Study Guide
Nash, 11 Moving West
1. “Manifest Destiny”: The basic proposition is, Americans (a chosen people) had a special
(divinely ordained) mission to spread across the North American continent. This concept
was influential in at least justifying America's conquest of Native Americans and of
Mexico to acquire new territory. The phrase "Manifest Destiny," coined by journalist
John L. O'Sullivan in 1845, signified the conviction that the superior institutions and
culture of the United States gave Americans a God-given right, even an obligation, to
spread their civilization across the entire continent. This sense of uniqueness and mission
was a legacy of early Puritan utopianism, the republicanism of the Revolutionary Era,
and seemingly evidenced by our economic and political success. Americans felt
westward expansion would extend opportunities and stability to more peoples across a
wider domain.
2. trans-Mississippi West: The region from the Louisiana Territory to the Rocky Mountains
in the North and across the continent to California in the South belonged first to Spain
and, after 1821, to an independent Mexico. North of California to Alaska lay the Oregon
territory, jointly occupied by the United States and Britain. As early as 1811, the fur
trade attracted Americans to Oregon. In the Southwest, Americans traded along the
Sante Fe Trail in 1821 to New Mexico and moved into Texas for cotton planting during
the 1820s. Some American merchants and traders also settled in California during the
1820s and 1830s.
3. Texas: Desiring to strengthen its northern territory, Mexico allowed Stephen F. Austin to
lead 300 American families into Texas in 1823. By the end of the decade, some 15,000
white Americans and 1,000 slaves had moved to Texas, primarily to raise cotton.
Mexican restrictions to curb American influence caused a rebellion in 1835-1836. Sam
Houston led the Texas army to victory at San Jacinto and forced Mexico to recognize
Texas as independent. Fearful of war with Mexico and agitated by the controversy over
slavery, the United States did not annex Texas until 1845.
4. Anglo (illegal) immigration to Texas
5. Mexican Texas policy --- empresario system: Americans were allowed into Mexico to
create a buffer against illegal United States settlers and Indians, and to develop the land
and resources of Texas to increase tax revenues. Mexico adopted a new policy because
of the rush of large numbers of immigrants, illegal entry of some settlers, the
"anglicization" of Texas, and the fact that, against Mexico's wishes, Americans brought
their slaves. Although invited to settle in Texas during the 1820s, Americans never fully
complied with Mexican requirements and finally rebelled. The United States provoked
war by invading Mexican territory in 1846, a war to steal the California and New Mexico
territories it coveted. The United States had ready conspirators in place in California. The
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo wrested one-third of Mexico's territory away. The Spanishspeaking residents were soon overwhelmed and displaced by a huge influx of Anglo
settlers.
6. Mexico and slavery, 1829
7. Texas independence --- Lone Star Republic, 1836-45
8. Texas annexation? Pro: Antislavery Britain would grab Texas if the United States didn't,
then use it as a haven for runaway slaves from the United States. Also, Texas could be a
new slave state (or states) to maintain southern power in the Union. Anti: A proslavery
Texas would upset the balance of power in the Senate and open the door to the further
expansion of slavery.
9. Polk Presidency, 1844-48 – Polk was elected on an expansionist pledge. Mexico was
weak. Polk feared Britain was planning to seize Texas and/or California. Polk saw war
with Mexico as a chance to expand the area of slavery. Success in war with Mexico
would win the prize of California.
10. Texas annexation, 1845
11. The Oregon question: President Polk "had little desire to go to war with Britain" over the
Oregon question but was accused by some of having "deliberately provoked Mexico into
war." Polk feared a two-front war with Mexico and Britain; Polk was a proslavery
southerner and was not interested in fighting for northern territories that would become
free states; Polk thought northern Oregon was not suitable for agriculture. Polk was
perhaps both lucky and smart concerning Oregon. Although he had capitalized on
expansionist sentiment for political support, he privately favored compromise in Oregon.
While Polk's attitude offended the British, large numbers of American migrants to the
territory and the diversion of British interests elsewhere helped strengthen America's
position. As war loomed with Mexico, Americans also desired a compromise, one Polk
achieved at little political cost by "sharing" the treaty with the Senate in advance.
12. California and Asian Pacific trade
13. Pretext for War -- Nueces and Rio Grande Rivers
14. “American blood on American soil”
15. Spot Resolution
16. War with Mexico, 1846-1848 (southern agenda): Polk secretly ordered the navy to seize
California in the event of war; Slidell was instructed to buy California; there were rumors
that Britain was going to make California a protectorate; Polk instructed the United States
consul in California to encourage Californians to agitate for annexation to the United
States; Lt. Gillespie was sent to California to foment rebellion against Mexico; General
Kearny was dispatched to seize New Mexico and California the moment war began; Polk
accepted the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which ceded California to the
United States. Many would argue that war is only justified in self-defense and that the
Mexican War was fought to extend rather than protect American soil. Some may argue
the war as necessary to secure our borders and ourselves against the instability of
Mexican politics. The supposed benefits of Manifest Destiny and the protections of the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo for the residents of newly acquired territories offered selfserving rationalizations for American expansion.
17. Wilmot Proviso: The Wilmot Proviso was a key to the coming of the Civil War. It
generated a divisive debate over the expansion of slavery into the western territories.
Southerners insisted slavery must expand or die, antislavery northerners insisted that
containing slavery would kill it. The future of the Union seemed at stake--the land of the
slave, or the home of the free.
18. San Patricios
19. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848
20. “we didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us”
21. going West ---preemption acts
22. The frontier and the market: Life for pioneer farmers was difficult and lonely. The
determination to reestablish familiar institutions was burdened by the dispersity and
mobility of the population as well as the chronic shortage of cash. Mining camps were
more lively, but disorderly. Most experienced a typical pattern of boom, bust, decay, and
death. The fantasies of quick profits materialized for few as mining operations required
large capital and mechanical resources. Emigrants to cities such as San Francisco,
Portland, and Denver generally pursued business and professional ventures.
23. The mining frontier and eventual capitalization of production
24. white racism on the mining frontier (and everywhere else)
25. The environment and scars of careless exploitation
26. Plains Indian culture: The Plains Indians led an aggressive, nomadic life in search of the
buffalo which provided them food, clothing, fuel, shelter, and trade items. Tribal warfare
discouraged political unity, and individual tribes were only loosely organized. Initial
relations with white emigrants of the 1840s were peaceful. With the white destruction of
grass, timber, and buffalo, however, the tribes became more hostile and demanded
compensation. In the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, the American government offered
gifts and payments in return for Indian agreement to tribal boundaries. Features:
300,000 Indians in over 200 tribes; both nomadic and sedentary; diverse in cultures and
social organization; Plains Indians horse culture; Pueblo Indians agriculture; Great Basin
and California Indians meager existence; Northwestern Indians elaborate social system
based on abundance. Impact: lost land; conflict; reduced numbers.
27. degeneration of Indian-white relations
28. systematic destruction of the Plains people (ethnocide and genocide)
29. Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, Chief Joseph (the other Mount Rushmore?)