MANIFEST DESTINY

Many Americans believed that it was the responsibility of the U.S. to serve as a model of freedom and democracy. In the 1800’s, Americans believed that the U.S. should spread democracy by occupying the entire continent.

In the 1840’s, a newspaper editor named John O’Sullivan used the term “manifest destiny” to describe American expansion.

MANIFEST DESTINYThe idea that it is the “manifest destiny”—the clear and unavoidable fate—of Americans to populate the entire continent of North America.

Manifest destiny is the idea that it is God’s will that Americans expand the country and spread their culture from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.

Manifest destiny drove Americans to acquire Oregon, Texas, and Spanish territory in the West, pushing aside American Indians, Mexicans, English, and everyone else in the process.

OREGON COUNTRYThe U.S. wanted the Oregon Country to gain access to the Pacific Ocean. For a while, we jointly owned Oregon with Britain. Thousands of Americans traveled to Oregon to settle in the 1830’s.

The Oregon Trail was used by wagon trains until the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869.

Sole ownership of Oregon became an issue in the 1844 presidential election. Democrat James K. Polk used the slogan “Fifty-four forty or fight” in his campaign.

The Democrats believed that 54'40º should be the border of Oregon between the U.S. and British Canada. Eventually, the latitude 49ºN became the border.

TEXASConflict began between Spain and the U.S. over Texas because the U.S. claimed that Texas was part of the Louisiana Purchase. The U.S. dropped its claim to Texas in the Adams-Onis Treaty.

Texas became part of Mexico after the Mexican Revolution, then gained independence from Mexico in the Texas Revolution of 1836.

The Republic of Texas wanted to be annexed by the U.S. because of continued fighting with Mexico and an increasing debt.

The North did not want Texas annexed because it would enter the Union as a slave state. Polk used the issue of annexation in the election of 1844.

When Polk won the election, Texas was annexed—14 years after it had become a republic.

THE MEXICAN WARIn the early 1800’s, Mexico included present-day New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.

Mexico owned this area and encouraged American traders into the area hoping to improve the economy. The trade route from Missouri through New Mexico was called the Santa Fe Trail.

Many Americans began settling in the region, and the idea of manifest destiny led many people to want to make New Mexico and California part of the U.S.

President Polk wanted these areas to give the U.S. clear passage to the Pacific and to fulfill the nation’s manifest destiny.

Polk devised a way to pull Mexico into a war by provoking Mexico into taking military action against the U.S. over a border dispute.

Before Texas had been formally annexed by the U.S., Polk insisted that the border between Mexico and Texas was not the Nueces River (as previously recognized by both countries), but the Rio Grande River.

Polk offered to buy the disputed area for $30 million; Mexico refused. Polk sent troops into the area between the Rio Grande and Nueces Rivers (essentially attacking Mexico).

The American soldiers built a fort in the disputed area which was then attacked by Mexican soldiers. This attack resulted in a declaration of war by the U.S.

Though the Mexicans outnumbered the Americans, the U.S. forces were better equipped and had better generals—and they won the war.

TREATY OF GUADALUPE-HIDALGO

Gave the disputed area to the U.S.Mexico ceded California and New Mexico to the U.S.The U.S. gave Mexico $15 million

CONSEQUENCES OF THE MEXICAN WAR

The nation’s Manifest Destiny was closer to being fulfilled.Sectional tensions increased over the argument of whether slavery should be allowed to spread into the newly acquired territories.

GADSDEN PURCHASE (1853)The U.S. paid Mexico for a strip of land which makes up part of present-day Arizona and New Mexico.

CALIFORNIAMany Americans traveled to California in 1849 looking for gold during the Gold Rush (49ers).

Most 49ers found little (if any) gold, but merchants made huge profits and many who came to find gold stayed and settled in California. California applied for statehood in 1850.

UTAHThe Great Salt Lake area was developed as a refuge for Mormons. The Utah Territory was established in 1850 with Brigham Young as its governor.