Territorial and Economic ExpansionUnit 5 Ch.12

Conflict over TexasSocial conflict

◦1829- Mexico outlawed slavery and required all new immigrants to convert to Catholicism

Revolt and Independence◦1834- Santa Anna takes charge and abolishes

Mexico’s system of gov.◦American settlers, led by Sam Houston, revolt◦Santa Anna leads an army to stop the rebellion◦Kills all defenders of the Alamo in San Antonio◦Battle of San Jacinto River- Santa Anna is

captured and forced to grant Texas independence

Conflict over TexasAnnexation denied

◦President Sam Houston applies for statehood with the U.S. and is denied

◦Presidents Jackson and Van Buren were under political pressure not to expand slavery

◦President Tyler tried to annex Texas, but Senate rejected the request.

Aroostook WarBoundary dispute between rival

lumbermen in Maine and New Brunswick

Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842) settled the boundary problem here and in Minnesota

Boundary Dispute in OregonBritain’s claim based on the

Hudson Fur Company's trade with Natives

America’s claim based on discovery of the Columbia River, Lewis and Clark expedition, and fur trading post in Astoria

By 1844, many Americans believed it was the country’s manifest destiny to take control of Oregon and the Republic of Texas

Election of 1844Democrats nominated James K.

Polk◦Committed to expansion and

manifest destiny◦“Fifty-four Forty or Fight!”

Whigs nominate Henry Clay◦Clay attempted to straddle the Texas

debate and alienated voters in NY who supported the Liberty party in the election

Polk wins; Democrats view this as a mandate to add Texas

Annexing Texas and Dividing OregonPresident Tyler convinced

Congress to issue a joint resolution of annexation

Polk decided to settle for the southern half of Oregon instead of fighting for all of it◦Border set at the 49th parallel

Mexican-American WarDiplomatic Problems

◦Mexico viewed Texas as still being in rebellion◦President Polk sent John Slidell to persuade

Mexico to sell the California and New Mexico territories, and settle the Texas dispute

Immediate Causes◦Slidell was never received◦General Zachary Taylor was ordered to move

his army toward the Rio Grande◦Mexican army captured and American patrol,

killing 11 (Apr. 24,1846)

Mexican-American WarMilitary Campaigns

◦General Taylor won a major victory at Buena Vista (Feb. 1847)

◦General Winfield Scott invaded central Mexico and captured Mexico city in Sept. 1847

Consequences◦Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848)

Rio Grande recognized as southern border of Texas U.S. pays $15 million for California and New Mexico

Territories

◦Wilmot Proviso An amendment to an appropriations bill to forbid

slavery in the new territories, which was defeated in the Senate

Manifest Destiny to the SouthOstend Manifesto (1852)

◦Secret negotiation to purchase Cuba from Spain

◦Failed when leaked to the pressWalker Expedition

◦William Walker took over Nicaragua in 1855; was invaded, defeated, and hanged in 1860

Clayton-Bulwer Treaty (1850)◦Great Britain and U.S. agreed to share any

canal route in Central America.Gadsden Purchase (1853)

◦$10 million purchase of land in present-day New Mexico and Arizona

Settlement of the WestFur Trader’s Frontier

◦ Earliest non-native group in the far west James Beckwourth, Jim Bridger, Kit Carson, Jedediah

Smith

Overland Trails◦ Oregon, California, and Santa Fe trails

Mining Frontier◦ 1848-1850; gold in California; gold and silver in

Colorado, Nevada, and the DakotasFarming Frontier

◦ Movement west was mostly middle classUrban Frontier

◦ Western cities grew because of the railroads and gold and silver rushes

The Expanding EconomyIndustrial Technology

◦New factories produced shoes, sewing machines, clothing, firearms, precision tools, iron products

◦Elias Howe-sewing machine◦Samuel Morse- telegraph

Railroads◦Supplanted canals and soon became the largest

industry◦New railroads were given land grants and tax

breaks to speed expansion◦Promoted agriculture in the West◦Linked the Northeast and Midwest

The Expanding EconomyForeign Commerce

◦Caused by growth in manufactured goods and agricultural products

◦Clipper ships and later steam ships sped up travel; now departed on a regular schedule

◦Demand for whale oil to light homes◦Commodore Matthew Perry send to Japan in

1854 to encourage tradePanic of 1857

◦Drop in prices, especially in farming accompanied by increased unemployment in the North

◦South largely unaffected as cotton prices remained high