AP US History. “The Americans claim is by the right our manifest destiny to overspread and to posses the whole of the continent which Providence has.

AP US History

“The Americans claim is by the right our manifest destiny to overspread

and to posses the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great

experiment of liberty…”

Manifest = obvious

Destiny = predetermined course of events

It was America’s obvious destiny to take over the ENTIRE continent to the Pacific

Cheap land

Better climate

Economic depression of 1837-1843 in east

Promise of riches (GOLD!!! SILVER!!!) California Gold Rush of 1848 and 1849 Colorado, Nevada, Dakotas also experienced

gold/silver rushes

Santa Fe Trail

Oregon Trail

California Trail

Mormon Trail

1842: Portion of Maine and Minnesota

1845: Texas

1846: Oregon Country

1847: Mexican Cession

1853: Portion of New Mexico and Arizona

Moses Austin

Stephen Austin

Moses Austin: Missouri banker who received large land grant; died before he could recruit settlers

Steven Austin: son; started American migration; led 3,000 families

Mexico wanted to attract settlers to Texas – even Anglos

Mexico outlaws slavery

Mexico requires all immigrants to convert to Roman Catholicism

Most Americans refused to obey Mexican laws

Settlers from the US south kept streaming in by the thousands

Mexican government closed Texas to additional American settlement

Takeover of Mexico by General Santa Anna in 1834

Santa Anna seeks to enforce Mexican laws in Texas

Sam Houston leads American settlers in revolt

Texas declared independent republic (March 1836)

Sam HoustonSanta Anna

Alamo (San Antonio): February and March 1836

Mexicans captured fort and killed all defenders except for a few slaves, women, and children

Davy Crockett Allowed Sam Houston to prepare for next battle REMEMBER THE ALAMO!!!!

Battle of San Jacinto: April 1836 Sam Houston leads Texans; defeated Mexicans in 18

minutes Captured Santa Anna; forced him to sign treaty that

Recognized Texas’ independence Gave Texas all land north of the Rio Grande

Mexican legislature refused to recognize his treaty with Sam Houston

Primary dispute was over location of Texas’ southern border

Mexico said Nueces River Texans said Rio Grande

Under the administrations of Jackson and van Buren, Texas’ request to be made a US state was denied because…

Northerners feared slavery would expand into the areas that Texas occupied (remember the Missouri Compromise line?)

Many feared costly war with Mexico

United States Based claim on discovery of Columbia River by Robert Gray

in 1792, on Lewis and Clark expedition of 1805; and on fort and fur trading post established at Astoria in 1811

Russia Based claim on Russian settlements coming down from

Alaska Great Britain

Based claim on Hudson River Company’s fur trade with NW Indians

Spain Gave up claim in Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819 (which also

ceded FL)

Democrats split between van Buren and Calhoun

“dark horse” candidate nominated: James K. Polk

“Fifty-four forty or fight” was Polk’s slogan

Slogan appealed to southerners and westerners who wanted annexation

In 1844, John Tyler pushed through a joint resolution in the House and Senate to approve annexation

Joint resolution only required simple majority in each

A Treaty required 2/3 in each

Polk backed down on “Fifty-four forty or fight” slogan

Settled for half of Oregon country Divided Oregon country at 49th parallel Gave British Vancouver Island Treaty approved in June 1846

Polk send representative (John Slidell)to Mexico City to propose two things…

US would buy California and New Mexico territories from Mexico

US wanted to settle border between Texas and Mexico

Both proposals rejected by Mexicans

John SlidellJames K. Polk

American aggression or Mexican aggression?

Polk ordered Zachary Taylor into disputed territory with Mexico

April 1846: Mexicans killed 11 US soldiers on patrol in territory

Polk sends war message to Congress

Stephen Kearney takes Santa Fe, New Mexico territory and southern California

John C. Fremont takes northern California & proclaims an independent republic (Bear Flag Republic)

Zachary Taylor drives Mexicans army from Texas, across Rio Grande, and wins at Buena Vista

Winfield Scott invades at Veracruz & takes Mexico City

Stephen Kearney

John C. Fremont

General Zachary Taylor

Winfield Scott at Veracruz

Winfield Scott in Mexico City

1848:Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (Mexican Cession)

Mexico recognized Rio Grande as Texas border US received Mexican Cession

Numerous present-day states US paid Mexico $15 million

Proposal at beginning of Mexican-American War by David Wilmot of Pennsylvania that said…

Slavery should be forbidden in new territories acquired from Mexico in war

Passed House but defeated in the Senate, WHY???

Southerners had enough votes to defeat it in the Senate but not enough in the House

David Wilmot

Seen by many as first round in escalating conflict between north and south that would lead to Civil War

WHY???

Because it addressed issue of whether or not new territories would be slave or free

US purchase of portions of Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico in 1853 under Franklin Pierce for $10 million

Needed it for southern trans-continental railroad

1852: Ostend Manifesto Pierce adopts pro-southern policies to expand

slavery Sent diplomats to Ostend, Belgium to buy Cuba

from Spain The Ostend Manifesto (the agreement the US

made with Spain to buy Cuba) was leaked to the press

Drew angry reaction from anti-slavery Congressmen

Pierce forced to drop the deal

Walker Expedition William Walker (southerner) takes over

Nicaragua in 1855 US temporarily recognizes his regime Sought to develop pro-slavery territory Defeated by Central American countries and

executed in 1860

1850: Clayton-Bulwer Treaty US and Britain agreed that neither nation would

try to take exclusive (by itself) control of any future canal route

Would later be cancelled with Hay-Pauncefote Treaty of 1901 (which gave US exclusive control of canal route through Panama)

William Seward, US Secretary of State

$7.2 million (2 cents per acre) “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s

Icebox”