The Road to Manifest Destiny

Luke Calhoon5th period2-24-12

Manifest Destiny

• Manifest Destiny -The idea that the United States was meant to extend its borders from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Also known as westward expansion.

• John O’Sullivan came up with this slogan in 1845.

Oregon Country

• Is the huge area that lay between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains north of California.

• The states that came from it are Oregon, Washington, Idaho, parts of Montana and Wyoming.

• We got the Oregon Country in the Treaty

Oregon Trail

• It was a 2,000 mile journey that started in Independence, Missouri. It crossed the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains.

• It crossed the Snake River, Columbia River, and the Platte River.

Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!

• This slogan referred to the line of latitude that the Democrats believed should be the nation’s northern border in Oregon.

Texas

• The main idea was that Texans won their independence from Mexico and asked to be admitted to the United States.

• The conflict over Texas started in 1803.

Stephen F Austin

• Stephen F. Austin was the leader in populating the Mexican territory of Texas. Earned the name “Father of Texas”

• He brought 300 hundred

settlers to Texas to settle hiscolony they would later be called the Old 300.

Mexican Government Decree

• The decree stopped all immigration from the United States and encouraged immigration of Mexican and European families. It also discouraged trade between Texas and the United States by placing a tax on goods imported from the United States. Both of these actions angered Americans.

Mexico's President 1833

• The president in Mexico in 1833 was General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

The Alamo

• The Alamo was a mission in San Antonio, Texas. That Texan forces waged a battle against Santa Anna and his army for 12 days. The Texans lost the battle but bought much needed time.

Texas Independence

• Texas declared its independence on March 2, 1836.

• Texas declared its independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos.

• Sam Houston was the commander in chief of the Texas forces.

Battle of San Jacinto

• Was on April 12, 1836 and the battle cry was “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!”

• At the end of the battle Santa Anna was captured and he signed a treaty that recognized the independence of Texas.

Annexation of Texas

• Andrew Jackson refused to annex Texas because the addition of another slave state would upset the balance of slave and free states in Congress.

• Texas was finally annexed on December 29, 1845 under President James K. Polk.

War with Mexico

• New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and parts of Colorado and Wyoming were the states involved.

Santa Fe Trail

• The Santa Fe Trail was a mostly flat route from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe. Traders would purchase goods prior to leaving, take the trail to Santa Fe, where they could sell the goods for a huge profit.

• The trail left the Missouri River and crossed the prairies to the Arkansas River. It followed the river west toward the Rocky Mountains before turning south into New Mexico territory.

Trade with New Mexico

• Because of trade with New Mexico Americans began settling in New Mexico and the idea of Manifest Destiny became popular. Many people saw New Mexico as territory worth acquiring, with an eye on the Mexican territory of California.

California Culture

• The culture in California was influenced by Spanish explores and missionaries from Mexico.

• John C. Fre`mont described California's climate was a mild climate, scenic beauty, and an abundance of natural resources.

Benefits of Pacific being border

• The benefits are the United States would be safely bordered by the sea instead of by a foreign power.

• Even though Mexico didn’t think the Rio Grande the U.S. insisted it was.

• The Mexicans thought the Nueces River (150 miles farther north than the Rio Grande) was the border.

Emergency meeting

• Polk called an emergency meeting because of the Mexican attack on a small group of General Taylor’s soldiers on American soil.

• Fredrick Douglass called the war disgraceful and cruel. He believed that if the United States expanded west the southern states would carry slavery into the new territories.

California

• The California flag has a Bear Flag (a bear and a star on a white background)

• General Winfield Scott was the general who captured Mexico City.

• The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo February 1848 was the treaty that ended the war.

• The official border became the Rio Grande and we got California, New Mexico from the war with Mexico.

Purchase of 1853

• The price was 10 million dollars for the Gadsden Purchase. We also got Arizona and New Mexico in this purchase.