Manifest Destiny and
Westward Expansion
1843-1869 Oregon Trail
1846-1848 U.S. Mexican War
1849-1852 California Gold Rush
Oregon Trail
• 1843 Great Migration Westward to the
Oregon Territory
• Approximately 200,000 traveled along this
trail
• Most traveled in covered wagons
• Ended with the completion of the
Transcontinental Railroad in 1869
The Trail West
• From Independence to Portland
Why Head West?
•
•
•
•
Freedom of life on the frontier
Manifest Destiny
Reputation for good farmland
Escape from epidemics of disease and
infection in the east
• 640 acre land grants for free
• To prevent this territory from falling under
the control of the British
Role of the British in the Oregon
Territory
• Occupied this territory to profit from fur
trade
• 1844, Presidential Candidate James Polk
ran on the platform “54 40 or Fight”
• British military considered a war to keep
control, but decided against it because of
U.S. patriotism and military
Polk: “54 40 or Fight”
• Through negotiations with the British after Polk's inauguration, the
boundary between the U.S. and British Canada was established at
49° with the Treaty of Oregon in 1846.
Jumping Off Cities
• Independence, MO, and Council Bluffs,
Iowa
• Economies of these towns prospered from
growth of supply shops that served the
emigrants
Remnants of the Trail are Still Visible Today
•
Scotts Bluff National Monument, Scottsbluff, Nebraska (left)
Hardships Along The Way
• 2000 mile journey - Walking
• Purchase 1000 pounds of food for the
journey
• Disease – Cholera
• Weather
• River Crossings
• Wagon accidents
Death along the way
•
There are several graves marked with fieldstones in a fenced in area at
Register Cliff in Scottsbluff.
Mexican – American War
• 1846-1848
• First Major conflict connected to idea of
Manifest Destiny
• Mexico refuses to accept U.S. offer to
purchase
• Border dispute over strip of land between
Nueces and Rio Grande River – Polk asks
for a declaration of war from Congress
U.S. vs. Mexico
• General Zachary Taylor Santa Anna
Mexican – American War
• General Zachary Taylor leads American
Forces
• Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna leads
Mexican Forces
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed in
1848, granting U.S. present day NV, UT,
CA, and NM.
• Mexico receives $15 million in
compensation
Battles
• Siege of Vera Cruz
Resaca de la Palma
California Gold Rush
• 1848 – John Marshall discovers gold while
working at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, CA
• 1849 – President Polk confirms discovery
of Gold to Congress – word spreads
quickly throughout U.S.
• Thousands head west in covered wagons
in search of gold – given name 49ers
• California cities and economies sprung up
California Gold Rush
• Sutter’s Mill
Mining
• Only a knife, pick, shovel and pan needed
at first to pry gold from rocks
• Dirt from rivers and creeks could be
swirled in a pan and sifted
• By 1852, most of the surface gold had
been removed, and mining was no longer
profitable
The Long Tom
• Miners would shovel dirt into it, pour water over it, and rock it like a
cradle. Lighter dirt and gravel was washed away, leaving heavier
gold.
Panning for Gold
•
The sand and dirt would float in the water and could be poured off leaving heavy
rocks, and hopefully gold.
John B.L. Soule/Horace Greeley
•“Go West, Young
Man, and Grow Up
with the Country.”
Quiz #1
• In 1843, people began traveling westward
towards the Oregon territory. Eventually,
over 200,000 people made this journey.
This was called
• A.) The Great Exodus
• b.) The Great Migration
• c.) The Great Journey
• d.) The Great Trail
Quiz #2
• Before the Americans settled the Oregon
Territory, what country profited from the fur
trade of this region?
• A.) Great Britain
• B.) Mexico
• C.) Spain
• D.) France
Quiz #3
• What presidential candidate ran on the
slogan “54 40 of Fight”, which was a
reference to his desire for the U.S. to
expand the Oregon Territory to the 54 40
line of latitude?
• A.) Andrew Jackson
• B.) William Henry Harrison
• C.) James K. Polk
• D.) James Monroe
Quiz #4
• Who was the American general that led
troops into several battles during the
Mexican American War?
• A.) Zachary Taylor
• B.) Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
• C.) James K. Polk
• D.) Andrew Jackson
Quiz #5
• Who was the Mexican president during the
Mexican-American War?
• A.) Zachary Taylor
• B.) Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
• C.) James K. Polk
• D.) Andrew Jackson
Quiz #6
• What treaty ended the Mexican - American
War?
• A.) Treaty of Paris
• B.) Treaty of Ghent
• C.) Treaty of California
• D.) Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Quiz #7
• In 1848, gold was discovered in what
California location?
• A.) Death Valley
• B.) Los Angeles
• C.) Sutter’s Mill
• D.) San Diego
Quiz #8
• List and explain one cause of the MexicanAmerican war.
Quiz #9
• Describe two hardships that emigrants
faced along the Oregon Trail.
Quiz #10
• Explain how the gold rush changed the
population and the economy of California.
Bonus
• What new territory did the U.S. acquire as
a result of the Mexican-American War?