Transcript Manifest Destiny - Oregon City School District 62

Manifest
Destiny
Go West Young Man
Go West
The Beginning of Expansion
Louisiana Purchase 1803
Florida Purchase from Spain
Webster-Ashburton Treaty
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Settled the disputed boundary between Maine and
Canada
Manifest Destiny
Election of 1844
James K Polk
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Campaigned on the idea of Manifest Destiny
Base on These Ideas
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Anglo-Saxon racial superiority
extend free government and free enterprise
the will of God
specially ordained mission in the world
Mexico and Texas
Policy of the government of Mexico toward Texas
• It encouraged American settlement in 1820's and
early 1830's.
Conflict between Mexico’s government and
settlers
• import duties
• abolish slavery in its territory
• acceptance of the Catholic faith
• power of General Santa Anna
Texas Annexation
Delay in annexing Texas
• Opposition in Congress to adding slave states
• Southerners strongly supported annexation
Mexico charged U.S. had unjustly taken
Texas; refused to recognize annexation
Acquisition of TX helped remove the
Europeans from U.S. southern border
Mexican War
Polk sought to buy California from Mexico but
tensions prevented such a purchase
• California gateway to the Pacific
• Texas’ annexation issue caused Mexico to sever
diplomatic relations
Boundary dispute: Original boundary was the
northerly Nueces River; Texans claimed southerly
Rio Grande
Mexican War
U.S. claimed against Mexico $3 million in
damages to U.S. citizens & property
• Mexico had formally agreed to assume this debt
but defaulted
Polk sent John Slidell to Mexico City in late
1845 to buy California for $25 million
• Mexico refused to allow Slidell to present his
proposition
Congress declares war on Mexico
Mexican War
Major Consequences
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Long-term Mexican resentment
Securing Texas’ southern border
Increased sectional tensions
Cession of California and New Mexico
Mexican War Results
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (Mexican Cession)
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$15 million to Mexico
Boundary at the Rio Grande
California
New Mexico territory
Important military experience that would be put
to use in the Civil War
Opposition to the Idea of Manifest
Destiny
Members of the Whig party
in Congress during the
Mexican War
Oregon Territory
54º40' or Fight
• Slogan in getting Oregon Territory
Polk negotiated a treaty with Britain
• 49º became northern boundary of US
• Polk abandoned campaign pledge of a 54-40
boundary; "54-40 or fight!"
• Didn't want to ruin fragile north-south political
balance with new additional northern states.
James K Polk
James K. Polk – They Might Be Giants
In 1844, the Democrats were split
The three nominees for the presidential
candidate
Were Martin Van Buren, a former president and
an abolitionist
James Buchanan, a moderate
Louis Cass, a general and expansionist
From Nashville came a dark horse riding up
He was James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump
Austere, severe, he held few people dear
His oratory filled his foes with fear
The factions soon agreed
He's just the man we need
To bring about victory
Fulfill our manifest destiny
And annex the land the Mexicans command
And when the votes were cast the winner was
Mister James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump
In four short years he met his every goal
He seized the whole southwest from Mexico
Made sure the tariffs fell
And made the English sell the Oregon territory
He built an independent treasury
Having done all this he sought no second term
But precious few have mourned the passing of
Mister James K. Polk, our eleventh president
Young Hickory, Napoleon of the Stump