Unit 3: The New Republic and
Antebellum America (1789-1850)
Looking Westward:
Fulfilling Manifest Destiny
I can discuss the reasons that
motivated Americans to move west
in the mid 1800s and analyze the
causes and effects of the Mexican
War and California gold rush on the
United States.
Americans Seek New Lands
• By 1830, the U.S. had acquired
Louisiana (1803) from France
and Florida (1819) from Spain
and had removed the Native
Americans of the Southeast.
• We also jointly occupied the
Oregon Territory with Great
Britain.
• Expansionists – Americans
who wanted to add more
territory, were looking toward
Mexico and Oregon for new
possibilities.
Manifest Destiny
• The idea or belief that
the U.S. had a Godgiven right to control
North America from
ocean to ocean.
• It would be fulfilled at
the expense of Native
Americans and
Mexican citizens.
American Progress by John Gast (1872)
1. How does
this painting
convey the
idea of
“Manifest
Destiny”?
2. What
cultural
differences
are apparent
between the
figures?
3. According to
the painter,
is “American
Progress” a
positive or
negative?
Why?
Westward Bound!
• Mountain men went into the
Rocky Mts. in search of animal
pelts.
• Oregon Trail – Marcus and
Narcissa Whitman established a
mission in the Walla Walla Valley;
this paved the way for families
heading to the Williamette Valley
of Oregon and Washington.
• Between 1840-1860 about
260,000 Americans crossed the
Great Plains and Rockies.
• They faced many hardships
(Indians, disease, starvation)
along the way and some got lost.
Gone to Texas!
• 1820s – Americans began to
settle in Texas because land
grants were cheap.
• They had to agree to become
Mexican citizens.
• By 1835 there were about
30,000 Anglo-Texans living in
Texas. They outnumbered
Mexicans 6-1.
• Why will this relationship go
bad???
The Texas Revolt of 1836
• 1835 – Texans rebelled against General Antonio
Lopez de Santa Anna’s authority and seized
garrisons at Goliad and San Antonio.
• “Remember the Alamo!” – March 1836, after 12
days of siege, Mexican troops seized the mission
and all survivors were executed. 200 Texans were
killed in all.
• Battle of San Jacinto (1836) – Sam Houston and
America forces routed Santa Anna’s army.
• Santa Anna signed a treaty recognizing Texas
independence, but Mex. Gov’t refused to accept
it. An undeclared border war raged for 10 yrs.
Between Mexico and Texas.
• President Jackson wanted annexation, but he was
blocked by Northern congressman. Why?
President James K. Polk fulfills
Manifest Destiny (1845-1849)
• 1844 – James K. Polk (D-TN)
elected President.
• He vowed to fulfill Manifest
Destiny by taking Oregon
from Britain. In a
compromise, he agrees to
divide the territory at the
49th parallel of latitude.
• The U.S. received the future
states of Washington and
Oregon.
The Mexican-American War (1846-1848)
•
•
•
•
•
Before Polk took office, Congress narrowly voted to annex TX and it entered U.S.
as a slave state. Mexico refused to accept it.
General Zachary Taylor was sent into the borderland between the rivers.
Dec. 1846, U.S. troops clashed with Mexican forces and 11 Americans were killed.
Polk said, Mexico “invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the
American soil.”
Congress declared war.
Winning the War
• By September 1847, the U.S. had
seized New Mexico and California
and General Winfield Scott had
captured Mexico City.
• Mexican forces fought bravely, but
were no match for U.S. weaponry
and strength.
• Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
(1848) gave the U.S. the American
S.W. from the Rio Grande to CA –
1.2 million sq. miles of new
territory – for $20 million.
• 1853 – Gadsden Purchase - $10 M
to Mexico for Southern Arizona as
some in Congress wanted to build
a Southern R.R. from New Orleans
to California.
The California Gold Rush of 1849
• 1848 – Gold found near Sacramento; over 80,000 Americans go to
California in 1849 – “Gold Rush”
• Placer mining (panning in the water) soon gave way to large-scale
industrial mining by companies – very few miners got wealthy
• Miners came from Europe, Mexico, and even China; white miners
dominated them with a “foreign miners” tax.