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Manifest Destiny and
Westward Expansion There were many people moving westward in 1837. New territories included California, Oregon, Texas, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Western settlers hoped to escape eastern economic problems brought by The Panic of 1837. Even though The Panic of 1837 affected the west, the frontier still offered opportunities and valuable resources. Between 1837 and 1850 the west became America’s leading food-producing area. This helped build a trade between the east and the west and to strengthen the American economy as a whole. After 1849 the discovery of rich mineral deposits in the west led to growing mining and mineral industry. In the 1840’s transportation improved to help America’s frontier settlement and trade. Roads and canals were built to connect the east and the west. The overland routes were trails such as the Santa Fé Trail and the Oregon Trail. Americans began to feel pride in their country during the Westward expansion 1830’ s-40. As Americans moved west, the settlement of the frontier was proof of America’s social and political greatness. It also became a symbol of American strength, bravery, and determination. A new idea of nationalism grew throughout America. The new idea of nationalism was called the Manifest Destiny. It was meant to settle new land and bring it into the union. Indians throughout the west became victims of American land-hunger. The idea of Manifest Destiny brought the United States into dangerous conflicts with other countries.
Much of the southwest and far west was owned by Spain like present day California and Texas, and it stretched as far as the old Louisiana Territory. Americans were eager to settle in these rich open lands. However, the Spanish government changed its policy toward American settlement, each family received a gift from Spanish government, and in return the settlers had to become Spanish citizens and accept Spanish laws. To attract more American to Texas Mexico offered gifts of land and favored settler’s needs. Their growing power began to alarm Mexico’s leaders. Trouble arose between American settlers in Texas with Mexico’s new government. American settlers refused to become Mexican citizens and paid little attention to Mexican laws. Mexican leaders needed to regain control over the settlers, so in 1830 they passed several laws to restrict the settlers and bring them under government power. Settlers became bitter when slavery was outlawed throughout Texas because a large number of slaveholders were from the south. In 1835 the Texans rebelled against Mexico’s rule and declared their independence. After losing a battle against Mexico, Samuel Houston put together a more powerful Texan army and destroyed the Mexican Army. Santa Anna, Mexico’s leader, had to make peace and accept the new Texan government. The Texans wanted their new republic annexed by the United States.
The Texas Republic’s joining the U.S. opened large parts of the Southwest to American settlement, however it also caused anger and bad feelings between the United States and Mexico. Some people felt borders pushed to the Pacific Coast was the best way to build their country’s wealth and power, but some thought our country had a right to keep any land that it was strong enough to take, including Texas. Some felt it was wrong to take land that belonged to another country, no matter the reason, but most felt the annexation of Texas would justly anger the Mexican government. Sectionalism was another major issue tied in with the Texas question. Southerners generally favored annexation because they knew that many Texans were slaveholders. If Texas gained statehood, the south would gain more support in Congress. Many northerners feared that Texan annexation would destroy the balance of political power between the sections. They also didn’t want slavery to spread since Texas wanted to come in as a slave state. An angry political debate had grown over the Texas question. It caused sectional differences to become bitter, but as months passed it became clear that government leaders could not agree on the issue. In order to make peace Jackson decided against the immediate annexation of Texas. The question of the annexation of Texas was highly important; it underlined two dangerous issues, Nationalism, and sectionalism.
Questions: What was a major part of the Panic of 1837? What’s the difference between sectionalism and nationalism? Why did Texas want to be annexed? What did Samuel Houston accomplish? What did Santa Anna have to do with the Mexican Army? What were the two main mineral resources? What was the date of Louisiana Territory purchased and what present day states did it consist of? What did the Spanish government do to get people to move there? Why did slaveholders want Texas to come into as a slave state?
Acquisition
from other Countries Texas Joins the Union President Jackson refused to bring Texas into the Union and it helped to cool sectional debate over Texas. Martin Van Buren decided not to act upon the Texas question because he believed that any movement to grant statehood to Texas would lead to war with Mexico. Southern leaders in congress called for statehood because it would add to the political powers of the South and it would spread slavery in the south. President John Tyler favored statehood for Texas but congress caused the measure to be turned down. The election of James K. Polk settled the issue of Texan statehood, which joined the Union in 1845. The admission of Texas settled major conflicts brought about by westward expansion. The Oregon Country By the 1840s, America had claimed much of the northwestern territory, known as the Oregon. The Oregon Country was very useful. It was rich in both land and in natural resources. It was good for faming and soon became the center for the North American fur trade. Traveling to Oregon was long and was often filled with hardship. These hardships included disease, rugged terrain, and bad weather. Attacks by Indians were the most feared. The Indians learned that the settling of Americans in the West threatened their homelands. This caused them to fight against the spread of the frontier.
Settlement of the Oregon questions By 1845 Americans no longer thought of the Oregon Country as a small, faraway settlement. The population of the Oregon grew from less than 500 people to more than 5,000! More and more Americans were traveling westward everyday. Oregon was well on its way toward statehood. The Oregon question of it becoming a state was an important campaign issue during the election of 1844. President Polk, however, didn’t believe that America should go to war with Great Britain over the Oregon question. Polk made a compromise with Britain, causing each of them to give up a little bit of their land in order to solve the problem. The Treaty of 1846 brought a peaceful settlement over the Oregon question.
American Reach the Pacific As Americans moved to the Oregon country others moved into California. Over the years California became one of America’s most rapidly growing frontiers. The first Americans to reach California came by sea. Those people became Spanish citizens and opened small businesses. Slowly Americans in the East heard about the riches in California and became interested in the Spanish ways. Mexico knew that even the smallest number of American settlers would bring problems to Mexico’s new government. So Mexico took steps to stop American settlement in California. Americans began to think that California should become part of the United States. Mexico’s leaders refused to sell their country’s lands in California. The United States and Mexico had moved to the edge of war with each other.
Chapter 13 Section 3 By the mid 1840’s America was expanding in all directions, but especially westward. Mormons, a suffering religious group led by Joseph Smith in the 1830’s, moved west because they were driven out of each state they settled in. The land in the west was known for its harsh desert conditions and un-fertile soil. Despite all the land problems, by the late 1840’s the Mormon’s had completely changed the dry and burning Utah desert into usable, healthy farmland. The westward move by American citizens had some downsides. After many disputes, America went to war with Mexico. Mexico’s leaders thought that the Lone Star Republic was a scheme for American’s to help Texas against Mexico. The bitterness between Mexico and America only increased when President James Polk offered to buy California and New Mexico, which Mexico refused to sell because it was valuable land. In 1848, the fighting stopped. Mexico’s ruler, General Santa Anna proposed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. With the treaty, America got the right to buy California and New Mexico, for only 15 million dollars. The Gold Rush of 1849 brought an upshot of wealth to America. John Sutter in California discovered gold in 1948. It took less than a year for most of America to rush strait there, some becoming rich, some failing and losing everything. Two years after gold was discovered in California, there were over 100,000 new settlers there. Because of the rapid growth, California joined the Union and gained its statehood as a free state.
1) Which religious group, led by Joseph Smith, moved westward because they were forced out of their settlements?
a. Mormons b. Muslims c. Jews d. Christians
2) Which characteristic(s) made up the Utah Desert?
a. Unfertile b. Dry c. Burned d. All of the above
3) What was one reason America went to war with Mexico?
a. Illegal Immigration b. President Polk offering to buy California & New Mexico c. Mexico thought America should not be free d. America was planning to invade Mexico
4) Who was Mexico’s ruler in 1848?
a. Monte Alban b. General Jose Polacio c. General Santa Anna d. Carlos Mencia
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