American History Chapter 9Expansion Leads to Conflict

1845- John L. O’ Sullivan Manifest Destiny- The popular

belief that the United States was destined to extend its territory to the Pacific Ocean.

Northerners- Lessen Pop. Problems and create new markets

Southerners- More land for cotton production

Objections- War and Conflict- too large to govern

Manifest Destiny

• Section 1• Pages 296-301• Americans in large

numbers followed trails to the West in the 1840s and 1850s.

1. What did the Americans who migrated west in the 1840s and 1850s have in common?• Hundreds of thousands of Americans migrated west in the

1840s and 1850s.• They went for many different reasons, and settled in many

different places and shared a common dream of new opportunities and better life.• Mountain Men went west to trap and trade, were among the first to

go west.• Missionaries soon followed and hoped to convert Native Americans to

Christianity.• Lumberjacks and miners headed west to capitalize on the region’s

natural resources.• Most pioneers were immigrant farmers and moved west to farm the

vast, rich land.• Many were poor and had little to lose on and more to gain the

move.

2. How did the idea of manifest destiny influence Americans’ westward migration?

• Americans believed that it was their God-given right to settle the land all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

3. Without trains or highways, how did travelers reach the West in the 1840s and 1850s?

• Americans who migrated west in the 1840s & 1850s had the adventure of their lives and for some they paid the ultimate price.

• Migrants reached the West by riding in wagons pulled by oxen or horses, or by walking.

• They took one of several routes that were well established by 1850.

4. What were the major western trails?• The Santa Fe Trail

• Led from Independence, Missouri, to the town of Santa Fe, the capital of Spanish New Mexico.

• This began as a commercial route or trade route.• This was a difficult, 800-mile journey and took over two months to

complete.

• The Oregon Trail• The longest and most famous trail used by migrants.• The 2,000-mile trail stretched from Independence, Missouri, to the rich

farming lands of the Willamette Valley in what is now the state of Oregon.

• The journey took six months to complete.• Danger stalked migrants at every turn including: treacherous geography,

harsh weather, conflict with Native Americans and disease.• Ultimately, some 20,000 settlers had died attempting the journey by

1859.

• The Mormon Trail• Between 1847 and 1853, some 16,000 Mormons migrated to the area

around the Great Salt Lake in present-day Utah.• The 1,300-mile route they followed became known for the leader of the

Mormons, Joseph Smith.

5. What was the reason for the largest single western migration?

• The discovery of gold in California.• In 1848 gold was discovered at John Sutter’s sawmill on

the American River in northern California.• Many people, from all over the world, headed to

California, dreaming of striking it rich.• James K. Polk made the announcement during his State

of the Union address that gold was being found in various places in California.

• “Gold Fever” was caught by as many as they made the journey to California.

• The migrants who left for California in 1849 were called forty-niners.• Their numbers approached a stunning 80,000.

Gold Fever

6. How did new settlers get to California?• Most people traveled over land, following the

California Trail.• Some booked passage on ships that sailed all the

way around the southern tip of South America.• Others sailed to Panama, crossed Central America

by mule train, and then sailed north to California. • By 1854 as many as 300,000 people had migrated

to California.• 80% of those arriving in California were

Americans.• Thus, cities like San Francisco, Stockton, and

Sacramento experienced rapid increases in population.

7. What was the Butterfield Trail?• A major southern mail route that carried mail and

people between St. Louis and San Francisco.• This allowed for communication between the east

and west, but took two weeks to complete.• The Butterfield stages carried mail and

passengers from 1858-1861.• The Pony Express was quicker, using a series of

riders between the cities.• By 1861 the telegraph made the Pony Express

obsolete, but stage lines continued to deliver mail and passengers along this route.

8. Why was the treaty establishing the border between the U.S. and British Canada so important?

• Many Americans had settled in Oregon Country, which had been jointly controlled by the U.S. and Britain since 1818.

• This prompted presidential candidate James K. Polk to campaign in 1844 on the promise of securing the region for the U.S.

• Polk campaigned on the slogan “Fifty-four Forty or Fight”, referring to the line of north latitude marking the northern boundary of Oregon Country.

• Polk retreated from his pledge after election, instead settling for the 49th parallel in the 1846 Treaty with Britain.

• This is the boundary that still exists today.

Oregon Divided

Section 1Review

How did people get to the west?• Wagon trains pulled by oxen or horses, or by walking.• Santa Fe Trail (800 miles)• Oregon Trail (2000 miles)• Mormon Trail

Westward Expansion in the 1840s & 1850s• Pioneers to farm rich land • Lumberjacks & miners to use natural resources• Mountain men to trap fur• Missionaries to convert Native Americans• Gold rush

Texas Independence

• Section 2• Pages 302-307• American settlers in Texas revolted against the Mexican government and created the independent Republic of Texas.

1. Who were the first inhabitants of Texas?• Hundreds of Native American groups had lived in Texas

for thousands of years.• The Indians of Texas belonged to the Plains, the Southwest, and

the Southeast culture groups.

• The Spanish were the first Europeans to visit Texas in the 1500s.• The Spanish made little effort to settle the region after finding

little wealth there.

• Between the late 1600s and late 1700s, the Spanish built about two dozen missions and presidios in Texas.• These small settlements were designed to convert Native

Americans to Catholicism and make them loyal to Spain.

• This was the same system used in Mexico by the Spanish.

2. Why did Native Americans reject mission life?• They did not want to give up their culture and

religion.• The Spanish carried diseases that the Indians had

never been exposed to.• Countless thousands of Native Americans—even

entire nations—were wiped out by these diseases.• Some Indian groups came to view the Spanish as

dangerous trespassers, and they attacked Spanish missions and towns.

Spanish Missions in Texas

3. What was the Texas Venture?• 1820-Moses Austin approached Spanish colonial officials with a

plan to build a colony in Texas, in exchange for land.• The Spanish agreed and liked the idea of having the land settled.

• Moses Austin died before the colony was built, but one of his last wishes was to have his son carry out the colony plans.

• Stephen F. Austin pursued his father’s plan with a great deal of enthusiasm.• He found a suitable location for the colony between the Colorado

and Brazos rivers, which would be perfect for farming.• Austin had no trouble finding settlers, even though they had to

meet strict criteria.• These settlers were attracted by the low land prices.

• By 1823 Austin’s Colony was officially established and a small town was built called San Felipe de Austin.• By 1824 about 300 families lived on farms and ranches

throughout the colony, thus giving the colony a population of about 1800.• 400 of these settlers were enslaved Africans.

Austin’s Colony

4. What was an empresarios?• By the time Stephan F. Austin had established his colony in

Texas, Mexico was no longer part of the New Spain.• After a decade-long struggle, Mexico had become an

independent country in 1821.• The new Mexican government wanted Texas settled.• The government assigned large amounts of land to empresarios, or contractors, who recruited settlers and established colonies.• These settlers had to become loyal Mexican citizens.

• Austin was the most successful one and other Europeans founded colonies in Texas.

• By 1830 there were more than a dozen colonies in Texas with a population of about 30,000 settlers, including several thousand enslaved Africans and 4,000 Tejanos, or Texans of Mexican heritage.

5. What were the conditions settlers had to agree to in exchange for land?

• They had to surrender their American citizenship.• They had to swear allegiance to Mexico.• They had to adopt the Roman Catholic religion.• They had to hold the land for seven years.• In practice, most settlers did not comply with these

conditions, but lived much as they had in the U.S.• They continued to bring in large numbers of slaves, even

though slavery was outlawed in Mexico.• The settlers did not think of themselves as Mexicans, but

as Americans who happened to live in Mexico.• Their loyalties and economic activities continued with the

U.S. and most had few dealings with the Mexican government.

6. What were the provisions of the April 1830 law?• After General Manuel de Mier y Teran’s trip and assessment

in 1827, Mexico took steps to decrease American influence in the region.• One measure was a law in April 1830 to halt American immigration into

Texas.

• The law canceled most empresario contracts and discouraged trade between settlers and the U.S. by placing a high tariff on American imports.

• The law also banned the importation of slaves into Texas.• These laws increased tensions between Mexico and the U.S.• Mexicans feared, with thousands of settlers from America in

Texas that their northern neighbor would attempt to seize Texas from Mexico.• The U.S. offered to buy a large part of Texas for $1 million in 1827, but Mexican officials refused.

7. What were the results of the Texas conventions of 1832 and 1833?

• Tensions continued to rise between settlers, now calling themselves Texans, and the Mexican government.

• Confrontations between settlers and Mexican soldiers at Anahuac and Velasco led to conventions in 1832 and 1833.

• These conventions were held to discuss the best course of action.

• Some believed the tensions would subside if Texas became a separate Mexican state.

• Stephen F. Austin went to Mexico City to present such a plan.• He was jailed for more than a year, effectively ending

chances for a peaceful negotiations.

8.Who was Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna? • New president of Mexico who enforced new laws banning state

militias.• Many felt their liberties were threatened by these laws, including

Texans.• Stephen F. Austin, when released from jail, changed his mind about

a peaceful resolution to the conflicts with Mexico.• War came soon enough, when violence erupted at Gonzales.• Mexican forces attempted to retrieve a cannon on loan to Texans

for defense against Native Americans.• The Texans refused and even taunted the Mexican soldiers with a

battle flag that pictured a cannon and the saying “Come and Take It”.

• The Battle of Gonzales was fought on October 2, 1835 and, even though it was a small conflict, the Texan victory was the first battle of the Texas Revolution.

9. Why is Washington-on-the-Brazos important in Texas history?

• At this meeting, called the Consultation, the settlers founded a government and gave Sam Houston the task of raising an army.

• This meeting in November 1835 established a government.

• Also in March 1836 Texas Declaration of Independence was issued and a constitution written.

10. What events led to the Battle of the Alamo?• In December 1835 Texan forces captured the town of San Antonio,

which contained a fort called the Alamo.• The fort had been a mission during the 1700s and then converted to a

fort.• News of its capture infuriated Santa Anna.• He led an army of 6,000 soldiers into Texas to punish the rebels and

put down the unrest there once and for all.• On February 23, 1836, Santa Anna’s force arrived in San Antonio and

the rebels took refuge in the Alamo.• The rebels’ leader, William Travis responded with a cannon shot when

asked to surrender.• Other defenders included: Jim Bowie and Davey Crockett

• The Mexican army lay siege to the fort for 12 days and nights.• In the early morning hours of March 6, about 1,800 Mexican soldiers

stormed the Alamo and within four hours, they had killed nearly all of the fort’s 200 defenders.

Battle of the Alamo

11. What was Goliad and the Runaway Scrape?• Soon after the Alamo’s fall, elements of Santa Anna’s army

defeated other groups of Texas rebels at Refugio and the Battle of Coleto, near Goliad.

• The Mexicans held captured soldiers from these two battles were kept at Goliad.

• On March 26, following Santa Anna’s orders, Mexican soldiers executed more than 340 of these prisoners.

• Sam Houston and his army were not present at Goliad or the Alamo, retreated to the east.

• Houston knew his army was not untrained and he needed to buy time.

• Word of Houston’s retreat, coupled with news of what was called the Goliad Massacre, set the people of Texas into a panic.

• In what would be called the Runaway Scrape, thousands of Texans, including many Tejanos, fled Santa Anna’s advancing army.

12. What happened at the Battle of San Jacinto?• Santa Anna’s army followed Houston’s forces to San Jacinto,

near the coast. • There, Houston managed to take the Mexican army by

surprise.• Shouting “Remember the Alamo” and “Remember Goliad”, the

Texans won a quick victory and captured Santa Anna.• He was forced to sign the Treaties of Velasco, ending the war.• The terms required Mexico to withdraw its troops and to

recognize Texas’ independence.• Texas became a separate nation named the Republic of Texas.• However, the Texas Revolution was over, but the fighting over

Texas was not.

War With Mexico

• Section 3• Pages 308-311• Soon after annexing Texas, the U.S. declared war on Mexico.

1. Will Texas join the Union?• Texas was an independent nation, the republic of Texas.

• Sam Houston won the first election as president.

• His election also was the first chance for Texans to decide whether they wanted to be part of U.S.• Overwhelming, they voted yes.

• Statehood approval was more difficult.• The slave issue, debt from its war with Mexico, and constitutional

questions about adding another republic nation.

• John Tyler, the outgoing president, in 1845 signed a joint resolution of Congress in March 1845.• In the fall of 1845, the voters of Texas again

overwhelmingly approved annexation of their republic and thus they became part of the U.S.

2. Why did Texans want to join the U.S.?• They did not want to consider themselves

Mexican.• They also wanted U.S. military protection.• The annexation of Texas enraged the Mexican

government.• Mexico still held the position that Texas had been

taken from them.• After Congress voted on annexation of Texas,

Mexico responded by breaking off diplomatic relations with the U.S.

3. What role did manifest destiny play in James K. Polk’s administration?

• In March of 1845 James K. Polk became president.• Polk was an enthusiastic supporter of national

expansion.• In fact, he had set his sights on even more

territory.• He wanted to acquire the land between Texas and

the Pacific Ocean.• These territories, New Mexico and California,

belonged to Mexico.

4. What territory was disputed between the U.S. and Mexico?• The southern boundary of Texas.• Texans claimed that this boundary went all the way

down to the Rio Grande River. • Mexican officials declared it stopped at the Nueces

River, further north.• The U.S., after annexing Texas, recognized the Rio

Grande border.• Another dispute involved money.• The U.S. claimed that Mexico owed American citizens $3 million for the loss of property and life during Mexico’s fight for independence from Spain.

5. Why was John Slidell sent to Mexico?• Slidell was sent as a special envoy, or messenger to

make an offer to Mexico.• He offered to cancel the $3 million debt in claims

against Mexico in exchange for the recognition of the Rio Grande border.• He also offered to buy New Mexico and California from Mexico for the sum of $30 million.• Slidell found the Mexican government in turmoil.• Neither of the rivals for Mexico’s presidency would

consent to meet with him.• An angry Slidell recommended to Polk that Mexico be

punished.

6. What led to the declaration of war against Mexico in May 1846?

• President Polk, after John Slidell’s return, ordered General Zachary Taylor to advance with his troops into the disputed territory between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande.

• On April 25 some of Taylor’s soldiers fought a skirmish in this region with a small party of Mexican soldiers.

• Polk used this event as an excuse to request that Congress declare war on Mexico.

• The U.S. declared war on Mexico on May 13, 1846.• The Mexican-American War had begun.

7. What occurred during the early part of the war?• General Stephen Kearny marched west from Kansas to New

Mexico.• He easily captured the town of Santa Fe and took control of New

Mexico.• Kearny then turned west, hoping to gain control of California.• In California, a small group of Americans revolted against

Mexican rule.• The rebels defeated a small Mexican force and signed a treaty

turning California over.• On June 14, 1846, the Americans declared the independent

Republic of California.• A crude flag for their new country had a picture of a bear on it.• Because of this flag, the uprising became known as the Bear Flag Revolt.

8. What happened after the Bear Flag Revolt?• U.S. naval forces arrived and soon gained control of

California.• Meanwhile, American forces under General Taylor advanced

into northern Mexico and captured important towns in the region.

• Another force, under General Winfield Scott, landed on the Gulf coast of Mexico near Veracruz.

• Scott led his forces inland and marched into Mexico City in September 1847.

• In a matter of months, U.S. forces had captured New Mexico and California.

• When the Mexico capital fell, the Mexican government was forced to give in to American demands.

9. What was the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?• Signed in 1848, this treaty ended the Mexican-

American War.• Under the treaty, Mexico was forced to turn over

to the U.S. a huge tract of land known as the Mexican Cession.

• In return, the U.S. agreed to pay Mexico $15 million and drop the $3 million in damages.

• In 1853 the Gadsden Purchase clarified the treaty boundary and transferred even more land to the U.S.

• Debate continues over whether the Mexican-American War was justified, and hard feelings still exist today.

• Historians, agree, however, that the war was a clear expression of America’s belief in manifest destiny.