U.S. History 8
Manifest Destiny
EQ: What problems and issues arose
because of Manifest Destiny?
Targeted Skills
Communication

Reading/Viewing/Listening
 use context clues
Information Literacy

Evaluate Information
 draw conclusions, make inferences and
connections based on information
Enduring Understandings
Westward expansion both strengthened and divided the nation.
Broad Brush Knowledge
Manifest Destiny, Oregon dispute, Mexican War, population distribution,
1803
Concepts Important to Know and Understand
westward expansion
Multimedia Links
TEKS
8.6B: Explain the political, economic, & social roots of Manifest Destiny.(TAKS)
8.6C: Analyze the relationship between the concept of Manifest Destiny & the westward growth of the nation. (TAKS)
8.6D: Explain the major issues & events of the Mexican War & their impact on the US. (TAKS)
8.6E: Identify areas that were acquired to form the United States. (TAKS)
8.30B: Analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-&-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding
the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations & predictions, & drawing inferences & conclusions. (TAKS)
Vocabulary
cession, annexation
Learning Targets:
I can explain the idea of Manifest Destiny and identify its political, economic, and social
roots.
I can identify areas that were acquired to form the United States and describe the
events that led to the various acquisitions.
INSTRUCTIONS: Read the Expert Information and highlight key information to match the Learning
Targets. Use the information and textbook to create a foldable about Manifest Destiny.
Expert Information:
The idea that the United States would extend from “sea to shining sea” is known as
Manifest Destiny. A newspaperman named John O’Sullivan first used this phrase in 1845, but
many Americans had the idea long before O’Sullivan wrote his newspaper article. Many people
thought it was God’s plan for the United States to control all the land from the Atlantic to the
Pacific, even if it currently belonged to other countries, or if the Native Americans lived there.
The United States was established in 1776, and by 1783 it extended to the Mississippi River.
But it only took until 1853 for the country to complete its expansion from sea to shining sea
(the Atlantic to the Pacific). However, there were treaties, purchases, annexations, and removal
of Native Americans before this finally happened. Some thought it was a good thing, but for
others it caused problems.
In 1803, the United States purchased Louisiana from France, and Lewis and Clark
explored the area. The two explorers wrote a journal on their trip and laid the foundation of
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knowledge needed for future successful crossing and settling of the western portions of the
continent. With the Adams-Onis Treaty the U.S. acquired Florida from Spain in 1819 for $5
million dollars. With the issue of Florida settled, the U.S. and Americans could focus their
energies westward. In the 1820’s Americans began blazing trails westward into the Louisiana
Territory and Mexico. In the 1830’s a steady stream of American pioneers began pushing
toward the Northwest Pacific coast on one of the most popular trails, The Oregon Trail. In the
1840’s, the New Republic of Texas made a request to be annexed by the United States. Border
disputes along the Nueces River followed the requests and led to a series of events which
included war with Mexico. After the United States won the Mexican War, the Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. The treaty yielded the present-day states of California, New
Mexico, Arizona and Nevada and set the border for Texas and Mexico at the Rio Grande River.
A settlement between Great Britain and the United States over Oregon was reached in 1848.
The two nations agreed to split the Oregon Territory on the 49th parallel. The United States
got the land south of the parallel. With the exception of Alaska, our modern-day borders of
the continental United States were now complete.
The roots of Manifest Destiny are political, economic and social. The discovery of gold
in California, the migration of Mormons to Utah, and the war with Mexico gave the people and
the government of the United States reasons to move westward to unsettled lands.
Make a foldable to organize information about Manifest Destiny.
Step 1: Collect three sheets of paper and place them on top of one another about 1 inch apart.
Step 2: Fold up the bottom edges of the paper to form 6 tabs.
Step 3: When all the tabs are the same size, fold the paper to hold the tabs in place and
staple the sheets together. Turn the paper and label each tab as shown.
Label the tabs of the foldable as follows:
 Manifest Destiny-Title page
 First tab-Oregon Country (1846)
 Second tab-Texas and the War with Mexico (1845)
 Third tab-Mexican Cession (1848)
 Fourth tab-California (1848)
 Fifth tab-Utah (1848)
 Map on back of foldable
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Each tab should contain the required information and all information should be
written on the same page as the tab, written above the tab title (not underneath the flap).
Each tab should clearly describe the contribution to Manifest Destiny
All tabs/topics should be a different color (tab title as well as information)
Map (on the back of the foldable)
Title Tab-Manifest Destiny (Include the meaning of Manifest Destiny)
First Tab: Oregon Country (1846)
Read pages 356-360 to create a page in your booklet that addresses the following information
regarding the Oregon Country.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Label the Oregon Country on your map.
List the 4 countries that had claim to the Oregon Country
Give the political, social and/or economic reasons why settlers went to the Oregon Country
Describe the Oregon Trail
Explain how the Oregon Country contributed to Manifest Destiny
Second Tab: Texas and the War with Mexico (1845)
Read page 368, 371-374
to create a page in your booklet that addresses the following
information regarding Texas Annexation and the War with Mexico.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Label Texas on your map
Explain the political, economic and/or social causes for the War with Mexico
Describe the major events of the War with Mexico
Describe the provisions included in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Explain how the War with Mexico contributed Manifest Destiny
Third Tab: Mexican Cession & the Gadsden Purchase (1848)
Refer to pages 369, 370 & 374.to create a page in your booklet that addresses the following
information regarding the Mexican Cession and the Gadsden Purchase.
1. Label the Mexican Cession and the Gadsden Purchase on your map.
2. Describe the land acquired as part of the Mexican Cession and the Gadsden Purchase.
3. Explain the social, political and economic impact of gaining the lands of the Mexican Cession &
the Gadsden Purchase
Fourth Tab: California (1848) (Part of the Mexican Cession):
Read pages 375-377 to create a page in your booklet that addresses the following information
regarding California.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Label California on your map (as part of the Mexican Cession)
Describe the many social groups that settled in California
Describe how the California and the Gold Rush contributed to Manifest Destiny
Explain the social, political and economic impact of gaining California
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Fifth Tab: Utah Territory (1848) (Part of the Mexican Cession)
Read pages 377-378 to create a page in your booklet that addresses the following information
regarding Utah.
1. Label Utah on your map (as part of the Mexican Cession)
2. Explain the impact of the Mormon migration on Utah.
3. Explain the social, political and economic impact of gaining Utah
Map Instructions: Refer to the map on pages RA6, RA7, 291, and 361 in your textbook to complete
the map showing the expansion of the United States. Follow these directions:
a. Label the U.S to 1783 and Florida
b. Color each section of the map a different color and match those colors on the key.
c. Label each section with the year that it was added to the Union.
d. Label Canada, Mexico, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean
e. Label the Compass Rose with Cardinal AND Intermediate directions.
Manifest Destiny Activity Map
Key
U.S. to 1783
Florida
Louisiana Purchase
Texas
Mexican Cession
Gadsden Purchase
Oregon Country
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