1. Land Acquisition & Slavery in the west
Mexican American War

2. Western Territorial Expansion in the 1840’s
In the 1840s, America realized its “manifest destiny” by acquiring all lands to the Pacific Ocean:
In 1845, the USA annexed the independent nation of Texas
In 1846, the U.S. settled a dispute with England to gain Oregon
In 1848, the USA gained new lands in the SW by winning the Mexican-American War

3. Mexican Independence and Americans in Texas
In 1821, Mexico won independence from Spain & the new Mexican gov’t welcomed Americans into Texas by offering cheap land.
Stephen F. Austin became one of the wealthiest “Anglos” in Texas

4. Americans refused to accept Mexican laws
They would not convert to Catholicism, would not accept a ban on slavery, and wanted a voice in Mexican government

5. Texas Revolution & Independence from Mexico (1835-1836)
By 1834, Mexican president Santa Anna began to view Anglos as a threat & had Austin arrested
In 1835, Texans were in open rebellion against the Mexican government

6. The Alamo
Texans lost at the Alamo, but the battle created inspiration: “Remember the Alamo!”
Texans, led by Sam Houston, captured Santa Anna & won their independence in 1836

7. The Republic of Texas
From , Texas was an independent nation; Sam Houston was the first President of the Republic of Texas
In 1838, Houston invited the USA to acquire Texas, but the debate over slavery kept America from adding Texas as a state.

8. James k. Polk – 11th president
Democrat James K. Polk won the election of 1844 and became the “Manifest Destiny” President:
He urged Congress to make Texas the 28th US state in Admitted as a slave state
He admitted Oregon as a free state

9. The Mexican American War
Reasons for the Mexican-American War
When Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836, the 2 sides disagreed over the territorial boundaries of the Republic of Texas. (U.S.-Rio Grande River/ Mexico-Nueces River)
When the US annexed Texas 9 years later, this dispute was not settled.
This dispute led to the Mexican-American War

10. The Mexican American War
The dispute led to the Mexican-American War from
In 1846, President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor across the Rio Grande River which provoked Mexico into war.
The US quickly won the Mexican War from

11. The Mexican-American War ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848
The USA gained “all” of Texas to the Rio Grande River
Mexico gave up (ceded) territory in the Southwest, called the Mexican Cession (California & New Mexico)
5 years later, the U.S. bought the Gadsden Purchase for $10 million to build a southern railroad

13. the Wilmot Proviso
Texas was not annexed for 9 years because its would cause an unbalance in the number of free & slave states
The addition of the Mexican Cession after the Mexican-American War gave Southerners hope that slavery would spread to the Pacific Ocean

15. the Wilmot Proviso
In 1846, Northern Congressmen tried to pass the Wilmot Proviso:
This law would have outlawed all slaves from the Mexican Cession
Rather than voting along party lines (Democrats & Whigs), Congressmen voted according to their region
In 1848, the Free Soil party was formed to keep slavery from spreading West

16. California and the Compromise of 1850
In 1850, California asked to enter the Union as a free state:
Southerners did not want more free states & wanted slavery to be allowed in the Mexican territories
Northerners wanted to keep slavery out of the SW & wanted other laws to protect slaves who make it to freedom in the North

17. Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 solved the sectional dispute between North & South:
California entered as a free states
The people of Utah & New Mexico could vote to allow or ban slavery (popular sovereignty),
The slave trade ended in Washington DC,
A stronger Fugitive Slave Law was created that allowed Southerners to recapture slaves in the North

18. From 1820-1850, sectionalism in America increased due to:
Differences in regional economies & the use of slavery
Westward expansion & the entry of new states to the Union
Growing abolitionism in the North