pp.
371- 381 “misunderstandings”
Intro
“Our manifest destiny [is] to overspread the continent allotted by providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions. – John L. O’Sullivan, 1845
EXPANISION OF THE UNITED STATES…into Texas, Oregon, and eventually California…..dominated
American diplomacy and politics in the 1840’s.
We choose to fight Mexico and negotiate with Britain…obviously I think why….
********BUT….THE VICTORY OVER MEXICO COMES AT A COST THAT WILL BE PAID WITH BLOOD IN
1861…THE QUESTION THAT LEADS TO THIS HORRIBLE CIVIL WAR IS THIS: WHAT WOULD BE THE
STATUS OF SLAVERY IN THE NEWLY ACQUIRED TERRITORIES FROM MEXICO.******
********Remember: That the issue that causes the Civil War is NOT…Abolishing Slavery in the
South….BUT…What divides the Nation…is the question of whether or not slavery should be allowed to expand….into the western territories and any other future places the USA may acquire.
The Accession of “Tyler Too”
William Henry Harrison becomes the 1 st Whig President in American History by winning the election of
1840, remember the “Log Cabin and Hard Cider” election…He at this time, RR later, becomes the oldest
Pres in our history, he gives the longest inauguration speech in history in the cold and rain… and DIES 4 weeks later…Also the 1 st President to die in office in American History….
This leads to many problems…. Who now, after Harrison died, becomes President…today it seems obvious…we have a constitutional amendment that was passed in the 1950’s that addresses this issue….but at this time there is no precedent… Both Henry Clay and Daniel Webster both the leaders of the Whig party at the time felt as if the VP John Tyler should not become President…that one of them should as leaders of the party…Unfortunately for Clay and Webster…Tyler does take over and this leads to many conflicts… especially because Tyler was a Southern States Righter and his beliefs did not mesh with the Majority of the Whigs….such as they were Pro-Bank of USA, Pro High protective Tariff, and Pro –
Internal Improvements….Tyler was not in support of any of these ideas…but is President and this causes conflict.
John Tyler: A President Without a Party
Immediately Clay and Webster, regardless of who was President, attempt to pass their ideas in Congress.
They are successful in Congress, but as you know…the Pres. has to sign the bill to become law or Congress if he vetoes it can override it with a 2/3rds vote… (the Whigs do not have a 2/3rds majority though)
1 st issue is Financial Reform or a New Bank of the United States… Congress ends the Independent
Treasury System passed under Van Buren…Tyler signed it… Congress then passes a bill for a New Bank of the USA…and TYLER VETOES THE BILL….Congress passes another bill for a FINANCIAL
CORPORATION…..TYLER VETOES IT AGAIN.
In response Tyler is called “His Accidency,” and an “Executive Ass.” Also burned in effigy, sent letters that threatened his life…Boy the Whigs were tough….THEN THEY KICK HIM OUT OF THE PARTY AND HIS

WHOLE CABINET RESIGNS IN PROTEST…wow… except sec. of state Daniel Webster who resigns later after finishing negotiation the Webster-Ashburton treaty in 1842 
Soon after this Tyler also vetoes a new Tariff Bill, although later negotiated down the rate and he signs it.
Tyler during the whole time of his Presidency acts more like a Democrat and opposes the Whigs at evey step… not what the Whigs thought would happen back in 1840 when they won the election.
A War of Words with Britain …&….Manipulating the Maine Maps
During the 1840’s we have many conflicts with Britain…over issues in Texas, Canada, Bahamas, and in
Oregon Country.
With Canada there are two conflicts; The Caroline Incident and the Aroostook War. Both almost led to war unbelievably… With The Webster-Asburton Treaty solving the Maine-Boundary dispute (Aroostook or Lumberjack War) We benefit by changing the border with Canada and gain a big part of modern day
Minnesota where the mesabi Iron ore mines are today… Hugely significant after the CWar because part of the basis of the 2 nd Industrial revolution was based on a product called STEEL made from Iron Ore…
With The Bahamas the dispute that almost led to war was about another ship, the Creole. A slave insurrection in Virginia occurs and the Slaves sail to the Bahamas where they are protected….obviously upsetting their owners who want to hang them…
The other two Oregon and Texas will be discussed later 
The Lone Star of Texas Shines Alone
NOTE: THE TEXAS STORY -Texas was an Independent country from 1836, its successful revolution against Mexico, until 1845 when it is annexed into the United States by John Tyler, President, in a trickeration move using a “joint session’ of Congress to admit Texas since it only required a simple majority vote…not the traditional method that would have the House of Reps vote then the Senate…there is NO WAY THE SENATE WOULD HAVE ADMITTED TEXAS DUE TO THE FREE STATES HAVING AN
EQUAL VOTE AND THE “CONSICIENCE WHIGS CONTROLLED MOST THOSE VOTES.
While an independent country, for almost 9 years, Texas was a controversial issue…due to Mexico consistently threatening invasion and not accepting their defeat and the treaty Santa Ana signed in 1836, the influence of Britain and France who wanted an independent Texas to buffer the expanding United
States and also keep their markets open for free trade especially the cotton.
The Belated Texas Nuptials
Tyler, a southern supporter from Virginia, had been looking for an excuse to annex Texas…he found one in the election of 1844 between James K. Polk, the only President educated at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Henry
Clay… Polk wins a very very close vote and Tyler claims it to be a MANDATE from the American People due to this issue being the LEADING ISSUE IN THIS ELECTION.. So as explained above, Tyler using political trickeration, the Joint Session of Congress instead of normal procedure, gets his simple majority voted and Texas enters as the 28 th State in 1845.
Note: The “Conscience Whigs” were upset believing that the addition of Texas was supporting the “Slave
Powers” attempts to control the Government and spread slavery into the West…upsetting many Free-
Soilers and Abolitionists…

Oregon Fever Populates Oregon
The initial boundary of the Oregon Territory was in the North the 54-40 line of latitude (southern boundary of Russian Alaska) and to the south the 42 line of latitude (Northern Boundary of Mexico)
-Initially four nations claim a part of this territory…Russia, Great Britain, Spain, and the United States.
- Spain gives its claims away in the Florida Purchase (Adams-Onis) Treaty of 1819 (the USA supposedly gives away its rights to Texas)
- Russia retreats to the 54-40 line in treaties with the USA in 1824 and 1825 with America and Great
Britain
- The two (2) claimants left were Britain and the USA.
- Initially Britain has a strong claim due to the 1 st permanent settlement being founded by the Hudson’s
Bay (fur trading) Company…
- Americans however also had a strong claim due to Robert Gray’s expedition in 1792 and Lewis and
Clark from 1804-1806.
- In 1818 Americans offered to split the area at the 49 th line of latitude (parallel) but Britain refused at this time…and agree to “JOINT OCCUPATION” WITH THE DECISION TO BE MADE LATER PENDING
“FUTURE SETTLEMENT” bad idea from Britain…
-American Missionaries and settlers begin to trickle out in the 1830’s…
- By the 1840’s however the situation had changed…THE OREGON TRAIL began to populate this area very quickly as thousands brave the over Two Thousand mile journey…These pioneers seized by
OREGON FEVER…came in droves in Covered Wagons traveling at one to two miles per hour, traveling
100 miles in a week in a journey that took about 5 months total… this harrowing journey was deadly, an average of 17 men, women, and children died per mile total on this adventurous trip.
- By 1846, over 5000 American settlers had settled close to the confluence of the Columbia and
Willamette River…The British could only count 700 or so North of the Columbia/Willamette River area.
- The British realized that they should negotiate a settlement asap or be swamped by the American
Settlers….
- In the Election of 1844, Polk Promises 54-40 (all of the Oregon Territory) or FIGHT….
A MANDATE (?) FOR MANIFEST DESTINY [THE ELECTION OF 1844]
As stated earlier, the two combatants for the Presidency in 1844 were James K. Polk ( 1 st unexpected or
“Dark Horse” Candidate in American Political History- but sponsored by Andrew Jackson- his nickname was Young Hickory) for the Expansionist Democratic Party and Henry Clay for the Whigs..
MANIFEST DESTINY – defined: That God had destined the American People to dominate the continent from Atlantic to Pacific. The “YOUNG AMERICAN” MOVEMENT supported this idea adding to it the ability of Americans to benevolently spread its Exceptional Political, Moral, and Social Ideals (Liberty and
Freedom) [Empire] to the “backwards” residents who inhabited these areas…
In the election of 1844 manifest destiny slogans ruled the day….54-40 or fight… Polk, Slavery, and Texas…
Interestingly a small 3 rd party, the Liberty Party in NY earned 16,000 votes…which allows Polk to win NY by 5000 votes and win a very very close election (total of about 38000 votes separated Polk and Clay nationally) CERTAINLY NOT A MANDATE AS TYLER CLAIMED IN ORDER TO ANNEX TEXAS WHICH IS
ADMITTED 3 DAYS BEFORE TYLER LEFT OFFICE IN HIS “LAME DUCK” PERIOD.
Polk the Purposeful
“Young Hickory” had a plan…actually he is considered one of the most effective Presidents in history due to the fact that he announced a plan with four (4) objectives and accomplished them all 

1 To Lower the TARIFF – He is successful when Congress passes the Walker Tariff in 1846 which lowers the rate to 25% from 32%.
2 Restore the Independent Treasury (lock up the USA’s $$$ in a vault) – rescinded by Tyler, in 1841,
Congress reinstates the IT in 1846.
3 Settle the Oregon Dispute with Great Britain – this is done when he proposes the 49 line of latitude
(splitting Oregon Territory) as our Northern Boundary… Britain at first refuses..but in 1846 agrees.
This was very controversial…due to his promise in the election [54-40 or fight] (not his promise but a slogan of his supporters nonetheless) Free-Soilers and Abolitionists or Conscience Whigs were very upset with Polk…claiming again the influence of the “Slave Powers” stating why would you agree to the 49 line and voluntarily give up all that potential FREE TERRITORY but GO TO WAR WITH MEXICO to gain SLAVE
TERRITORY…
- However, the answer is really easy…Mexico was Weak and Great Britain Strong….
4 Polk’s 4 th goal was to acquire Texas (already done) and CALIFORNIA….especially the ports on the
Pacific Ocean which would open up TRADE WITH ASIA AND LOTS OF $$$$$...HE ACCOMPLISHES THIS
WITH THE VICTORY OVER MEXICO….but….AT A HUGE COST EVENTUALLY ….THE CIVIL WAR.