1. The Manifest Destiny and the Growing Nation
Chapter 15
The Manifest Destiny and the Growing Nation

3. Ch. 15: Manifest Destiny and the Growing Nation

4. Ch. 15 Objectives You will be able to…
Explain how the United States made five key territorial acquisitions from 1803 to 1853 (in other words, how we gained land to become a bigger country).
Explain the concept of Manifest Destiny and how it was used to justify U.S. expansion during this time period.
Debate what the U.S. should have done in each case of territorial acquisition, using historical facts and personal values.

5. Manifest Destiny = “obvious fate”
It was the belief by many Americans that it was America’s destiny to move westward. Americans had the God given right to conquer land from the Atlantic Ocean in the East to the Pacific Ocean in the West.
Over the course of 50 years (from ), America tripled in size and achieved the manifest destiny goal of stretching from coast to coast.

6. Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the longest river in North America.
It is an important source of transportation for both people and goods.
Farmers living in these states, could send their crops down the river and into the Atlantic Ocean, where they could be shipped around the world.
New Orleans

7. New Orleans and WHY the U.S. wanted Louisiana
In 1803, the port city of New Orleans belonged to France but America wanted New Orleans for itself
This way American farmers could ship their crops down the Mississippi River and out into the Atlantic Ocean. From there, those crops could go to Eastern cities or Europe.
The city was extremely important to American trade.

9. What action do you think the U.S. should take?
Write your choice and explaining your answer.
Offer to buy the city of New Orleans from France so that American farmers can export their goods from that port.
Threaten to go to war if France does not hand over New Orleans to the United States.
Offer to buy all of the Louisiana Territory, including New Orleans, so that French are no longer a threat to the United States.

10. WHO owned it…
President Thomas Jefferson decides to send James Monroe to France to offer France $7.5 million for New Orleans.
France’s leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, offers instead to sell the entire Louisiana Territory to the U.S.
At the time, France was on the brink of war with Britain and it feared that it might lose the territory anyway during the war, so it made sense to sell it.

11. HOW we got it and How it ended…
On April 30, 1803, Monroe signed a treaty with Napolean, giving Louisiana to the U.S. in exchange for $15 million dollars (That’s about 2 to 3 cents an acre!).
The French foreign minister told Monroe, “You have made a noble bargain for yourselves, and I suppose you will make the most of it.”

12. The Purchase Debate Many Americans viewed this as the
greatest land deal
in history, others
disapproved.
Politicians in the East thought they might lose power as new states were made from the Louisiana Territory.
Others complained that America had plenty of land already and didn’t have enough money to spend on buying more land.

13. Florida: WHY we wanted it and WHO owned it…
Spain had colonized Florida in the late 1500s.
In 1804, Jefferson sent two diplomats to Spain to buy Florida, but Spain refused to sell.
Many white Americans in the Southeast wanted Florida because 1) many escaped slaves ran away there and 2) the Seminole Indians were carrying out attacks in Georgia from Florida.
Florida: WHY we wanted it and WHO owned it…

14. Andrew Jackson Invades Florida
In 1818, President Monroe sent General Andrew Jackson to Georgia to end the Seminole attacks… (Seminoles were coming up from Florida and attacking Georgia)
Instead Jackson ignored orders by marching 1,700 troops into Florida and over the next few weeks had captured nearly every military post in the colony
Jackson removed the Spanish governor and replaced him with one of his own officers.

15. What action should the United States take?
Write your choice and explain your answer.
Use military force to take Florida from Spain since Andrew Jackson’s invasion proves that Spain’s army is weak.
Apologize to Spain for Jackson’s invasion. Send troops to patrol the border between Florida and the United States to prevent attacks by Indians and runaway slaves.
Offer to buy Florida in order to avoid war with Spain.

16. How did we get it and How did it end?
Monroe asked his cabinet for advice; most members suggested removing Jackson and apologizing to Spain for his actions.
One member of his staff disagreed. John Quincy Adams told Monroe to send Spain a message – either “govern Florida properly or get out.”
Fearing war, Spain got out.
In 1819, the Spanish government agreed to give Florida to the U.S. in exchange for $5 million and the U.S. also had to honor Spain’s longtime claim to Texas.
Not all Americans were happy about leaving Spain in charge of Texas.

17. Texas: WHY did we want it and WHO owned it?
Texas was good for growing cotton
In 1821, when Spain owned Texas, Spanish officials gave Moses Austin a huge tract of land in Texas.
After Moses died, his son Stephen took over.
At this point, Texas belonged to Mexico because they had just gained independence from Spain and had gained this land.
Stephen Austin ( ) “Father of Texas”

18. Rising Tensions
Austin’s successful colony started a rush of American settlers to Texas.
By 1830, there were about 25,000 Americans in Texas compared to 4,000 Tejanos (Texans of Mexican descent).
Tensions rose between the two groups…
1)Americans were used to governing themselves and hated getting orders from Mexican officials.
2)All official documents had to be in Spanish
3)Many Americans were slave holders and were upset that Mexico outlawed slavery

19. Rising Tensions Continued…
Mexican’s had complaints too...
1)They were unhappy that U.S. settlers came to Texas illegally.
2)U.S. immigrants showed little respect for Mexican culture.
Ultimately, the Mexican government responded by closing Texas to further American immigration.
The Mexican government sent troops to Texas to assert its authority and to enforce the immigration laws.

20. What action should the United States take?
Write your choice and explain your answer.
Let Texas remain an independent country. Try to establish good relations with Texas, and avoid angering Mexico.
Annex (Add) Texas to the United States and risk war with Mexico.
Make a treaty with Mexico agreeing to split Texas between the two countries.

21. The Texans Rebel
While some Texans called for a revolution, others like Stephen Austin asked the Mexican government to re-open Texas to immigration and make it a separate Mexican state.
Austin presented the Texans’ demands to General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, but was tossed in jail for promoting rebellion.
Soon after Austin was released, Texas rose up in revolt against the U.S Texans.
Santa Anna marched north to crush the rebels with his army of about 6,000 troops.

22. The town of San Antonio, Texas was defended by about 180 Texan volunteers when a large part of Santa Anna’s army arrived.
They had taken over an old mission known as the Alamo.
Outnumbered by at least ten to one, the Texans held off the Mexicans for 12 days.
Eventually, the Americans were defeated.
Santa Anna ordered that those who had survived the battle be killed, this decision filled Texans with rage and they wanted revenge.
The Alamo

23. “Remember the Alamo”
The Battle of the Alamo showed how determined the Texans were to gain their independence and it encouraged those still fighting to seek revenge.
“Remember the Alamo” soon became a battle cry for the Texas revolutionary army.

24. Battle of San Jacinto
Sam Houston, the commander of the Texas revolutionary army, hoped to lure Santa Anna deeper into Texas. This would make it harder for him to supply his army and keep it battle-ready.
In April 1836, Santa Anna caught up with Houston near the San Jacinto River.

25. Texas Wins Its Independence

26. HOW we got it, HOW it ended: Texas Wins Its Independence
Houston staged a surprise attack and the Texans overran the Mexican camp.
Santa Anna fled, but was captured the next day.
In exchange for his freedom, he ordered all his remaining troops out of Texas, granting Texas its independence.

27. To Annex Texas or Not?
Texas became known as the Lone Star Republic because of the single star on its flag.
Most Texans were Americans who wanted to make Texas part of the U.S.
In the U.S., southerners wanted to annex Texas (make it part of the U.S.) because it was a slave state. However, northerners who were against slavery, did not want to keep Texas as part of the U.S. Many feared annexation would lead to war with Mexico.
In 1845, Texas was admitted as the 28th state.