Westward Expansion

Westward Expansion 1820s-1850 Introduction Texas Early Settlement Texas War Manifest Destiny Polk and Texas Oregon Joint Occupation Oregon Treaty California Background Mexican War Conclusion

Themes Expansion of U.S. Territory Manifest Destiny

Westward Expansion Size of the U.S ,000 Sq Mi ,000,000 Sq Mi

Westward Expansion 1820s-1850 Introduction Texas Early Settlement Texas War Manifest Destiny Polk and Texas Oregon Joint Occupation Oregon Treaty California Background Mexican War Conclusion

Latin American Indepedence

Early Settlement and Texas In early 1820s about 3,000 illegal immigrants lived in Mexico Mexico Government: Passed Mexican Colonization Law: Goal immigrants would become loyal Mexican Citizens

Mexican Colonization Law Americans immigrants could receive a league (4,400 acres for grazing) and labor (170 acres of farmland) of land if they… Became Mexican citizens Obey Mexican laws Mexico outlawed slavery Convert to Catholicism

Texas Colonizers Stephen Austin An empresario Empresarios moved Am. Families to Mexico Agents received land grants in return for recruiting settlers Over 35,000 Am. moved to TX by 1835

Check Up! Reasons Americans Moved to TexasReasons Texans opposed Mexican Citizenship

Westward Expansion 1820s-1850 Introduction Texas Early Settlement Texas War Manifest Destiny Polk and Texas Oregon Joint Occupation Oregon Treaty California Background Mexican War Conclusion

Mexican Government Goal of Texans – More autonomy Goal of Santa Anna – Limit the power of Mexican states Results – Texas War for Independence began in October 2, 1835

Texas War for Independence Texans vs. Mexico Sam Houston led Texan Army Some Am. volunteered for TX army, but the U.S. gov. did not get involved.

Texas War for Independence Major Battles Alamo – 187 Texans vs. 5,000 Mexicans Goliad – Texan POW’s were killed San Jacinto – Texans defeated Santa Anna and won independence

Lone Star Republic Texans had won their independence and attempted to join the U.S. From Texas was an independent nation: Lone Star Republic Sam Houston became the first President

Lone Star Republic Texans had won their independence and attempted to join the U.S. From Texas was an independent nation: Lone Star Republic Sam Houston became the first President

Westward Expansion 1820s-1850 Introduction Texas Early Settlement Texas War Manifest Destiny Polk and Texas Oregon Joint Occupation Oregon Treaty California Background Mexican War Conclusion

Manifest Destiny Manifest Destiny (1840s) The nation’s obvious destiny was that it expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

Manifest Destiny Manifest Destiny (1840s) The nation’s obvious destiny was that it expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Check Up! - Is this concept and John O’Sullivan’s quote in line with the founding principles of the U.S. “Our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federative self- government entrusted to us.” John L. O’Sullivan

Presidential Election of 1844 and Manifest Destiny James Polk Promised Acquire Oregon, Texas and California Retire after one term as President After his election but prior to his inauguration Texas is admitted into the Union

Westward Expansion 1820s-1850 Introduction Texas Early Settlement Texas War Manifest Destiny Polk and Texas Oregon Joint Occupation Oregon Treaty California Background Mexican War Conclusion

Oregon Oregon was jointly occupied by G.B. and the U.S. Americans outnumbered the British Polk’s Slogan “54 ⁰ 40’ or fight” Negotiated with Great Britain for the Oregon Treaty of 1846

Westward Expansion 1820s-1850 Introduction Texas Early Settlement Texas War Manifest Destiny Polk and Texas Oregon Joint Occupation Oregon Treaty California Background Mexican War Conclusion

Polk tried to purchase California, New Mexico, and gain recognition of U.S. sovereignty over Texas Mexico refused to meet to discuss the deal Polk sent troops under Zachary Taylor Americans troops were attacked Congress declared war in May of 1846

Opposition to the War Weakened Congressional power to declare war Threat of the expansion of slavery to new areas War of conquest

The Ethics of a War of Conquest Whigs: Mr. Polk’s War “A most unrighteous war.” John Quincy Adams Spot Resolutions Abraham Lincoln The spot resolutions were offered in the United States House of Representatives on 22 December 1847 by Abraham Lincoln, Whig representative from Illinois. The resolutions requested President James K. Polk to provide Congress with the exact location (the "spot") upon which blood was spilt on American soil, as Polk had claimed in 1846 when asking Congress to declarewar on Mexico. So persistent was Lincoln in pushing his "spot resolutions" that some began referring to him as "spotty Lincoln." Lincoln's resolutions were a direct challenge to the validity of the president's words, and representative of an ongoing political power struggle between Whigs and Democrats.United States House of RepresentativesAbraham LincolnWhigIllinoisJames K. Polkwar on MexicoDemocrats It was a war of “aggression, of invasion, of conquest, of rapine – marked by ruffianism, perfidy, and every other feature of national depravity.” William Lloyd Garrison

Westward Expansion 1820s-1850 Introduction Texas Early Settlement Texas War Manifest Destiny Polk and Texas Oregon Joint Occupation Oregon Treaty California Background Mexican War Conclusion

Mexican War Polk and his allies supported the war But many in the U.S. were opposed Weakened Congressional power to declare war Threat of the expansion of slavery to new areas War of Conquest? Abraham Lincoln, a young H.R. from Illinois spoke out against the war.

Key Battles Mexican War Zachary Taylor Monterrey and Buena Vista Stephen Kearney New Mexico John C. Freemont California Winfield Scott Occupied Mexico City

Consequence of the Mexican War 13,000 Americans died 110 per 1,000 died Experience for future commanders in the Civil War Robert E. Lee Ulysses S. Grant Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Rio Grande became border between Mexico and U.S. U.S. received California and territory in Southwest U.S. gave Mexico $15 million

The Slave Question Would the new territories be open to slavery based on the Missouri Compromise? The war with Mexico was “one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation,” and the Civil War was “our punishment” Ulysses S. Grant

Cause Event Consequences Mexican- American War

Westward Expansion 1820s-1850 Introduction Texas Early Settlement Texas War Manifest Destiny Polk and Texas Oregon Joint Occupation Oregon Treaty California Background Mexican War Conclusion

Links Manifest Destiny Mexican War (PBS) Mexican War James K. Polk

Resources m/history/lecturepoints/i ndex.html m/history/lecturepoints/i ndex.html