Content Analysis
Michigan Social Studies GLCEs
8 – U4.2.2 The Institution of Slavery – Explain the ideology of the institution of
slavery, its policies, and consequences.
8 – U4.2.3 Westward Expansion – Explain the expansion, conquest, and settlement of
the West through the Louisiana Purchase, the removal of American Indians (Trail of
Tears) from their native lands, the growth of a system of commercial agriculture, the
Mexican-American War, and the idea of Manifest Destiny. (E2.1) (National Geography
Standard 6, p. 154)
8 – U4.2.4 Consequences of Expansion – Develop an argument based on evidence about
the positive and negative consequences of territorial and economic expansion on
American Indians, the institution of slavery, and the relations between free and
slaveholding states. (C2) (National Geography Standard 13, p. 169)
Generalizations
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The idea of Manifest Destiny contributed to the nations growth.
o Focus Question: Why did large numbers of settlers head westward to the Oregon
Country
Mexico offered huge tracts of fertile land to U.S. citizens who wanted to settle in Texas.
o Focus Question:
Texas became an independent state after the U.S. war with Mexico.
o Focus Question: How did problems arise with American settlers and the Mexican
government in Texas?
Americans settled on Mexican land in the Southwest.
o Focus Question: How did settlement lead to a war with Mexico?
Gold and Religious freedom lured many settlers to California and Utah.
o Focus Question: What were the settlers faced with once they reached their
destination?
Concepts
Emigration
Chronology
Cause and Effect
Expansion
Consequences
Land Grants
Free Market
Capitalism
Population
Content Analysis
Facts
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The Oregon Country was a huge area between the Atlantic Ocean and the Rocky
Mountains north of California.
Adams-Onis Treaty made it possible for the U.S. to settle in the Oregon Country
Joint occupation meant that people from both the U.S. and Great Britain could settle in
the Oregon Country.
Mountain Men were the first Americans to reach the Oregon Country.
Mountain Men were fur traders.
The South Pass was a broad path through the Rocky Mountains.
Settlers emigrated from cities East of the Mississippi River to the Oregon Country by
way of the Oregon Trail.
Settlers used prairie schooners (covered wagons) to move their families and supplies
across the country.
The Willamette Valley was a fertile area of land near the Columbia River.
American population increased from 500 to 5,000 from 1840-1845.
Manifest Destiny illustrates America’s belief that the country must overspread and
possess the whole continent.
James K. Polk ran for President in 1844 as the Democratic nominee and won.
Henry Clay ran for President in 1844 as the Whig nominee and lost to Polk.
Residents of Texas in the early 1800s were known as Tejanos. (Mexicans who lived in
Texas)
The Mexican government wanted to promote the growth of Texas, they offered vast
tracks of fertile land to American settlers.
Settlers who took the Mexican land grants were known as empresarios.
The Mexican government issued a decree – or official order – to stop all immigration
from the U.S. only.
In 1835, Mexican General Santa Anna sent troops into Texas.
After Gen. Santa Anna lost San Antonio, the army fought at a small barricaded mission
known as the Alamo.
The Texans at the Alamo were outnumbered and lacked gunpowder for their cannons, but
they had great leadership.
After twelve days, the Mexicans defeated the Texans as they sieged the Alamo leaving
only a few women and children to tell the tale.
The battle at the Alamo bought Texans more time. During the siege, Texans met to write
a Constitution for Texas.
Texas declared its independence four days before the fall of the Alamo on March 2, 1836
– Establishing the Republic of Texas.
Content Analysis
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Sam Houston was named the new Republic’s Commander in Chief as he continued the
fight against the Mexican troops.
Houston commanded his troops to launch a surprise attack in San Jacinto where Santa
Anna’s troops were camped.
Houston’s Texan troops yelled “Remember the Alamo!” as they killed 600 troops and
captured nearly 700 including Santa Anna.
On May 14, 1836 Santa Anna signed a treaty that recognized the independence of Texas.
Texans elected Sam Houston as their president.
Houston sent a delegation to Washington D.C. to ask the United States to annex – or take
control, of Texas, but Andrew Jackson refused along with future president Van Buren.
John Tyler (1841) tried to annex Texas, but the Senate was still divided on the issue of
adding another slave state and refused.
In 1845, feelings of Manifest Destiny increased and James K. Polk was able to annex
Texas. December 29, 1845, Texas became one of the United States.
Between Texas and California lied the territory of New Mexico which was officially
governed by Mexico, but the settlers basically governed themselves.
American settlers were soon allowed to settle in the New Mexico Territory in hopes to
increase trade.
William Becknell was the first American trader to reach Santa Fe in 1821.
Becknell’s route was known as the Santa Fe Trail – The route was from Independence,
Missouri, crossed the Arkansas River, following the Rocky Mountains before turning
south to the New Mexico Territory.
The trail stayed heavily used until the trans-continental railroad arrived in 1880.
As Americans began settling in this Territory, the idea of Manifest Destiny was
increasing rapidly. Americans had their eye on acquiring the New Mexico Territory as
well as California from Mexico.
Spanish explorers and missionaries created a string of missions in California as a way to
convert the Native Americans to Christianity.
By 1820, California had 21 missions with about 20,000 Native American residents.
Mountain men noted that the missions either looked like efficient farming communities
or slavery as the Native Americans spent much of their time farming and weaving.
In 1833, the Mexican government abolished the missions and gave much of the land to
the Native Americans and sold the rest.
Mexican settlers bought the rest of the land and built ranchos – huge properties used for
raising cattle. The ranch owners were known as rancheros.
The rancheros persuaded Native Americans to live in their ranchos and work the land and
raise their cattle – they treated the Native Americans like slaves.
By the 1840s, families began to arrive in California to settle by way of the Oregon Trail.
Content Analysis
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James K. Polk tried several times to purchase California and New Mexico Territory from
Mexico, but was refused.
If Mexico would not sell the precious land by the Pacific Ocean, the United States would
have to use force to acquire it.
Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to march his soldiers to the disputed border land
between Texas and Mexico.
Mexican soldiers attacked a small number of U.S. troops which gave Polk and congress
adequate cause to declare war on Mexico.
Americans were split on the war issue. Democrats agreed with the war and Whigs did
not.
Abraham Lincoln, along with many Northerners believed that Mexico was not to blame
for the attack and that the U.S. was clearly on Mexican land.
Polk’s three-part plan included driving out Mexican forces out of the disputed border,
taking New Mexico Territory and California, and finally they would take Mexico City.
Taylor accomplished the first goal by securing the border.
A small band of American settlers decided to conquer the New Mexico Territory and
California
Polk’s 3rd goal was given to General Winfield Scott in March 1847. He seized Veracruz
and marched to Mexico City.
Scott and his troops captured Mexico City and Mexico then surrendered.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in February 1848 between the U.S. and
Mexico.
In the Treaty, Mexico gave up its claims to Texas and agreed upon the Rio Grande
border.
The Mexican Cession called for Mexico to Cede its provinces of California and New
Mexico to the U.S. The U.S. gave Mexico $15 million in return.
In 1853, the U.S. paid Mexico another $10 million for the Gadsned Purchase, a strip of
land along the southern edge of the now Arizona/New Mexico border. This gave the U.S.
its present day size.
More than 80,000 people came to California to search for Gold in 1849 alone. These
settlers were known as forty-niners.
Settlers traveled through the Oregon Trail or the Santa Fe Trail and then pushed through
the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.
When the U.S. and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Californios
(Mexican Californians) were now American citizens. This gave them rights to their land,
however, in 1851, Californios had to prove their land rights in court.
The boom in Californian population created new boomtowns almost overnight.
Content Analysis
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The California gold rush more than doubled the world’s supply of gold, most forty-niners
did not become wealthy, however. Most men spent their time spending their riches wildly
and gambling.
Concerned citizens formed vigilante groups that took the law into their own hands.
The gold rush ended after a few years, but the population growth brought lasting
prosperity to California. Zachary Taylor prompted California to apply for statehood.
Due to the fact that California’s constitution banned slavery, the issue of the balance of
slave vs. free states caused the annexation of California to take longer than expected until
a compromise could be made in Congress.
Mormons, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came to Utah to
fulfill their vision of the godly life.
Joseph Smith founded the church in 1830 because of a vision he had of a new Christian
church.
Smith believed that property should be held in common and he supported polygamy (the
idea that a man could have more than one wife). This angered many people which made
many Mormons give up this practice.
Smith practiced in a small community in New York, but many people were disapproving
of this new religion.
The Mormons moved westward until they came across an area that offered them religious
freedom – The Great Salt Lake.
About 12,000 Mormons migrated to present-day Utah making this the largest single
migration in U.S. History.
Content Analysis
Content Outline
I.
II.
The Oregon Country
a. Rivalry in the Northwest
i. The Adams-Onis Treaty
1. Joint occupation with Britain for the Oregon Country
ii. Mountain Men
1. Fur traders
2. First Americans to reach the Oregon Country
3. Found the South Pass
a. Pathway through the Rocky Mountains
b. Settling Oregon
i. Mountain Men
ii. Missionaries
1. Trying to convert Native Americans to Christianity
iii. Families
1. Emigrants
2. Prairie schooners
a. Covered wagons
3. The Oregon Trail
c. The Division of Oregon
i. Willamette Valley
ii. Manifest Destiny
1. The U.S. has the duty to expand its borders westward
Independence for Texas
a. Land Grants
i. Tejanos
1. Mexicans who lived in Texas
ii. Empresarios
1. Recruited American settlers to live in Texas
b. Growing Tension
i. Americans outnumbered Mexicans in Texas
ii. Mexico issued a decree to stop American immigration to Texas
1. Americans wanted independence in Texas
c. Attempt at Reconciliation
i. General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
1. President of Mexico
2. Overthrew Mexico’s constitution
3. Texans felt betrayed
d. The Struggle for Independence
i. The Battle of the Alamo
Content Analysis
III.
1. The Alamo
a. Small barricaded mission
2. Santa Anna with Mexican troops to take the Alamo
a. Large army with many supplies
3. Texans in the Alamo
a. Had cannons, but no gunpowder
b. Small army
c. Great leadership
4. 12 day battle
a. Left only a few women and children
ii. During the siege
1. Texans met to write a constitution for Texas.
2. Texas declared independence 4 days before fall of the Alamo
a. March 2, 1836
b. The Republic of Texas
e. The Republic of Texas
i. Sam Houston
1. Commander in Chief
a. Continued fight against Mexico
b. Surprise attack in San Jacinto (Santa Anna and troops
camped there)
i. “Remember the Alamo!”
ii. Captured Santa Anna
2. Elected President of Texas
a. Santa Anna signed treaty to recognize independence
3. Asked U.S. to annex Texas
a. To take control of
b. Jackson – refused
c. Van Buren – refused
d. Tyler – tried, but senate refused
e. Polk – succeeded
i. December 29, 1845 – Texas = U.S. State
War with Mexico
a. The New Mexico Territory
i. Officially governed by Mexico
ii. Settlers governed themselves
iii. American settlers arrive in New Mexico to increase trade with Mexico
1. William Becknell
a. First American trader – Santa Fe in 1821
b. Santa Fe Trail
Content Analysis
iv. The U.S. wanted to acquire the New Mexico Territory and California from
Mexico
b. California’s Spanish Culture
i. Missions
1. String of communities in California
2. To convert the Native Americans to Christianity
3. 1820 – 21 missions
a. 20,000 Native American residents
i. Farming and weaving
ii. Appeared somewhat like slavery
ii. 1833 – Mexico abolished missions
1. Land given to Native Americans
2. Some sold to settlers
a. Rancheros bought land to build ranchos
i. Huge properties used for raising cattle
b. Rancheros persuaded Native Americans to work their land
i. Similar to slavery
c. California Settlement
i. 1840s – families arrived by the Oregon Trail
ii. Polk
1. Wanted to purchase California and the New Mexico Territory from
Mexico
a. Mexico refused
2. Resorted to using force to get the land
a. General Zachary Taylor
i. Troops went to a disputed border area between
Texas and Mexico
ii. Mexican soldiers fired at a small number of U.S.
soldiers
iii. Congress agreed to declare war with Mexico
d. War with Mexico
i. Approved
1. Democrats
2. Southerners
ii. Disapproved
1. Whigs
2. Republicans such as Abraham Lincoln
3. Northerners
iii. Polk’s three-part war strategy
1. Drive out Mexican forces out of disputed border
Content Analysis
IV.
a. Zachary Taylor accomplished
2. Take New Mexico Territory and California
a. Small band of American settlers conquered
3. Take Mexico City
a. Winfield Scott accomplished
b. Mexico surrendered
iv. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
1. February 1848 between the U.S. and Mexico
2. Mexico gave up claims to Texas
a. Rio Grande River = border
3. Mexican Cession
a. Cede provinces of California and New Mexico to U.S.
i. U.S. gave Mexico $15 million
v. 1853 – U.S. paid Mexico another $10 million
1. Gadsden Purchase
a. Strip of land along southern edge of present-day Arizona
and New Mexico
b. Gave U.S. its present-day size
New Settlers in California and Utah
a. California Gold Rush
i. More than 80,000 people came to California to search for Gold in 1849
alone
1. Forty-niners
ii. Oregon Trail or Santa Fe Trail through the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range
in California
iii. Californios
1. Mexican-Californians
2. Now American citizens
3. Had rights to their land
4. 1851 – some lost land
a. Had to prove land rights in courts
iv. Boom in population created boomtowns
1. Most forty-niners did not become wealthy
a. Gambling
b. Wild spending
2. Vigilantes
a. Concerned citizens who took the law into their own hands
v. Zachary Taylor (president after Polk) prompted California to apply for
statehood
1. California = no slavery
Content Analysis
a. U.S. had to balance slave and free states
b. Congress made a compromise to allow California to enter
into the Union
b. Religious Refugee in Utah
i. Mormons
1. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
2. Joseph Smith founded in 1830 – vision
3. Property should be held in common
4. Polygamy
a. Men could have more than one wife
b. Not supported by many – Mormons gave up this practice
5. Began in New York
a. Many people disapproved
6. Mormons moved westward to find religious freedom
7. The Great Salt Lake
a. Not populated yet
b. 12,000 Mormons migrated to Utah
c. Largest single migration in U.S.