THE WESTChapter 13 – Section 1

“THE WEST” Frontier – land that forms the

farthest extent of a nation’s settled regions

From the Appalachians to Mississippi River – settled by the 1820s

Louisiana Territory becomes the frontier

THE GREAT PLAINS From Mississippi River to the Rocky

Mountains Farmers thought – not suitable for farming Covered by grass deeply anchored by deep

root system Breakup of ‘sod’ – hard, manual labor Looked further west to Oregon Country in

NW or Mexican lands in SW

THE NORTHWEST IN 1800S Area of Oregon, Washington, British

Columbia – claimed by Britain, Russia, US Settlers attracted by fertile lands mild

climate

THE SOUTHWEST IN 1800’S Present-day California, Utah, Nevada,

Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado Known as Spanish Borderlands Part of New Spain Culture and history different from

eastern US

MEXICAN SETTLEMENTS Spanish colonies required –

mercantilism Allowed no trade with the US Raw materials sent back to Spain Goods manufactured and sent back to

colonies American born children – creoles Intermarriage created mestizos Distinct Southwestern culture is created

NATIVE AMERICANS Many forced to convert to Catholicism Forced to work - Spanish owned

farms/missions Many died from disease/overwork Spanish brought language, religion, laws Indians introduced beans, squash,

potatoes, clothing like ponchos, moccasins

Architecture evolved – Spanish design - adobe

MEXICO WINS INDEPENDENCE 1821 – won independence from Spain Mexico allowed trade with US Under Spanish rule

Land grants given to peninsulares Under Mexican rule

Land grants given to rancheros Removed missions from church control – gave

away land Native Americans lost their land

Raided ranches – crushed By 1850 – population had reduced

MANIFEST DESTINY Jefferson realized the need to allow

expansion – extending the nation beyond its existing borders Louisiana Territory Movement west Americans favored expansion Newspaper editor – John O’Sullivan

‘Right of our manifest destiny to overspread and possess the whole of the continent’

Destined to extend from Atlantic to Pacific – sea to shining sea

TRAILS TO THE WESTChapter 13 – Section 2

TRADERS LEAD THE WAY – SANTA FE TRAIL

First Americans to move west – traders looking for new markets

Captain William Becknell Led first wagon train from Independence,

Mo. Traders with merchandise 800 miles over rivers, deserts Became the Santa Fe Trail Became busy trade route

OREGON FUR TRADE John Jacob Astor – German immigrant Established American Fur Company – 1808 –

Fort Astor (Astoria, Oregon) Became richest man in the US Sent an expedition west – two groups

1st – sailed around South America/up Pacific coast 2nd – traveled across continent

Used information from Lewis/Clark Found the South Pass through the Rocky Mountains Opened Northwest Passage for missionaries/settlers

MOUNTAIN MEN Fur trappers of the Northwest Led isolated lives, cold, heat, wild animals Beaver fur/great demand/high prices Yearly rendezvous

meeting to trade furs for supplies celebrated time with others in contests,

singing,etc. Legendary Mountain Men

Jedediah Smith – scalped by bear James Bechwourth – found pass/major route to CA

Area Jedediah Smith explored

THE OREGON TRAIL - MISSIONARIES Set out to convert Native Americans Marcus and Narcissa Whitman

Cayuse Indians Mistrusted – didn’t learn language More settlers moved in Measles epidemic killed many Indians Blamed Whitman’s and killed them/12

settlers Stories of Oregon – led more settlers to

come

OREGON TRAIL

ON THE OREGON TRAIL Stretched 2000 miles from Missouri to Oregon Set out in spring – needed to be there within 5

months – before winter in the passes Disease, accidents, Native Americans Hard trip – covered wagons led by oxen, horses Wagons carried food, supplies, belongings People walked – 15 hours a day Ditched supplies along the way Fresh water/dust problems 50,000 reached Oregon between 1840-1860

LIFE IN THE WEST Pioneer life was hard

Cleared land by hand, disease, accidents, disasters

Winters without food, enough shelters Many returned to the East Some thrived like John and Annie

Bidwell

WOMEN IN THE WEST Worked alongside men – labor was

important for family to survive West was first to reward women Women’s struggle continued

Right to vote (Wyoming first to give suffrage)

NATIVE AMERICAN AND SETTLERS In Oregon – uneasy peace between

Indians and settlers Southern Oregon – usually got along Northern Oregon

Discovery of gold brought many white/Chinese miners

Angered Native Americans – fought back Killed whites and Chinese/retaliated – killed

women and children US government intervened – forced treaty

solution

CONFLICT WITH MEXICOChapter 13 – Section 3

TEXAS WINS INDEPENDENCE 1820 - Spanish governor - land grant to

Moses Austin to settle a colony in Texas Stephen Austin (son) led 300

Americans into Texas 1821 – Mexico got independence

Honored Austin’s claim to land Austin’s groups agreed to become Mexican

citizens and become Catholics

GROWING CONFLICT Americans started flooding into Texas Conflict between Protestants/Catholics Americans wanted to grow cotton - slaves Mexicans opposed slavery 1830 – Mexico banned new American

settlements Tensions – enforce slavery laws/Catholic Mexico began to levy heavy taxes on imports

DECLARING INDEPENDENCE American settlers wanted more say in

Mexican government Tejanos (Texans/Mexican decent)

wanted a democratic gov’t 1833 General Antonio Lopez de Santa

Anna became president Overturned constitution Started a dictatorship

TEXANS AT WAR Texas declared independence/Republic of

Texas Santa Anna responded with force Troops met at the mission – Alamo

San Antonio 185 Anglo-Americans and Tejanos Santa Anna laid siege (attack in which one force

surrounds a city or fort) Held out for 12 days under heavy fire Finally Mexican forces overran the Alamo – all

killed

GENERAL SANTA ANNA

INSPIRATION OF THE ALAMO Many volunteers joined the Texan army Sam Houston led small army against

Santa Anna at San Jacinto Captured him within 15 minutes Forced him to recognize Texan

independence

REPUBLIC OF TEXAS Sam Houston –president of Texas Wanted US to annex Texas Southerners wanted a slave state Northerners wanted a free state Presidents Andrew Jackson/Martin Van

Buren opposed annexation Remained unsettled for 10 years

ELECTION OF 1844 President John Tyler –

favored annexation but wasn’t nominated Whig candidate – Henry Clay

Avoided issue of annexation Democratic candidate – James Polk

Called for annexation of Texas and Oregon Oregon claimed by US/Britain Polk demanded Britain withdraw from

territory south of 54* 40 N Candidate of expansion won

ANNEXATION President Tyler

Asked Congress to annex Texas – 3 days left in office

Congress voted for admission – Texas voted yes President Polk negotiated treaty with Britain

to divide Oregon US got land south of 49*N Territory became states of Washington, Oregon,

Idaho

TENSIONS WITH MEXICO Annexation increased tensions with

Mexico Treaty with Santa Anna put boundary at

Rio Grande Mexican gov’t claimed it was the

Nueces River Texas never controlled between two

rivers Polk put pressure on Mexico to accept

MEXICAN AMERICAN WAR Polk offered money to settle boundary Offered to purchase California and New Mexico Mexico was outraged – didn’t want to cede

more Polk changed tactic:

Sent General Zachary Taylor to disputed lands Hoped to provoke Mexico Mexico thought this an act of war Ambushed a patrol Polk asked Congress to declare war

OPPOSITION TO WAR Southerners supported the war Northerners argued that Polk provoked

war and wanted to extend slavery Called it “Mr. Polk’s War”

REBELLION IN CALIFORNIA Polk ordered troops under Stephen Kearney

to invade and capture Santa Fe; then went onto California

California began their own revolt against Mexico

John C. Fremont joined forces with Kearny. Took Monterey and San Francisco Kearny took Santa Fe and San Diego All of California – under US control

INVASION OF MEXICO General Zachary Taylor captured Monterrey Santa Anna attacked Taylor at Battle of

Buena Vista but Santa Anna had to retreat General Winfield Scott captured Veracruz

(port) Scott marched to Mexico City Defeated Mexicans at Chapultepec Santa Anna fled the capital – US held the

capital

MANIFEST DESTINY President Polk sent Nicholas Trist to help

Scott negotiate a treaty Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo – 1848

Formerly ended war Mexico recognized annexation of Texas Paid Mexico - $18 million Ceded vast territory (Mexican Cession) to

US California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado,

New Mexico, Arizona

GADSDEN PURCHASE 1853 US paid Mexico $10 million Narrow strip of present day Arizona and

New Mexico Set current boundary with Mexico

A RUSH TO THE WESTChapter 13 – Section 4

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith – New York

Heavenly visions reveled the Book of Mormon

Some of teachings conflicted with other faiths

Favored polygamy – practice of having more than one wife at a time

LDS/MORMONS MOVE WEST Hostile communities forced movements

From New York to Ohio, to Missouri Nauvoo, Illinois – Joseph Smith murdered

by mob New Leader – Brigham Young

Led a party in 1847 Great Salt Lake Hazardous journey Next few years 15,000 Mormons Settled - Utah

GREAT SALT LAKE Utah was safe but difficult Dry desert Crickets almost destroyed first harvest

but flock of seagulls flew in and devoured the crickets

Set up a efficient system of irrigation

GOVERNMENT CONFLICT WITH MORMONS

Mexican Cession – Utah Territory part of US

LDS Leaders conflicted with government officials Mormons controlled elections Church supported only Mormon businesses Polygamy illegal in rest of country Outsiders had difficulty

Congress passed law to take control of elections

Church leaders agreed to ban polygamy 1896 - Utah became a state

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH California ceded in 1848 10,000 population Few wealthy families controlled Big ranches worked by poorer Easterners began to migrate Wealthy Californians resented

newcomers

GOLD IS DISCOVERED – JANUARY 1848

John Sutter found gold Word spread like wildfire California Gold Rush began 80,000 prospectors came – 49ers In two years – population grew 14,000-

100,000 Sutter’s Mill was beginning of placer mining

Surface gold quickly found Gold loads were more difficult to find Large companies took over the mining

WATER RIGHTS IN CALIFORNIA DESERT Water rights - legal rights to use the

water in a river, stream and other bodies of water Landowners had water rights under older

Mexican laws Illegal to cut off water to one’s neighbors Often the first to reach a stream used all

water Disputes erupted into violence

LIFE IN MINING TOWNS – NOT A STATE YET Not permanent towns – gold ran out –

abandoned and move to another town Towns attracted miners and those making

money off mines Businesses catered to miners Entertainment/saloons , dry goods, hardware,

livery Federal laws did not apply – created own

rules Hired vigilantes – self appointed law enforcers

WOMEN Most of the 49ers were men Ratio of 12-1 (men to women) Women came in search of fortune, work

or adventure After Gold Rush, many people give it up

and stayed in the West for good