“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
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Americans believe it is their destiny to expand the US borders to the
Pacific.
Objectives:
1. To summarize the reasons
American settlers headed west during the mid-1800s
2. To describe the impact of westward expansion on
Native Americans
3. To Identify the westward trails and some of the people who used them.

WHAT WERE THE REASONS FOR WESTWARD MIGRATION?
MANIFEST DESTINY

Americans in Illinois and
Indiana wanted the
Natives in the area to move west
Chief Black Hawk of Sauk tribe had vision to rebel
4 month rebellion – began in Illinois, spread to Wisconsin
Ended in June 1832 when
Illinois militia slaughtered
200 Sauk and Fox people

1851: Fort Laramie Treaty
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•
Cheyenne Arapaho, Sioux, and Crow agree to allow settlers to move through the Great Plains.
Natives agreed not to attack settler and the U.S. to pay the
Natives and to respect their boundaries. Frequently violated by U.S.

•
•
•
Santa Fe Trail
Trade route from
Independence, Missouri to
Santa Fe , a distance of over
780 miles. Used primarily from 1821 to 1848.
“Wagon Trains”
Mad dash for Santa Fe

1836 – Marcus and Narcissa Whitman
Set up mission schools and educate Natives
Fertile land – followed Lewis and Clark’s path
Thousands began to move West
Independence, MO – Portland, Oregon

All American religion, created in US
Mormons move from
Ohio to Missouri & Illinois.
Polygamy unpopular
1844 Mormons flee Illinois after mobs murder Smith
Brigham Young leads Mormons west to Utah, 1846-1847, est. frontier cooperative theocracy
Conflict with federal govt. over polygamy, threatens fighting, over polygamy delays statehood to 1896

Polk narrowly defeats Clay in 1844.
Polk is an Expansionist Democrat.
POLK’S FOUR GOALS:
1.
2.
Lower tariff
Restore an independent treasury
3.
4.
Settle dispute over Oregon (54, 40 or fight!)
Acquire California

Map: Oregon Boundary Dispute
Oregon Boundary Dispute
Although demanding that Britain cede the entire Oregon Territory south of 54 ° 40', the United States settled for a compromise at the forty-ninth parallel. SLOGAN:
“Fifty four forty or fight!”
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company.

Objectives:
1. To explain why Mexico encouraged American settlement of Texas
2. To describe the struggle between
Mexico and the Anglo settlers over
Texas

FACTORS INVOLVED IN AMERICAN
SETTLEMENT IN TEXAS:
1.
2.
Conflict with Native Americans deters
Mexicans from moving to Texas.
Mexico gains independence from Spain, expands trade with US.
3.
Mexico gives land grants to empresarios, such as Stephen Austin, to encourage
Americans to settle in Texas.
Why did the Mexicans have such a difficult time controlling their land?
Stephen Austin by Brand
Shown here with his trusty dog and gun, Stephen F. Austin leans against a tree and considers the vast domain granted to him by the Spanish government. Austin was one of the leading landowners in Texas, as well as a leader of the Texas Revolution.
(Archives Division, Texas State
Library)

1.
2.
3.
6.
7.
4.
5.
Mexico bans slavery, moves to restrict it in TX.
1830: Mexico bans new immigrants from US, high taxes on US goods, moves in troops to TX
1833: Austin is Arrested by Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna,
President of Mexico.
1835: Austin wins repeal of the Immigration ban (G.T.T.)
American immigration increases (1K a month in 1835)
Santa Anna increasingly dictatorial.
Texas Revolution begins in 1835

MEXICO SETTLERS
GOALS
ACTIONS
OUTCOMES

Map: Major Battles of the Texas Revolution, 1835-1836
Major Battles of the Texas Revolution, 1835-1836

Santa Anna moves 4000 troops to Texas to put down Anglo rebellion
William Travis moves Anglo forces to the Alamo.
12 day siege of Alamo ends, all 187 defenders die
ALAMO VIDEO
March 2, 1836, Texans declare independence
Santa Anna executes 445 rebels at Goliad
Sam Houston captures Santa Anna at San Jacinto River
Santa Anna recognizes independence of
Republic of Texas July 1836.

Battle of San Jacinto
The Alamo and Goliad had infuriated the Texans
Sam Houston and 900 men surprised the Mexican Army at San Jacinto
“Remember the Alamo!!!!!”
Kill 630 Mexicans in 15 minutes!
Republic of Texas
Mexico regretted the treaty, but the U.S., France and Britain recognized the Republic of
Texas
July 1836 – Sam Houston elected first president
Some wanted to annex Texas but others did not.
WHY??
Who finally tipped the balance in favor of annexation?
Capture Santa Anna and force him to sign the treaty of Velasco

Q: Why would the North not want Texas in the union?
A: For many reasons…
1.
Slavery was allowed in Texas
2.
3.
Making TX a state would upset the Missouri Compromise
 more Sectionalism
Mexico might be moved to war

“About 3:30 in the afternoon, during the Mexican siesta period, Houston distributed his troops in battle array, bracketing the line with the "Twin Sisters" cannon. Shielded by trees and a rise in the terrain, the Texans were able to advance with some security. Then with the cries "Remember the Alamo" and "Remember La Bahia" or "Remember Goliad" ringing along their lines, the Texans swooped down on the dismayed Mexican army, pursuing and butchering them long after the battle itself had ended. 630 Mexicans were killed and 730 taken prisoner. Texans lost only 9 killed or mortally wounded; thirty were less seriously wounded. Among the latter was General Houston, whose ankle was shattered.” http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/treasures/republic/san-jacinto.html

Objectives:
1. To summarize the conflicting attitudes on waging war with Mexico
2. To describe key battles that helped the United States win the war with Mexico
3. To identify U.S. territories gained from Mexico.

Polk wants the whole Texas, Cali. and N. Mexico
Border issue with Mexico – Nueces or Rio Grande?
President Polk tries to buy California from Mexico. His envoy,
John Slidell, is refused.
Polk orders Gen. Zachary Taylor and 4,000 men to the Rio
Grande
April 25, 1846 Mexican troops kill 11 Americans
“They have spilled American blood on American soil!!!”
US declares war
Slavery again becomes a huge issue (Wilmot Proviso)

“The lives of Mexicans are sacrificed in this cause; and a domestic question, which should be reserved for the bloodless debate in our own country, is transferred to the fields of battle in a foreign land.”
What does he mean by this?

Map: The Mexican War
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Stephen Kearny and John C.
Fremont “liberate” New Mexico and then California and declare the “Bear Flag Republic” in 1846.
Gen. Zachary Taylor defeats overwhelming Mexican forces at
Buena Vista
Gen. Winfield Scott is victorious at Veracruz. Leads US troops to
Mexico City 1847, wins victory against great odds.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed in 1848, US to pay $15 million for land gained and assume claims of US citizens against Mexico
Division in Congress
Whigs call for end of war.
Expansionists want to continue the invasion
Gadsden Purchase extends US border south to current boundary for
$10 million in 1853.

Increases the US by 1/3
More land than acquired in LA Purchase
US establishes the power of its military to foreign powers
Slavery issue is increasingly divisive
Bitter relations with Mexico

• War Hero Zachary Taylor becomes the 12 th President

January 1848 gold discovered at
Sutter’s Mill in California.
Americans everywhere drop everything, literally, and rush to
California, called the gold rush.
Migration to CA jumps from 400 in
1848 to 44,000 in 1850.
New migrants call themselves “forty-
niners.”
California applies for statehood as a free state.
S.F. 1847,
1850