Manifest Destiny in the 1840sManifest Destiny in the 1840sUNIT 7

THEMETHEMEEmboldened with a spirit of Emboldened with a spirit of “Manifest Destiny” the “Manifest Destiny” the United States acquired vast United States acquired vast territories in the 1840s. The territories in the 1840s. The acquisition of Texas and acquisition of Texas and half of the Oregon Territory half of the Oregon Territory was followed by the was followed by the Mexican War that yielded Mexican War that yielded the U.S. the vast Mexican the U.S. the vast Mexican Cession and reignited the Cession and reignited the slavery issue.slavery issue.

MANIFEST DESTINY IN THE 1840sMANIFEST DESTINY IN THE 1840s

I. President John TylerA. Death of President Harrison, 1841

-- Vice President Tyler ascended to the presidency

President William Henry Harrison had only been in office

one month when he died of pneumonia.

President John TylerPresident John Tyler1841-18451841-1845

WhigWhig

B. Tyler had Jacksonian views-- Thwarted Webster & Clay C. Signed bill to end Independent Treasury SystemD. Vetoed Clay’s attempt at a new BUSE. Tyler was expelled from his party and his entire cabinet resigned

II. Manifest Destiny A. Many Americans believed they were destined to conquer the continent 1. Really began with Jackson’s Indian removal policies in 1830s

2. Definition coined by John L. O’Sullivan

B. Election of 18441. Democrats nominated James K. Polk -- Sought to annex Texas and take control of the Oregon Territory2. Whigs nominated Henry Clay -- Clay’s mistaken strategy3. Liberty Party

4. James K. Polk d. Henry Clay

Emmanuel Leutze: “Westward the Course of Empire”, 1861

John Gast, “American Progress,” 1872

Manifest Destiny = ““TOM”TOM”

TT exas, 1845

OO regon, 1846

MM exican Cession (CA, UT territory, NM territory), 1848

President James K. PolkPresident James K. Polk1845-18491845-1849DemocratDemocrat

III. Texas joins the Union A. Republic of Texas lasted 9 years

B. Texas was the leading issue of the 1844 presidential campaign C. Tyler pushed for annexation and got a joint resolution from Congress (during his lame-duck period) D. Mexico refused to recognize the annexation

IV. President James K. PolkA. One of the most successful one- term presidents in U.S. historyB. Polk’s 4-point program 1. Walker Tariff of 1846: Lowered rate from 32% to 25% 2. Restoration of Independent Treasury System (1846) 3. Acquisition of California 4. Settlement of the Oregon dispute with Britain

Polk’s Presidency: “COIL”“COIL”

C C alifornia

OO regon

I I ndependent Treasury System

LL ower Tariff (Walker Tariff, 1846)

C. Oregon 1. British and U.S. claims

-- John Jacob Astor: American Fur Company2. Americans migrated by the thousands into Oregon south of the Columbia River a. Oregon Trail

b. British concerns c. Polk abandoned the 54˚40’campaign pledge

The Oregon Trail

ALBERT BIERSTADT (1830-1902)The Oregon Trail, 1869

The Oregon

Boundary Dispute

3. Oregon Treaty, 1846: U.S. received land below the 49th parallel

D. Causes of the Mexican War 1. Polk sought to buy California from Mexico

a. California was the gateway to the Pacific b. Mexico severed diplomatic relations with U.S. after Texas annexation

c. Border dispute: -- Nueces River vs. Rio Grande

Texas Border Dispute

d.U.S. (Texas) claims against Mexico: $3 million

e.John Slidell failed to purchase California

2. Declaration of war against Mexico

a. January, 1846: Polk sent Gen. Zachary Taylor across the Nueces River to the Rio Grande

Zachary Taylor became America’s biggest war hero after the Mexican War and was elected president the year it

ended in 1848

Fort Brown where the war began

General Zachary Taylor crossed the Nueces River and built a fort on the northern bank of the Rio Grande before Mexico attacked.

b. April, 1846: Mexican forces crossed the Rio Grande and attacked U.S. forces

i. Polk sent a war message to Congress

ii. Congress overwhelmingly voted for war A U.S. officer is

killed defending Fort Texas (Fort

Brown) during the Mexican siege of the fort in early

May, 1846

c. “Conscience Whigs: a majority of Whigs opposed the war in principle (although only 14 voted against declaring war)i. “Spot resolutions”: Abe Lincolnii. Emerson: “Mexico will poison us!”

iii. Henry David Thoreau: “Civil Disobedience” (1849)

3. U.S. invaded Mexico with a three- pronged attack a. California by land

b. California by sea c. Invasion of central Mexico

i. General Zachary Taylor

General Santa Anna, who had been defeated by Texas in 1836, seized

power in Mexico again in 1846 and led Mexico’s

failed efforts to repel the U.S. invasion.

Major Battles of the Mexican War

ii. Gen. Winfield Scott occupies Mexico City

4. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (Feb, 1848)a. Provisions: i. U.S. purchased California for $15 million

ii. U.S. gained New Mexico and Utah Territories

iii. U.S. gov’t to pay for Mexican damages to Texas propertyb. Senate ratification occurred despite bitter debate -- “Mexican Whigs”

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848

U.S. Territorial Gains: 1845-1854

4. Results of Mexican Wara. Slavery issue reignited (most important short-term result)

b. Wilmot Proviso, 1848 c. U.S. land increased by 1/3 d. 13,000 Americans died (mostly

due to disease) e. Increased expansionist

sentimentf. Negative turning point in relations with Latin America

g. U.S. military experience increased scope of Civil War

From the cover of “A Voice from the South, 1847”