Manifest Destiny: U.S. Mexican War

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Manifest Destiny U.S. Mexican War

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Manifest Destiny Defined

• Term first coined by John L. OSullivan in
  Democratic Review, July 1845
• Ideological basis for belief
• Sincere belief in democracy and republicanism
• Idealized view of U.S. as model for others
• Ideology intertwined with racist and
  imperialistic ideas about Indians and Mexicans

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Concrete Reasons for Manifest Destiny

• Americans tempted by free land
• U.S. stopped at Mississippi
• Knew of California and Oregon
• Develop trade with Far East
• Pacific Coast to Far East need base
• Jealous of Mexicos success
• Fear of Foreign Invasion
• British Claims to Oregon Mexico in south

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Five Examples of early U.S. Ideology

• Florida and the Seminole War - 1818
• Jackson conquers territory from Spain
• Adams-Onis Treaty 1819
• Texas Revolution Discuss Tuesday
• New Mexico and the Santa Fe Trail
• Oregon 1818 agree with Britain to leave it Free
  and open, but by 1840s U.S. changes policy

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Seminole Warrior
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Jackson at Pensacola, by Beason S. Lossing
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Texas Independence

• Texans again defeated at Battle of Goliad
• March 1, 1836 declared Independence
• Elected Sam Houston as President
• Houstons troops attacked Santa Ana at San
  Jacinto in April 1836. Routed Santa Ana.
• Under duress, Santa Ana signs Treaty of Velasco
• Mexican government repudiated treaty and never
  recognized Texas Independence

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Santa Ana Signs Treaty of Velasco
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President Houstons Official Residence, 1837
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U.S. Annexation of Texas

• Houston and Texas immediately ask for annexation
  by U.S.
• Northern liberals oppose because they fear spread
  of slavery.
• Texas remains independent nation until March 1,
  1845.
• Mexico sees annexation as a declaration of War
  and diplomatically leaves Washington

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4 Factors leading to U.S./Mexican War

• Mexican anger over annexation of Texas
• Dispute over Texas/Mexican border
• Nueces River or Rio Grande
• Instability of Mexican government
• 19 governments in 25 years
• Polk Administrations drive to expand U.S.
• Polk saw his mandate as creating a coast-to-coast
  nation

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President James Polk
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Diplomatic Prelude to War

• 1845 Polk sends Zachary Taylor to Corpus Christi.
  Encamped on Nueces River
• Sends John Slidell to negotiate. He offers
• 5 million for New Mexico west of Rio Grande
• 25 million for California
• Strong anti-U.S. sentiment meant that Mexico
  would not accept offer
• March 1846 Taylor crossed Nueces and war begins

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John Slidell
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Zachary Taylor
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Richard Caton Woodville, News From the Mexican
War 1848
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Aftermath of Battle

• U.S. troops waiting in Mexico City. A war
  defense became a war of Conquest
• If it was U.S. manifest destiny to conquer land,
  were they also to conquer people?
• Three barriers to the All Mexico plan
• Northern liberals hated conquest
• Slavery question
• Racism could the U.S. really incorporate all
  the 8 million Mexican and Indians?

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Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

• Annexed half of Mexico to the U.S. (San Antonio)
• Created Rio Grande as international border
• U.S. Paid 15 million to Mexico for territory.
• 1848 irony. Mexicans hear of Gold Rush in
  California and Treaty on same day
• In 1854 Gadsden Purchase solidifies southern
  boundary and mineral deposits to U.S.

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