1. Manifest Destiny
Chapter 7 Section 1,2,3

3. Great Plains

4. Manifest Destiny & Western Settlement
2 reasons for moving west-
“Safety Valve” of Discontent (ease city overpopulation)
Religious Freedom (Mormons—Utah)
Opportunity: cheap or free ownership of land
*Manifest Destiny – belief that God had given the continent to Americans & wanted them to settle westward to the ocean (Louis O’Sullivan)
Squatters – people who settled on government-owned land without buying it.
Preemption Act of 1830 – US government allowed pioneers to buy up to 160 acres of land directly from the government at $1.25/acre
Homestead Act of 1862 – law encouraging settlers to move west. Gain title to up to 160 acres after living on it up to 5 years.
Remember the Oregon Trail
Remember the movie Far and Away with Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman when they went out west and they were in the rest to claim their land
O’Sullivan coined the phrase Manifest Destiny
Squatters were a result of settlers claiming land before the government could claim or buy it
Settlers could file for 160 acres and the only requirement was a $10 application fee and to live on it for 5 years

5. John Gast- American Progress

6. Technology Helped Settle the West
Jethro Wood – Iron bladed plow – 1819
John Deere – sharp steel bladed plow
Cyrus McCormick – mechanical reaper – 1834
These innovations cut labor in half; agricultural supply increased.
Previously there were only wooden plows to break up the earth – didn’t work in the rocky midwest
Iron plow dug deep but was heavy, cumbersome and didn’t cleanly go through
Steel bladed plow was much easier
You guys know the Grim Reaper – carries a hand reaper – this was back breaking hard work that was slow at times. The mechanical reaper allowed farmers to harvest more grain with less effort

7. Settling The Pacific Coast & Western Migration
Pacific Coast: some settlers moved to the Pacific coast away from the “desert” of the Great Plains.
US, Britain, and Native Americans claimed Oregon
Convention of US & Britain agree to jointly occupy Oregon.
Santa Fe Trail, California Trail & Oregon Trail
Mountain men (Kit Carson & Jim Bridger)
Overlanders – people traveling west
The Donner Party
1846 – 87 Overlanders – trapped in Sierra Nevada mountains
41 died- survivors resorted to cannibalism
Native Americans – mixed reception – some welcomed trade others were concerned & angry
Treaty of Fort Laramie – 1851
8 Tribes agreed to boundaries while US promised these territories would forever belong to the Native Americans= began reservation system for Great Plains Indians.
Took 5-6 months, were expensive & dangerous

8. The Trails West

9. Hispanic Southwest (7.2) 1821 Mexican gained independence from Spain
Mexico controlled territory in California, New Mexico, & Texas
Russia- was settling down coast of the Pacific.
John Sutter –
bought 50,000 acres & built Sutter’s Fort
Became entrance point for those entering California
By 1845 more than 200 Americans had settled in California
“Rancheros” (Spanish Dons) had most land & power.
Mestizos – mixed birth Spanish and European
Vaqueros (cowboy) – some “Mestizo’s” worked as cowboys.
Tejanos – Spanish speaking inhabitants
Mexcio owned California but couldn’t get settlers there.

10. Trouble in New Mexico Part of Mexican territory
Consisted of New Mexico & Arizona
1820’s Apache & Navajo Indians attacked New Mexico (Mexican Government could not protect the citizens).
1837- Pueblo people & Hispanic settlers rebelled & killed the Mexican territorial Governor & 16 officials.

11. Americans settle the Mexican Borderlands
Before Mexican independence, Americans were moving into California (John Sutter)
1821--William Becknell – Santa Fe Trail (trail for trade which linked Santa Fe to Independence, Missouri.
Americans lived in California
Texas
Texas- served as a buffer colony that separated the US from the rest of Mexico.
Tejanos- (2500) lived mostly in San Antonio & Goliad
1821- National Colonization Act: Mexico gave land to “empresarios” who in turn were to fill the land with settlers.
Stephen Austin (American) –most successful empresario (Washington-on-the-Brazos)
** Tensions began to develop

12. Texas Becomes “Americanized”
Americans who settled on Mexican territory did not adopt Mexican culture, were not loyal to Mexico, and did not become Catholic.
1826- Benjamin Edwards rebelled & set up “Fredonia”; claimed Texas was independent.
The revolt was put down by Stephen Austin & Mexican troops.
1830- Mexico passed new laws:
No new immigration
No importation of slaves
Tax on goods imported into Mexico
** angered the settlers

13. Texas Goes to War 1832 Convention- settlers met as tensions rose.
Chose Stephen Austin to be their leader at meeting
Issued Two requests to Mexico
Reopen Mexico territory to American immigrants
Loosen taxes on imported goods.
1833 Meeting: separate from Mexico, set up constitution, Stephen Austin to negotiate with Mexico.

14. 1834– Stephen Austin arrested by Mexican government (President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna)
1835- Austin released & urged Texans to organize an army.

15. Two Sides & Early Battles
The Mexican Army: no sound leadership, training, or support.
The Texans –no military training; settled on Sam Houston to lead them.
Battles
(1835) Gonzales (military outpost of Texans)- Texans end up driving Mexican force out of San Antonio.
1836- Texas officially declared independence from Mexico & drew up a constitution.

16. Battles
Feb The Battle of the Alamo- Santa Anna’s Mexican force of 6,000 faced 180 Texans barricaded in an old Spanish mission.
Texans in Alamo led by William Travis
Main goal of the Texans—hold out long enough for Sam Houston to build an army.
Held out for 13 days!
March Mexican forces stormed the Alamo
March Goliad– Americans surrendered to Mexican forces & were executed.
** Both the Alamo & Goliad united Texans!!

17. The Republic of Texas April 21, 1836- The Battle of San Jacinto:
Lasted 20 minutes…killing continued for hours.
Sam Houston’s Texans attacked (had the element of surprise)
Defeated Santa Anna & Mexican forces (took Mexican 700 prisoners)
Santa Anna forced to sign a treaty which granted Texas independence.
Mexico refused to accept the treaty!

18. The Republic of Texas Created
Sept Republic of Texas had an election; voted Sam Houston President of Texas.
Voted overwhelmingly to be annexed (to become a part of) by the US.
Some Northern members of US Congress— refused to annex Texas (it would create another slave state).
President Jackson- made no move to annex Texas
Jackson only recognized it as independent nation on his last day in office.