Westward Expansion
Manifest Destiny
Abundant land
Missions
Gold
Trade
Manifest Destiny:
Belief that it was America’s God
given right to expand west to the
Pacific

This painting (circa
1872) by John Gast
called American
Progress is a
representation of
Manifest Destiny.
Here Columbia, a
personification of the
United States, leads
civilization westward
with American
settlers, stringing
telegraph wire as
she travels and
carrying a school
book. The different
economic activities of
the pioneers are
highlighted and,
especially, the
changing forms of
transportation. The
Native Americans
and wild animals
flee.
Oregon Trail
•Over 2000 miles,
crosses Missouri,
Kansas, Nebraska,
Wyoming, Idaho
and Oregon
•Free land and
missionary work
led most people
here
Westward Trails
Santa Fe Trail
•About 800 miles,
crosses Missouri,
Kansas, Colorado
and New Mexico
•Trade with Mexico
led most people here
Conestoga Wagon/Prairie Schooner

Travel by Conestoga Wagons or Prairie Schooners
supplies for one adult: 150lbs of flour, 20 cornmeal, 50 bacon, 40 sugar, 10 coffee, 15 dried fruit,
5 salt, 2 tea, 5 rice, 15 beans Guns for hunting fresh game and protection were also necessary.
Court House and Jail Rocks in Nebraska served as a
marking point along the Oregon trail
Chimney Rock, also in Nebraska, rises 300 feet above the
North Platte River. Another landmark to keep travelers on
track.
Scotts Bluff- another landmark along the trail in
western Nebraska, includes a natural pass
between two large rocks called Mitchell Pass.
Here wagon ruts can still be seen today.
Independence Rock- name comes from the fact that travelers would
try to reach this landmark by July 4th in order to avoid the first major
snow falls in the Rocky Mountains. Many emigrants left messages on
the rock with axel grease (graffiti)
First hand account along the
Oregon Trail

Amelia Stewart Knight after a 5 month journey to Oregon
“My eighth child was born. After this we picked up and ferried across
the Columbia River, utilizing a skiff, canoes and flatboat. It took
three days. Here husband traded two yoke of oxen for a half section
of land with one-half acre planted to potatoes and a small log cabin
and lean-to with no windows. This is the journey’s end.”
“Fifty-four Forty or Fight”
After years of travel to Oregon the
population was growing and President
Polk was ready for annexation.
 Polk was in the midst of a campaign and
used this as a slogan
 Britain and the U.S. agreed upon the
border at the 49th parallel after realizing
the land north of it was unsuitable.

Expansion into Texas



Mexico encouraged farmers to settle in their northern
territory by offering Land Grants (provided a buffer from
Native attacks)
American settlers had to promise to obey Mexican law
and observe the official religion-Catholicism
They soon outnumbered the Mexican population and
lived as naturalized citizens
Several attempts were made to gain Texas
John Q Adams offered to buy Texas for $1 million
Andrew Jackson offered $5 million
Mexico began to question its open borders to Americans
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna



Angered by settlers not following
religious custom and the abolition
of slavery, he closed the borders
Not effective, could not police the
borders and population continued
to grow with American settlers
Marched to San Antonio with an
army to stop the rebellion among
white settlers
Stephen Austin
Steps to Texas Independence



Most successful at encouraging
American settlement into Texas


Began to challenge Antonia Lopez
de Santa Anna by calling for self
government in Texas
Organized settlers and asked them
to prepare for an attack by Santa
Anna
Texans attacked and forced Santa
Anna’s army from the Alamo, an old
mission fort
Mexicans struck back and
slaughtered nearly all Americans
held up at the Alamo, killing 187
The Mexican Army would win again
at Goliad, but tied up in battle, would
eventually lose the Texas Revolution
“Remember the Alamo”
The Alamo Mission is still a famous tourist
attraction in Texas
Battle plans of the
Mexican Army
at the Alamo
Sam Houston at San Jacinto




Attacked Santa Anna’s
troops who had previously
won, but with heavy losses
Killed 630 and took 730
prisoner, including Santa
Anna
Under duress, Santa Anna
gave up
Sam Houston became the
first president of the
Republic of Texas
Lone Star Republic
Texas Annexation
South
for annexation,
extension of
slavery
V.
North
Feared more power to
slave holding states &
Feared war with Mexico
Annexation
In 1844 James K. Polk , prominent slave holder,
was elected President. On Dec. 29, 1845, Texas
became the 28th state.
War draws near

Dispute over border between Texas and Mexico
Texas claims
the Rio Grande
as the border
??100miles??
Mexico claims
the Nueces
River
Polk the “politician” urges war






Polk sent John Slidell to Mexico to try and purchase
California and New Mexico and solidify the border at the
Rio Grande
Mexico refused to acknowledge the offer
Zachary Taylor marched troops to the Rio Grande hoping
to entice the Mexicans to a fight and unite the country in
a war
It worked, Mexico attacked sending troops across the
Rio Grande
“American Blood on American Soil”
Polk’s war message persuaded Congress to go to war
Stephen Kearney marches to California, only to gain New
Mexico without a fight
=
fight
Bear Flag Republic- California



American settlers encouraged
independence there just as
they had in Texas
before the U.S. troops arrived
to defeat the Mexican
opposition, James P Fremont
had declared the nation the
Republic of California
Mexican troops quickly gave up
American invasion of Mexico

Victory after victory due to superior leadership
Lee
Grant
Taylor
Scott
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo1848
Rio Grande becomes official border
between U.S. and Mexico
 New Mexico and California are ceded to
the U.S. for $15 million (California,
Nevada, New Mexico and Utah)
 Mexicans living in these areas were given
freedom of religion, protection of property,
bilingual elections and open borders


1848 gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill
in the California Sierra Nevada Mountains
Gold Fever
Overland migration to California
skyrocketed
 400 in 1848 to 44,000 in 1850
 “forty-niners”
 Not just White Americans; Free Blacks,
Asians, South Americans, and Europeans
came

Impact of the





HUGE POPULATION INCREASE
THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA
DIVERSE GROUP OF SETTLERS
FEW BECAME WEALTHY FROM GOLD
THOSE PROVIDING BASIC NECESSITIES TO
PANNERS MADE $$$
LED TO A HUGE DEBATE IN CONGRESS
OVER EVENTUAL STATEHOOD (SLAVERY)