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Disputed Election of 1824
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John Quincy Adams wins over Jackson - chosen by
Congress b/c not ½ of electoral votes
Election of 1828
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Jackson dominates over Adams
Believed in Jacksonian Democracy
 Spread of political power to more people
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Led to 2 new political parties
 Whigs – Adams, programs 4 national growth, spur economy
 Democrats – Jackson, roots of today’s party
 Began holding nominating conventions where all states had a
say who they were electing
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Hired many ppl to work in gov. that were his
supporters = spoils system
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Believed more citizens would prevent small group of
wealthy men from controlling gov.
National Bank War
Thought National bank was unconstitutional & did not like
private investors ran it
 Whigs came up w/ plan to save bank & ruin Jackson’s rebid for election of 1832
 Plan backfired when ppl voted majority for Jackson
 Bank closed & helped bring economic crisis & depression
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1820 - 1860
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Americans believed their nation & democratic
gov. were best in the world
Believed we had right & duty to spread culture
all the way to Pacific Ocean
Open new opportunities 4 economy
Negative Side:
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White Americans believed they were superior to
N.A. & Mexicans
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Region west of Rocky
Mounts.
Soil by coast fertile
and forests in east
Britain & US agreed to
occupy jointly
Fur trappers named
mountain men
worked in area
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Sold fur at
rendezvous
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Missionaries were 1st
white Americans to
permanently settle
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Wanted to convert N.A.
to Christianity
“Oregon Fever:
Led to Oregon Trail
 Met in Missouri and took
till October
 Had schedule to follow
daily
 Had many dangers w/
weather & sickness
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Austin Family given land grants in Texas which was
part of Mexico
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Had to become Mexican citizens & worship Roman
Catholic Church
1830 – Texans stop following rules so Mexico says no
more Americans can come in & wants laws followed
1833 – Gen. Santa Anna become dictator of Mexico &
wants Americans out
Tejanos – ppl of Mexican descent born in Texas who
supported Americans drive to get rid of Santa Anna
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Texans take position in Alamo, an old Spanish
mission in San Antonio
Texans were severely outnumbered by troops
1836 – Mexicans began siege of bombarding
Alamo for 12 days
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Most Texan survivors were executed
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Gen. Sam Houston worked
hard to gain volunteers &
wanted revenge
Battle of San Jacinto – 1836
“Remember the Alamo”
 Lasted 18 min & although they
were outnumbered they captured
Santa Anna
 Signed treaty for Independence
known as Lone Star Republic
 U.S. was divided whether to
annex (add on) Texas
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Spain owned New Mexico Territory & California
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Americans used Santa Fe Trail to N.M. Terr.
Missionaries & Ranches throughout Cali
James Polk becomes President in 1844
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Get U.S. & Britain to divide Oregon Territory @ 40 degrees
North – US south of line
Annexed Texas after pretending they would ally with G.B.
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Mexican War – 1846
War starts over land boundaries near Rio Grande River
 Defeated Mexico in Santa Fe, Mexico City, San Diego
 Bear Flag Republic – Cali says they are indep.
 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildalgo
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 Mexican Cession – US gained N.M & all Cali
 US paid $15 million & respect rights of ppl in cession
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Gadsden Purchase – 1853
 Paid $10 million for Arizona and small part of N.M. today
 Many felt dream of Manifest Destiny completed
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Americans Rush West
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Mormons came to Utah seeking refuge from persecution
after many places by Brigham Young
 Hard journey and lived in desert
 Became state in 1896
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California Gold Rush
 1848 – men from John Sutter’s mill were digging & found gold
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near Sacramento
Kept a secret for short time b4 masses in US & Europe came
49-ners: ppl who came in 1849 to seek gold
Most ppl did not strike it rich
Led to California becoming a state in 1850, cities booming, & a
diverse population
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New Inventions like the sewing machine, plow
and telegraph (signals along a wire) sparked trade
Factories started using steam power which was
cheaper to run
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Railroad Boom
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Could build factories anywhere
Produced goods @ lower cost so overall price lower
1829 – 1st steam powered engine created
By 1850’s railroads all over country
Linked towns all over for businesses from west to east
Clipper ships – faster ships with large masts
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Horrible Factory Conditions
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Owners cared more about $ and # produced then workers
Whole families worked from 4am to 7pm
Hazardous Conditions – no windows, heat, cold, no safety
devices, no laws regulating conditions
Trade Unions
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Workers organized for shorter workday, higher wages, and
better working conditions
Wanted to strike (refuse) to work
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New Wave of Immigrants
4 million people
 British– came for higher wages
 Irish – potato famine (shortage of food)
 Germans – food shortages & revolutions
 Worked in farms & factories
 Nativists – wanted to preserve US for native-born,
white citizens so they did not like new immigrants
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African Americans
Slavery outlawed in North
 Faced discrimination – policy that denies equal rights
 Some small successes
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Cotton gin by Eli Whitney led to boom in
cotton production
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Agricultural Economy
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Needed new land to cultivate planting so moved
west
Led to spread of slavery
Rice, sugar cane, tobacco, and livestock production
Very little industry b/c no one to buy goods
Cities: New Orleans, Charleston, Richmond
Were economically dependent on North from
$ from banks & tools/supplies
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75 % of southern whites owned small farms w/
only 1 or 2 slaves
Wealthy families were few with large plantations
& more than 20 slaves
Free Africans not allowed to travel or vote so as to
not set a good example for slaves
1/3 of population slaves
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Had slave codes – kept slaves from running or rebelling
 Couldn’t gather in groups larger than 3
 Couldn’t learn to read or write
Most families were divided
 Some tried to escape or rebel
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