Westward Expansion

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Westward Expansion

• Part II Mexican-American War

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Westward Expansion

• Expanding since the end of the revolution.
• Northwest Territories
• Louisiana Purchase
• Indian cessions in the South
• Texas
• Mexican Cession California
• Oregon Territory
• Alaska, Hawaii Pacific islands (after 1865)

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Manifest Destiny

• Obvious fate of the United States to extend the
  territory of the nation as well as its system of
  government.
• Phrase coined by New York journalist John
  OSullivan in 1845 it was the nation's manifest
  destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of
  the continent which Providence has given us for
  the development of the great experiment of
  liberty and federated self-government entrusted
  to us.

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Monroe Doctrine

• From a speech given by Pres. James Monroe in
  1823.
• Americas should be free from future European
  colonization.
• U.S. would protect Latin American republics.
• Became the underpinnings of manifest destiny.

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Texas

• Became part of Mexico in 1810.
• Opened for settlement to Americans shortly
  thereafter.
• Huge influx of white settlers in 1830s led by
  Stephen Austin.
• Mexico struggled to maintain control of
  territory.
• Attempts to outlaw slavery and curb immigration
  failed.

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Republic of Texas

• Texas Declaration of Independence signed in 1835,
  enacted in 1836.
• Supported by Anglo-Texans and native Tejanos
  (Mexican-Texans).
• Two-week long Battle of the Alamo Mexican
  victory led by Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.
• Battle of San Jacinto in 1836 1600 Mexicans
  dead, only 9 Texans.
• Marked end of the war and creation of Republic of
  Texas with Sam Houston as President.

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Texan-American Relations

• Texas recognized as an independent republic by
  U.S., Britain, and the Netherlands.
• 1845, Texas requested to be annexed by the United
  States.
• Huge debts and exchange of northern parts.
• Slavery hampers attempts at annexation (Missouri
  Compromise of 1820).
• Disputed boundaries with Mexico will lead to war.

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Annexation and War

• 1845, U.S. annexes Texas.
• U.S. offers to pay off Texan debts to Mexico and
  purchase California offers rejected.
• Border disputes turns into war U.S. claims
  Mexico invaded our soil.
• Occupied California (as Republic of California)
  to protect it from British.
• Several key battles, Battle of Vera Cruz, e.g.
• Key players show up later in Civil War.

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Why didnt we keep Mexico?

• Racial and economic components.
• The best of them are robbers and murderers.
• As for ugliness, I have never seen any old Negro
  half so hideous and disgusting in appearance as
  very many of the wretched hags of this ill-famed
  race.
• The lower classes . . . At least
  nineteen-twentieths of the whole population, are
  poor, miserable being who are as ignorant and
  superstitious as it is possible to be.

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Results of War

• Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (1848)
• Mexican Cession (present-day states of
  California, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado,
  Nevada).
• Further debates over slavery.
• Increase in American nationalism.
• Also acquired Oregon Country during the war.

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