Manifest Destiny and Texas Independence

US History CH 7.1 – 7.3

Manifest Destiny

• It is the Will of God that people Populate the continent

• Louis O’ Sullivan 1845 Magazine Writer

Expanding West• Trail Blazers, Kit Carson, Jim Bridger

– Fur Traders– Oregon Trail– Sante Fe Trail

• Over-Landers– People who traveled by wagon train to new territories– Rough, Dangerous Unpredictable Terrain– Wagon Trains– Donner Party: Cannibalism

• Squatters– Settled on Lands the government owned– Pushed Congress to sell land to them rather than the real estate agency

• Native Americans– Not as many attacks on settlers as Hollywood Shows

New Farming Technology

• Jethro Wood:Iron Plow• John Deere: Steel Plow• Cyrus McCormick: Mechanical Reeper

Mexico 1821

• Gained Independence in 1821• California Texas and New Mexico under

Mexican Control• Missions used by the Spanish, no longer

employed by Mexicans – Secularize• California, New Mexico, Texas – very few

Mexican Citizens

California

• Mexican Occupants: Rancheros, Mestizos, Vaqueros, Native Americans

• Large Trading Post• John Sutter: Sutter’s Fort

New Mexico

• After Mexican Independence trade increases with Mexico

• William Becknell: Santa Fe Trail– American Trader– Greatly increased trade with Mexico

Texas

• Buffer State between US and Spain before Mexican Independence

• Hostile Indian raids.• Spanish Impresarios: Encouraged American

Settlers• National Colonization Act: Mexico gave 26

Impresarios large tracts of land, in return they promised to fill them with people.

Texas Dissent • American settlers to Texas accepted Mexican Citizenship but

did not assimilate into their culture.• Mexico or Empresario’s in control of Texas?• Hayden Edwards leads rebellion against Mexican Government.• Mexico starts taxing imports from America• Texas Convention lead by Stephen Austin

– Demands Looser taxes– Reopen American immigration.

• Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna Arrests Austin• Texas Declares Independence, March 2, 1836.

Stephen Austin

Remember the Alamo

• Sam Houston chosen to lead Army• 180 rebels Vs. 6000 Mexican Soldiers• Old Spanish Mission.• William B. Travis: hold off Mexican force until

Houston can gather up Army.• Hold off Mexicans 13 Days

Texas Independence

• Goliad: 300 Texans executed after surrender.• Battle of San Jinincto– Texans attack Mexicans while sleeping– Remember the Alamo– Santa Anna himself captured, signs treaty with

Texas

Republic of Texas

• Sam Houston 1st President• Citizens wanted American Annexation.• America hesitant to unify.

President James K. Polk

• Election of 1844• Henry Clay (Whig) vs James K. Polk (Dem)• Birth of the Liberty Party• Oregon Territory: British and America claim– “54, 40 or Fight”– Treaty with British

• Annexation of Texas– 1845 Texas Joins Union

James K. Polk

War With Mexico

• Anger of Texas, California Intentions, Texas Boundary• Mexico refuses to even discuss issue.• American Forces led by Zachary Taylor.• Bear Flag Republic 1846– America takes control of the region

• American forces reach Mexican capital• Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo– 500,000 sq/mi of new land to US– America pays Mexico 18.25 Million

Vocabulary• Empresario• Annexation• National Colonization Act• Washington on the Brazos• Antonio Lopez de Santa

Anna• Sam Houston• Alamo• William B. Travis

• Envoy• Cede• James K Polk• “Fifty-Four Forty or Fight”• Zachary Taylor• John C. Fremont• Bear Flag Republic• Winfield Scott• Treaty of Guadalupe

Hildago.