AP U.S. HISTORY I
NAME ________________________
CH. 17 REVIEW SHEET: MANIFEST DESTINY AND ITS LEGACY, 1841-1848
“Our manifest destiny [is] to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of
our yearly multiplying millions.”--[editor of the Democratic Review] John L. O’Sullivan, 1845
“twisting the lion’s tail”--making inflammatory statements about Great Britain to appeal to Irish voters
lame duck: a president who hasn’t been re-elected but hasn’t yet left office
“fifty-four forty or fight”: slogan c. 1846 advocating American acquisition of all of Oregon
William Henry Harrison’s presidency [1841]
1) expectations of other Whigs?
2) Harrison’s death?
John Tyler (“Tyler, too”) becomes president (1841-1845)
3) Tyler’s political beliefs?
4) the Whig program?
5) Tyler’s reaction to the Whig bill for a new Bank of the United States?
6) Whig anger at Tyler?
7) Tyler and the tariff?
conflicts with Great Britain
8) cultural and economic conflicts with Britain?
9) the Caroline affair?
10) the Aroostook War? [text and map, p. 374]
11) the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, 1842?
[text pp. 374-375 and map, p. 375; also note Lake Superior-Lake of the Woods Minnesota
boundary line, Appendix map, p. A 138]
the Texas issue
12) conflict between the Lone Star Republic (1836-1844) and Mexico?
13) British and French plans for Texas?
14) James K. Polk (D) defeats Henry Clay (W) in 1844: Polk on expansion?
15) Tyler supports the Texas annexation: why a joint resolution and not a treaty?
the Oregon Country dispute [note disputed territory on map, p. 381]
16) the end of Spanish claims?
17) the end of Russian claims?
18) the basis for British claims?
19) the basis for American claims? [note also the joint occupation provision of the Treaty of 1818]
20) the impact of the Oregon Trail (map, p. 316) on American settlement in Oregon?
James K. Polk and the election of 1844
21) Polk’s personal and political background?
22) the Democrats on Texas and Oregon?
23) Clay’s stance on Texas?
24) the impact of the Liberty Party on the election?
Polk’s program: a lower tariff, the Independent Treasury, Oregon, and California
25) the new Walker Tariff--especially its rates? [note sectional vote in table, p. 380]
26) the Independent Treasury (ended by the Whigs in 1841)?
27) the Oregon Treaty of 1846?
28) California and conflict with Mexico
29) the population of California c. 1846?
30) the Mexican debts issue?
31) conflict with Mexico over the annexation of Texas?
32) the Texas boundary issue? [text, p. 381 and map, p. 383]
33) John Slidell’s offer to Mexico?
34) the Mexican reaction to Slidell?
the outbreak of the Mexican War
35) Zachary Taylor’s advance? [Taylor not only moved forward, but he built a fort and blockaded the Rio
Grande; text, p. 382 and map, p. 383]
36) Polk’s initial thoughts about war?
37) Mexico’s response to Taylor’s advance?
38) Polk’s claim in his war message?
39) what question did Whig representative Abraham Lincoln ask in his “spot resolutions”?
fighting in the Mexican War [note map, p. 383]
40) Santa Anna’s double-cross of Polk?
41) Stephen Kearney’s expedition?
42) John C. Fremont and the Bear Flag Republic?
43) Zachary Taylor’s army at Buena Vista?
44) Winfield Scott’s expedition and Mexico City?
the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
45) another double-cross from Santa Anna?
46) Nicholas Trist’s recall--and reaction?
47) the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo:
48) Mexico’s territorial loss (the Mexican Cession)?
49) payment from the American government? [note $3.25 million went to Americans to settle the debts
issue]
50) opposition to the treaty? [note both the Conscience Whigs and the all-Mexico movement]
outcomes of the Mexican War
51) American lives lost?
52) American territorial gains? [note map, p. 383]
53) the war’s impact on the American military?
54) the impact of the war on Mexico? on Latin America in general?
55) the war’s impact on conflict over slavery in the United States?
56) the terms of the Wilmot Proviso? not mentioned in your text but worth thinking about: why was it
easier for the Wilmot Proviso to pass the House of Representatives than the Senate?
57) why did Emerson say, “Mexico will poison us?”
[p. 387] the event in 1848 that led to a huge influx of Americans into California? the impact of this
population change on the Californios?