Contested Lands, Conflicted Values

The United States, the “West”, and Manifest Destiny, 1840-1848

John L. O’Sullivan—Apostle of Manifest Destiny

The American people having derived their origin from many other nations, and the Declaration of National Independence being entirely based on the great principle of human equality, these facts demonstrate at once our disconnected position as regards any other nation; that we have, in reality, but little connection with the past history of any of them, and still less with all antiquity, its glories, or its crimes. On the contrary, our national birth was the beginning of a new history, the formation and progress of an untried political system, which separates us from the past and connects us with the future only; and so far as regards the entire development of the natural rights of man, in moral, political, and national life, we may confidently assume that our country is destined to be the great nation of futurity.

John L. O’Sullivan—A Belief with a Consequence

All this will be our future history, to establish on earth the moral dignity and salvation of man -- the immutable truth and beneficence of God. For this blessed mission to the nations of the world, which are shut out from the life-giving light of truth, has America been chosen; and her high example shall smite unto death the tyranny of kings, hierarchs, and oligarchs, and carry the glad tidings of peace and good will where myriads now endure an existence scarcely more enviable than that of beasts of the field. Who, then, can doubt that our country is destined to be the great nation of futurity?

So What is the belief?

• God intended that the United States should extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean

• Other claimants to those lands were either invisible or unworthy

• Theories of Land Stewardship

Political Process—Inadequate to Address Issues Raised by

Manifest Destiny • Tyler Administration

• Whig “Principles”

• In 1844, Issue of Manifest Destiny Stumped Leading Candidates: Tyler stole thunder by Annexing Texas through Joint Resolution of Congress

John Tyler—1790-1862

“Reality” of the “West”

• Homeland to diverse peoples

• Oregon Trail and Gold In California cause U. S. to modify Permanent Indian Frontier via the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851

• Mythology of Native Peoples as Natural Ecologists

Permanent Indian Frontier

Political Changes in the West

• Mexican Revolution—Mexico claimed Texas, California, and “Southwest.”

• Need to populate frontier: “To Govern is to populate.”

• Empressario Grants in Texas• Opening of Santa Fe trail into Nuevo

Mexico• Hide and Tallow Trade in California

Santa Fe Trail

The West in the Gringo Imagination

• John C. Fremont• 1842—mapped Oregon Trail• 1843-1844—traveled through Oregon,

California, and part of his party went to Santa Fe

• Business ties between Missouri and the West: political influence of Sen. Thomas Hart Benton

Texas Independence and Annexation

• Part of Coahuilo-Texas• Desire to have Constitutional government

and local rights• Stephen F. Austin• The Alamo• Sam Houston—Treaty of San Jacinto• Issue of slavery delayed U. S. acquisition

until 1845

Stephen Fuller Austin (1793-1836)

Expansion captured 1844 Presidential Election

• Frontrunners—Van Buren and Clay—won’t commit to expansion

• Democratic Dark Horse—James K. Polk—commits to expansion

• Polk won 170 to 105 in the electoral college

• “Reoccupation of Oregon, Reannexation of Texas”

James K. Polk

Oregon Territory

• Instead of 54-40 or fight, accepted Buchanan-Pakenham line of 49 degrees north latitude

Mexican War

• Texas Boundary dispute

• Larkin’s negotiations in California

• A. Lincoln and “Spot Resolution.”

• Wilmot Proviso• Zachary Taylor –

Battle of Buena Vista

• Stephen Kearney at Santa Fe

• Fremont in California• Winfield Scott and

Mexico City• Treaty of Guadalupe

Hidalgo

Mexican War Map

Zachary Taylor, Winfield Scott

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

• Nicholas P. Trist

• Mexico ceded claims to Texas and yielded California and the Southwest

• U. S. paid Mexico $15 million and assumed claims by U. S. citizens against Mexico in the amount $3.25 million.

• Land issue in the Southwest

West and Southwestern Territories

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

ARTICLE VIII Mexicans now established in territories previously belonging to Mexico, and which remain for the future within the limits of the United States, as defined by the present treaty, shall be free to continue where they now reside, or to remove at any time to the Mexican Republic, retaining the property which they possess in the said territories, or disposing thereof, and removing the proceeds wherever they please, without their being subjected, on this account, to any contribution, tax, or charge whatever. Those who shall prefer to remain in the said territories may either retain the title and rights of Mexican citizens, or acquire those of citizens of the United States. But they shall be under the obligation to make their election within one year from the date of the exchange of ratifications of this treaty; and those who shall remain in the said territories after the expiration of that year, without having declared their intention to retain the character of Mexicans, shall be considered to have elected to become citizens of the United States. In the said territories, property of every kind, now belonging to Mexicans not established there, shall be inviolably respected. The present owners, the heirs of these, and all Mexicans who may hereafter acquire said property by contract, shall enjoy with respect to it guarantees equally ample as if the same belonged to citizens of the United States.

So what?

• One’s positions then and perspectives now govern interpretation

• Beginning of incorporation of West and Southwest into colonial economics

• What to do about slavery in the western territories eventually caused second party system to fail