Settlers Move West Journalist John O’Sullivan coined the phrase “manifest destiny” in It would soon be the cry of European Americans who flocked the overland trials to settle the trans- Mississippi West. Manifest destiny is the belief that it was God’s will that the U.S. expand from sea to sea.

Manifest Destiny By 1840, thousands had moved into what is now Texas By 1845, thousands more settlers had traversed the dangerous Oregon Trial. As European American settlers moved west, they encountered Native American tribes who had lived in the Great Plains region for centuries. Not only were Native Americans displaced by European Americans but also by the Sioux, who were moving west to hunt buffalo.

Tippecanoe and Tyler, too The era of westward expansion opened up politically with Martin Van Buren elected as president in 1836 and William Henry Harrison in Van Buren ran for re-election in 1840 against a vigorous campaign by the Whigs, who chose Battle of Tippecanoe hero William Henry Harrison as their candidate. The campaign was lively one, with Whigs pushed large model log cabins and handing out hard cider in towns across America.

Election The “Tippecanoe and Tyler, too” ticket swept the elections, defeating Van Buren. However, Harrison fell gravely ill with pneumonia only four weeks into his term and died, leaving his vice president John Tyler to become president. Election of 1844, the Democrat James K. Polk sought to capitalize on the expansionist spirit with is campaign slogan, “Fifty-four forty or fight!” which would make the U.S. border reach Russian Alaska. Compromise- 49 th parallel line

Texas Mexico had attracted many American farmers and ranchers into the region with cheap land and relative freedom from government intrusion. By the 1830s, whites and slaves outnumbered Mexicans in the region. Mexico decided to crack down on the Texans-banned slavery and demanded all the residents become Catholic. The settlers, Sam Houston, staged a revolt in 1836 and declared Texas a republic independent from Mexico.

Texas At present-day San Antonio, Santa Anna’s forces attacked the Alamo, killing all the Americans stationed there. A force led by Houston successfully routed the Mexican forces and captured Santa Anna. The Mexican dictator was forced to a decree granting independence to the Republic of Texas (the Lone Star Republic). Houston was chosen to lead the new country, and he quickly applied for annexation.

Texas Houston’s petition for statehood was rejected by Jackson and Van Buren, who both feared tipping the balance in the Senate in favor of slave states. Despite Tyler’s support for annexation, Congress rejected his bid to bring Texas into the Union in Outgoing president Tyler saw the election of the expansionist candidate Polk as a mandate to drive the annexation of Texas through Congress. A joint resolution was passed in acceptance of Texas’s bid for annexation. Mexico was unhappy with this development on its border.

The Mexican Revolution President Polk had to react quickly to the impending crisis between Mexico and the U.S. Polk sent special envoy John Slidell to Mexico City to inform the Mexican government of U.S. intentions to honor the original boundary of Texas and a desire to purchase California. In anticipation of the Mexicans not responding positively to Slidell’s proposal, Polk amassed the U.S. Army, led by Zachary Taylor, along the disputed southern border of Texas at the Rio Grande River.

The Mexican War In April, a Mexican force crossed the border and attacked Taylor’s men, killing several American troops. Congress voted to declare war on Mexico. The war caused immediate dissension among many Americans who opposed the fighting on principle. Whigs and Northerners- unhappy with war The issue of expansion of slavery again reared its ugly head. Sectional tension grew in Congress, as Rep. David Wilmot proposed an amendment to a bill that would forbid slavery in any new lands acquired by the war with Mexico.

Wilmot Proviso The final bill passed in the House but failed in the Senate. The Wilmot Proviso signaled the start of an even deeper crisis that would pit the North against the South over issues of slavery, states’ rights, and representation.

The Mexican Cession After quick, decisive military victories in California and Texas, the Mexican War was basically over by September of 1847 California had been declared independent as the Bear Flag Republic under the leadership of John C. Freemont, and Texas had been gained as the U.S. successfully overtook Mexico City. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo –peace treaty The U.S. agreed to pay war reparations in the sum of $15 million to the Mexican government.