1. Manifest Destiny

2. Westward Expansion and American History
EQ: Evaluate the extent to which western expansion contributed to maintaining continuity as well as fostered change with regard to growing sectional tensions between the North and South in the U.S from

3. Territorial Expansion Early 19th Century

4. Manifest Destiny: An Intro
What is it?
Belief that it was America’s “God-Given” right to expand from coast to coast
Term that was created by John O’Sullivan
The South generally favored westward expansion
More land and spread slavery
When time period is associated with it?
1840s and 1850s
Although it has roots in the LA Purchase and Indian Removal Act
Key Associations:
Oregon
Texas
Mexican-American War

6. Overland Trails Oregon Trails Mormon Trails Santa Fe Trails
California Trail

7. Oregon At one time, four countries claimed Oregon:
Spain
Britain
Russia US
The boundary was not settled between US and Great Britain
Polk campaigned on “54°40’ or Fight” during the 1844 election. Other issues in the 1844 election included:
Texas annexation and slavery in the new territories
Eventually, the two sides settle on the 49th parallel

9. Boundary Dispute in Maine
Maine vs. New Brunswick
Aroostook War ( )
Canadians vs. American Lumberjacks
Webster-Ashburton Treaty if 1842

10. Texas In 1836, Texas declared independence from Mexico
1844 presidential campaign focused on the issue of Texas
In 1845, Texas is annexed via a joint resolution
Southerners favored the admission as a way to expand slavery
The boundary was not settled by both US and Mexico
U.S. sets boundary on the Rio Grande while Mexico on the Nueces RIver
Helps lead to the…….

11. The Republic of Texas
March, 1836: Texans declare independence and the Alamo under siege
April, 1836: Santa Anna defeated at San Jacinto
May, 1836: Santa Anna’s treaty recognizes Texas’ claim to territory
Hero of San Jacinto, Sam Houston, becomes first President of Texas
Texas offers free land grants to U.S. settlers
Annexation to U.S. refused by Jackson but did recognize as a sovereign republic
Texas is independent nation for 9 years

12. Republic of Texas

13. Clay vs. Polk I flip-flopped on the annexation of Texas
I advocated the annexation of Texas…

14. The Mormon Trek: Westward Flight
Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints founded by Joseph Smith, 1830
Mormon church seeks revival of pure aboriginal American Christianity
Mormons persecuted for unorthodoxy
Flee New York for Nauvoo, Illinois
Murder of Joseph Smith in 1844
Brigham Young becomes Mormon leader
Mormons move to Great Salt Lake in Utah

15. The Mormon Trek: Mormons in Utah
1847: State of Deseret established, technically in Mexican territory
Desert transformed into farmland
1848: U.S. gets Utah and Mormons at first resist U.S. governance
1857: Brigham Young accepts post as territorial governor of Utah

16. Western Trails

17. Mexican-American War Polk sends Slidell Causes:
1. Buy California & New Mexico for $25 million- insulting to Mexico
2. Settle disputed border
Causes:
Texas boundary: Rio Grande vs. Nueces
“American blood on American soil”- Zachary Taylor’s army attacked
Lincoln’s “Spot Resolutions”
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
1. Mexico recognizes Rio Grande as southern border of Texas
2. U.S. takes CA and NM. U.S. pays $15 million to settle American claims against Mexico
Effects:
US gains Mexican Cession
Land increases by 1/3
US now expands from Atlantic to the Pacific
Debate over slavery would be #1 topic until the Civil War
Wilmot Proviso – wanted to keep slavery out of Mexican Cession Passed House, not Senate
Compromise of 1850

18. War with Mexico: Outbreak
Texan claim to area between Nueces and Rio Grande Rivers not recognized by Mexico – US inherit dispute
After Texas annexation, this causes conflict between U.S. and Mexico
Polk orders General Zachary Taylor into disputed area

19. War with Mexico: Outbreak
April 24, 1846 Mexicans attack Americans in disputed area
May 13, 1846: War on Mexico declared
Polk hopes to gain New Mexico and California
U.S. expects war to be relatively short

20. War with Mexico: Course
General Zachary Taylor wins campaign in northern Mexico
Colonel Stephen Kearney captured New Mexico and joined John C. Frémont in taking California by early 1847
September, 1847:
Mexicans refused to make peace despite military defeats

21. Settlement of the Mexican-American War: Terms
February, 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Rio Grande becomes southern border of Texas
New Mexico, California ceded to U.S.
U.S. pays Mexico $15 million
Mexican residents in ceded areas would become American citizens

22. Settlement of the Mexican-American War: Aftermath
Why the U.S. did not annex all of Mexico?
Merk Thesis: Racism and anti-colonial heritage
Graebner: U.S. only wanted west coast ports, no need for rest of Mexico

23. Settlement of the Mexican-American War: Aftermath
Mexican War politically contentious
Whigs constantly criticized war effort
Northerners view war as aimed at increasing slavery and Southern power
Wilmont Proviso to prohibit slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico
Manifest Destiny ultimately limited by racism and slavery question

24. The Mexican-American War

27. Gadsden Purchase
Watch Jimmy Fallon’s skit on the Gadsden Purchase.

28. Internal Expansionism
Discovery of California gold inspires transcontinental projects
Territorial expansion wanes after 1848; economic, population growth continues

29. The Triumph of the Railroad
1840s: Railroad begins displacing canals
Rail construction stimulates iron industry
Railroads greatest impact on American economy
Railroads stimulate new forms of finance
Railroads get government tax breaks

30. Railroads, 1850 and 1860

31. The Industrial Revolution Takes Off
Mass production, the division of labor makes production more efficient
Factory system emerges
Gather laborers in one place for supervision
Cash wages
“Continuous process” of manufacturing

32. The Industrial Revolution Takes Off
Agriculture becomes mechanized
Northern economy based on interaction of industry, transportation, agriculture

34. Mass Immigration Begins
1840–1860: industrialization brings 4 million Irish (potato famine)
Germans immigrate to U.S. for higher wages
Irish experience more prejudice than Germans
Most come from Western Europe for higher wages
Immigrants fill low-paying wage earner jobs in port cities
Low immigrant wages contribute to slums
Urban reform movement results from poverty of slums
Working class experience unifies different ethnicities into an American working class
Male workers went from artisans to factory works
Accelerated Industrial Revolution by providing large pool of labor

35. Immigration to the United States, 1820–1860

36. The New Working Class
1840s: Factory labor begins shifting from women and children to men
Immigrants dominate new working class
Employers less involved with laborers
Post-1837, employers demand more work for less pay
Unions organized to defend worker rights

37. The New Working Class
Wage laborers resent discipline, continuous nature of factory work
Workers cling to traditional work habits
Transition to factory work not easy
Adjustment to new work style was painful and took time

38. The Costs of Expansion Working class poses problem for ideals
Working for wages was assumed to be the first step toward becoming one’s own master
New class of permanent wage-earners conflicted with old ideal
Economic expansion creates conflicts between classes

39. The Costs of Expansion
Territorial expansion creates conflicts between sections
Both sets of conflicts uncontrollable

40. Impacts of Manifest Destiny
Native Americans:
They continually lost land and were pushed further and further west
Eventually, they were forced on reservations
Slavery:
Manifest destiny thrust the issue of slavery into the national spotlight
Debate over whether new land should be slave or free
Politics
Wilmot Proviso-no slavery in the Mexican Cession
Does not pass but infuriates the South
Republican Party:
One of the platforms was to keep slavery from expanding