The Journey West

GOAL!

Manifest Destiny in Maine & Oregon

American Lumbermen from Maine battled with British lumbermen from Canada over land.

• Webster Ashburton-Treaty (1842)- solved the dispute by confirming the Canadian and British border

American missionaries starting in the 1820s began to expand west into present day Oregon spreading Christianities... Oregon Trail

• British and Americans had previously decided that the territory would belong to both nations.

• More Americans in the Southern region and British in the Northern region.

• President Polk- "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight"

Britain and America did not want war so a Compromise was made giving the U.S. Oregon Territory.

• The Oregon Treaty (1846)- Gave the U.S. the Oregon treaty at the 49th Parallel

From Van Buren, to William Henry Harrison, to John Tyler, and to James K. Polk

Panic of 1837 will spark a change in the polls to What political party?

Election of 1844- James K. Polk v Henry Clay

Election of 1840- William Henry Harrison (Whig) died 30 days into office in 1841.

Sam Houston and Texas Independence

Battle of San Jacinto- General Sam Houston kept a small force together and he defeated the Mexican army near present day Houston capturing Santa Anna in April of 1836

Promised American Expansion

Houston became president and drove out any Mexicans living in Texas because of distrust.

John Tyler (VP-Whig) took over and sucked as a President, hence why you have never heard of him.

• "54-40 or Fight!"

Annexation (acceptance to the United States) was ignored by Jackson and Van Buren... WHY?

James K. Polk (11th President)

(1841-1845)

...because they feared the imbalance of slave and free states.

Democrat

(1845-1849)

So Texas became a Lone Star Republic in 1836 and was accepted as an independent nation by France and England.

Conflict between the Americans & Mexico

Americans living in Texas wanted slavery but Mexico had abolished slavery in 1829.

General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna seized power in Mexico as a dictator and who naturally took away more power from state gov't (Texas)

By 1836, Americans in Texas declared its independence.

Battle at the Alamo (Feb.-March 1836)

"The Napoleon of the West"

1,500 Mexicans vs about 200 Texans.

About 500 Mexican casualties with no surviving Texans.

Manifest Destiny in Action

Americans in Texas

• The territory of Texas belonged to the Republic of Mexico up until the 1830s

• However, Mexican gov't encouraged Americans to settle in Texas to strengthen the economy through taxes

The Journey West

• Thought this would create a buffer for American Expansion

• So by 1830, 7,000 Americans (mostly southerners with slaves) came to settle in Texas

Stephen Austin- Mexican gov't offered him land in exchange to bring Americans to Texas.

By 1835, 30,000 Americans had settled in Texas.

American Progress, John Cast 1872

When understanding the purpose, use Specific Evidence from symbols within the painting.

H.I.P.P

Manifest Destiny

Idea: America was destined-by God and by history- to expand its boundaries over the continent of North America and spread American Liberty.

John L. O'Sullivan first coined the phrase when he wrote in 1845-

".... the right of our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federalize development of self-government entrusted to us. It is right such as that of the tree to the space of air and the earth suitable for the full expansion of its principle and destiny of growth."

Also was racially motivated as well.

• Americans cited the superiority of the "American Race" meaning that Mexicans and Native Americans were unfit to be part of the "American" Community

Henry Clay.. The Great Compromiser, opposed the idea of expansion.

• Why?

President Martin Van Buren

Manifest Destiny & Conflict

8th President

(1837-1841)

Democratic Party

(Favored small gov't)

U.S.A. Expansion