WESTWARD EXPANSION

1. WESTWARD EXPANSION GROWING AMERICA FROM COAST TO COAST

2. EXPANSIONISM • John & Jessie Fremont were two of the more well-known expansionists. • MANIFEST = Obvious or Clear. • DESTINY = Fate. • It was the obvious or clear fate of the US to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific. JOHN C. FREMONT JESSIE FREMONT

3. People who lived in the far west (West of the Mississippi) probably wanted to be alone, away from society or civilization.

4. They made their living through fur trapping and trading. • They were able to live off the land. Very rugged lifestyle

5. As the fur trading died out these people became guides for those people heading west.

6. The first trail was the Santa Fe Trail founded by trader William Becknell. He made huge profits by trading with Mexicans and Indians.

7. Other people came back and told the US government how weakly the border between the US and Mexico was guarded.

8. TEXAS • In 1820 Moses Austin wants to start a colony of Americans in the Mexican state of Texas. • In 1821 Moses dies and his son Stephen decides to fulfill his father’s dream.

9. Mexico likes the idea, but those coming in have to agree to certain conditions: • 1) They must become Mexican Citizens • 2) They must obey Mexican Laws • 3) They must become Roman Catholic

10. Everyone agrees and Austin brings the first settlers on land between the Colorado and Brazos Rivers.

11. The colony is enormously successful. • By 1828 Americans in Texas outnumber Mexicans 10-1. Vicente Guerrero

12. In 1830 Mexico bans all future US immigration for fear that the Americans will take over. • They also start cracking down on slavery and start taxing American imports.

13. Stephen Austin goes to Mexico City to complain about the treatment of Americans and the Mexican government has him arrested.

14. By 1835 Lopez de Santa Ana had total control of the Mexican government. He ordered all rebellions to be stopped by the Mexican Army. • The rebelling Texans chose ex-governor of Tennessee, Sam Houston as their leader.

15. Santa Ana ordered that the Mexican Army attack a small outpost in San Antonio, Texas called “The Alamo”.

16. The Alamo was a former Spanish Mission that had been occupied and defended by 180 Texas Volunteers. They were able to hold off the Mexicans for 11 days.

17. The rebels were finally defeated. • Among those killed were Davey Crockett, a former Congressman from Tennessee.

18. Also killed was Jim Bowie, inventor of the Bowie Knife.

19. All of the defenders were killed. Among the survivors were a woman named Susannah Dickerson, two children and a former slave. • They were released on the condition that they tell the world what a humiliating defeat the Texans had suffered. Instead they told the world how bravely the defenders had fought.

20. After the Alamo Santa Ana's army began chasing the Texans across Texas. Sam Houston's strategy was to fight, escape, fight, escape and keep doing that until he had the opportunity to draw Santa Ana into a trap. • Houston was able to set a trap at San Jacinto.

21. The Mexicans were defeated at San Jacinto and Santa Ana was captured. In order to gain his release Santa Ana ordered all Mexican armies out of Texas immediately.

22. AFTERMATH OF THE WAR • Texas adopted a new Constitution and elected Sam Houston as their first President. • The Constitution allowed slavery. • It became the “Republic of Texas,” aka “The Lone Star Republic.”

23. THE STATE OF TEXAS??? • Southerners wanted to annex Texas as a state right away. • Northerners objected because they did not want a new slave state.

24. The US decides not to admit Texas right away to maintain the balance of power in the Senate. • Also, Mexico might think the US was behind Texas Independence all along.

25. MOVING WEST • Most people moving west were doing so to have a better life.

26. Wagon trains had to leave Independence, Missouri early enough in the spring to guarantee they would be able to get through the Rockies before winter set in.

27. In 1846 a group of people left Independence, Missouri on May 10th and headed west.

28. Early winter storms trapped them in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and some of the members resorted to cannibalism to survive. Only 45 of the original 87 people survived.

29. THE MORMONS • In the 1820’s a man named Joseph Smith founded a new religion called “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.” • It was a very controversial religion.

30. The Mormons were being discriminated against in New York and Smith moved them to Illinois. • In Illinois, Smith was killed by an angry mob. • Their new leader Brigham Young moved them out west to the Great Salt Lake.

31. They founded Salt Lake City and by 1857 there were 20,000 people living there. • The Mormons practiced their religion freely without discrimination until Utah wanted to become a state and then they had to change things.

32. CALIFORNIA • In order to complete Manifest Destiny, the US really needed to acquire California. • Originally it was part of Mexico, but was so far away from the capital, Mexico City, that it felt as though it was already a separate country.

33. These new settlers moving west ran into problems with the Indians who already lived there.

34. There was also a problem with the people moving into California. • By 1845 approximately 800 Americans had settled among the 7,500 Mexicans and 75,000 Indians living in California.

35. Mexican authorities got worried, once again, that the Americans were going to try to take away California, like Texas.

36. THE ELECTION OF 1844 • Democrats nominate James K. Polk of Tennessee. • President Tyler wants to annex Texas as a slave state, but the Whigs are anti-slavery. • Whigs don’t like President Tyler, so they nominate Henry Clay.

37. Polk won the election and quickly annexed Texas as the 28th state in 1845.

38. OREGON COUNTRY • The US and England originally agreed to share the Oregon Country. • Now the US wants the whole thing. So does England.

39. England refused to negotiate and the US was considering going to war over it. • The rallying cry was “54-40 Or Fight”. • Meaning that we wanted the border to be as far north as 54°40’ North.

40. In 1846 England agreed to divide the Oregon Country by continuing the 49th Parallel line to the Pacific Ocean. They also agreed to stay out of any dispute we had with Mexico. Now the US stretched from coast to coast. But we still want California.

41. THE MEXICAN WAR • After the US annexed Texas we claimed the border was the Rio Grande River. • Mexico and every other country in the world said the border was the Nueces River

43. President Polk orders US troops to protect our southern border (at the Rio Grande). • He was actually invading Mexico. • Mexican troops fired on the Americans. • Polk convinces Congress to declare war on Mexico.

44. Polk orders General Zachary Taylor to secure the border between the US and Mexico. • John C. Fremont encourages Americans in California to seize it from Mexico and establish the “Bear Flag Republic”.

45. The US captures most of Mexico during the war. • General Winfield Scott captures Mexico City in September of 1847. • Mexico signs the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. • Mexico gives up 500,000 square miles of territory. • The US gives Mexico $15,000,000.

46. THE GADSDEN PURCHASE • After the war the US wants to build a railroad across the southwest to California. • The only piece of flat level land is in Mexico. We decide to purchase that piece of land for $10,000,000. The deal is settled by James Gadsden. It becomes known as the Gadsden Purchase.

47. THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH • On January 24, 1848 a worker at the mill of John Sutter found flakes of Gold in the American River. • Thousands of people start heading to California

48. Very few people found gold, and even fewer got rich over it. • Many who went, when they didn’t become rich from gold, stayed and opened businesses. • They were called Forty-niners. • So many people came that California was able to become a state in 1850.