Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy, 1841-1848 John Gast, “American Progress” (1872)

Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy, 1841-1848

John Gast, “American Progress” (1872)

 Changes in 1840s America

• Massive Expansion and Growth– Population– Immigration

• Irish – Potato Famine 1840s– 2 million Irish to America 1830-1860, primarily

to northeastern cities– Greeted by Nativism and Anti-Catholicism

»Anti Catholic Riots in Boston and Philadelphia

»Maria Monk’s “Awful Disclosures” - 1836

»Stereotypes: Bridget McBruiser and Paddy

•Germans– 1.5 million 1830-1860– Refugees from crop failures and failed

democratic revolution in 1848– Wealthier…move to Midwest to farm– Contributions: Conestoga Wagon,

Kindergarten, “Continental Sunday”

•Response: Nativism– Know-Nothing Party (aka American

Party)

• National Market Economy Emerges– Regions linked in trade and development– Aided by new technology

•McCormick’s Reaper•Cotton Gin•Transportation – Turnpikes,

Steamboats, Canals, Railroads– 1828: first RR; 1860: 32,000 miles of RR

(3/4 in N)– RRs limited by different gauges and lack of

safety

•Samuel Morse: Telegraph 1844•Patents:

– 1800-1810: 360– 1850-1860: 28,000

• Industrialization– Slow to come to American b/c of cheap land, lack of $ for investment– Bright future: raw materials, labor, consumers– Textiles = America’s first industry

• Samuel Slater 1791• Eli Whitney – Cotton Gin 1793• Issac Singer – Sewing Machine

– Legal – “free incoporation” • Charles River Bridge Case – 1842

– Workers – “wage slaves”• 12 hr days the norm• Jacksonian Workingmen’s parties – call for reforms• Early unions – 300,000 trade unionists by 1830

– Hurt by Panic of 1837– Commonwealth v. Hunt 1842 – unions NOT conspiracies– 10 hr day for Fed Gov’t workers in 1840.

• Urbanization– Cities grow:

• 1790: Only 2 cities over 20,000• 1860: 43 cities over 20,000

– Conditions• No services: sewer, water, police, fire• Tenements• Pigs, rats, wild dogs• Cholera outbreaks

• Urbanization– 1790 – 2 cities over 20,000 (NY & Phila)– 1860 – 43 cities over 20,000– Conditions bad!

• Overcrowding

• Tenements

• No professional police or fire departments

• No water treatment, no sewers, no garbage pickup

• Roaming herds of pigs, rats, and dogs

• Cholera outbreaks in 1830s

Foreign Affairs

• During the 1840s the US runs into issues with Mexico and Britain

Don’t Mess with Texas• How did Texas become the “Lone Star Republic”

– Mexico declares independence from Spain in 1821 – Mexican gov’t invites Americans to settle there to secure Texas.

• Stephen Austin leads 300 families• By 1830, there would be over 30,000 “Anglos” (Americans)• Texas is dominated by Americans and has a strong American

identity.– Mexico outlaws slavery in 1829; Texans settlers ignore this, so

Mexico attempts to crack down & bars further American immigration.

• Texas declares its independence from Mexico in 1835; after a year of fighting Mexico backs down.

• Texas then asks to be annexed to the US.– President Jackson refuses to annex TX…doesn’t want to start

another fight over adding a slave state.– Republic of Texas (Lone Star Republic) would remain

independent until 1844.

Trouble with Britain• Anti-British sentiment running high.

– Britain upset at American slavery; – Americans owed money to British banks,

but default on loans after the Panic of 1837.– The Caroline Incident 1837

• A small Canadian insurrection begins in 1837. • US policy = neutrality, but many Ams support the

rebellion because they hate Britain. • Caroline--an American ship ferrying supplies to

rebels across the Niagara River in NY--attacked and burned by British forces on the NY side of the river. This sparked protests from the American government.

– The Creole Incident 1841• Slaves on board an American ship revolt; Britain

offers them asylum in the Bahamas.

– The Aroostook War (1842)• Boundary dispute over northern Maine.• Lumberjacks and militia start fighting.• Resolved by Webster-Ashburton Treaty

1842.

– Oregon Boundary • US-Britain jointly occupied Oregon and

have disagreed about the border since 1824.

• 54º40’ = northern border…US wants this = all of Oregon.

– Creole Incident (1841). GB offers 130 slaves asylum in the Bahamas after they had revolted and captured the American ship Creole

– Maine Boundary Dispute: "The Aroostook War" -- 1842.

• GB's desire to construct a road from Halifax (Nova Scotia) to Quebec in disupted territory

• Lumberjack war erupts involving local militia from both Canada and Maine.

• resolved by the Ashburton-Webster Treaty (1842). – The disputed territory was split roughly in half--with the US

getting about 7,000 of 12,000 acres and GB getting their road.

– The Caroline incident was also patched up in these proceedings.

Manifest Destiny

• Manifest Destiny – phrase coined by John O’Sullivan in 1845.– Americans destined to expand, spread "superior" ideals

and institutions (democracy, Christianity, individualism, capitalism) across the continent

– the perfect marriage of "land greed" and idealism…"empire and liberty.“

• Expansion = Key issue in 1844 Election.

• Democratic platform– Annex TX– Occupy all of Oregon (54-40 or Fight!)– Acquire California from Mexico

 "Manifest Destiny!" and the 1844 Election.

• Manifest Destiny – phrase coined by John O’Sullivan in 1845.– Americans destined to expand, spread

"superior" ideals and institutions (democracy, Christianity, individualism, capitalism) across the continent

– the perfect marriage of "land greed" and idealism…"empire and liberty.“

• Democratic Platform in 1844: – Annex Texas; occupy all of Oregon (54°40‘ or

fight!)

James K. Polk

• Voters label Polk as Young Hickory“• An expansionist.• Effective at achieving his goals

– Annex Texas• This is done immediately after his election in 1845.

– Occupy Oregon.• He negotiates with Britain. Doesn’t succeed in taking

all the territory to 54-40, but instead compromises and agrees to extend the 49 parallel border to the coast.

– Acquisition of California. • This was accomplished with a bit more difficulty…the

Mexican War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ceded California along with other Mexican territory to the US in exchange for $15 million.

Mexican War• Causes/Events Leading to the War:

– Slidell Mission Rejected• Sec. State James Slidell• Offers $25 million for California.• Mexico, upset about US annexation of TX, rejects the offer

– Polk “provokes” Mexico into attacking the US• Moves troops into disputed territory between the Nueces River and

the Rio Grande.• Mexico attacks US troops, Polk proclaims “American blood has been

shed on American Soil”

• Opposition to the War– Abolitionists– “Conscience Whigs”

• Propose numerous “Spot Resolutions” asking Polk to show where “blood had been shed” to prove it was not on American soil.

• “Spotty” Abe Lincoln – earns nickname because he proposes the resolution so many times.

Texas Boundary Dispute

Consequences of the Mexican War

1. Vast new territory gained– Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)

• US gains the Mexican Cession (Cali, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico); gives Mexico $15 million

• Mexico gives up claims to Texas; Rio Grande becomes the border.

– Gadsden Purchase (1853)• Small strip of land south of the Mexican Cession purchased

for $10 million.

• Provides a pass through the mountains…the US wants to build a railroad there.

Gadsen Purchase (1853)

Consequences of the Mexican War

2. Boosts the idea of Manifest Destiny.3. Provides training and experience for future Civil

War generals.4. Reputation of the US in Europe increased (the

US seen as a serious world power); reputation of the US in the Americas decreased (the US seen as a bullying menace)

5. Reignites the issue of slavery.• Will slavery extend into the new territories?

• The Wilmot Proviso• California and the Compromise of 1850