Manifest
Destiny
America
Claims a
Continent
Manifest Destiny
Other people “must give way to our manifest destiny to
overspread and possess the whole of the continent which
__________ has given us for the development the great
experiment in liberty.” – John L. O’Sullivan (1845)
Election of 1840
President John Tyler
Elected in 1840 as Harrison’s Vice Pres.
First VP to succeed to presidency
Nominally a Whig, actually an anti-Jackson
Democrat
Becomes a president without a party
Dubbed "His Accidency" by his detractors,
John Tyler was the first Vice President to be
elevated to the office of President by the death
of his predecessor.
Henry Clay and Daniel Webster attempted to control presidency – Harrison and later Tyler
Tyler would not give in to Clay’s National Bank although he was willing to compromise
When the Whig Congress passes a similar Bank bill Tyler vetoes it on the grounds of states
rights
Whig’s dismiss Tyler from the Whig Party
Although a states right advocate Tyler strengthened the __________
Replaced the Whig cabinet with __________
Spread the developing sectional cleavage wider
Election of 1844
Early Candidates
John Tyler
INDEPENDENTS
John C. Calhoun
MartinVan Buren
Democrat
PARTY LEADERS
Whig
Henry Clay
Election of 1844
Surviving Candidates
Both Whigs and Democrats expected party loyalty: commitment to the party was a characteristic of both parties during the 1840s.
Whigs:
Henry Clay – nominated on the first and only ballot
No Party Platform – a statement of general principals:
Well-regulated currency
Tariff to defray the necessary expenses of the government & for the
protection of domestic labor
“No position” on annexation of TX
Democrats:
James K. Polk
Favor annexation of Texas & all of Oregon
“Reoccupation of Oregon and reannexation of Texas”
“Fifty-four Forty or Fight”
Liberty Party (Anti-slavery)
James Birney
Opposed annexation
Election of 1844
Clay
1,299,062
Polk
1,337,243
NEW YORK – 36 Electoral Votes
Birney
62,300
Birney receives 15,800 votes in New York
Clay looses New York by 5,100 votes
Birney probably drew his support from
Clay votes
If Clay wins New York he wins the Election 141 to 134
Polk’s Program
1. __________ __________
2. Reestablish an __________ __________
3. Settlement of __________ _________ dispute
4. Acquisition of __________ from Mexico
The Santa Fe Trail
1845
The Oregon Territory
(Joint Occupancy)
The Oregon Trail
John Charles Frémont
(The “Pathfinder”)
Became a tireless promoter of the
West
__________ Oregon Trail
Explored Far West and California
His reports helped spark
Easterners’ interest
Fort Laramie Treaty
(1851)
Between US and tribes of the northern plains
US would:
Compensate tribes for damage caused by _______ _______
Confine wagon trains to __________ __________
Prevent __________
Tribes would:
Stop attacking __________ __________
Allow army to build forts along __________ __________
Confine themselves to __________ __________
Concept of “specified areas” created intellectual
foundation for later __________ system