Manifest DestinyChapter 9

Americans Head WestIn 1800 less than 400,000 settlers lived west

of the Appalachian Mountains.By the beginning of the Civil War, more

Americans lived west of the Appalachians than lived along the Atlantic coast.

Americans moved west for religious reasons and to own their own farms.

American Westward Expansion1783: Treaty of Paris

- America stretches from Atlantic Coast to Mississippi River1803: Louisiana

Purchase- Extends American western boundary to the Rockies 1819: Adams-Onis Treaty- America acquires

Florida from Spain

Americans Head WestA magazine editor (John Louis O’Sullivan)

declared the movement west was Manifest Destiny – the idea that God had given the continent to Americans and wanted them to settle western lands.

The first settlers west of the Appalachians were squatters, because they settled on lands they did not own.

Americans Head WestFarming in the Midwest was made easier by

new farming technology.In 1819 Jethro Wood patented a plow with an

iron blade.In 1837 John Deere designed a plow with

sharp-edged steel blades that cut cleanly through the tough Midwestern sod.

In 1834 Cyrus McCormick patented the mechanical reaper.

Settling the Pacific CoastNative Americans and other nations had

already claimed parts of Oregon and California

The United States and Great Britain both wanted to own Oregon.

Mexico controlled California, but its distance from Mexico City made it difficult to govern.

In 1839 a German immigrant, John Sutter, built a trading post and cattle ranch on 50,000 acres in Sacramento Valley.

Gold would later be found near his mill around 1849.

Settling the Pacific CoastBy the 1840s, mountain men had carved out

several east-west passages, such as the Oregon Trail.

These trails were very important to the settlement of the west.

Wagon trains used mountain men as guides at first, but over time relied on guidebooks written by earlier emigrants.

The Mormon MigrationIn 1844 a mob murdered the Mormon leader

Joseph Smith.Brigham Young, the new leader of the

Mormons, decided to take his people west in search of religious freedom

Several thousand Mormons emigrated on the Mormon Trail.

In 1847 the Mormons stopped at the Great Salt Lake to build their new settlement

Checking for UnderstandingIdea popular in the United States during the

1800s that the country must expand its boundaries to the Pacific Ocean.

Manifest Destiny

Review What two inventions made it easier to farm

the frontier?The steel-blade plow and the mechanical

reaper.

Opening Texas to AmericansTexas was under Mexican control after

Mexico achieved independence from Spain in 1821.

Because the Spanish-speaking people of the area refused to move to the northern part of the region where Native American groups lived, Mexico invited Americans and other to settle there.

Texas IndependenceAmericans invited by Mexico to move to Texas if they:

- Became Mexican citizens- Became Roman Catholics- Did not bring slaves

- Americans come but don’t follow rules

Opening Texas to AmericansAt first, the Americans agreed to Mexican

citizenship, as required for settlement.The Americans did not adopt Mexican

customs, however, nor did they think of Mexico as their country.

In 1830 Mexico closed its borders to immigration by Americans

Opening Texas to AmericansThe government also banned the import of

enslaved labor and discouraged trade with the United States.

These new laws angered settlers.

Texas Goes to WarAmerican settlers in Texas asked Mexico to

reopen Texas to American immigrants and to decrease the taxes on imports.

A convention held in 1833 asked Mexico to create a new Mexican state. (Texas)

They wrote a constitution for the new state but the Mexican government denied it.

Texas Goes to WarStephen Austin persuaded Mexican

President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna to agree to lift the immigration ban and other demands.

Austin had written a letter suggesting that Texas should organize its own state government.

Mexican officials intercepted the letter and he was arrested.

Texas Goes to WarIn April 1834, Santa Anna denounced the

Mexican constitution and made himself dictator.

When Austin was released from prison in 1835, he urged Texans to organize an army, since he foresaw war with Mexico.

Eventually, Sam Houston, a former governor of Tennessee and an experienced military leader, took command of the Texas army.

Texas Goes to WarWhen Santa Anna and his forces came to San

Antonio in 1836, over 180 Texan rebels were at the Alamo, an abandoned mission inside the town.

The small force, commanded by William B. Travis and joined by 32 settlers, held off Santa Anna’s army for 13 days.

On March 6, 1836, Santa Anna’s army defeated the Texans at the Alamo.

Texas Goes to WarDuring this time, the new Texas government

declared independence from Mexico.At the Battle of San Jacinto, Sam Houston

and his Texas troops launched a surprise attack on the Mexican army.

They captured Santa Anna, who was forced to sign a treaty recognizing independence for the Republic of Texas.

Major BattlesAlamo:-188 Texans vs 2000 Mexicans- Every Texan killed and burnedSan Jacinto:

- Texans defeat Mexican Army and capture Santa Ana

Texas becomes an independent country!

- 1845: United States annexes Texas

Texas Goes to WarIn 1836, Sam Houston was elected president

of the Republic of Texas.The citizens of Texas voted for annexation –

to become part of the United States.Many northern members of Congress were

against admitting Texas as a slave state.

Texas and Oregon Enter the UnionIn 1844, Congress voted against annexation

of Texas.Many northern Congressmen felt that it was

a pro-slavery plot.James K. Polk, a candidate in the 1844

presidential election promised to annex Texas and Oregon and to buy California from Mexico. He won.

President Tyler annexed Texas before Polk took office and Mexico broke diplomatic relations with the US.

Mexico and the U.S. government disputed the southern border of Texas.

Texas and Oregon Enter the UnionIn public, Polk said the U.S. had a right to

Oregon. Those people who supported this stand on Oregon used the slogan “Fifty-four Forty or Fight.”

In private, Polk agreed to split the territory with Great Britain.

In June 1846, the two countries agreed that the U.S. would acquire most of Oregon south of 49° north latitude.

Election of 1844James Polk: Promises to expand America

- “54° 40’ or Fight”

Oregon Country

- Boundary dispute with England- 1846Compromise: Boundary set: 49 °

The War with Mexico Polk sent a representative to negotiate the

purchase of California from Mexico. Mexico refused to meet with him.

Polk sent troops across the Nueces River, led by Zachary Taylor.

Mexico saw this as an invasion of their country and sent troops to attack.

Polk declared war on Mexico.

The War with MexicoTaylor defeated the Mexican forces under

Santa AnnaIn California, John C. Fremont had little

trouble overcoming the Mexican presence there.

On June 14, 1846, the settlers declared California independent from Mexico and named the region the Bear Flag Republic.

A few weeks later, the U.S. Navy took possession of California for the United States.

In 1847 the U.S. defeated Mexico and took over Mexico City.

The War with MexicoIn 1848 Mexico signed the Treaty of

Guadalupe Hidalgo and ceded, or gave up, 500,000 miles of land to the United States.

This land is now the states of California, Utah, and Nevada, as well as most of New Mexico and Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.

Mexico agreed to the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas.

The U.S. paid Mexico $15 million and took over $3.5 million in debt Mexico owed U.S. citizens.

Reviewing ThemesThe idea of Manifest Destiny was realized as

a result of the war with Mexico. What new problems did this increase in land cause for the United States?

The increase caused the expansion of slavery into the new land.