MR. LIPMAN’S APUS CHAPTER 17 POWER POINT

MANIFEST DESTINY AND THE DRIVE FOR MORE LAND

1841-1848

Keys to the Chapter

• The issue of Oregon (54/40 or fight)• Texas annexation• California• Mexican – American War - Treaty of

Guadalupe Hildago (1846-48)• Wilmot Proviso and the issue of Slavery• Issues with England based upon America as a

borrower nation and England a lending nation

• John Tyler (Whig) President after Harrison dies only 30 days after inauguration

– Virginian aristocrat and former democrat– Vetoes attempt to start a new national bank and

Whigs mad at him and call him a traitor– His entire cabinet (except Webster) resigns and he

is expelled from the Whig Party– Signs Tariff Bill because Govt needs $

British mad at America• Panic of 1837 resulted in some states not

paying back $ borrowed from Britain• Americans provided guns and aid to

Canadians to rebel against British rule• British had abolished slavery and offered

asylum to some escaped slaves in Bahamas• British seeks to build road with part of it in

Maine on disputed territory so deal made.

Maine Boundary Settlement, 1842

The Issue of Texas• Texas gained independence in 1836

– 1839 – 1840 – signs treaties with France, Holland, Belgium as independent nation

– England wanted Texas to stay independent to prevent America from getting too strong• 1. Would grow cotton for British textile mills• 2. Would have “free trade” instead of Tariff like

America had

• 1844 Election issue is Texas & Polk wins

• Tyler okays annexation of Texas before leaving office and gets Congress to okay by simple majority vote

• Texas becomes a state in early 1845 and Mexico is very mad

The Battle over Oregon

• Borders are in dispute– 4 nations originally claimed part of Oregon • Spain, Russia, Britain, US

– 1819 – Spain gave up its claim to US in Florida Treaty

– 1824 – 1825 – Russia moved north of 54° 40’ in treaties with US and Britain

– British claim land North of Columbia River

• Treaty of 1818–US and Britain had agreed on 49th parallel as

northern border of Louisiana Purchase –US and Britain would share Oregon

Country –1840s Americans start a rush to Oregon

Country using the Oregon Trail– The controversy begins to grow concerning

the boundary line of the 49th parallel and Americans now greatly outnumber British

U.S.-British Boundary Settlement, 1818

The Oregon Controversy 1846

Manifest Destiny

A belief that God had destined US to expand from Atlantic to Pacific Oceans –Combination of “empire” and “liberty”•US would control land and spread

democracy over continent –Heavily influenced the election of 1844

and the election of Polk who promised to fulfill destiny {Texas and Oregon}

Manifest Destiny

• Election of 1844– Polk beats Clay in close election – Clay alienated many abolitionists in North with

position on Texas • Clay would have won election, but lost New

York by 5,000 votes

• Democrats and Polk believed they had mandate for expansionist policy – Unclear that they did

PRESIDENT POLKTook life seriously and was very hard working – Developed 4-point program and achieved it in his 1 term • Lower tariff• Restoration of independent treasury (passed 1846)• Settlement of Oregon problem with Britain

obtained in 1846 with approval of annexation of territory at 49th parallel. • Acquisition of California (offered to purchase it but

can’t make deal with Mexico) because in April 1846 Mexican troops fire on Americans and now even North agrees to war with Mexico

The START OF THE WAR

• August 1846 – General Stephen Kearny takes fort at Santa Fe

– then marches to California but Fremont already won the battle there

• June 1846 – Captain John C. Frémont works with Americans in California and US Navy to overthrow Mexicans – Establishes independent Bear Flag Republic

Result of war is renewed Slavery Issue

North claimed that war was fought to expand slavery • Most land gained was south of 36° 30’ line

– Wilmot Proviso

• David Wilmot : representative from Pennsylvania in 1846 proposes to ban slavery in any territory taken from Mexico • Passed House, but not Senate; southerners

refused to give in but North wanted it– Slavery issues brought up by Mexican War will not

be settled until Civil War

Major Campaigns of the Mexican War

Two Key Generals win the War• 1846 – 1847 – General Zachary Taylor

(“Old Rough and Ready”) invades Mexico by land

• Early 1847 – General Winfield Scott (“old Fuss and Feathers”) lands at Vera Cruz and moves north to Mexico City –September 1847 – American victory at

Mexico City under Scott

• February 2, 1848 – Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed by negotiator Nicholas Trist and Mexicans–US given official title to Texas –Mexican Cession • Land of present-day Southwest, including

California to America (key to deal)–US pays $15 million for the land –US pays $3.25 million that Mexico owed to

US citizens for prior debts from Texas

• Polk submitted treaty to Senate but many in North oppose it: –Northern Whigs opposed war and

expansion of southern land (where slavery would be practiced) • Had even threatened to cut off funding for war

in 1847

– Expansionists (especially Democratic Southerners) wanted to take all of Mexico to expand slavery–Congress eventually compromised and

approved treaty

Two Famous Quotes about War

• Emerson: “Mexico will poison us”

• Calhoun: “Mexico is to us the forbidden fruit… the penalty for eating it would

be to subject our institutions to political death”