Transcript Chapter 18: Manifest Destiny

AP US
Unit 6
November 2011
 Harrison died after
4 weeks in office in
1841
 Pneumonia from
talking too long at
his inauguration!
 Tyler takes over, but
is more of a
Democrat than a
Whig – he just
didn’t like Jackson
and was an
individual so he had
left the Democrats
for the Whigs
earlier
 Clay still wanted
to push through
his Whig plans:
 1. A law ending
the independent
treasury
 Passed by Tyler
 2. A law creating a Fiscal Bank, which would
establish a new BUS
 Vetoed by Tyler
 Clay tried again with a “Fiscal Corporation”
 Vetoed by Tyler
 Whigs were very angry
 Dispelled Tyler from the party and thought
about impeaching him
 Entire cabinet, except SOS Webster, resigned
 3. Rise in Tariffs including a “redistribution
plan” that would take funds from the sale of
public western lands and distribute those
funds amongst the states
 Vetoed by Tyler – rates too high and
thought the feds should keep the money
 So Clay pushed a new Tariff plan (about 32%
and the 1832 levels) and no dollar
redistribution
 Approved by Tyler
 Still some strife between the two countries
 They made fun of us in travel guides and
magazines, about being rustic and crude
 America was a borrowing country at that
time and England was a lender
 This obviously caused some tensions
 Small insurgence in Canada in 1837
 Supplied by some Americans
 An American supply boat, the Caroline, was
attacked on the NY shore by the British and
set on fire
 Breach of neutrality
 Slaves who escaped from VA on a captured
American ship, the Creole, were given safe
haven in the Bahamas in 1841
 Northern Maine was a
disputed area
 British wanted to build
a road from Halifax to
Quebec – the road
would go through this
disputed territory
 Lumberjacks and
Militias from both sides
fought in the
Aroostook War in 1842
 Daniel Webster and Lord Ashburton
negotiated a “split the difference” treaty that
would give the US 7000 of the 12000 square
miles and the British would get their road
 The British also adjusted the Canada/US
boundary further west to give us a section of
Minnesota that would be found to contain
the Mesabi iron ore range – the chief deposit
of iron ore in the US – hah!
 Mexico considered Texas a “province in revolt”
since 1836 and threatened America about
adopting Texas
 Texas was worried and was driven to
negotiations with England and France
 Europe wanted an independent Texas to stop
American expansion, provide them with
cotton, be a free trade area, challenge the
Monroe Doctrine, and to be a political pawn
 Polk (D)
won over
Clay (W) in
1844
 Tyler saw this victory as a mandate to
acquire Texas
 Tyler had a joint resolution in both houses
push this through (majority) instead of a
treaty (2/3 vote).
 This passed in early 1845 and Texas was
invited to join the Union.
 Mexico was VERY angry but after 9 years of
Texan independence, America had decided
that it had waited long enough
 Oregon Country had
originally been under
claims from Spain
(lost in Florida Treaty
of 1819), Russia (gave
up to 54 40 in 1824
and 1825 treaties) and
England and US
 England claimed
North of the
Columbia
 Americans started pouring into the area south
of the Columbia – originally missionaries, but
then settlers in the Willamette Valley – 5000
Americans by 1846 compared to 700 British
North of the Columbia
 US wanted to keep the 49th parallel while
England wanted to keep the Columbia
 This grew more important in the election of
1844, but not quite as important as Texas
 Whigs: Henry Clay – pro union – on the fence
about Texas – un-clarity about slavery lost him
NY because of the liberty party
 Dems: James Polk the Dark Horse, pro
expansion, 54 40 or fight – owned slaves
 This campaign was an expression of Manifest
Destiny
 Manifest Destiny: God wanted Americans to
spread their culture and religion across the
continent
 Polk (D)
won over
Clay (W) in
1844
 Hardcore and not a good delegator
 4-point program:
1. Lower Tariff
 Walker Tariff of 1846 reduced rates from 32 to
25%
2. Restoration of the Independent Treasury
3. Acquisition of California
4. Settlement of Oregon “dispute”
 England gave up and called the line at the 49th
parallel
 Polk wanted to buy Mexico
 Was worried that England was going to
buy it (turned out to be rumors)
 Polk really wanted San Francisco
 Sent Slidell to Mexico City in late 1845 with
approval to purchase it for 25 million
 He wasn’t even allowed to present his
proposition
 Mexico was MAD at US
 Texas thing
 Conflict over Texas boundary – Nueces or
Rio Grande
 Withdrew their diplomats from Washington
 Technically America had $3 million in
claims against Mexico for destruction of US
property…
 Polk sent troops under
General Zachary Taylor
from the Nueces to the
Rio Grande in January
1846.
 Nothing happened and
Polk wanted to attack
anyway, but luckily(!)
Mexican troops crossed
the Rio Grande on April
25th and attacked
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjUEBDOOSDM
 Polk cried out against the loss of American
blood on American soil (really in an area
claimed by Mexico) and many jumped into
the war fever
 Some anti-slavery Whigs protested and a
young congressman introduced a “spot”
resolution trying to figure out exactly where
the fighting occurred (Lincoln)
 Both sides were mad and looking for a fight
 Santa Anna was in exile in Cuba and let
US know that if they let him back he
would give up California – he lied!
 He returned and organized Mexico
against the US.
 Zach Taylor (Old Rough and Ready –
The Hero of Buena Vista), Winfield
Scott (Hero of War of 1812 – Old Fuss
and Feathers), Stephen Kearny, John C.
Fremont all successfully led the war
against Mexico
 Santa Anna stalled the Americans by saying he would
work on peace…
 Trist (chief clerk of state department) penned the Treaty
of Guadalupe Hidalgo and it was signed on February 2,
1848
 Gave US CA and TX and all land to Oregon (about ½
of Mexico)
 America would pay $15 mill for it
 America would assume the claims against Mexico
 Anti-slavery (conscience Whigs) were upset about it and
Super-Expansionists were upset it didn’t get more
 13,000 American
lives lost (most
from disease)
 721 died in battle
 US was increased
by 1/3 (including
Texas)
 Yay Manifest
Destiny
 “Schoolroom for the Civil War”
 Both Lee and Grant and many other Civil
War leaders gained field experience in this
war
 Really helped begin sectional conflict
 Wilmot Proviso would have said no slavery
in territory acquired from Mexico – didn’t
pass the Senate but twice passed the House
(still sectional even in Senate)