MANIFEST DESTINY AND ITS LEGACY, 1841-1848

1
MANIFEST DESTINY AND ITS LEGACY, 1841-1848

• Chapter 17

2
THE ACCESSION OF TYLER TOO

• Clay and Websters presumptuous assumption.
• Webster was Sec. of State. Clay the leader of
  the party in Congress.
• Harrisons reaction
• Clay leads party in power and is ready to finally
  put his policies into law
• Harrison dies 40 days into presidency.
• Tyler takes over.

Wm. Henry Harrison Shortest Term of any President.
3
John Tyler

• First vice president to take over for a president
  who died in office.
• Tyler is an old-school Virginian.
• Why did he leave the Democratic Party for the
  Whigs?
• Part of the minority wing of the Whig party that
  adhered to States rights.
• His views are quite different from Clay and
  Webster.

4
Tyler at Odds with Clay

• Unofficial platform of the majority of the party
• Tylers views on unofficial platform
• Whigs accuse him of being a Democrat in Whig
  clothing
• Another defeat for Clay.

Henry Clay foiled again
5
John Tyler A President Without A Party

• Whigs try to get their agenda enacted into law.
• Repeal Independent Treasury. Passed.
• Second part Renew the Bank of the US.
• Tylers reaction.
• What does his cabinet do?

6
A War Of Words With England

• British-American relationship erupted in war of
  words in 1842.
• Lumberjack warAroostook Valley, Maine. Maine
  boundary vague
• Webster-Ashburton treaty

7
Maine Boundary Settlement, 1842
8
Texas Shines Alone

• Texas in a precarious position.
• US had spurned request for annexation.
• Mexico still claims Texas as its Territory,
• Threatened to take it back and threatened war
  with US if US annexed.
• Many European countries were courting Texas
• Britain especially was very interested.
• Why?

9
The Belated Texas Nuptials

• Texas becomes a leading issue in election of
  1844.
• Dem. James K Polk vs. Whig Henry Clay.
• Democrats position.
• Whigs position.
• Polk wins.
• What does Tyler do as a result
• Mexico angry and accuses US of theft.
• Is Mexico right?

10
Oregon Fever

• Oregon Territory everything North of California,
  West of the Rockies up to 54-40.
• Both US and Brit have claims to the Territory.
• Treaty of 1818 Joint occupation.
• In 1840s,Oregon Trail.
• 5000 American in Oregon by 1846. Brits had only
  700
• Only a small areas really in dispute. Columbia
  river north to the 49th Par.

11
Map 17.2 The Oregon Controversy, 1846
12
A Mandate For Manifest Destiny

• Election of 1844 Clay (Whig) against James K.
  Polk (Dem.).
• James K Polk of Tenn.
• First dark-horse nominee
• Had been Speaker of the House and governor of
  Tenn. for two terms.
• Jackson sponsored him.
• Dems publicized him as a young Jackson.
• Southern expansionist

13
Issues in 1844

• Dems expansionist. Platform was for annexation
  of Texas and taking Oregon all the way up to
  54-40. 54-40 or Fight
• Dems campaigned on Manifest Destiny
• What is Manifest Destiny
• Whigs were mostly against annexation of Texas,
  equating it with an expansion of slavery, but
  Clay couldnt win without votes in the south.
• He tried to be both for and against annexation,
  and his waffling hurt him
• Other issues tariff, slavery, the bank and
  internal improvements.

14
Polk Wins

• Polk won in a close election.
• New York the key state.
• Clay lost there by 5000 votes.
• Tyler saw the election results as a mandate to
  annex Texas and started the ball rolling before
  he left office.

15
Polk The Purposeful

• Polk not dynamic or impressive physically.
• Serious and worked very hard.
• Not brilliant, but was dogged, shrewd and well
  organized. Did not delegate much.
• Four-point program for his presidency
• Only one-term President to make the list of
  Top-10.

16
Polks Four Goals

• One Reduced Tariff. Succeeded in reducing the
  tariff from 32 to 25.
• Two Restoration of Independent Treasury.
  Accomplished.
• Three Settlement of Oregon.
• Polk and southern Dems. didnt want all of
  Oregon, despite platform. Why?
• Brits recognize that they must compromise.
• Why?
• Brits agree to divide at 49th Par.

17
California

• Acquiring California Polks fourth goal.
• Why does he want it?
• US likely to get eventually through settlement,
  but Polk doesnt want to wait.
• Why?
• Offers to buy from Mexico. Mexico doesnt want
  to sell.

18
American Blood On American Soil

• Polks strategy to get Mexico?
• Continuing dispute with Mexico over border of
  Texas. Nueces or Rio Grande?
• Polk sends Zachery Taylors troops across the
  Nueces into disputed Terr.
• Mexican troops cross Rio Grande and attack
  Taylor.
• Polk asks for a declaration of war claiming that
  US troops attacked on US soil.

19
The Texas Revolution, 1835-1836
20
Going to War

• America catches war fever
• Spot resolution.
• What?
• Who?
• Many Whigs vehemently against the war.
• Why?
• Mexicans spoiling for war, as well.
• Why?
• Assessing Polks actions

21
Mexican-American War

• Santa Anna dupes the US
• Steven Kearny, Santa Fe 1846
• John C. Fremont (Great Pathfinder), Bear Flag
  Rebellion
• Zachery Taylor defeats Santa Anna at Battle of
  Buena Vista

Zachery Taylor
22
Capturing Halls of Montezuma

• Polk leaves Taylor where he is. Why?
• Winfield Scott (Old Fuss and Feathers) Vera
  Cruz and March on Mexico City.
• One of the most brilliant campaigns in US
  history. Captures Mexico City.
• Scott hero during the war of 1812.
• Best general produced by US between Rev. War and
  Civil War.

23
Treaty Of Guadalupe Hidalgo

• 2/2/1848.
• Terms?
• American title to Texas confirmed with Rio Grande
  the border.
• Mexico yielded Arizona, New Mexico, California,
  Nevada to US. (with Texas, is about ½ of Mexico.)
  Land referred to as Mexican Cession.
• US to pay 15 Million and assume claims of
  citizens there against Mexico worth about 3
  Million. (18.5 Mill compared to 25 Mill.
  prepared to pay for Cal. before the war.)

24
Consequences of War

• Identify the short and long-term consequences of
  the war.

25
Question

• What caused the Mexican War? Did Polk provoke the
  Texas-boundary conflict in order to gain
  California or expand slavery, as war opponents
  like Lincoln charged?

26
Wilmot Proviso

• Wilmot Proviso
• Mexican American War was the opening chapter on
  events that led to the Civil War because of the
  new territory added.
• Foreshadows the Civil War
• Practice for military leaders
• More land to dispute over slavery