This document summarizes key events of US expansion and the Mexican-American War between 1830-1853: 1) It describes the forced removal of Native American tribes like the Cherokee to lands west of the Mississippi River, known as the "Trail of Tears", as well as the annexation of Texas and war with Mexico that added new western territories to the US. 2) The discovery of gold in California in 1848 and migration of settlers over the Oregon Trail led to the rapid growth and statehood of western regions like California. 3) The Mexican Cession of 1848 following the Mexican-American War and the Gadsden Purchase of 1853 extended US control from the Rio

1. US history survey
March 27, 2012
expansion of US, Manifest Destiny

2. announcements
• Paper # 1 is due.
• Late papers will be penalized by lowered
grades.
• European Association for American Studies
conference at Ege U this weekend.

3. Constant desire for land
• Forced removal of Indians to take over their
land.
• Extension of slavery farther west.
• War with Mexico.
• Negotiation with Britain.
• “Manifest Destiny.”
• By 1853, continental US had reached its
present boundaries.

5. Indian removal, 1830s
• Indian Removal Act, 1830 – funds to relocate
Indians from SE. Contradicted earlier law.
• Cherokees won 2 Supreme Court cases –
“domestic dependent nation.”
• “Five Civilized Tribes” forced off lands in SE to
Indian Territory (Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska).
• Cherokees, who had adopted white ways, forced
west in winter, 1838 – 1839. 7,000-man army
escort. ¼ of 16,000 died.

6. Trail of Tears

9. Mexican independence, 1821
• Mexico ended policies of New Spain: slavery &
racially discriminatory laws.
• Wanted to develop northern provinces.
• Invited Anglos to settle in Tejas, via empresarios,
Moses & Stephen Austin, 1821.
• Rapid settlement by southern whites with slaves,
extension of cotton economy. It was legal
settlement, unlike most westward expansion.
• Settlers required to become citizens of Mexico &
Catholics.

10. Americans in Texas
• Lived mostly in E, cotton plantations, slaves.
• Little contact with Tejanos or Indians.
• Defined selves as Americans & Protestants.
• Mexican government abolished slavery, restricted
American immigration, levied taxes, 1828.
• War, 1835. Battles of Alamo (San Antonio) & San
Jacinto.
• Mexico recognized independent Republic of
Texas, 1836.

11. San Antonio

12. Republic of Texas, 1836 - 1845
• Texas applied for
admission to US as
state, 1837.
• Rejected by Congress –
another slave state.
• Joined 1845, making 15
slave states, 13 free.
• Replica of first capitol of • Conflict with Mexicanos
Republic of Texas. & Indians.

13. • Americans claim Texas
was part of Louisiana
Purchase.
• Texans claim S & W
borders farther than
Mexico agrees.

15. Mexican-American War, 1846 - 1848

16. President Polk, expansionist
• Unnecessary war?
• Polk sends army to
Texas, & naval squadron
to California, secretly.
• Attempts to buy S.
Texas, New Mexico, &
California from Mexico.
• US wins war with
capture of Mexico City.
• Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo, 1848.

18. Gadsden Purchase, 1853
• $10 million to facilitate a southern
railroad.

19. • New Mexico.
• Tucson, Arizona.

21. Results of Mexican American War
• Residents able to choose Mexican or US
citizenship.
• Residents guaranteed rights as citizens – not
honored by states or US, re slavery, land-
owning, language, property.
• Mexico loses half its land.
• US grows enormously.

22. Gold discovered in California, 1848

24. rapid growth of California
• Men converge on
California from around
world; 80% from US.
• Separate Californio/
Mexican culture along
coast, & miners inland.
• San Francisco major
city.
• California becomes a
state in 1850.

25. • California gold country.

26. California coastal ranch

27. Oregon Territory/Pacific NW
• Claimed by Spain, Russia, Britain, US.
• Treaty of Ghent, 1814 (War of 1812)
• Adams-Onis Treaty, 1819 – Spanish claim to
42nd parallel.
• Hudson’s Bay Company (British) – fur trading
on Snake & Columbia Rivers.
• Negotiated with British for 49th
parallel as boundary, 1846.

28. Overland Trail to Oregon
• “Oregon fever.”
• Beginning 1840, settlers
arrive from mid-west.
• 7-months journey
overland.
• Ruts from wagon
wheels can still be seen
today.
• 300,000 to Oregon &
California by 1860.

29. Oregon Territory
• Oregon, Washington,
Idaho, parts of Montana
& Wyoming.
• Settlers in what
becomes state of
Oregon settle in
Willamette Valley.

31. In 3 years US territory grows by 70%
• Politics changes.
• Whigs opposed Polk’s expansionism on anti-
slavery grounds.
• Wilmot Proviso, 1846 – ban slavery in all
territories acquired from Mexico – not passed.
• N & S wings of parties cannot agree.
• New parties: Liberty Party, Free Soil Party – no
extension of slavery.
• Sectional conflict increasing over slavery
extension.

32. announcements
• Paper # 1 is due.
• Late papers will be penalized by lowered
grades.
• European Association for American Studies
conference at Ege U this weekend.

33. reading for next week
• Sojourner Truth, 33 – 44.
• Grimke sisters, 64 – 75
• In American Women Activists’ Writings, ed.
Kathryn Cullen DuPont.