Alexander Kent Markham
4th
Manifest Destiny
Westward Expansion
2-16-12
Manifest Destiny
• Definition: The belief that America should
stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
• John L. O’Sullavian created the term in a paper
in 1845. He was a journalist.
Oregon Country
• Oregon Country was in the Pacific Northwest, North of
California
• Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and parts of Montana and
Wyoming came from Oregon Country
• From Adams/Onis treaty with Britain
• Oregon trail was 2,000 miles/ started in Missouri/ went
across Mississippi river, Rocky mnts., Great Plains,
Snake River Valley
• Fifty-four forty or fight: line refered to what lin
democrats thought was the U.S. owned, slogan in 1844
election of Polk
Texas
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Davy Crockett was a frontiers men with shrewd common sense when he lost his senate seat in
Tennessee in 1835 he moved to Texas
1830 when Mexico banned U.S. citizens from settling in Texas and When they put a high tax on U.S.
products
Stephen F. Austin: brought 300 families to Texas
They decreed that no more U.S. citizens could immigrate to Texas this angered many Texans and
Americans
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna became president of México in 1833
A battle occurred in which all the Texan defenders died and the fort was destroyed
Texas declared independence March 2, 1836 in Washington on the Brazos
Sam Houston became the leader of the Texan forces
Battle of San Jacinto
When April 21, 1836
Battle cry: “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad”
At the end of the battle Santa Anna signed a treaty that gave Texas Independence
Jackson didn’t want to annex Texas because he didn’t want to inflame the slave issue
Texas became a state in 1845
Polk was president when Texas was annexed
War with Mexico
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What states are in New Mexico: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, parts of Colorado and parts of Wyoming
The Santa Fe trail was a trade route from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico. It went across prairies
to the Arkansas river and followed it to the Rockies then turned down to Santa Fe
As trade increased Americans began to settle in the area
Spanish explorers and missionaries influenced California’s culture
The climate of California is mild, filled with scenic beauty, and is full of natural resources
Americans thought that being surrounded by the sea would be safer than if bordered by Mexico
The U.S. thought that the Rio Grande was the border and the Mexicans believed that the Nueces river was the
border
Polk called an emergency meeting after the Mexicans attacked Americans and decided to go to war with Mexico
Fredrick Douglass didn’t like the war because it was a way to spread slavery to new territories
A flag with a white background with a star and bear on it, Bear Flag Republic.
Polk sent Winfield Scott to capture Mexico City
The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war with Mexico February 1848
Afterward the border became the Rio Grande
New states
California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, parts of Colorado and parts of Wyoming
Gadsden Purchase 1853 10 million dollars
States from Gadsden Purchase Southern New Mexico and Southern Arizona
California and Utah
• Gold rush 1849/in California/ people who came were called 49’ers
• They had to cross the Sierra Nevada mnts. to get to California
• 49’ers came from the U.S., China, Australia, Mexico, South America, and
Europe
• Boomtown: a town that grew rapidly in population and economy
• San Francisco grew from a small village to a town of more than 20,000
people
• Levi Strauss was a Jewish immigrant who sold sturdy pants made of denim
to miners, invented jeans.
• Utah
• The Mormons took refuge in Utah
• Joseph Smith was their founder. He got killed by a mob in Illinois in 1844
• Afterward Brigham Young became the leader of the Mormons
• They settled in Utah
• Utah became a state in 1896
Cause and effect
Cause
•Americans accept
Manifest Destiny.
•As east becomes
crowded Americans
want more land.
•The West contains fur,
lumber, and precious
metals.
Effect
•Native Americans
forced off their lands.
•U.S. war with Mexico.
•The U.S. extends from
the Atlantic to the
Pacific