Westward to the Pacific
By Joseph Enge
I. Trails to the West
A. The Sante Fe Trail
B. Exploration of the Rocky Mountains &
the Sierra Nevada by Mountain men like
James Beckwourth, Jedidiah Smith, Tom
Fitzpatrick, Joe Walker, and Jim Bridger.
C. American interest in the Oregon country
1.
The Oregon Trail first opened in
1841
2.
Between 1841 & 1845 5,000
people trudged the trail
3.
Formation of government by
American settlers 1843
D. Opening of the California Trail by
Americans 1841
E. Settlement of Utah by Brigham Young
& the Mormons 1847
II. Gone to Texas
A. American land grants in Texas, by
1830 16,000 Americans had settled in
Texas. They outnumbered the Mexicans
4 to 1.
B. American-Mexican tensions
1. Religion
2. Slavery
3. Representation
4. American interests in Texas
General Santa Anna
C. The Texas Revolution
1. 1834 General Santa Anna made
himself dictator of Mexico
2. In 1835 Santa Anna established
military rule in Texas
Travis
Bowie
Crockett
3. William B. Travis, Stephen Austin, Jim
Bowie, and Sam Houston led Texas volunteers
against Santa Anna
4. March 2, 1836 Texas adopts a declaration of
independence
5. Feb- March 1836 Santa Anna with 5,000
troops attacks the Texas garrison of 180 men
and led by William Travis, David Bowie, and
Davie Crockett at the Alamo.
The Alamo
The Texas Flag
6. Battle of San Jacinto April 21, 1836
Santa Anna is defeated and later captured
by the Texans. Texas obtains its
independence, the Lone Star Republic.
Texas Independence
III. Manifest Destiny
A.
Anglo-American treaties
1.
The Webster-Ashburton
Treaty 1842 finalized the U.S.Canadian border in Maine & Minnesota
2.
The Oregon settlement 1846
extended the U.S.-Canadian
border along the 49-degree latitude.
B.
Annexation of Texas on December 29,
1845
Oregon Boundary Settlement
James Polk
11th President of
the U.S.
1845-1849
C. American interests in California
1.
James K. Polk, an expansionist, is
elected president 1844
2.
1845 Polk sends Captain John C.
Fremont with well-armed
men to survey
a route to California and to assist should
war break out between the U.S. and
Mexico.
General Zachary Taylor
D. War with Mexico
1.
Mexican-American clash on the
Rio Grande April 1846
2.
American declaration of war May
13, 1846. General Zachary Taylor
captures Monterrey Sep 1846 and
defeats the Mexicans at Beuna
Vista Feb 1847.
Captain
Fremont
Admiral
Sloat
General
Kearny
Admiral
Stockton
3. Fremont, Sloat, and Kearney secure
California by Jan of 1847. Admiral
Stockton replaces Sloat.
General Scott at
Veracruz
4. March 1847 General Winfield Scott
captured Veracruz. The largest
amphibious operation of any nation up to
that time.
5. September 14, 1847 General Scott
captures Mexico City
Overview of the Campaigns
6. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo February
1848 ends the war with the following provisions:
a.
The U.S. obtains California, Arizona,
Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and parts
of Wyoming & Colorado
b.
We would pay them $15 million and
assume some $3 million of their debts
to us for it
c.
The U.S. would recognize the property
rights of Mexicans living in these
areas
d.
Later in 1853 we would make the
Gadsen Purchase for $10 million for
additional land south of Arizona and
New Mexico
Manifest Destiny Realized
E. The gold rush in California
1.
January 1848 gold is discovered
at Sutter's sawmill
2.
By 1849 crowds of gold seekers
were heading for California
3.
September 9, 1850 California
became the 31st state in the
Union.