Manifest Destiny and Texas Independence

US History CH 7.1 – 7.3

Manifest Destiny

• It is the Will of God that people Populate the continent

• Louis O’ Sullivan 1845 Magazine Writer

Expanding West• Trail Blazers, Kit Carson, Jim Bridger

– Fur Traders– Oregon Trail– Sante Fe Trail

• Over-Landers– People who traveled by wagon train to new territories– Rough, Dangerous Unpredictable Terrain– Wagon Trains– Donner Party: Cannibalism

• Squatters– Settled on Lands the government owned– Pushed Congress to sell land to them rather than the real estate agency

• Native Americans– Not as many attacks on settlers as Hollywood Shows

New Farming Technology

• Jethro Wood:Iron Plow• John Deere: Steel Plow• Cyrus McCormick: Mechanical Reeper

Mexico 1821

• Gained Independence in 1821• California Texas and New Mexico under

Mexican Control• Missions used by the Spanish, no longer

employed by Mexicans – Secularize• California, New Mexico, Texas – very few

Mexican Citizens

California

• Mexican Occupants: Rancheros, Mestizos, Vaqueros, Native Americans

• Large Trading Post• John Sutter: Sutter’s Fort

New Mexico

• After Mexican Independence trade increases with Mexico

• William Becknell: Santa Fe Trail– American Trader– Greatly increased trade with Mexico

Texas

• Buffer State between US and Spain before Mexican Independence

• Hostile Indian raids.• Spanish Impresarios: Encouraged American

Settlers• National Colonization Act: Mexico gave 26

Impresarios large tracts of land, in return they promised to fill them with people.

Texas Dissent

• American settlers to Texas accepted Mexican Citizenship but did not assimilate into their culture.

• Mexico or Empresario’s in control of Texas?• Hayden Edwards leads rebellion against Mexican

Government.• Mexico starts taxing imports from America• Texas Convention lead by Stephen Austin

– Demands Looser taxes– Reopen American immigration.

• Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna Arrests Austin• Texas Declares Independence, March 2, 1836.

Stephen Austin

Remember the Alamo

• Sam Houston chosen to lead Army• 180 rebels Vs. 6000 Mexican Soldiers• Old Spanish Mission.• William B. Travis: hold off Mexican force until

Houston can gather up Army.• Hold off Mexicans 13 Days

Texas Independence

• Goliad: 300 Texans executed after surrender.• Battle of San Jinincto– Texans attack Mexicans while sleeping– Remember the Alamo– Santa Anna himself captured, signs treaty with

Texas

Republic of Texas

• Sam Houston 1st President• Citizens wanted American Annexation.• America hesitant to unify.

President James K. Polk

• Election of 1844• Henry Clay (Whig) vs James K. Polk (Dem)• Birth of the Liberty Party• Oregon Territory: British and America claim– “54, 40 or Fight”– Treaty with British

• Annexation of Texas– 1845 Texas Joins Union

James K. Polk

War With Mexico

• Anger of Texas, California Intentions, Texas Boundary• Mexico refuses to even discuss issue.• American Forces led by Zachary Taylor.• Bear Flag Republic 1846– America takes control of the region

• American forces reach Mexican capital• Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo– 500,000 sq/mi of new land to US– America pays Mexico 18.25 Million

Vocabulary

• Empresario• Annexation• National Colonization Act• Washington on the Brazos• Antonio Lopez de Santa

Anna• Sam Houston• Alamo• William B. Travis

• Envoy• Cede• James K Polk• “Fifty-Four Forty or Fight”• Zachary Taylor• John C. Fremont• Bear Flag Republic• Winfield Scott• Treaty of Guadalupe

Hildago.