Manifest Destiny

1803-1853
The United States Expanded
from the Atlantic to the Pacific
in 50 years
 Manifest Destiny
A belief shared by many
Americans in the mid 1800s
that the United States should
expand across the continent
to the Pacific Ocean.

President Polk believed it was

our manifest destiny, or
obvious fate to settle land
all the way to the Pacific
Ocean in order to spread
democracy.
 Louisiana Purchase:
1803
Thomas Jefferson bought the
Louisiana Territory from France for
$15 million.

Jefferson wanted to make sure the

U.S. had control of the Port of New
Orleans and the Mississippi River.

The Louisiana Purchase doubled

the size of the United States.

The U.S. stretched from the Atlantic

Ocean to the Rocky Mountains.
 Florida: 1819
The U.S. wanted to take Florida from
Spain because of attacks by
Seminole Indians and runaway
slaves in Georgia.

In 1819, President Monroe sent

General Andrew Jackson to Florida
to help protect the U.S. border.

Jackson invaded Florida and

overthrew the governor of Florida. He
had no direct orders from President
Monroe.

Spain gave Florida to the U.S. in

exchange for $5 million and control of
Texas.
 Texas: 1830s
In 1821, Texas was a part of Mexico.

Stephen Austin was an empresario = agent

to bring settlers to Texas.

Stephen Austin brought the first 300 families to

Texas - known as the Old Three Hundred.

By 1830, 25,000 Americans were living in

Texas. They were required to become Mexican
citizens and become Catholic.

The Americans had to follow Mexican law.

Stephen Austin
When Americans complained, Mexico closed
Texas to further American immigration.
 Texas Revolution:
1835-36
After Mexico closed Texas to Americans, Stephen
Austin went to negotiate with the Mexican leader,
Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna.

Austin was jailed, and the Texans revolted.

In February 23- March 6, 1836, Mexico attacked

the Texans at the Alamo. This 13-day siege
resulted in the killing of all the Americans (except
some women, children and slaves).

In April, the Mexican army massacred the Texan

rebels at Goliad.

After the Alamo and Goliad, Sam Houston surprise

attacked Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. Antonio Lopez
Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! de Santa Anna
Texas won its independence.
 Texas Statehood:
1845
Santa Anna was captured and forced to sign
a treaty giving Texas its independence.

Texas became an independent nation in

1836 called the Lone Star Republic.

Sam Houston became President.

Annexation of Texas was delayed:

Worry that adding Texas as a slave state Sam Houston
would upset the balance between free
and slave states
Fear that annexing Texas would lead to
war with Mexico

Texas joined the U.S. and became the 28th

state in 1845.
 Oregon Country:
1846
In 1820, both the U.S. and Britain
claimed to own Oregon Country.

In the 1830s and 1840s, thousands of

American pioneers were going west to
settle in Oregon Country.

President Polk wanted all of Oregon to

the fifty-four fifty parallel. The American
people cried, Fifty-four forty or fight.

Neither Polk nor Britain wanted war.

Britain and the U.S. compromised.

They split Oregon in half at the 49th
parallel. The U.S. got the southern half.
War with Mexico: 1846-
48
President Polk wanted to expand the U.S. territory
clear to the Pacific Ocean.

He offered to buy California and New Mexico

territories from Mexico for $30 million. Mexico
refused.

After the U.S. annexed Texas in 1845, Mexico and

the U.S. disagreed on the Texas border
The U.S. claimed the Rio Grande River.
Mexico claimed the Nueces River.

The U.S. sent troops to patrol the border.

Conflict broke out and the Mexican army killed U.S.

troops on disputed land.

Polk declared war, claiming Mexico spilled

American blood on American land.
 War with Mexico:
1846-48
The U.S. Army had better weapons and
equipment, but it was greatly outnumbered
by the Mexican forces and was poorly
prepared.

The U.S. took New Mexico territory without

a fight and claimed the territory.

Zachary Taylor defeats Santa Anna at the

Battle of Buena Vista.

U.S. troops under Winfred Scott (old fuss

and feathers) capture Mexico City. Battle of Buena Vista

This led to the Treaty of Guadalupe

Hidalgo, which ended the war.
 Bear Flag Revolt:
1846
Small group of American settlers seized the
town of Sonoma.

Americans declared California an

independent nation and made a grizzly bear
flag.

John C. Fremont was leading a mapping

expedition in the Sierra Nevadas. He joined
the American settlers in their revolt against
the Californios.

Shortly after, U.S. naval forces came ashore

in California and raised the stars and
stripes. They claimed California for the
United States.
 Mexican Cession:
1848
In the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,
Mexico gave the U.S. the territories of
California, Nevada and Utah, most of
Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of
Colorado and Wyoming.
The US also claimed Texas north of
the Rio Grande

The U.S. paid $15 million for the

territory

Today this is the American southwest.

Mexican Cession increased the size of

the US by 25%
 Gadsden Purchase:
1853
After the war with Mexico,
Americans wanted to guarantee
that any southern railroad to
California would be built
completely on American soil.

US paid $10 million for the

southern parts of Arizona and
New Mexico.

The existing boundary between

the U.S. and Mexico was fixed.
 Donner Party: 1846
Settlers bound for California took a southern
route known as the California Trail. This path
went through the Sierra Nevada mountain
range. Settlers tried to cross the mountains
before the first snow.

Guidebooks helped pioneers find their way.

Lansford Hastings wrote the Emigrants

Guide to Oregon and California. Hastings
guide advertised a new shortcut that would
save 300-400 miles. Hastings had never
traveled the route himself.

Following Hastings guide and shortcut, The

Donner Party left the California trail and got
lost. They were trapped in the Sierra Nevada
in winter. They were stuck without food and
resorted to eating the dead to survive. 42 of
87 died.
 California Gold Rush:
1849
Gold was found in Sutters Mill in
1848.

In 1849, about 80,000 gold seekers,

known as forty-niners, came to
California hoping to strike it rich.
Sutters Mill

Panning for gold was the simplest

method.
A miner fills a pan with dirt. He
then puts the pan under water
and shakes it until any gold
settles on the bottom.
 California Gold Rush:
1849
Mining camps sprung up whenever enough people gathered to look for gold.

At the mining camps, many people prospected (searched for gold). Others ran
businesses that catered to the miners - laundry, food, innkeepers, legal
services, supplies

Famine and
economic hardship in
China brought many
Chinese to
California. However,
they faced
discrimination and a
high tax on foreign
miners.
 Impact of Gold Rush
The arrival of 49ers created a
population boom

Immigration increased diversity of

population

California became a state in 1 year

Growth of new businesses and

industry transformed Californias
economy
Gold mining was important, but
farming and ranching grew

Discrimination of Californios and

Native Americans