Westward Expansion
America’s “Manifest Destiny”
Spirit of the
Frontier/American
Progress, 1872 by John
Gast
MANIFEST DESTINY
 “Manifest Destiny” was a phrase created in the
1840s by an American journalist.
 It was used to justify American westward expansion
into areas such as Texas, Oregon, and California.
 Manifest destiny refers to the widely held belief
that
 the United States system is better than any other (best government,
best economy, etc.)
 Therefore, the United States had both a right and a duty to spread out
across the entire continent.
 American expansion was inevitable, necessary, and had been ordained
by God!
MANIFEST DESTINY
 Fulfilling this manifest destiny, many argued, would benefit everyone
involved:
 American settlers would gain access to much needed land (the population of the United States was
growing very quickly at this time)
 Through farming and construction, those settlers would improve the land, making it more productive
– which would benefit society as a whole (Many Americans believed that native people who did not
build permanent homes and who might not farm-wasted the land)
 Non-Europeans (especially Indians) would have the opportunity to learn the American way of life-
Assimilation
MANIFEST DESTINY
 Although the phrase was new, the
idea was not.
 Even as British colonists, settlers
pushed their geographic
boundaries farther and farther
west, always looking for new land
and a better way of life.
 Thousands of Americans ignored
the Proclamation of 1763, which
forbid settlement of the Ohio
River Valley.
Daniel Boone Escorting Settlers
through the Cumberland Gap
Daniel Boone was a famous American
frontiersman. The stories of his adventures
have become legendary. Boone is
considered one of America’s first folk
heroes.
EXAMPLES OF AMERICAN
EXPANSION
 Northwest Ordinance (1787) reverses the terms of the Proclamation of
1763
 Louisiana Purchase (1803) doubles the size of U.S. territory
 War of 1812 – designs on Canada and Florida
 Monroe Doctrine (1823) Hands off the Western Hemisphere
 Indian Removal Act (1830) Trail of Tears, 1838
 Texas Revolution (1836) Annexation of Texas, 1847
 Mexican War (1846) Polk uses border dispute to justify
expansion
 Mexican Cession (1848) California, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming,
Colorado, Utah, and Arizona -15 million
 Gadsden Purchase (1853) from Mexico — $10 million
 Purchase of Alaska (1867) from Russia — $7.2 million
 Spanish American War (1898) Guam, Puerto Rico, Philippines
CICERO © 2011
 The Treaty of Paris (1783) ended the American Revolutionary War and secured
more land than just the original 13 colonies. This gave the United States all land
East of the Mississippi (and south of the Great Lakes) with the exception of Spanish
held Florida.
 Jefferson offered to purchase New Orleans from France (Napoleon). Napoleon
offers the whole Louisiana Territory for $15 Million Dollars.
 Doubled the size of the nation
 Spain was in a lot of debt after the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) and could not
effectively maintain its forts and control Florida.
 Seminole attacks crossed the border into the United States which lead to the US
trying to secure the border and put crush the attacking Seminoles
 General Andrew Jackson followed the Seminoles into Florida and seized control of
Northern Florida in order to secure peace.
 Monroe’s secretary of state, John Quincy Adams, was able to make a treaty with
Spain called the Adams–Onís Treaty, in which Florida was given to the US in
exchange for 5 million dollars.
 The treaty also created the border in the west with Spanish Mexico.
I.When the Spanish ruled Mexico only a few thousand Mexican settlers moved to what is
now Texas.
II.Mexico won its independence in 1821
A.Tension increased between Native Americans and the increasing number of Mexican
settlers in the American Southwest (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona)
B.The Mexican government encouraged trade between the US and its “northern”
provinces.
III.In order to help prevent further attacks by Native Americans, the Mexican government
invited US settlers to move to Texas. Soon the number of English speaking settlers
exceeded the number of Mexicans.
IV.Stephen F. Austin established the most successful American colony in Texas.
•Texas Fights for Independence
I. As Texas’ English speaking population grew tension developed
1. Religion – most American settlers were Protestant
2. Slavery – many settlers came with slaves to grow cotton and sugar. Mexico had
abolished slavery in 1824
I.In 1833, Stephen Austin requested that Texas be granted greater self government.
Mexican president Santa Anna declared Austin a revolutionary.
 “Remember the Alamo” - In 1835, Santa Anna brought a small army in order to force
Texans to obey Mexican laws. The Texans armed themselves and drove the Mexican
army south. The Mexicans responded by storming and destroying the small American
garrison at the Alamo. 187 Americans were killed including Jim Bowie and Davy
Crockett. Six weeks later the Texans struck back, led by Sam Houston, killing 630
Mexicans and capturing Santa Anna. They freed Santa Anna after he signed a treaty
granting Texas independence. In 1836, Sam Houston became president of the
Republic of Texas, the “Lone Star Republic”.
A.In 1838 Sam Houston invited the US to annex Texas.
Most Texans wanted to be part of the US.
B.Americans were divided on annexing Texas (southerners
wanted another slave state)
C.During the 1844 campaign for the presidency, slave
holding candidate James Polk mad the annexation of Texas
part of his platform. Polk won the presidency and Texas was
annexed in 1845.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAZNROTU9Hc
I. Polk supported American expansion and wanted to gain Mexican held
territory in what is today New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
II. Americans were divided on whether expansion was worth war. Again, the
expansion of slavery was the key issue.
III. Although Santa Anna signed the independence treaty for Texas, Mexico
rejected this treaty. The border between Texas and Mexico was in dispute as
each side tried to claim more land.
IV. After Mexico refused the American “purchase offer” for California and New
Mexico, Polk ordered American general Zachary Taylor to march to the Rio
Grande river and establish that as the border between the US and Mexico
(giving more land to Texas).
I.After Mexican soldiers killed 9 American soldiers in a small battle north
of the Rio Grande, Congress voted to recognize a state of war between
the US and Mexico.
II.New Mexico fell to the US without a shot being fired. California fell
almost as easily.
III.The American invasion of Mexico was led by Zachary Taylor, known as
“Old Rough and Ready”. Ultimately, US forces overwhelmed Mexico and
won the war
•The US gains the Spoils of War
I.Mexico lost 25,000 men and nearly half of its land.
II.The US lost 13,000 men (11,000 from disease) and increased American territory by
one-third.
III.Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (2/2/1848)
A.Rio Grande was the border between Texas and Mexico
B.The US paid $15 million for California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah
as well as parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
IV.War hero Taylor became president in 1848
 The Oregon Territory was disputed between
British Canada and the United States
 Originally President Polk wanted to extend
U.S. border north to 54º40’ N while the
British wanted to extend South to 42º N
excluding the United States from the Pacific
Coast
 “Fifty-four Forty or Fight!” became the
slogan but due to the beginning of the
Mexican-American War, President Polk
agreed to the terms of the 49º parallel.
 Gadsden Purchase – five years after the war the US agreed to pay an additional $10
million for the southern strip of Arizona and New Mexico.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn2FzuPyFlY
•California Gold Rush (1848)
I.Diverse population boom (Chinese, Mexican, Black)
II.California became a state in 1850
 Use page 5 to complete the map on page 6
WHY DID EARLY SETTLERS FLOOD ACROSS THE COUNTRY DURING THE
MID-1800S?
 The California Gold Rush.
 Fertile land for farming,
especially in the Oregon
Territory.
 Ranchers could raise cattle
descended from Spanish herds
in areas buffalo previously
inhabited.
HOW DID THEY GET THERE?
STEAM LOCOMOTIVE
“IRON HORSE”
 The first locomotive built in
the United States was the
Best Friend of Charleston. It
began service in 1830.
 July 1, 1862 – President
Lincoln signed the Pacific
Railroad Act, which called
for building the
Transcontinental Railroad.
 The tracks were completed
in Promontory, Utah, on May
10, 1869
The ceremony for the driving of the “golden
spike” at Promontory Summit
“Go West Young Man!”
Horace Greeley-1845
 To encourage settlement, Congress
passed the Homestead Act (1862)
 Any adult citizen – including freed slaves
– who had never taken up arms against
the Union could claim 160 acres of
“public” land, but in order to get the title,
they had to
 Make “improvements” (build a house and
cultivate the land)
 Live there for five years
Only 40% of Homestead applicants
fulfilled the requirements to receive the
deed to the property.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FRONTIER
 As the 1800s ended, the United States occupied the North American continent from the
Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
 In 1893, historian Frederick Jackson Turner proposed his Frontier Thesis
 the frontier experience had shaped the character of the America and its people
 The frontier was the source of America’s economic and political power
ADD TO NOTES
 The HOMESTEAD ACT encouraged people to go out and settle the West and farm to gain their own
land (Great Plains)
 New technology like the Locomotive (Train) made selling and buying goods cheaper & easier
 People could live far from the markets/factories where they bought and sold goods
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkdF8pOFUfI