Chapter 13
Westward Expansion
Moving Westward
• America began to expand
west with the idea of
Manifest Destiny-the
belief that it was God’s
will that America have all
the land in the west
• This led to the mountain
men who lived in the
Rockies and trapped furs
to be sold in the East
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Trailblazers
• Jedidiah Smith-one of the
most influential mountain
men who located the most
useful pass through the
mountains
• Smith’s work led to the
formation of the Santa Fe
Trail, the first American
route west of the Missouri
River
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Americans in Texas
• Mexico opened Texas up for settlement to those
who were willing to become citizens of Mexico
and become Catholic as well
• The settlers wanted more rights and Stephen
Austin asked the Mexican government to allow the
American settled area to become a separate
Mexican state
• Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Mexico’s president,
decided to use force instead
Fight for Independence
• Jim Bowie and Sam
Houston believed that
Mexico would try to
attack in the winter
• Houston wanted to avoid a
fight at the Alamo but
Bowie wanted to stay
• They fought against 4,000
Mexican troops with less
than 200 men
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The Lone Star Republic
• The Alamo became a rallying cry for Texans, who
won the Battle of San Jacinto in 20 minutes
• Texas received independence after this but was
known as the Lone Star Republic because they
were not yet part of the US and had their own
government
• The US resisted the annexation (process of joining
the Union) because of war with Mexico and to
keep slave and free states equal
• Texas became a state in 1845 after James K. Polk
ran for president on the platform that Texas would
be admitted
Settling Oregon, Utah and
California
• The Oregon Trail was created for the
transport of furs and became the most
important route for missionaries and settlers
going west
• The Mormons moved west because of
disagreements with others and to have
religious freedom
Mormonism
• Mormonism was created by Joseph Smith, who
claimed that an angel had appeared to him and that
his followers were God’s chosen people
• Residents in Illinois were upset about Mormon
beliefs and a mob formed that killed Joseph Smith
• Brigham Young became the next leader of
Mormonism and led his followers to Utah where
they set up their own government and rules
Settling California
• The California Trail departed from the Oregon
Trail and became the main overland path to
California
• John Sutter had been given a land grant by the
Spanish and hired James W. Marshall to build and
operate a sawmill. Marshall found gold while
working which led to the California gold rush.
• The men who came to search for gold became
known as the forty niners for the year in which
they began to arrive
Fighting for the Southwest
• Mexico and the United States argued over
where the southern border of Texas would
be.
• Zachary Taylor was sent to try to keep the
peace and intimidate Mexico.
• The situation led to the Mexican War and
President Polk set his sights on acquiring
more land
Santa Fe and California
Campaigns
• New Mexico was captured without a shot
being fired
• California had been taken easily as well.
• John Charles Fremont went to California
and claimed that he had authorization from
the President to lead the Bear Flag
Revolution. Fremont was aided by the navy
who had brought several warships over
Battle of Mexico City
• Winfield Scott was put in charge of the attempt to
take Mexico City. Scott was successful and the
Treaty of Guadalupe ended the war.
• The Rio Grande River became the border for
Texas and the Mexican Cession gave California,
Nevada and Utah to the US for $20 million
• The lower 48 states were completed with the
Gadsden Purchase which was bought for $10
million
Compromise of 1850
• David Wilmot of Pennsylvania had come up with
the Wilmot Proviso which tried to ban slavery in
land obtained from Mexico but Congress did not
approve this
• California applied for statehood as a free state and
the Compromise of 1850 was written which
allowed popular sovereignty (state choice of
slavery) in Utah and New Mexico
Compromise of 1850
• Zachary Taylor died while in office and his vice
president, Millard Fillmore, became president
• Stephen Douglas of Illinois split the compromise
up into 5 parts which allowed it to get enough
votes to pass
• The government is largely split into those for
slavery and those against slavery
• Northern Democrats called doughfaces were the
only ones willing to compromise on the issue
• One of these Democrats, Franklin Pierce, won the
election of 1852