Manifest destiny

1. UNIT 7
Manifest Destiny in the 1840s

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

3. MANIFEST DESTINY IN THE 1840s
I. President John Tyler
A. 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.

4. President John Tyler
1841-1845
Whig

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

6. 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

7. B. Election of 1844
1. Democrats nominated James K.
Polk
-- Sought to annex Texas and
take control of the Oregon
Territory
2. Whigs nominated Henry Clay
-- Clay’s mistaken strategy
3. Liberty Party
4. James K. Polk d. Henry Clay

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

10. John Gast, “American Progress,” 1872

11. Manifest Destiny = “TOM”
T exas, 1845
O regon, 1846
M exican Cession (CA, UT
territory, NM territory), 1848

12. President James K. Polk
1845-1849
Democrat

14. 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

15. IV. President James K. Polk
A. One of the most successful oneterm presidents in U.S. history
B. 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

16. Polk’s Presidency: “COIL”
C
alifornia
O
regon
I
ndependent Treasury System
L
ower Tariff (Walker Tariff, 1846)

17. C. Oregon
1. British and U.S. claims
-- John Jacob Astor: American
Fur Company
2. 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

18. The Oregon Trail

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

20. The Oregon
Boundary
Dispute

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

22. 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

23. Texas Border Dispute

24. d. U.S. (Texas) claims against
Mexico: $3 million
e. John Slidell failed to
purchase California

25. 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

26. General Zachary Taylor crossed
the Nueces River and built a fort
on the northern bank of the Rio
Grande before Mexico attacked.
Fort Brown where
the war began

27. 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

28. c. “Conscience Whigs: a majority of
Whigs opposed the war in
principle (although only 14
voted
against declaring war)
i. “Spot resolutions”: Abe Lincoln
ii. Emerson: “Mexico will
poison us!”
iii. Henry David Thoreau: “Civil
Disobedience” (1849)

29. 3. U.S. invaded Mexico with a threepronged 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.

30. Major Battles of the Mexican War

31. ii. Gen. Winfield Scott occupies
Mexico City

32. 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 property
b. Senate ratification occurred
despite bitter debate
-- “Mexican Whigs”

33. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848

34. U.S. Territorial Gains: 1845-1854

35. 4.Results of Mexican War
a. 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
sentiment
f. Negative turning point in
relations with Latin America
g. U.S. military experience
increased scope of Civil War

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