Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy, 1841

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Chapter 17

• Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy, 18411848

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I. The Accession of Tyler Too

• Old Tippecanoe enters office and is bombarded
  with Whig spoilsmen.
• Although president of the Whig party, the real
  leaders were Daniel Webster and Henry Clay.
• William Henry Harrison, trying to prove that he
  wasnt as old and frail as he looked decided to
  give his incredibly long inaugural address out in
  the freezing cold without a coat bad decision.
  He got pneumonia and died 4 weeks in to his
  administration.

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• John Tyler would be the first Vice President to
  take over the office. The ex-Democrat Tyler was
  probably still a bit more Democrat than Whig, but
  his named rhymed with Tippecanoe so what are
  you going to do?

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II. John Tyler A President Without a Party

• After a hard fought victory, the Whigs were
  excited to outline their strong nationalistic
  programs.
• Pro-Bank
• Pro-Protective tariff
• Pro-internal improvements
• Clay pushes Fiscal Bank through Congress to
  establish a new bank of the United States. Tyler
  vetos it for both practical and constitutional
  grounds.

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• Whig leaders tried once again to pacify their
  party president by passing a Fiscal Corporation
  bill, but the president still vetoed it.
• Democrats were ecstatic!
• Whigs officially expel Tyler from their party and
  the majority of his cabinet resigns.
• Tyler does sign the Tariff of 1842 after it was
  scaled back considerably. He didnt like the
  protective tariff, but realized the need for
  additional revenue.

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V. The Lone Star of Texas Shines Alone

• After 1836, Mexico still refused to recognize
  Texas as independent.
• And threatened war if the U.S. allied itself with
  Texas.
• Texas was forced to maintain an expensive
  military in order to protect itself from an
  attack from Mexico that could come at any time.
• Texas then looked to Britain and France for
  protection.

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• In 1839 and 1840, Texas made treaties with
  France, Holland, and Belgium.
• Britain was very interested in an independent
  Texas.
• Having influence over Texas would enable them to
• check U.S. expansion
• Manipulate Texas to move against the U.S.
  creating a diversion so Britain could move into
  the Americas and challenge the Monroe Doctrine

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VI. The Belated Texas Nuptials

• The topic of Texas became the leading issue
  during the Presidential campaign of 1844.
• Pro-expansion Democrat James K. Polk wins the
  election over Whig Henry Clay. Many see this as
  a mandate to acquire Texas.
• The Lame duck president Tyler couldnt get the
  two-thirds vote in the Senate, so he arranged for
  annexation by a joint resolution.
• This required only a simple majority in both
  houses of Congress.
• The resolution passed in 1845, and Texas was
  invited into the Union.

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VII. Oregon Fever Populates Oregon

• Oregon country was a huge wilderness that
  stretched from California to southern tip of
  Alaska.
• British claims to Oregon stemmed from
• Prior discovery and exploration
• Treaty rights
• Actual occupation (Hudsons Bay Company)

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• American claims could also point to
• Past exploration
• Captain Robert Gray in 1792 finds and names
  Columbian River.
• Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-1806
• Actual occupation (missionaries and other
  settlers)
• Americans had proposed dividing the territory at
  the 49th parallel, but the British refused
  because they wanted the Columbia River. They
  then agreed on joint occupation.

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• By 1846 the American number had reached about
  5,000 settlers just south of the Columbia River
  and was rising, while the British were only able
  to increase their number to 700 (just north of
  the river.)
• The British saw the importance of coming to a
  peaceful settlement line.
• British offer the Columbian River
• Americans offer 49th parallel

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VIII. The Campaign of 1844 A Mandate for
Manifest Destiny???

• The campaign of 1844 was influenced by the
  emotional surge of Manifest Destiny.
• Henry Clay (whig) loses to pro-expansionist James
  K. Polk.
• During the 1840s and 1850s people felt a sense of
  mission, they believed that God had destined them
  to spread democracy over at least North America,
  possibly South America too.

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• During the campaign of 1844, expansionist
  Democrats were calling for the Oregon territory
  shouting All of Oregon or None!
• Fifty-four forty or fight begins two years
  later in 1846.
• They also pointed out that Clay was a dirty
  slaveowner they didnt say anything about the
  slaves that Polk owned though.
• Polk came in with 170 to 105 in the Electoral
  College and 1,338,464 to 1,300,097 in popular
  vote.

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• Whether it was a mandate or not who knows, but
  Tyler passes the resolution just the same.

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IX. Polk the Purposeful

• One of Polks goals was a lowered tariff. He had
  his secretary of treasury Robert Walker reduce
  the Tariff of 1842 rates from 32 to 25.
• The Walker Tariff made its way through Congress
  and proved to be an excellent revenue producer.
• The main reason however, was because it preceded
  a booming economy with heavy imports.

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• Another of Polks major objectives was to restore
  the independent treasury dropped by the Whigs in
  1841.
• The third and fourth points Polk wanted to
  accomplish were to acquire California and to
  settle the dispute in Oregon.
• Once the southern Democrats had annexed Texas,
  they began losing interest in fighting for the
  northwest.
• We offered the 49th parallel and Britain insisted
  on the Columbia River. We say 54 40 or fight and
  Britain says, how about the 49th parallel?

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X. Misunderstandings with Mexico

• The population of California was mixed.
• 13,000 Spanish Mexicans
• 75,000 Natives
• Less than 1,000 foreigners
• Polk wanted to buy California from Mexico, but
  relations between the U.S. and Mexico were
  strained (they threatened war if the U.S. allied
  with Texas.)

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• The U.S. had claims against Mexico for the tune
  of 3 million in damages against American
  citizens property.
• Mexico, after threatening war if the U.S. allied
  with Texas, recalled its minister from Washington
  so all communication was cut off.
• The southwestern border of Texas had been the
  Nueces River. But the expanding Texans claimed
  the border was actually the Rio Grande (they were
  full of it.)

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• The Mexicans didnt really care what the Texans
  claimed because to them all of Texas was still
  theirs anyway.
• Polk was fighting rumors that Britain was about
  to buy California from Mexico, so he sent John
  Slidell to Mexico City with orders to buy
  California for a maximum of 25 million.
• Mexico wouldnt even allow Slidell to present his
  insulting proposition.

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XI. American Blood on American (?) Soil

• Polk was ready for a showdown.
• Jan. 13, 1846, he ordered 4,000 men under General
  Zachary Taylor to march from the Nueces River to
  the Rio Grande.
• Polk hoped that the Mexicans would fire on the
  troops so a war would break out it didnt
  happen.
• Polk then started drafting a request for congress
  to declare war on Mexico because of the (1)
  unpaid claims and (2) Slidells rejection.

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• As fate would have it, April 25th, 1846, Mexican
  troops cross the Rio Grande and attack Taylors
  troops.
• A giddy Polk sends a message to Congress
  declaring, despite our best efforts to avoid
  war, we are forced into it by the shedding of
  American blood upon the American soil.
• Lincoln calls for a spot resolution He wanted to
  know the spot American blood was shed.

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