Manifest Destiny
The Mexican – American War
Manifest Destiny
• Manifest Destiny – a phrase used by leaders and politicians in the
1840s to explain western continental expansion by the United States
– Manifest - clear or obvious
– Destiny - events sure to happen
– The idea that America had a special destiny to stretch across the
continent motivated many people to migrate West. The very idea of
manifest destiny encouraged men and women to dream big dreams.
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Colonization/annexation of Texas
Oregon Country
Indian Removal
Mexican-American War (Mexican Cession)
Americans moving west (missionaries, farmers, entrepreneurs, etc.)
– “And that claim is by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and
to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for
the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated selfgovernment entrusted to us.”
John O’Sullivan, United States Magazine and Democratic Review, 1845
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny
Social Factors
Political Factors
•Religious freedom
•Ease overcrowding in cities
•Belief in American
superiority
•To spread democracy
and ideals of liberty
Economic Factors
•Land or profit
•Panic of 1837
•New markets for growth
•Natural resources
James K. Polk
• James K. Polk is elected as our 11th
president in in 1844 (1845-49)
– Defeated Henry Clay
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Southern Expansionist Democrat
Home-schooled in NC, TN
Speaker of the House
Governor of Tennessee
“Napoleon of the Stump”
Polk was committed to national
expansion and promised to annex
Texas and take over Oregon
President James K. Polk
Oregon Trail
• Oregon first explored by Lewis and Clark
• Convention of 1818 allowed joint occupation of Oregon by US & Canada
• By 1830’s some fur traders, explorers, and missionaries were using the
difficult 2000 mile Oregon Trail
– Ran from Independence, Missouri to Portland, Oregon
• The first wagon train of 100 pioneers traveled on Oregon trail on May
16th, 1842
• Biggest draw was FREE land
– Families could claim 640 acres, singles 320
• 800 more immigrants arrived in 1843
Oregon Country
• Polk wanted to claim all of
Oregon for the US
– “Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!”
became rallying cry for
expansionist Democrats
– Neither side wanted war, and
Secretary of State James
Buchanan reached compromise
with Britain
• Outbreak of Mexican-American
War encouraged quick
resolution, compromise
• Oregon Treaty of 1846 spilt
Oregon at the 49° latitude
• Oregon becomes US Territory
in 1848
The Mormon Trail
• Led by Joseph Smith,
members of the Church
of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints travel
from New York to Ohio
and Missouri to Illinois
seeking religious
freedom in the 1830’s
• Smith murdered in Nauvoo, Illinois in 1844
• Brigham Young leads Mormon community to land no one else wanted
• In 1847, Mormons follow the Oregon Trail to Utah, a desolate region
and part of Mexico
• Establish a settlement by the Great Salt Lake
Mexico
• Mexico gains independence from
Spain in 1821
– Includes Texas, New Mexico, California, etc.
• California--Californios
– Missions located one day’s travel
apart along the coast
– Isolated by distance from gov
– Indians provided the primary labor
force
• Texas--Tejanos
– Missions located farther apart
– Conflict with the Indian population
– Influenced by revolutions in
Central and South America
California – Bear Flag Republic
• Settler/Captain John Fremont
leads a rebellion against
Mexican rule and the
Californios in 1846
– Fremont and his men capture
military Governor Mariano
Guadalupe Vallejo and claim
California as a new Republic
(lasts 1 month)
Manifest Destiny – Texas
• To attract citizens and development,
Mexico offers land to settlers empresarios
– Stephen Austin establishes an American
colony of 300 families in Texas
• “Old Three Hundred” resist following
Mexican laws & customs
– Attracts over 35,000 Americans by 1835
– Texas becoming increasingly American
• Americans outnumber Tejanos 6:1
• Santa Anna tries to force Texas back
into compliance
– Battle of the Alamo
– Battle of San Jacinto
• Texas declares its independence from
Mexico on March 2, 1836
Texas
• Texas offers land grants to new settlers
– Panic of 1837 spurs U.S. immigration into Texas
– Over 100,000 people from Europe & U.S. by 1847
– Over 65,000 slaves by 1845
• Texas calls for annexation to the US, but request
is denied by Northern abolitionists
– Would upset balance of slave and free states
• Before leaving office in 1845, John Tyler signs a
joint resolution to annex Texas to the US in Dec.
– Mexico still disputes Texan independence
The Mexican American War
• Mexico disputed border
claimed by Texas along Rio
Grande
• President James K. Polk, sent
diplomat John Slidell to Mexico
City in an attempt to resolve
dispute and purchase Mexico's
California and New Mexico
territories
– Slidell refused by Mexico
• Polk sent Zachary Taylor to
secure border
• 2000 Mexican forces attacked
killing 11 Americans
– “Thornton Affair”
• Congress declared war on
Mexico in May 1846
The Press and the War
• First War to be covered
extensively by the press
– US Correspondents in Mexico
– Information traveling quicker
• 1844 first news sent by
telegraph
– Samuel Morse
• Steamship, Railroads, etc.
• Helped shape public opinion
of the war
– Editorials on morality of
conflict (pros and cons)
• Great profit for some
newspapers
Breeding ground for future leaders
Stonewall
Jackson
George
Pickett
Jefferson Davis
William Tecumseh Sherman
US Grant
Zachary
Taylor
P.G.T.
Beauregard
Winfield Scott
George McClellan
Robert E Lee
The Mexican American War
• War is fought
on two main
fronts
– California
• Stephen
Kearny by
land
• Stockton by
sea
– Southern
Mexico
• Zackary
Taylor
• Winfield
Scott
The War in California
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One month after founding the California Republic,
Fremont hears of Mexican-American War and
marches south to join the fight for America
Robert Stockton Naval forces take and secure
key port cities
– Stockton takes Monterey, Los Angeles
– Link up with Fremont
– Nearly bloodless takeover of California
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Polk orders General Stephen Kearny to attack
New Mexico where he takes Santa Fe without a
fight, claims New Mexico for U.S.
Kearny’s army marches toward California and
join forces with Fremont & Stockton
Stockton leaves a holding force in LA and sends
the majority of his forces into Mexico
Native Californios (California Lancers) attack and
twice defeat small holding force
Kearny finally arrives, teams up with Fremont and
finally defeat Lancers in the Battle of La Mesa
– Californios surrender early in 1847
Taylor push to Mexico City
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Polk wants to capture Mexico City and
force Mexico to cede disputed land to US
Taylor, “Old Rough and Ready,” wins early
victories at Rio Grande and Palo Alto as
he moves toward the Mexican capital
– Thanks to “Flying Artillery”
• Guns & canons mounted on horse drawn
carriages
• American firepower was far superior to
Mexican ammunition
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Taylor uses a two pronged attack to move
against Monterrey
– After almost two days of fighting Taylor and
Mexican General Ampudia agree to a
parlay (8 weeks of no fighting) and US
control of the city
• US now occupies Northern Mexico and
drives the Mexican army deeper into
Mexico.
• Polk not happy with terms
Battle of Buena Vista
Santa Anna
• Santa Anna is disgusted with his
commanders and personally leads 20,000
troops to crush the 4,500 Americans led by
Taylor at Buena Vista
• Taylor positions his men in a mountain pass
to make up for his small numbers
– Demands US surrender, but Americans refuse
• Attacks are repulsed by Indiana and Illinois
regiments
– Jefferson Davis leads troops
– Power and mobility of US Artillery
• Mexicans suffer over 3,400 casualties vs.
Americans’ 650
– Santa Anna claims victory then retreats South
to Veracruz
The March to Mexico City
• Polk gives command to General Winfield Scott
– “Old Fuss and Feathers”
• Scott attacks Vera Cruz in first Amphibious attack in US history
– Crucial city succumbs to siege after 3 days of shelling
• Moves to Chapultepec Castle
– Scott storms castle
– US numbers prove superior in fierce hand to hand combat
throughout the city
– Mexican army retreated at night though the causeways leading into
the city
– Los Niños jumped to their deaths from city walls
• Juan Escutia wrapped himself in Mexican flag to prevent its capture
– Inspiration for the Marine Hymn “From the Halls of Montezuma…”
– Mexico City falls to Scott in September 1847 after 8 days of fierce
fighting
• 4500 Mexican Casualties to 1700 US casualties
– 90% of Marine Corps officers died (blood stripe)
– Surrender of Santa Anna
Storming of Chapultepec
Juan Escutia
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
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February 1848
Texas is part of the United States
Rio Grande is the border between the nations
Mexican Cession ~ Mexico gives up present-day
California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona, and
parts of New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming
U.S. pays $15 million to Mexico
U.S. will protect 80,000 Mexican citizens living in
Texas and the Mexican Cession
– Allow for their return to Mexico, or opportunity for
American citizenship
United States in 1848
California Gold Rush
• Jan. 1848 - James Marshall
found gold particles at Sutters
Mill in the American River
• Rumors spread and by 1849,
100,000 immigrants followed
the Oregon/California trails
and flocked to the area
– These immigrants were called
“forty-niners”
– From Germany, France,
England, Ireland, US
– Hope of instant riches – “easy
money”
– A few prospectors struck it
rich, but most did not find
enough gold to pay for their
expenses
California Gold Rush
• Enterprising merchants
rushed to supply the new
immigrants
– Machinery, food, supplies,
clothing were needed
– German immigrant Levi Strauss
sold tough mining pants now
known as blue jeans
– Wheat Farms were created to
feed the forty-niners
• By 1855, profitable gold could
only be recovered by large
groups
– More money could be made in
new farms, businesses than full
time prospecting
Large Group Operations
The Legacy of the Gold Rush
• California became center of global immigration
– Hundreds of Thousands of immigrants
– Idea of “California Dream” created
• New cities, local governments, roads,
businesses, farms created
• Improved transportation between East and West
coasts
– Steamship companies began regular service between
San Francisco and Panama
– Encouraged development of Transcontinental
Railroad
The Final Piece – Gadsden
Purchase
• With the Mexican Cession, talk of a
transcontinental railroad surfaced
• The Northern route through Chicago
was more practical and would benefit
Northern Industry
• Southerners wanted the railroad down
south, but the terrain was not conducive
to a railroad
• President Franklin Pierce was
sympathetic to the south and sent
James Gadsden to purchase a southern
piece of land that would allow for a
railroad
• Purchased a sliver of land south of the
Gila River for $10million in 1853
• Southern Railroad was never built