Expansion in Texas Mexico had a large area of unsettled and uncontrolled land near the US- Mexico border Mexican government invited American families to settle this area 2 conditions: 1. Must adopt Roman Catholicism 2. Must try to sell crops and other goods in Mexico before exporting to foreign countries

Texas Fights for Independence Thousands of Americans flooded the territory Refused to adopt Mexican customs and beliefs 1835: American settlers revolted against Mexican dictator, General Santa Anna 1836: Mexicans surrendered, but attacked 2 months later at the Battle of the Alamo

My trip to San Antonio & the Alamo over fall break 2014

He wanted to end British claims to Oregon He urged Congress to make Texas the 28 th U.S. state in 1845

To make Northerners happy, President Polk wanted to add Oregon as a free state, but… This upset Mexicans (it was their land!); they ended all relations with US

…Oregon was jointly occupied by the USA & Britain Ultimately, the U.S. and Britain agreed to divide Oregon along 49° parallel, and Oregon became a free territory in 1846

The Mexican-American War (1846 — 1848) This dispute led to the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1848 In 1846, President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor across the Rio Grande River which provoked Mexico into war

War With Mexico ■1845: Texas and Congress approved annexation of Texas to the Union—28 th state –This upset Mexicans (it was their land!); they ended all relations with US ■Polk ordered the army into the disputed area where Mexican troops opened fire on the Americans ■Polk then declared war on Mexico, claiming they were the aggressors

War With Mexico In 1847, the U.S. Army enters Mexico City causing the Mexicans to surrender and ending the war The American army is ordered into Mexico, and out to California Before the troops can reach California, a group of American settlers revolt and take the area naming it the Bear Flag Republic

War With Mexico ■The Mexican-American War lasted from ■Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ended the war, giving the U.S. a vast amount of land in the Southwest ■The U.S. now stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean Why would this treaty cause problems with the Slavery issue?

The discovery of gold in San Francisco led to a flood of Americans to California in 1849

Gold Fever & Immigration to CA was national

Gold Fever & Immigration to CA was Global Where the 49ers Came From

San Francisco before the gold rushSan Francisco after the gold rush

By the end of the 1840s, the USA had achieved its Manifest Destiny

America: The Story of Us Western expansionWestern expansion