US expansionism during the mid 1800s
Jefferson makes the first leap when he purchases the Louisiana Territory in 1803. –buy from Napoleon $15 million- 4
cents and acre. With help of Sacajawea, Lewis and Clark move westward to the Pacific-1804-06. They map and record
what they see. Doubles the size of the US and gives us the port of New Orleans- access to the Gulf- both sides of
Mississippi River.
I Fur trading & Mountain men
A. animal furs were very valuable and there were a lot across America for decades the English. French and
English competed
B. added to the adventurous American attitude of the frontiersman
C. After Lewis and Clark became clear how rich and large the country was
D. Fur traders lived off the land had to be athletic and know how to survive in the wilderness armed with a
musket and Bowie knife
E. Made friends with Native Americans
F.
II Oregon Country- settled by 1840- “Wagons Ho”
A. dispute over claims to the area- b/w European countries
1. British claim dates back to Sir Francis Drake 1579
2. US- Lewis and Clark 1805-06
3. 1818 US & Great Britain share the land
B. White man’s burden- white man’s duty to Christianize the Nat. Americans- Missionaries in OregonWhitmans spread Christianity-brought interest into Oregon territory
C. Wagon Trains West- throughout 1840s- “Oregon Fever”- settlers/pioneers ,move westward to the territory
to start a new life
D. Donner Party-1846- going along the Oregon Trail the party gets trapped in the Sierra Nevadas and are
starving- to survive they turn to cannibalism
III Texas
A. Americans in Texas rebel against MexicoB. 1821- Moses & Stephen Austin- had worked with the gov’t converted to Catholicism and became Mexican
citizens-gave them land grants & law banned slavery
C. New Texans refuse to go along with Mexican gov’t rebellion
D. 1835- Rebellion – Texans stormed San AntonioE. Remember the Alamo- - “victory or death”- Davy Crokett and Americans v. General Santa Anna- March 6,
1836 Mexicans won- 183 Texans dead- 1500 Mexicans
F. Texan Independence – Sam Houston Battle of San Jacinto- forced Santa Anna to sign document declaring
Texas independent April 21, 1836
G. Lone Star Republic- battle flag – now state flag- drew up Constitution based on US Const.
H. Annexation of Texas- nation divided whether they should or not- Texas was a slave state and Pres Jackson
worried about war with Mexico – refuse to annex it
IV Manifest Destiny
A. JQA_ “North America’s our proper dominion. From the time we became an independent
Nation, it was as much a law of nature that this would become our claim as that the Mississippi
should flow to the sea”
B. New Mexico Territory- Americans start looking at California and the Southwest
B. California- culture was a mix from the early days - Nat. Americans & Spanish
C. Land of contrasts south is very different from North- Mts, Pacific & beaches, farmland, deserts
D. Spanish set up Presidios- forts and missions- to christianize the Nat. Americans
E. Father Junipero Serra- chief missionary- builds 20 missions from San Diego to San Francisco
F. Mission life was hard for Native Americans- slavery
G. G. California Rebellion against Mexicans- Bear Flag Republic- today’s state flag- led by John Fremont
June 14, 1846
V. Election of 1844- Clay v. Polk
A. Polk wanted expansionism- 54-40N- “54 or fight” take the whole Oregon territory- won
B. 1844- Sam Houston signs agreement – Texas in annexed- Senate refused to annex it- fearing war with
Mexico
C. Border dispute along the Rio Grande or the Nueces River
D. Oregon divided 1845- US & Britain fighting- US gets area that is today Oregon, Idaho, Washington
E. Polk offers Mexico &30million for California and New Mexico- Mexico refuses
F. 1846- General Zachary Taylor set up posts along the Rio Grande- April 1846- Mexican soldiers cross the
river and fight—Polk says Mexicans – “shed American blood on American soil”
G. Mexican War-Kearny, Taylor and Scott all lead armies in this area – defeat Santa Anna
H. 1847- US controlled New Mexico and CaliforniaI. 1848- sign Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo- Mexico forced to cede all of territory to US Mexican Cession—
US paid $15 million and would respect rights of Spanish speaking individuals
J. Few years later US bought present day Arizona and New Mexico- Gadsden Purchase 1853- $10 million
VI Mormons in Utah
A. Salt Lake City- Brigham Young and the Mormons- choose Utah as a refuge
B. Kicked out of NY, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois
C. Believe in polygamy- can have more than 1 wife
D. Settlement grows quickly
E.
VII Gold Rush in California
A. Sutter’s Mill James Marshall found gold at John Sutter’s Mill in Sacramento Jan 1848- word spread
quickly
B. Mad rush for gold- 49ers= miners- more than 80,000 people went by 1849
C. Brought big changes to California- populated many towns and cities- vigilante justice- posse
D. 1849- draft state constitution- would not allow slavery- admitted 1850- Missouri Compromise
E. Chinese arrive in 1848- do menial jobs- eventually lay tracks for railroads- mistreated
F. Mix of cultures and people made California unique
- Answer on a separate sheet
1. What benefits do we get from the Louisiana Purchase?
2.What type of men were fur traders and mountain men? Name three mountain men.
3.What happened at the Alamo? Where is it? Who was involved?
4.How did the characteristics of the mountain men play into the characteristics of an American?
5.How did we gain the Oregon Territory? When?- What present day states did it include?
6.How did we gain the Mexican Cession? Who was involved? When? How much? What present day states
does it include?
7.What was the Gadsden purchase?
8. Who were the Austins and what did they do? How do we end up with Texas?
9.How much did it cost the US to get the rest from 1802?
10.What were Manifest Destiny and The White Man’s Burden?
11.What happens to make people rush to Northern California?
12.How did this affect the growth of cities?
13.Why does California have a unique culture?
14. Who was Junipero Serra? What did he do?
15.What happens to the Donner Party? What do they become?
16.What were four causes and four effects of the Westward Movement?