 gold-seekers came to
California in 1849; they were called fortyniners.
• They would prospect, or search for gold,
along banks of streams or in surface mines.
• Placer miners used pans to wash gold
nuggets out of loose rock and gravel.
• California produced $60 million in gold in
1853.
Life in the Mining Camps
• Mining camps sprang up wherever enough people
gathered to look for gold.
• Miners came from many cultures and
backgrounds.
– Most were young, unmarried men in search of
adventure.
– 80% were Americans; the rest came from
around the world.
– Only 5 percent of gold-rush immigrants were
women or children.
– Women generally made good money by
cooking meals, washing clothes, and operating
boardinghouses.
• Miners paid high prices for basic necessities
because the huge amount of gold in circulation
caused severe inflation in California.
Westward Movement in the
United States
Causes
• Americans believe
in idea of manifest
destiny
• United States
acquires vast new
lands in West
• Pathfinders open
trials to new
territories
• Gold is discovered
in California
Effects
• Native Americans
are forced off lands
• Americans travel
west to settle new
areas
• United States
stretches to Pacific
• California
experiences
population boom
Immigrants to California
• The lure of gold attracted miners from
around the world.
• Many Chinese men came in hopes of
making great wealth and then returning to
China—about 24,000 from 1849 to 1853.
• Many Americans did not welcome the
Chinese, but the Chinese still worked in gold
mines, opened their own businesses, and
held other jobs.
– In 1853, California placed a high monthly
tax on foreign miners.
– The legal system favored Americans over
immigrants.
• In 1849 alone, about 20,000 immigrants
arrived in California from China, Europe,
Mexico, and South America.
Main Idea 2:
The gold rush had a lasting
impact on California’s population
and economy.
Population Boom
• Population explosion quickly made California
eligible for statehood.
• Became 31st state in 1850.
• Growth had negative effect on Californios and
Native Americans in California.
Economic Growth
• New businesses and industries transformed
California.
• Completion of transcontinental railroad in 1869
ended isolation from rest of country and aided
economy.