chapter 13 westward expansion

CHAPTER 13WESTWARD EXPANSION

What did Americans believe was their Manifest Destiny, and how did they

achieve that goal during the 1840s and 1850s?

Manifest Destiny: the belief that God intended for the United States to occupy all the land between the Atlantic and the

Pacific

Chapter 13 – Westward Expansion pp. 239-243

• Reasons for Going West• The Nation’s Mood

• optimism• following others• encouraged by the nation’s leaders


• The Lure of the Land• The Desire for Wealth

• gold and minerals• land• business ventures

• Trappers and traders were usually the first men to arrive in a new western area.


• The Search for Adventure and a New Start

• Religious Reasons• spreading the gospel• refuge from persecution


• Early Trails Through the West• mountain men• Jedediah Smith: discovered South

Pass


Chapter 13 – Westward Expansion p. 241

• The Santa Fe Trail• first American route west of the Missouri

River• important trade route• declined in importance due to the railroad


• Growth of Towns• governments• churches• peddlers and stores


Towns developed along transportation routes or near power sources.


• The Indian Presence• conflicts between settlers and Indians


The Spanish had set up Catholic missions to cement its claims to Texas and the

Southwest.

The region later came under Mexican control.


• Americans Settle in Texas• Moses Austin brought 300 families to

Texas.• American colonists did not blend into

the Spanish population.


• Stephen Austin• Antonio López de Santa Anna


• Texas Battles for Independence• Texans took control of Goliad and San

Antonio• Jim Bowie• Sam Houston


• “Remember the Alamo!”• Bowie decided against abandoning

the Alamo• Santa Anna demanded unconditional

surrender• All the Texas soldiers were killed.


• Goliad and San Jacinto• Goliad: over 300 unarmed Texas

prisoners were massacred• San Jacinto: Sam Houston and the

Texans killed or captured most of the Mexican army in just twenty minutes• secured Texan independence


• The Lone Star Republic• Texans met and formed a constitution

and government• first president: Sam Houston

• applied for admission to the U.S. • United States refused, fearing war with

Mexico


The annexation of Texas became a central issue in the election of 1844.


• Texas Gains Statehood• Henry Clay and Martin Van Buren

opposed annexation• James K. Polk won the Democratic

nomination and the 1844 election after supporting “All of Oregon, All of Texas”


Review/Summary• Santa Anna- Mexican president opposed to Texan

independence• Rallying cry of Houston’s forces during the battle of San

Jacinto- “Remember the Alamo!”• Battle of San Jacinto- battle in which Santa Anna was

captured• After Texas won independence from Mexico and before

it became a state, it was an independent country, the “Lone Star Republic.”

Review/Summary• The North was afraid that Texas would be

carved into several slave states.• James K. Polk- “All of Oregon, All of Texas,”

won the election of 1844, fought for Manifest Destiny

• ****How did Texas evolve from a Spanish territory to become a part of the United States?

• Opening Oregon• claimed and jointly occupied by both

Great Britain and the U.S.


• Before 1846 both Great Britain and the United States claimed Oregon.

• fur trade• Hudson Bay Company (British)• American Fur Company (J. Astor)• Rocky Mountain Fur Company


• Oregon Trail• important route for settlers and missionaries going

west• Rediscovered by Jedediah Smith

• Methodist missionaries were the first Americans to seek permanent homes in Oregon

• Marcus and Narcissa Whitman- missionaries in the west


• British interests• moved headquarters to Vancouver Island• boundary settlement: 49th parallel, “not

54° 40’ or fight”

Since Mormon teachings and practices were deeply offensive to most Americans, Mormons were compelled to move west

and build their own settlements.


• Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon• beginnings• polygamy• murder of Smith


• The Mormon Trek and Salt Lake City• Brigham Young

• skillful planner• arrived at Great Salt Lake in 1847

• not democratic• “Deseret”• The Mormons settled much of the Great

Basin area of the West.


• Mining California• The earliest settlements were Spanish

missions.• California later came under Mexican

control.


• The California Trail• taken by thousands of settlers

• The Discovery of Gold• Sutter’s Fort and sawmill

• James W. Marshall- mechanic for sawmill

• California Gold Rush


• The Forty-Niners• over 80,000 men• almost half came by sea• crime and violence


The major disagreement between the United States and Mexico was the

southern boundary of Texas.

Mexico- Nueces River

America- Rio Grande River


• Fighting for the Southwest• Mexico broke relations with the U.S.• General Zachary Taylor landed at

Corpus Christi and moved to the north bank of the Rio Grande River.

• Resaca de la Palma


• A Declaration of War• approved by Congress• unpopular in New England and

among intellectuals• many volunteers• press corps


• The Santa Fe and California Campaigns• Stephen Kearney took Santa Fe

without firing a shot.• He then marched to California.

• The Bear Flag Revolution• Led by John Charles Fremont• Led to California falling to the Americans


• Old Rough and Ready- Zachary Taylor• Battle of Monterrey• Buena Vista• Hero of the Mexican War that later

became President


• The Battles of Veracruz and Mexico City• General Winfield Scott was placed in

charge of the campaign.• “Old Fuss and Feathers”

• Scott eventually marched to Mexico City and captured it.


• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo• ended the fighting of the Mexican War• established Rio Grande as the

southern boundary of Texas• ceded the Mexican Cession• U.S. paid $20 million, cancelled debts


• Results of the Mexican War• made Manifest Destiny a reality• reopened controversies over slavery• training ground for the Civil War• new territory


• The Gadsden Purchase• $10 million• potential southern railroad route• Completed the territory of the lower

48 United States


Wilmot Proviso: proposed that the United States ban slavery in any territory taken

from Mexico

Never passed


• The Compromise of 1850• Northern advantages

• California admitted as a free state• slave trade outlawed in District of

Columbia


• Southern advantages• New Mexico and Utah Territories granted

popular sovereignty regarding slavery• Popular sovereignty- Territories decide

for themselves if they want slavery. • Fugitive Slave Law

• Texas received money for giving up some of its land


• Taylor opposed the compromise and vetoed it.• Taylor died shortly thereafter.

• Millard Fillmore supported the compromise and eventually approved it.• Vice president that became President• political suicide to the Whig Party


• Doughfaces• New, younger leaders on both sides

of the slavery issue were less likely to compromise.

• Doughfaces: Northern Democrats willing to compromise on the issues of the 1850s


Winfield Scott, a Whig, lost the 1852 presidential election to Franklin Pierce, a

Doughface Democrat.


chapter 13 westward expansion

Documents

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