Chapter 17
Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy,
1841-1847
Key Things in Chapter 17
• Covers the Presidency’s of John Tyler and
James K. Polk
• Deals with the death of a President –
transition of a successor
• Troubles with England (1776, 1812, 1840’s)
• Manifest Destiny and American expansion
• Mexican War
Tyler Becomes President
• Election of 1840 – the Whigs finally win an election.
Harrison is elected the 9th President of the United
States. His Vice-President is a former Democrat who
has recently joined the Whig Party – John Tyler of
Virginia. Harrison gives the longest inaugural address
in US history (2 hours long and edited by Daniel
Webster)– catches pneumonia and dies 32 days after
becoming President.
• By law John Tyler becomes President and will have no
Vice-President. Hated by the Democrats because he
had become a Whig, and distrusted by the Whigs
because he had “Democratic” tendencies.”
Tyler Presidency continued
• Tyler (the former Democrat) will openly fight
with the Whig Party over the issue of a new
national bank (The Fiscal Bank) – vetoed. And
it is again passed under a separate name (The
Fiscal Corporation) – also vetoed.
• There is a small constitutional crisis over the
fact that no President has ever died in office.
The Constitution deals with the issue of
succession, but other questions continue to
persist and will not be answered until the
adoption of the 25th Amendment in 1967.
• No Vice-President is appointed to serve. (So
what happens if Tyler dies or is removed from
office?) This issue is resolved by the 25th
Amendment and two Vice-Presidents have
been appointed to finish terms (Gerald Ford,
and Nelson Rockefeller)
• Tyler gets no respect from either political side.
He is often called “His Accidency” or referred
to as “The Ex-Vice-President”.
Trouble with England
• Financial Issues: America had debt and
continued to spend money on internal
improvements (roadways, canals, etc) –
England was overflowing with money
(Industrialization)
• US supports a small insurrection in Canada.
Americans gave military supplies to the
insurgents (never really grows)
• The Caroline incident. British force attacks an
American ship loaded with ammunition and
supplies for the insurrection. It is attacked on
the US side of the Niagara River (ship burned,
sunk, and one American killed). The US has
been attacked and invaded.
– A couple of years later a man named McLeod is in
a New York tavern and boasts that he was part of
the raid. Americans arrest him and put him on
trial for murder. England says they will go to war if
he is executed. He is released after he proves he
has an alibi.
• The Creole incident. A group of 130 slaves
escape and take over the ship the Creole and
sailed to the British controlled island of the
Bahamas. England (which has made slavery
illegal) will give asylum to the Creole.
• The Aroostock War. A boundary dispute
between Maine and Canada – over the
location of the border sees lumberjacks from
both sides fighting over rich timber land.
12,000 square miles of land is in dispute.
Resolved diplomatically by Lord Ashburton
and Daniel Webster. America gets 7,000
square miles of the land in dispute.
• Lone Star Republic of Texas. Texas has wanted
to become part of the United States but has
never been annexed (why?). Britain looks at
this as an opportunity.
– Opportunity to stop the spread of the United
States
– Opportunity to get prime cotton growing land
– Opportunity to stop the spread of slavery
• The Oregon Territory. Both the United States
and England will dispute the border between
Canada and Oregon (Oregon had originally
been claimed by the Spanish, Russians,
Americans, and British). US has stronger claim
because most of the people living there are
American. The Americans will argue that the
boundary is the 54 40 parallel, and the British
will argue that it is the 49th parallel.
Manifest Destiny
• Defined – that America was “destined” to control
all of the land to the Pacific Ocean (some would
argue even all of the North and South America).
Usually the thought that God had destined that.
• It was not official government policy but rather a
popular belief.
• Existed from the early 1840’s to mid-1850’s
• Believed to come from a journalist named John
O’Sullivan – who wrote an article about the
annexation of Texas and talked about “divine
destiny”
Election of 1844
• Whigs nominate – Henry Clay
• Democrats cannot settle on a candidate and
after a number of ballots and seemingly
deadlocked – they present a “dark-horse” –
James K. Polk from Tennessee.
• Former Speaker of the House of
Representatives and Governor of Tennessee
• The Democrats will adopt the concept of
“Manifest Destiny”
James K. Polk
• Some consider to be America’s most
successful President
• Promises to serve one term (thinks it is to his
advantage)
• Makes a few key promises and he
accomplishes all of them in his one term.
Polk’s Campaign Promises
• Lower the tariff. Secretary of Treasury Robert
Walker will reduce it from 32% to 25%
• Restores an independent treasury (and rejects
the concept of a national bank).
• Annexation of Texas
• Acquisition of California
• The Oregon Territory. “Fifty-four forty
forever”.
• Polk’s greatest desire is to acquire California.
And will attempt on a couple of occasions to
purchase California from Mexico (once
sending John Slidell to offer $25 million for it).
• Tension then begins to build over the location
of the border of Texas (still an independent
Lone Star Republic siding and supported by
the United States). Mexico will claim the
border as the Nueces River and Texas will
claim the Rio Grande.
• America will send General Zachary Taylor to
the American border (Rio Grande) on January
13, 1846.
• On April 25, 1846 Mexican troops will cross
the Rio Grande and attack American troops –
killing 16.
• American blood had been spilled on American
soil.
Mexican War
• As soon as war breaks out in Mexico – Polk will
send a troop led by General Stephen Kearney to
California. Before he can get there John C.
Fremont will have “captured” the area and raised
the flag for the Bear Flag Republic (an
independent California).
• America will develop a two-pronged attack to
Mexico: General Zachary Taylor (“Old Rough and
Ready”) attacking by land, and General Winfield
Scott (“Old Fuss and Feathers”) will sail down east
coast and attack Mexico City.
• Zachary Taylor will have about 5,000 men and
defeat a much larger force of 20,000 men led
by Santa Anna. After heavy fighting at Buena
Vista, Taylor forces the Mexican forces from
the field and captures the city becoming the
“Hero of Buena Vista”. He will also capture
the city of Monterey.
• Winfield Scott will sail down the east coast of
Mexico landing at and laying siege (20 days) to
Veracruz causing it to surrender.
• In what is sometimes called one of the
greatest military campaigns in US history,
Scott will move his forces to capture Mexico
City. Some of the heaviest fighting will take
place at Chapultepec (similar to one of our
military academies). Part of the Marine Corp
hymn – “from the halls of Montezuma”.
• Some of the people involved in this battle:
Robert E. Lee, Ulysses Grant, Joseph E.
Johnston, Pierre Beauregard, Thomas J.
Jackson, and George Pickett.
• Nicholas Trent is sent to travel with the
Winfield Scott so that he can develop a peace
treaty. Polk becomes “annoyed” with him and
will want to recall him, but before he can be
recalled he will get a deal done.
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo
– America will get Texas
– America will get the land from Texas to Oregon
(including California)
– America will pay Mexico $15 million for land and
an additional $3.25 million for individual claims
Important Results from the Mexican
War
• America will get a territory larger than the
Louisiana Purchase and will increase its size by
1/3.
• Military experience will be gained – 14 years later
these younger officers will become the leaders of
the Civil War
• The military waged a war without defeat or a
major blunder
• The American military gains respect with the rest
of the world – maybe they are stronger than
most people thought
Wilmot Proviso
• Proposed by Representative David Wilmot
• Will propose that slavery cannot be in any of
the territory gained during the Mexican War
• Will twice pass the House of Representatives
but will fail in the Senate