America: A Narrative History (Ninth Edition)
Chapter 14 - An Empire in the West
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I. The Tyler years
o A. Harrison’s brief term
o B. Tyler’s background and views
 1. Southerner and renegade Democrat
 2. No allegiance to Whig party despite being on Whig ticket
o C. Domestic affairs
 1. Failure of Clay’s program
 2. Tyler left without a party
o D. Foreign affairs
 1. Problems with Britain needing solution
 a. Suppression of African slave trade
 2. Compromises of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty
 a. Joint patrols of Africa
 b. Canada–U.S. borders settled
II. The western frontier
o A. The idea of manifest destiny
 1. John L. O’Sullivan coins the term
 2. A moral justification for territorial expansion
o B. The western Indians
 1. Plains Indians
 2. Tribes to the north of the Plains
 3. Tribes of the Pacific Northwest
 4. Pressures from white expansion
o C. The Spanish west
 1. American attitudes toward area and its peoples
 2. Spanish colonization less successful in Arizona and Texas
 3. Spanish colonization more successful in New Mexico and Florida
o D. Mexican Independence
 1. Movements for independence
 2. Independence achieved in 1821
 3. Opened northern Mexico to American expansion
o E. Fur trappers in the Rockies
 1. “Rendezvous system“
 2. “Mountain men“
o F. Move to Oregon Country
 1. Joint occupation with Britain
 2. Mass migration of Americans by 1843
o G. Settling California under Spanish and Mexican rule
 1. Beginnings of Spanish settlement
 2. Franciscan missions
 a. Objectives
 b. Results
 3. The rancheros displace the missions after Mexican independence
 4. Expansion of ship trading with the area
 5. Sutter’s colony
o H. The Santa Fe Trail
 1. Opportunities
 2. Dangers
 3. Statistics
o I. Life on the Overland Trails
 1. Statistics
 2. Indians rarely attacked
 3. Difficulties
 4. Gender roles
 5. Great Plains ecology
 6. The Donner party
o J. Frémont’s mapping activities
o K. Efforts to acquire California
III. Annexing Texas
o A. American settlements
 1. Role of Stephen F. Austin
 2. Mexican edict against immigration
Tindall/Shi
America: A Narrative History (Ninth Edition)
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B. Rebellion in Texas
 1. Santa Anna’s reaction
 2. Fighting erupts
o C. War for Texas independence
 1. Battle of the Alamo
 2. Role of Sam Houston
 3. Mexican Army and Santa Anna defeated in 1836
 4. Independent “Republic of Texas“ declared
o D. The Republic of Texas
 1. President Sam Houston
 2. Efforts for annexation
 a. Jackson’s delayed recognition
 b. Calhoun’s treaty rejected
IV. The Presidency of James Polk
o A. The election of 1844 and Polk’s nomination
 1. Desire to keep the Texas issue out of the campaign
 2. Clay’s evasion on Texas
 3. Democrats nominate a dark horse—James K. Polk
 4. The 1844 campaign
 5. Polk’s victory
o B. Polk as president
 1. Polk’s background
 2. Polk’s program
 3. Confirms annexation of Texas by Tyler
 4. Oregon demands
 a. British hesitancy about war
 b. Compromise treaty
V. Mexican War
o A. Failed negotiations with Mexico
o B. U.S. provocations
o C. The request for war
o D. Opposition to the war
 1. In the Mississippi Valley and Illinois
 2. In New England
o E. Preparation for war
 1. U.S. troops vs. Mexican troops
 2. Comparisons of other factors
o F. Selection of a commander
 1. Winfield Scott passed over
 2. Zachary Taylor emerges
 a. Taylor’s conquest of northern Mexico
o G. Annexation of California
 1. Frémont’s efforts
 2. Bear Flag Republic
 3. Stockton’s claim of governorship
 4. Kearny’s move to California
o H. Taylor’s battles
 1. Victory at Monterrey
 2. Santa Anna’s return to power
 3. Battle of Buena Vista
 4. Taylor granted leave and returns home
o I. Scott’s move to Mexico City
 1. Amphibious attack on Veracruz
 2. Attacks on Mexico City
o J. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
 1. Terms of the treaty
 2. Ratification
o K. The war’s legacy
 1. U.S. casualties
 2. U.S. acquires territory from Mexico
 3. Significance of the war for the U.S.
 4. The war in American memory
 5. Debate over slavery
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