Aim: Is it our right to expand our country?

What do you see?

Would you:

• Move to another state in the United States, such as Iowa or Nebraska?– Why or why not?

Would you:

• Move to another state if Congress:– Gave you 160 acres of free federal land and

your job was to live on it and develop it for at least 5 years?

• Why or why not?

Homestead Act

• 1862• Congress encouraged

settlement on frontier• A homesteader (settler)

could get 160 acres of free land in return more living on it for at least 5 years

• More than 2 million people took advantage of this offer– 1900: 400 million of the

land have been settled on

• Created new demand for railroads and farm machinery

Manifest Destiny

• Manifest- “clearly shown”- plain to see

• Destiny- “fate”- something sure to happen

Manifest Destiny• Americans use the term “Manifest Destiny” meant that it was

clearly the fate of the United States to expand westward to the Pacific Ocean

Homestead Act

Why did Jefferson want to buy Louisiana from France? -Expand to West

-Land owned by France-Napoleon needed money for war

-Paid $15 million for land-Lewis and Clark explored land

After we took over Louisiana, the U.S. looked to Florida and other lands.

Why did Americans consider Spanish control of Florida a problem?

Florida

• Under Spanish control

• Home of Seminole Indians, attacked Georgia

• Jackson attacks, Spain can’t defend

• U.S. buys Florida for $5 million

Why were people heading to Oregon?

Oregon Trail• 1830s businessmen

were force to close• People moved out

west to make a new start

• Traveled in Wagon trains

• 6 months for trip• Large groups of

families traveled together for protection

Once we went to Oregon the next place was California

• John Sutter received a land grant from Mexico trading post

• Gold rush- James Marshall and John Sutter discovered gold

• People quit jobs and headed west

• People called 49’s because of the year they came?

• Levis Strauss- German businessman created overalls

California

Utah

• Settled by Mormons

• Moved to Utah to avoid religious problems

• Built their own city water system, farms, and churches

TEXAS

TEXAS

How were Americans encouraged to settle in Texas?

• Spanish government offered Moses Austin land grant.– His son, Stephen, brought settlers to Texas

• Americans brought culture, language, religion that were different

• Texans were against Mexican rule– Created their own government, Sam Houston to lead army

• Mexicans won battle at Alamo, but Texas won independence

• Texas became it’s own country• 1845, President Polk asked Texas to join U.S.-

(Annexation of Texas)

Mexican-American War 1845-1847

• Both Mexico and U.S. claimed rights to Rio Grande River

• Sent troops to area

• Tension arose

• Small conflict between Mexican and American soldiers

1848 - THE MEXICAN CESSIONTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

– ended the war– Mexico agreed to surrender

nearly all of its territory north of the Rio Grande river in exchange for $15 million

What new territory (or states) will become part of the Mexican Cession?

New Mexico, Arizona and California

Gadsden Purchase of 1853

• U.S. paid Mexico $10 million for a narrow strip of present-day Arizona and New Mexico

Were we supposed to gain all this land or did we take it?

Quotes

"America has no right to take the lands west of the Louisiana Territory. Those lands are rightfully owned by Mexico and to enter into conflict with the Mexicans just to expand and take that land would violate the principles of this great nation."

"It is America's right to stretch from sea to shining sea. Not only do we have a responsibility to our citizens to gain valuable natural resources we also have a responsibility to civilize this beautiful land [and spread ideas of God] to natives."

Questions

• What are THREE ways America acquired more land?

• What were the reasons for expanding?

• Was Manifest Destiny a good thing for America?