1. Manifest Destiny
Obvious fate to settle land all the way to the Pacific Ocean in order to spread democracy.

2. John O’Sullivan – coined the term and many others about expansion
“We are a nation of human progress, and who will, what can, set limits to our onward march?”
“manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole continent which Providence (God) has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty…”

3. Manifest Destiny was linked with slavery
By the 1840s America is crowded and looking for territory to expand is population and economy.
Manifest Destiny was linked with slavery
If we expand does slavery?
John Tyler thought it should
Many following presidents refused to deal with the issue of adding Texas to the nation for this reason

4. James K. Polk the Expander
Annexed Oregon
Increased pressure to make it a state due to increased American population
America needed a Pacific port for trade with China
1846 Great Britain and the United States signed a treaty that gave all land south of the 49 parallel to the United States

5. Annexed Texas 1845 Congress approved Texas to join the union
This angered Mexico who thought Texas was stolen from them by the Americans

6. California
Mexico had lost Texas, but they still controlled present day New Mexico, Arizona, and California
Mission system under Spanish rule
Important part of everyday life
Huge farming and ranching operations
Native Americans used as slave labor

7. Break down of the Mission system
Large tracks of land granted to the wealthy
Created large ranches run by vaqueros (cowboys)
Californios felt little connection to the Mexican government because of the distance
Anglos (Americans) arrived
Talk of independence occurred with growing issues between U.S. and Mexico