CHAPTER 17

MANIFEST DESTINY AND ITSLEGACY

START OF THE 1840s

• EXPANSION WILL BE THE BIG ISSUE OFTHE 1840s

• HARRISON NOW PREZ - ONLY 30 DAYS– JOHN TYLER BECOMES PREZ– OPPOSED ALMOST EVERY IDEA OF

THE WHIG PARTY - HATED JACKSON– TROUBLE LIES AHEAD

TYLER’S PRESIDENCY

• AFTER THE ELECTION THE WHIGPARTY BEGAN ITS WORK– CLAY & WEBSTER AT ITS HEAD– WANTED A NEW TARIFF

• TYLER VETOED IT• EVENTUALLY SIGNED ONE IN 1842

– WANTED A NEW BANK OF THE US• TYLER VETOED IT TWICE

ALL THIS LED ALL BUT ONE MEMBER OF HIS CABINET TO RESIGN

PROBLEMS WITH BRITAIN

• WAR OF WORDS BACK AND FORTH INTHE PRESS

• 1837 - WAS A SMALL REVOLT INCANADA– SOME AMERICANS WENT TO HELP AND

GAVE SUPPLIES• U.S.S. CAROLINE

– U.S. SHIP ATTACKED BY THE BRITISH– BRITISH SAILOR WAS TRIED FOR MURDER

IN NY, WAS EVENTUALLY RELEASED

MAINE CONTROVERSY

• G.B. WANTED TOBUILD A ROADTHROUGHTERRITORY CLAIMEDBY THE U.S. & G.B.

• AROOSTOCK WAR– SMALL FIGHT B/N U.S.

AND BRITISHLUMBERJACKS

WEBSTER-AHSBURTONTREATY

• SETTLED THEMAINE BORDER– U.S. GOT MORE

LAND BUT THEBRITISH GOT THELAND TO BUILDTHEIR ROAD

– BRITISH ALSOGAVE UP A LOT OFLAND IN THEGREAT LAKESAREA - BIG LATER

TEXAS

• MEXICO STILL SAW IT AS APROVINCE IN REVOLT– TEXAS SOON SIGNED TREATIES WITH

NUMEROUS EUROPEAN COUNTRIES• BRITISH REALLY WANTED IT

– TO CHECK U.S GROWTH ANDPROVIDE COTTON

• BECAME A BIG ISSUE IN THE 1844ELECTION

TEXAS IN THE 1844 ELECTION

• JAMES K. POLK (D) WANTED TOANNEX TEXAS AND BEAT CLAY (W)

• TYLER SAW THIS A MANDATE TOANNEX TEXAS– TO SALVAGE SOMETHING OUT OF HIS

PRESIDENCY• TREATY PASSED IN 1845

OREGON TERRITORY

• CLAIMED AT ONEPOINT BY 4COUNTRIES– BRITISH CLAIMED THE

AREA NORTH OF THECOLUMBIA RIVER

• STRONG TRADING TIESHUDSON BAY CO.

– U.S. HAD STRONGCLAIMS TOO

• EXPLORED IT, MANYSETTLERS ANDMISSIONARIES

OREGON FEVER

• OREGON FEVER– 5,000 AMERICANS

WENT TO THEWILLAMETTE RIVERVALLEY IN BY 1846

– ONLY 700 BRITISH• BECAME A BIG ISSUE

IN THE 1844ELECTION

ELECTION OF 1844

• CLAY (Whig)VS. POLK (Dem.)• POLK WAS A DARK-HORSE CANDIDATE -

– SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE FOR 4 YEARS• MANIFEST DESITNY WAS THE BIG ISSUE

– DEMS. WERE PRO-EXPANSION– WHIGS & CLAY TRIED TO RIDE THE

FENCE• POLK NARROWLY WON

POLK’S PRESIDENCY

• HAD 4 MAJOR CAMPAIGN PROMISES -FOLLOWED THROUGH ON THEM ALL– 1) LOWER TARIFF

• WALKER TARIFF (1846)– 2) RESTORE THE INDEPENDENT

TREASURY• HAD BEEN DONE AWAY WITH DURING THE

TYLER ADMINISTRATION

POLK’S PRESIDENCY

• MAJOR CAMPAIGN PROMISES -– 3) SETTLE THE OREGON BORDER

• SOME DEMS PORMISED THE WHOLE AREA• “54°40’ OR FIGHT”• ONCE IN OFFICE POLK PROPOSED THE 49TH

PARALLEL AS A COMPROMISE (A COUPLE OFTIMES)

• THE BRITISH LATER PROPOSED THE 49THPARALLEL LINE AND WE SAID YES

• SENATE APPROVED– (PARTLY B/C OF CONFLICT WITH MEXICO)

POLK & CALIFORNIA

• POLK ALSO PROMISED TEXAS ANDCALIFORNIA (TX ALREADY ANNEXED)– WANTED CALIFORNIA BECAUSE IT WAS

FERTILE FARMLAND AND PROVIDED AHARBORS TO THE PACIFIC

• POLK TRIED TO BUY IT FROM MEXICO– WOULDN’T SELL IT– STILL MAD ABOUT TEXAS AND A

DISAGREEMENT OVER TEXAS’ SOUTHERNBORDER

– POLK DECIDES TO PICK A FIGHT WITH MEXICO

PRELUDE TO WAR

• THERE WAS A DISPUTE BETWEENTHE U.S. & MEXICO OVER THESOUTHERN BORDER OF TEXAS– MEXICO SAYS - NUECES RIVER– U.S SAYS RIO GRANDE RIVER

• RUMORS BEGAN THAT THE BRITISHWANTED TO BUY CALIFORNIA

• POLK TRIED TO BUY CALIFORNIAAGAIN AND MEXICO SAID NO

PRELUDE TO WAR

• POLK THEN DECIDED TO FORCE ASHOWDOWN WITH MEXICO

• HE ORDERED 4,000 U.S TROOPS INTOTHE DISPUTED AREA– UNDER GEN. ZACHARY TAYLOR– WAITED FOR A FIGHT THAT DIDN’T COME

• EVENTUALLY SHOTS WERE FIRED ATU.S. TROOPS– POLK THEN DECLARED WAR- POPULAR– LINCOLN - SPOT RESOLUTIONS

MEXICAN WAR

• STEPHEN KEARNEYTOOK SANTA FE

• JOHN C. FREMONTTOOK CALIFORNIA

• GEN. ZACHARYTAYLOR LED THECHARGE INTO MEXICO– WON THE BATTLE

OF BUENA VISTA– STALLED IN

NORTHEN MEXICO

MEXICAN WAR

• GEN WINFIELD SCOTTTOOK OVER– TOOK CONTROL OF

MEXICO CITY

• LED TO THE END OFTHE WAR

KEARNEY SCOTT TAYLOR

TREATY OF GUADELUPE- HIDALGO

• U.S. GOT TX ANDTHE MEXICANCESSION TERR.

• MEXICO GOT $15MILLION– GUILT MONEY

• U.S. ALSO PAID$3.25 MILLION– CLAIMS OF U.S.

CITIZENS AGAINSTMEXICO

RESULTS OF THE MEXICAN WAR

• U.S. INCREASED IN SIZE BY 1/3• PROVIDED FIELD EXPERIENCE FOR

SOLDIERS WHO WOULD FIGHT THECIVIL WAR

• U.S. MILITARY HAD NEW RESPECTFROM FOREIGN COUNTIRES

• STRAINED RELATIONS WITH LATINAMERICA

• SLAVERY BACK ON THE TABLE AGAIN