Manifest Destiny

1
Manifest Destiny Its Legacy (17)

• 1841-1848
• Our Manifest Destiny (is) to overspread the
  continent allotted by providence for the free
  development of our yearly multiplying millions
• John Louis OSullivan 1845

2

• The Presidency of John Tyler
• William H. Harrison (1st Whig President) dies 30
  days after inauguration (shortest in history).
• little more than a figurehead- real leaders were
  Henry Clay (Senator) Daniel Webster (Sec. of
  State).
• John Tyler assumes presidency (Va. Gentleman
  added to the ticket to bring in southern
  states-righter's)
• Had no VP set precedent Until 25th amendment
  1967
• a Democrat who switched to the Whigs
• his Ascendency -1st VP to ascend the
  presidency
• was at odds with the Whigs on every major issue.
• Webster Clay will push Whig platform butt
  heads with Tyler
• Platform
• Re-charter the Bank of the US- Tyler vetoed
  Democrats were happy
• Whigs were furious- talked about impeaching him,
  kicked him out of caucus, his entire cabinet
  resigned (except Webster) John Calhoun Sec. of
  State after 1842.

3

• 2. Tyler vetoed a Whig tariff bill- because it
  distributed revenue among various states the sale
  of western lands.
• Tyler reluctantly signed Tariff bill of 1842
  after the western land scheme was removed
  rates for the tariff were reduced.
• the US eased out of a mini depression in
  subsequent months
• Dorr Rebellion (1842)- in RI voting rights given
  to all white males.
• US British Relationship-Tyler Foreign Policy
• Tensions 2 Anglo-American Wars, British snobbery
  about Americans (travel books, magazines),
  America was borrowing money from
  Britain-infrastructure.
• Canada-- The Caroline Incident (1837)
• Bahamas Creole Incident (1840)
• MaineAroostook War (Lumberjack War)
• Britain (Canada) wanted a road from Halifax to
  Quebec (went through upper Maine).
• Webster-Ashburton Treaty
• Britain got the road, US got 6,500 acres (Minn.)
  which contained rich iron ore (Mesabi iron ore)
  future steel source.

4
The Webster AshBurton Treaty (1842)
5

• Texas Annexation- Do we add another slave state?
• Texas was an independent country since 1836- not
  recognized by Mexico.
• Texas made treaties with Britain France-
  foreign nations hoped to use Texas to hedge US
  expansion
• Tyler called for a joint session of Congress
  pushed for annexation (House 132-72 Senate
  27-25) Texas is 28th state
• The Election of 1844
• Texas was the lead issue in the campaign Oregon
  was another issue 54-40 or Fight)
• Democrats nominated James K. Polk-
  pro-expansion Texas or Disunion UNC-CH grad
• Whigs nominated Henry Clay lost key state of NY
• a narrow victory for James K. Polk- (lame duck
  Tyler- used victory as a mandate to annex Texas)
• Polk's Domestic Goals Est. Independent Treasury,
  lowered Tariff (Walker Tariff 1846 cut the rate
  25), acquire Cali, Oregon

6
Born Mecklenburg County,NC Raised in Tenn. Only
Speaker of House elected Pres. First Dark Horse
candidate Sec. of State- James Buchanan Won
state of NY by 5,000 VOTES Presidency
1845-1849
Clay
Polk
7

• Oregon 54-40 or Fight
• Oregon- disputed between Russia, Britain, Spain,
  US
• Spain Russia-drop out of dispute
• Britain US had claims based on early
  exploration in Oregon
• 1840s US immigrants were multiplying moving
  west Oregon Oregon Trail (by 1846- 5,000
  settled south of Columbia River)
• Polk offered the 49th parallel as boundary in
  1846 Free Spoilers felt cheated
• Manifest Destiny idea put forth by Louis
  OSullivan that God had given the Americas to
  Americans to dominate.

8
(No Transcript)
9
Oregon dispute
Oregon Treaty 1846

• Treaty with Great Britain in 1846
• President Polk campaign slogan was 54,40 or
  fight
• Compromised with British and divided the Oregon
  Country at the 49th parallel

10
Picture/M.Destiny
MANIFEST DESTINY

• American belief that U.S. would control the
  continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
• KEY EVENTS
• Texas statehood
• Oregon territory
• Mexican War
• Mexican Cession

11
Picture/M.Destiny
MANIFEST DESTINY

• KEY EVENTS
• Pioneers TrekWest
• California trail
• Oregon trail
• Mormons trail
• Gold discovered
• Gold Rush

12
Trails
TRAILS WESTWARD
13

• Polks Claim on California
• Many Americans saw great possibility in the
  possession of California. (Manifest Destiny!)
• California had fertile valleys a spacious bay
  at San Francisco ( a harbor that would provide a
  gateway to Pacific).
• Population 13,000 Spanish Mexicans, 75,000
  Indians (long subdued by Spanish Friars), fewer
  than 1000 foreigners (mostly Americans).
• Polk hoped to buy California from Mexico.
• Problems
• the US had claims against Mexico for 3 million
  in damages to American citizens- Mexico had
  defaulted on payments
• Texas- Mexico threatened war if the US acquired
  Texas-Mexico recalled its ambassador from the US.
• Boundary Dispute- Texans claimed the southern
  boundary with Mexico was the Rio Grande River-
  Mexico claimed that it was the Nueces River.

14

• The John Slidell Mission-1845
• Polk sent Slidell with instructions to offer a
  max. of 25 million for California territory to
  the east
• 2 Mexican presidents refused to meet with him.
• The Mexican-American War
• On Jan. 13, 1846 President Polk ordered Gen.
  Zachary Taylor 4,000 troops to march from the
  Nueces River to the Rio Grande Rivernear Mexican
  troops.
• Polk heard no news of armed conflict prepared
  to go to Congress to ask for declaration of war.
• April 25, 1846- news arrived that Mexican troops
  had crossed the Rio Grande River attacked US
  troops (16 American casualties)
• Polk asked Congress to declare war despite
  all our efforts to avoid a clash, hostilities had
  been forced upon the country by the shedding of
  American blood upon the American soil.

15
MEXICAN WAR
16

• Whig Illinois Congressman Abraham Lincoln
  OTHERS introduced the Spot Resolution
  requested information as to the precise spot on
  American soil where American blood had been shed.
• Many Whigs most antislavery northerners
  declared Polk to be a liar- Polk the
  Mendacious.
• Conquering Mexico
• Santa Anna, living in Cuba with his teen bride
  convinced American blockaders to let him through
  he would sell out his country- he lied- he
  returned to Mexico rallied his country.
• Gen. Stephen Kearney- (1846) led 1,700 US
  troops over the Santa Fe Trail to Santa Fe
  captured the Mexican outpost easily.
• Captain John C. Fremont- (explorer) with several
  dozen men, US naval officers, and locals
  overthrew Mexican rule in California Bear Flag
  Republic established.

17

• General Zachary Taylor (Old Rough Ready) led
  the main US offensive across the Rio Grande River
  into Mexico.
• Buena Vista (Feb. 22-23, 1847) Taylors weakened
  force of 5,000 was attacked by 20,000 Mexican
  troops led by Santa Anna battle raged into the
  night Santa Anna troops repulsed.
• Zachary Taylor called the Hero of Buena Vista
• Taylor seen as a potential candidate for
  president
• 2. Mexico City- command of the main US force
  given to Winfield Scott (Old Fuss Feathers)-
  hero of the War of 1812.
• Faced many obstacles inadequate number of
  troops, expiring enlistments, more numerous
  enemy, rough terrain, disease.
• Sept. 1847- Battled his way to Mexico City

18
Gen. Winfield Scott
President Zachary Taylor
19

• The War Ends
• Nicholas Trist (clerk at the State Department)
  accompanied Winfield Scott troops to Mexico
  City.
• Scott Trist arranged a cease- fire with Santa
  Anna for 10,000 Santa Anna pocketed the money
  to build up his defenses.
• Polk recalled Trist Trist wrote 65 page letter
  saying he was not coming home.
• Feb. 2, 1848- The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
• Mexico conceded US claims to Texas
• Mexico ceded over 500,000 square miles of
  territory including California New Mexico
• US agreed to pay 15 million for the land to
  assume claims of its citizens against Mexico for
  3,250,000.
• Mexico recognized Rio Grande as new border with
  Texas.
• Why would the victor pay an indemnity fee?
• Guilty conscience?
• American fair play?
• Most likely HASTE-

20

• (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo)
• Mexico ceded the Mexican Cession to U.S.
• Rio Grande River boundary between U.S. and Mexico
• U.S. paid Mexico 15 million

21

• Senate Ratification of the Treaty
• Anti-slavery Whigs in Congress (Conscience
  Whigs) denounced the war- had threatened to cut
  supplies to troops.
• Some American expansionists wanted all of Mexico
  too- but US would have been saddled with
  expensive problems.
• Senate finally approved the Treaty 38-14.
• Costs Effects of the War
• Cost- 13,000 US Lives- most by disease
• US expanded by about 1/3 even greater than
  Louisiana Purchase
• Mexican war- was a training ground for US
  soldiers for the upcoming Civil War (Capt. Robert
  E. Lee / Lt. Ulysses S. Grant)
• Most officers trained at West Point (1802)
• US navy successful blockade on Mexican ports.
• Marines (1798) played key role in Mexico City
• Military had no major mistakes no major
  defeats new respect from countries around the
  world.

22
Map expansion
23

• Mexicans will not forget that US stole about ½
  of their country.
• US/Latin American relations injured- US seen as
  Colossus of the North a meddling giant
• Most Important the war raised the slavery
  issue.
• Abolitionists claimed that the war had been
  provoked by the southern slaveocracy to expand
  slavery.
• Henry David Thoreau refused to pay taxes to
  support the war on the grounds that it was a war
  for slavery (civil disobedience)
• Most of the US volunteers in the war were from
  the South West (mainly because of proximity).
• The Wilmot Proviso Representative David Wilmot
  introduced said that slavery should not exist in
  any territory gained from Mexico. passed twice
  in the House- KILLED IN THE SENATE
• Wilmot Proviso eventually endorsed by state
  legislatures of all but one of the free states
• Ralph Waldo Emerson Mexico will poison us
• John C. Calhoun Mexico is the forbidden
  fruitthe penalty of eating it would be to
  subject our political institutions to political
  death.

24
Mexico is to us (south) the forbidden fruit the
penalty Of eating it would be to subject our
institutions to political death John C. Calhoun
Emerson Thoreau agree! Why??