Manifest Destiny in the 1840s

Unit 4 Essential Q s How did the idea of Manifest Destiny alter the identity of the United States? Why did the Civil War occur and was Reconstruction successful?

President John Tyler 1841-1845 Whig

Presidential Rankings: C-Span Survey, 2009 1. Abraham Lincoln 15. Bill Clinton 29. Zachary Taylor 2. Franklin Roosevelt 16. William McKinley 30. Benjamin Harrison 3. George Washington 17. John Adams 31. Martin Van Buren 4. Theodore Roosevelt 18. George H.W. Bush 32. Chester Arthur 5. Harry Truman 19. John Quincy Adams 33. Rutherford Hayes 6. John Kennedy 20. James Madison 34. Herbert Hoover 7. Thomas Jefferson 21. Grover Cleveland 35. John Tyler 8. Dwight Eisenhower 22. Gerald Ford 36. George W. Bush 9. Woodrow Wilson 23. Ulysses Grant 37. Millard Fillmore 10. Ronald Reagan 11. Lyndon Johnson 12. James Polk 13. Andrew Jackson 14. James Monroe 24. William Taft 25. Jimmy Carter 26. Calvin Coolidge 27. Richard Nixon 28. James Garfield 38. Warren Harding 39. William Harrison 40. Franklin Pierce 41. Andrew Johnson 42. James Buchanan

Death of Harrison & Tyler s Ascendancy Harrison dies of pneumonia Tyler old-school, principled, VA Left Senate b/c of principles Left Democrats due to Jackson More of a minority Whig believed in states rights why he was put on ticket At odds with Whigs on everything President William Henry Harrison had only been in office one month when he died of pneumonia.

President w/o a Party Whig platform - nationalistic Financial reforms Bill to end Ind. Treasury signed it New BUS vetoed Fiscal corporation - vetoed His Accidency? Death threats, burned in effigy

President w/o a Party Whole cabinet resigned except Webster negotiating with GB Expelled from Whig party House discussed impeachment Tariff of 1842 Vetoed b/c revenue went to states - $ should stay with fed govt Redraft of tariff to 32% - signed

War of Words with GB Why anti-british? Memories of wars Rev and War of 1812 Travel books described America as crude British magazines Britain mad about unpaid loans to U.S. America helps Canadians revolt supplies and armed service Caroline (steamship) - 1837 American ship was carrying supplies to insurgents across Niagara River Attacked on NY shore, set on fire Propaganda depicted it worse

War of Words with GB Caroline Canadian McLeod arrested and indicted for murder London Foreign office said execution war McLeod freed after trial Creole British offered asylum to 130 VA slaves who had rebelled and captured American Creole ship in Bahamas More tension

Manipulating Maine Maps Aroostook War British want to build a road from Halifax to Quebec go through disputed territory Lumberjacks from Maine and Canada come to Aroostook Valley summoned militias Webster-Ashburton Treaty GB Lord Ashburton and Daniel Webster America would retain 7000 sq. miles of the 12,000 sq. mile wilderness British got 5,000 and road Caroline incident patched up Mesabi Range Adjusted border gave U.S. 6,500 sq. miles of Mesabi iron ore in Minnesota

Lone Star State of Texas Treaties Shines Alone Mexico believes Texas is a province in revolt not independent, will be reconquered War with U.S. if we annex Texas needs defense driven to GB and France for a possible protectorate Mexico raided 2x but failed TX made treaties with France, Holland, Belgium

Lone Star State of Texas Shines Alone Why does GB want Texas to remain independent? Check American expansion Protect British Caribbean islands Smokescreen for foreign powers to move into Americas (against Monroe Doc) Abolitionist foothold in Texas incited slave rebellions in the South Free trade area unlike tariff-walled US Own cotton land source of cotton France wants to fragment America divide and conquer

Belated Texas Nuptials Tyler wanted Texas to give him a good name Annexation by joint resolution needs majority in both houses passed Texas invited to become 28 th state (1845) Needed to otherwise war with foreign countries over Texas??

British claims Oregon Fever North of Columbia River 700 there Had colonizing agency Hudson R. Co. Trade with Indians for fur American claims Exploration, missionaries, settlers *Agreed on peaceful joint occupation (1818)

Oregon Fever Oregon Fever and Oregon Trail 1840s many covered wagons travelled 2000 miles over Oregon Trail 5 mo. journey Many died en route By 1846 5000 there

The Oregon Trail

ALBERT BIERSTADT (1830-1902) The Oregon Trail, 1869

Oregon Fever Dispute over border 1846 5000 Americans v. 700 British GB wants Columbia R as border America wants 49 th parallel Overshadowed by Texas affair

The Oregon Boundary Dispute

Manifest Destiny A. Many Americans believed they were destined to conquer the continent 1. Really began with Jackson s Indian removal policies in 1830s 2. Definition coined by John L. O Sullivan

Big Ideas 1) Economic and national interests + superiority belief = expansion 2) Expansion = war, new markets, ideological conflicts

President James K. Polk 1845-1849 Democrat

Election of 1844 Whigs Henry Clay Clay, Union, & Liberty or Polk, Slavery, & Texas Said Who is James K. Polk? Said many slaves were branded with JKP

Whigs Henry Clay

Election of 1844 Democrats James K. Polk (dark horse candidate) Not Van Buren - anti-texas and many Dems were S. expansionists Polk not really unknown Gov. of Tennessee, Speaker of the House Determined, ruthless, intelligent Sponsored by Jackson Young Hickory Get Texas & 54 40 or Fight (Oregon) Said Clay was a corrupt bargainer and a slaveowner (so was Polk)

Dems --> James Knox Polk

Liberty Party James Birney

I want peace with all the world. To enlarge its limits is to extend the dominions of peace over additional territories and increasing millions. The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government. James K Polk Inaugural Address 1845

Election of 1844 Main Issue: Manifest Destiny Definition: Greed + liberty Term coined by John L. Sullivan

Emmanuel Leutze: Westward the Course of Empire, 1861

John Gast, American Progress, 1872

Election of 1844 Clay tried to appease all favored annexation of Texas (South), but postpone a few years (North) Vote: 170 to 105 electoral 1,338,464 to 1,300,097 - popular Liberty Party in NY took away votes from Clay Anti-Texas party By getting involved, ensured pro-texas Polk won Polk wins Tyler takes this as America wants Texas

Polk s Mission 1. Lower tariff reduced 32% to 25% (Walker Tariff) N and Middle States upset will ruin manufacturing! 2. Restore Independent Treasury done in 1846 3. Settle Oregon dispute 4. Acquire California **achieved it all in one term!

Oregon Dispute Offered 49 line again to GB said no GB began changing their minds Didn t want war, Columbia R. not that great, more anti-expansionist now 1846 GB offers 49 line Senate approves treaty Didn t want a fight already at war with Mexico Some mad about this Why are we going after ALL of Texas but NOT ALL of Oregon

The Oregon Boundary Dispute

Oregon Treaty, 1846: U.S. received land below the 49 th parallel

Mexican- American War

Background Why California? Manifest Destiny and Gateway to the Pacific Population = 13,000 Spanish Americans, 75,000 Indians, less than 1000 Americans Polk wanted to buy California from Mexico but relations were bitter Mexico owed $3 million to U.S. for damages defaulted on payments Mad after US annexation of Texas Q over boundary Mexico wants Nueces River, US/Texas wants Rio Grande

Background Rumors that GB was about to buy or seize California violation of Monroe Doc (not true) Polk dispatched John Slidell to Mexico City offer $25 mil for California & land East of it Mexico wouldn t even allow Slidell to present the proposition

Causes Jan 1846 Zachary Taylor and 4,000 men sent to Rio Grande Nothing happens for months Polk wants to ask Congress to declare war based on (1) unpaid claims (2) Slidell s rejection Cabinet wants Mexican troops to fire first before asking for war News of Bloodshed! April Mexican troops crossed Rio Grande and attacked Taylor s forces 16 Americans killed/wounded

Declaration of War Polk claimed Americans were killed on American soil really it was disputed territory between borders Congress declares war everyone behind it?? Congressman Lincoln wanted investigation into exact spot Whigs say Polk is a liar Mexico won t sell California Polk needed to use force

American View Expansionists want to teach Mexico a lesson Taking Mexico makes up for not getting Canada in 1812 Mexico is the aggressor

Mexican View America is a bully that needs to be humiliated Invade the U.S., free slaves Hoped for British war over Oregon Mexico would then invade Mexico is the righteous one

Course of the War Polk s schemes: Pull out of war once Cali was captured Use Santa Anna (exiled to Cuba) offered to sell out Mexico if we got him back in Double-crossed us once in rallied Mexicans 1846 General Stephen W. Kearney captured Santa Fe on the way to Cali Capt. John C. Fremont took Cali with help of navy and local Americans Bear Flag Revolt

Course of the War Gen. Zachary Taylor Old Rough and Ready - went into Mexico Several victories Buena Vista 5000 Americans attacked 20,000 Mexicans with Santa Anna Mexicans pushed back Taylor is a hero American strategy attack Mexico City Main expedition headed by Gen. Winfield Scott Old Fuss and Feathers of War of 1812 Obstacles: inadequate troops, numerous enemy, mountainous terrain, disease, political backbiting back home

Declaration of war against Mexico Zachary Taylor across the Nueces River to the Rio Grande Zachary Taylor became America s biggest war hero after the Mexican War and was elected president the year it ended in 1848

Gen. Winfield Scott occupies Mexico City

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo Polk sent Nicholas P. Trist, member of State Dept, with General Scott Arranged armistice with Santa Anna at a cost of $10,000 Santa Anna took $ and kept fighting Trist recalled but refused to go Treaty signed in Feb 1848 forwarded to Washington Got Texas, California, land east (Mexican cession) US to pay $15 mil and assumed Mexican debt Treaty was submitted to Senate approved but not popular Speed was imperative some want to end war ( Conscience Whigs ) & some want to take over Mexico Polk paid Mexico $18.25 mil due to guilty conscience

Profits: Impact America increased more than Louisiana Purchase Satisfied Manifest Destiny Field experience for many officers who will serve in Civil war Lee and Grant trained at West Point Navy used to blockade Mexican ports Annapolis Academy Marine Corps more reputable

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848

Mexico will poison us! -Emerson Mexico is to us the forbidden fruit the penalty of eating it would be to subject our institutions to political death. -Calhoun

Losses: Impact 13,000 lives lost (most by disease) Ugly turning point in relations with Latin America US is greedy and a bully Slavery issue reignited South just started war to increase slavery? Wilmot Proviso David Wilmot of Penn = slavery should never exist in any of the won territory Passed House, not Senate not federal law Polk left behind the slavery issue Mexicans took satisfaction that land won led to war in U.S. (Santa Anna s revenge)

From the cover of A Voice from the South, 1847