Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy

1. Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy 1841 - 1848

2. Harrison & Tyler • Harrison contracted pneumonia & died after serving only 4 weeks (Curse of Tecumseh) • Shortest administration • John Tyler – “Accidental President” • Closet Democrat • At odds with the Whig party his whole administration

3. Whig’s Plan for Gov’t • Whig’s “secret platform” – strongly nationalistic • Financial reform - wanted to end the independent treasury system (Tyler signed it) & create a “Fiscal Bank” (Tyler vetoed it) • Proposed a “Fiscal Corporation” (vetoed by Tyler)

4. Whig Tariff • Tyler’s view on the tariff • Tyler agreed that money needed to be collected for the national treasury. • However, he did not agree that the money made off the sale of western land should be split among the states. • Whigs response • Remove the dollar-distribution & reduce tariff • Tyler signs tariff

5. Whigs Respond to Tyler • Whigs formally expelled Tyler from the party • Some attempts to impeach him in the House • Entire cabinet, except Sec of State Webster, resigned • Death threats were common

6. Problems with England • Bitter feelings between US & Britain • 2 wars & Jacksonian Democracy • British travelers looked down on Americans • “Third War with England” • Fought in the papers & with ink • Money • Americans borrow lots of money from Britain and defaulted on their loans

7. Problems Continue • Canadian Insurrection (1837) • Americans furnished military supplies & volunteered • Never had a lot of support • Caroline Incident (1837) • American steamer carrying supplies to the insurgents across the Niagara River • Attacked on the NY shore by British & set on fire • McLeod claimed to have taken part/ later found to be untrue • Creole (1841) • British officials in Bahamas offered asylum to 130 Virginia slaves who had rebelled & captured the American ship

8. Land Disputes in Maine • British want to build a road from Halifax to Quebec • Road would go through disputed territory • Land claimed by both Maine & Britain • Disputed land – Aroostook River Valley • “Aroostook War” • 1842 – London sent Lord Ashburton to meet with Sec. Webster to work out a compromise

9. Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842) • Map p. 374 • British got less land but did receive land for Halifax-Quebec route • British actually surrendered 6,500 square miles • Caroline affair was also worked out with “an exchange of diplomatic notes”

10. The Lone Star Republic • Viewed as a province in revolt by Mexico • Plans were made to reconquer Texas in the future • Texas began negotiations with England & France • Hoping to become a protectorate of either • Britain was very interested • Check expansion of America / challenge Monroe Doctrine • British abolitionists wanted to end slavery in Texas • Free-trade area • Cotton-producing area – help relieve British dependence on South

11. Texas Becomes a State • Texas became a major issue in the presidential election of 1844 • Polk (D) & Clay (W)/ Polk wins • Lame-duck President Tyler interprets Democratic victory as a “mandate” to acquire Texas • Joint resolution (only a simple majority of Congress required for approval)/ approved 3 days before Tyler leaves office • Texas becomes 28th state in 1845

12. Oregon Country • Sprawled west of the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean, and north of California to the line of 54°40’ • (present southern tip of Alaska panhandle) • Claimed at one time or another by: Spain, Russia, Britain, and the US • Spain dropped out – Florida Treaty of 1819 • Russia retreated because of treaties with US & Britain

13. British Claims to Oregon • Strong claims especially portion north of the Columbia River • Claims based on • Prior discovery • Exploration • Treaty rights • Actual occupation • Hudson’s Bay Company – trading profitably with the Indians for furs

14. American Claims to Oregon • Claims based on • Exploration – Lewis & Clark / Capt. Robert Gray • Occupation • Presence of missionaries & other settlers • Scattered American & British pioneers live peacefully side by side

15. America & Britain • Treaty of 1818 – joint occupation of Oregon • US wanted to divide domain at the 49th parallel • Britain wanted the Columbia River • Oregon Fever – hundreds of pioneers came to Oregon (Oregon Trail) • By 1846 – 5000 Americans had settled south of the Columbia River • British – 700 settlers north of the Columbia River • Actually only a small segment was disputed territory

16. Henry Clay (W) Probably most popular man in US 105 electoral votes 1,300,097 pop. votes James K. Polk (D) Speaker of the House Gov. of Tennessee 170 electoral votes 1,338,464 pop. votes Election of 1844

17. Manifest Destiny • Belief that Almighty God had “manifestly” destined the American people for a hemispheric career. • They would irresistibly spread their uplifting & ennobling democratic institutions over at least the entire continent, and possibly over South America as well.

20. Polk as President Methodical & hardworking Unwilling to delegate authority Four-Point Program Lower tariff Restoration of the independent treasury Acquisition of California Settlement of Oregon

21. Success for Polk? • Lower tariff • Sec of Treasury – Robert J. Walker proposed to reduce the Tariff of 1842 (32% to 25%) • Supported by southerners/ Complaints from New England & Middle States • Walker Tariff of 1846 – passed and raised a lot of revenue

22. Polk’s Points 2-3 • Restoration of the independent treasury • Restored in 1846 ( dropped by the Whigs in 1841) • Oregon • Proposed compromise of 49° instead of 54° 40’ • 1846 – Britain proposed same compromise • Polk gave issue to Senate & Senate approved the compromise • “Fifty-four forty or fight” did not happen

23. Mexico & California • Why California? • Bay & harbor/ Manifest Destiny • Population – Mixed • Indians, Spanish-Mexicans, & foreigners- mostly American • Polk wanted to buy CA • Diplomatic relations had been severed • Issue over boundary – Nueces River or Rio Grande • Texas in general

24. Let’s Make a Deal • Polk sends John Slidell to Mexico City in 1845 • Instructed to offer $25 million for CA & territory to the east • Mexicans would not permit Slidell to present his offer

25. American Blood on American(?) Soil • Jan. 13, 1846 – Polk ordered 4000 men, under General Zachary Taylor, to march from the Nueces River to the Rio Grande • Polk expected Mexicans to attack • May 9, 1846 –Polk asked Congress for war • Reasons: • Unpaid claims ($3 million) • Slidell’s rejection • Polk really wanted Mexican troops to fire first

26. “Jimmy Polk’s War” • April 25, 1846 – Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande & attacked General Taylor’s command • 16 Americans killed or wounded • Polk goes before Congress “American blood on the American soil” • Congress voted for war • Congressman – Lincoln// “spot” where American blood had been shed • Mexicans wanted to humiliate the “Bullies of the North”

27. War with Mexico • Polk’s goal – capture California • Fight on a limited scale & then pull out when we captured California • Santa Anna – made deal with US • Let him slip back into Mexico, he would sell his country • Polk agreed & Santa Anna betrayed him

28. Mexican – American War p. 382 • 1846 – General Stephen W. Kearny • Led his troops to Santa Fe • Easily captured & then headed for California • Captain John C. Frèmont – explorer • Collaborated with naval officers & with local Americans to take California • California Bear Flag Republic

30. General Zachary Taylor • Taylor - fought his way across the Rio Grande into Mexico • Feb. 22-23, 1847 -- Victorious over the Mexican forces at Buena Vista • Became a war hero immediately

31. General Winfield Scott • Scott – suffered several disadvantages • Inadequate # of troops, expiring enlistments, more numerous enemy, mountainous terrain, disease, & political backing at home • Sept. 1847 – Mexico City • Most distinguished general in the country

32. Talks of Peace • Polk – anxious to end war with territorial gains • sent chief clerk of the State Dept. Nicholas P. Trist with Scott’s invading army • Scott & Trist arranged an armistice with Santa Anna at a cost of $10,000 • Santa Anna pocketed money & continued with plans • Polk recalls Trist • Trist refuses to return • Works out treaty

33. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo • Feb. 2, 1848 • Terms of Treaty • American title to Texas • Yielded the area stretching westward to Oregon & the ocean & embracing all of California • US paid $15 million & assume debt of $3.25 million • Treaty was approved by Senate

34. Results of the War • 13,000 American lives lost/ mostly from disease • US increased by 1/3 • Even greater than Louisiana Purchase • Stimulus to Manifest Destiny • Provided field experience for the Civil War • Robert E. Lee & Ulysses S. Grant • Justified existence of West Point • US viewed by Mexico as the “Colossus of the North

35. Slavery Issue • David Wilmot (PA) feared southern “slavocracy” • Proposed the Wilmot Proviso • slavery should not exist in any territory that was captured from Mexico • Wilmot Proviso • Passed twice in the House, but not the Senate • Symbolized the burning issue of slavery in the territories

36. John C. Calhoun “Mexico is to us the forbidden fruit . . . the penalty of eating it would be to subject our institutions to political death.”