Take out your Western Growth questions from yesterday.

1

• Take out your Western Growth questions from
  yesterday.

2
Western Growth

• Keep these two questions in mind
• How did Texas and California join the Union?
• Why did the US go to war with Mexico?

3
Vocabulary

• Expansion-growth of a country by adding more land
• Manifest Destiny- the idea that the US needed to
  spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
• Academy- a school where certain types of skills
  are taught.
• Efficiently- without mistakes or waste
• Persuade- to talk someone into doing something

4
How did Texas become part of the United States?

• Texas was controlled by Spain and then Mexico
  before it became part of the US.
• In 1821 Mexico broke free and gained its
  independence from Spain.
• Texas became part of the Mexican Republic.
• Mexico allowed Stephen F. Austin to start an
  American colony in Southeast Texas.

5

• The American colonists agreed to become Catholic
  and Mexican citizens in exchange for the land.
• The colony grew quickly and more settlers
  arrived, by 1830 almost 30,000 Americans were
  living in Texas.
• Mexico feared it was losing control and would not
  let any more Americans in.
• The move angered the Americans who were already
  there.

6

• In 1834, Mexicos government fell to General
  Antonia Lopez de Santa Ana.
• Americans in Texas fought against his rule. He
  acted as a Dictator not a President.
• The Texans fought off Mexican troops in San
  Antonio.
• In 1836, Santa Ana put together a large army and
  took back the city.

7
Remember the Alamo

• The battle was fought at the Alamo, an old
  Spanish church.
• The Texans fought hard but could not stop Santa
  Anas troops.
• Not one Texan was left alive.

8

• The Texans would not give up. Remember the
  Alamo became their battle cry.
• In April 1836, Samuel Houston led a small army
  against Santa Anas troops.
• At the Battle of Goliad the Texans destroyed the
  Mexican troops in under 15 minutes.
• Texas had gained its independence.

9

• For 10 years Texas was a separate nation.
• Most Texans wanted to join the US.
• There were two problems that held things up.
  First, adding Texas to the US might start a war
  between the US and Mexico.
• Second, Texas allowed slavery. Many in the North
  didnt want another slave state.
• Finally in 1845, Congress asked Texas to join the
  Union.

10
How did James K. Polk add the Oregon Territory to
the US?

• The Oregon Territory was a large area in the
  Northwestern US.
• It included what is now Oregon, Idaho, Washington
  and parts of Wyoming and Montana.
• Britain controlled this land. Many Americans were
  talking about expansion.
• They wanted more land in the West.

11

• Thousands had already made the long wagon trip to
  Oregon.
• James K. Polk used this issue to win the election
  of 1844.
• He said the US should take over both Texas and
  Oregon.

12

• Newspaper editor, John OSullivan, said it was
  the United States Manifest Destiny to control
  all the land from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
• Polk believed in Manifest Destiny, too.
• Manifest Destiny also included the idea that it
  was fine to take land from the Native Americans
  and relocate them.
• Polk became President in 1844 and took steps to
  keep his word.

13

• Polk faced problems once in office.
• One problems was where Oregons north boundary
  line was.
• Polk claimed it was the 54, 40 north latitude.
• His campaign slogan was Fifty-four Forty or
  Fight!
• Others put the line further south.
• Talks with Britain went nowhere.

14

• Finally Polk took action.
• He claimed the whole of the Oregon territory
  for the United States.
• Then he sent a message to Britain. He would
  accept the southern boundary line.
• Britain agreed. In 1848, Oregon territory was
  added to the United States.

15
What started the Mexican-American War?

• In the 1840s, Mexico and the US were not on good
  terms.
• There were two sticking points Texas and
  California.
• When Texas joined the US, Mexico made threats to
  start a war.
• In 1845 President Polk set his sights on
  California.
• His offer to buy California made the Mexicans
  angry.

16

• Polk feared that Mexican troops might attack
  Texas.
• He sent General Zachary Taylor to an area north
  of the Rio Grande, a river in Texas.
• Both Mexico and the US claimed this land.
• Taylor was told not to attack the Mexicans, but
  to provoke them.
• Taylor sent riders into Mexico but they never
  attacked.

17

• Taylors men were attacked, three were killed.
• Polk used this to start a war with Mexico.
• He told Congress that Mexico had crossed into
  American land.
• In fact, no border had yet been agreed upon
• Whigs in Congress were against the war.
• Most Americans were for it.

18
Why did American troops have success against
Mexico?

• From the beginning of the war American troops did
  well.
• New Mexico fell to them without a shot being
  fired.
• They marched west to California.
• The US Navy took San Francisco. American forces
  drove the Mexicans out of Los Angeles and San
  Diego.

19

• By the end of 1846, they had taken control of
  California.
• They also attacked in Mexico. There the war was
  harder, but the American troops kept on winning.
• Monterey, Veracruz and Mexico City all fell to
  American troops.
• By September 1847 the war was over.

20

• There were several reasons for the US success.
• American officers were well trained.
• Many came from the new military academy at West
  Point.
• Their men had better equipment than past armies
• For the first time, they all were given uniforms.
• Guns, cannons, and shells poured from American
  factories.

21

• The new telegraph sent words over wires.
• The army got what it needed faster and more
  efficiently.
• Also, President Polk took an active part in the
  war.
• He named Generals and planned battles.
• He got Congress to spend 100 million a year for
  the war.

22

• Polk didnt discuss with Congress how to fight
  the war.
• He did whatever he felt was needed to win.
• Later presidents would also claim special powers
  during war.

23
Why did Congress delay the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo?

• After years of talks, Mexico and the US signed a
  peace treaty.
• It was called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
• Mexico gave up all claims to Texas.
• New Mexico and California became part of the US.
• This was a huge amount of land.

24

• The States of California, Texas, Nevada, and Utah
  all came from this land.
• The Terms of the treaty were good for the US. Yet
  some members of Congress were against the treaty.
• They felt the war was wrong and didnt want to
  gain land from such a war.
• Others wanted to take all of Mexico.
• President Polk had to persuade Congress to vote
  for the treaty.
• It took effect in July 1848

25
Quiz

• True or False
• Expansion means adding new land.
• Stephen Austin started an American Colony in
  Southeast Texas.
• General Santa Ana led the Mexican Troops.
• The Battle of Goliad was the longest battle of
  the war.
• Texas was asked to join the Union in 1845

26

• 6. Britain controlled the Oregon Territory.
• 7. James Sullivan coined the phrase Manifest
  Destiny.
• 8. Polk wanted the Border at 54 40.
• 9. Mexico and the US argued over Texas and
  Arizona.
• 10. The Mexican troops were better trained.
• 11. The US won battles at Monterey, Veracruz and
  Mexico City .
• 12. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave much of
  the West to the US.