MANIFEST DESTINY AND WESTWARD EXPANSION CHAPTER 13 AP US HISTORY

MANIFEST DESTINY AND WESTWARD EXPANSION CHAPTER 13 AP US HISTORY

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to Explain how popular enthusiasm for U.S. expansion, bolstered by economic and security interests, resulted in the acquisition of new territories, substantial migration westward, and new overseas initiatives. Evaluate the ways in which Manifest Destiny drove American policy in the mid-1800s. Explain how the United States expanded its borders westward to the Pacific Ocean. Predict future American expansionist policy based on the policies of Manifest Destiny.

What issue dominated American diplomacy and politics in the 1840s? Territorial Expansion In what ways can we see this issue? Settlers were swarming into the Oregon Country aggravating relations with Britain! Britain had also claimed this territory despite several treaties (Adams- Onis). The American people were deepening the argument over Texas annexation. The arguments over Texas increased tensions with Mexico. The argument over slavery also increased with the debates over expansion.

ACCESSION OF JOHN TYLER: How did the Whigs actually respond to the election of Old Tippecanoe? The leaders of the Whigs (Daniel Webster and Henry Clay) were not impressed with Pres. Harrison. These leaders viewed him as an impressive figure-head. Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, and leaders in the Senate actually led the party. William Henry Harrison had to rebuke Henry Clay reminding him that he was the President of the United States What changed the course of the Harrison presidency? His death!!! How did the death of Harrison change the direction of the Whig party? John Tyler became the president he was NOT a Whig by nature! Tyler was a Virginia gentleman gracious, kind, and STUBBORN! Tyler had left the Jacksonian Democrats because he could not stomach the dictatorial tactics of Jackson. Tyler was more a Jeffersonian being attached to the Harrison ticket to draw Jeffersonian democrats to the Whig party.

Was Tyler controllable by the Whigs? NO! The Clay-Webster powerhouse portions of the Whigs had NOT published the party platform. Though unpublished, Tyler disagreed with almost EVERY issue supported by Clay-Webster. What is the Whig platform? Pro-bank, pro-protective tariff, and pro-internal improvement Tyler would NOT truly support any of this platform. What is the Whig problem? William Henry Harrison (Old Tippecanoe) died 4 weeks into his presidential term. Tyler would serve for 204 weeks meaning the Whigs had to contend with an ex-democrat who did not support their views.

JOHN TYLER: A PRESIDENT WITHOUT A PARTY In what ways do historians see the breaks between Tyler and the Whigs? The first item on the Whig agenda was finances. The Whigs passed laws ending the independent treasury system Tyler signed this bill. Henry Clay then pushed a bill through to establish a 3 rd National Bank. How did the Bank issue create tension between the president and Clay? Clay could have found a way to compromise with Tyler (he was The Great Compromiser ); however, Clay was bitter that he had lost the presidency to lesser men he s looking for a fight! Tyler vetoed the bank bill! The Whigs tried again to get Tyler to sign the bill NO! Democrats were thrilled with Tyler Whigs were FURIOUS! In what ways do historians see the frustrations of the Whigs? Tyler was dubbed His Accidency, was widely burned in effigy, and he received death threats. Tyler was formally removed from the Whig party to the delight of the Democrats. The Whigs attempted to impeach Tyler and the cabinet QUIT (except for Sec. of State Webster)!!!

What else did the president do to frustrate the Whigs? Tyler questioned the legitimacy of the Whig tariff proposal What was in this proposal that gave him pause? Tyler understood that we needed revenue his concern was HOW the revenue would be gained. The Whig tariff proposed the selling of Western lands to gain money. The money gained in the sale would be distributed among the states. Tyler felt that this would be squandering money desperately needed for the federal government. Tyler vetoed this tariff! What happened next? Clay s supporters redrafted the tariff bill in a second attempt with Tyler. This 2 nd bill was a moderate tariff (32%) Tyler signed the Tariff of 1842.

CONFLICT WITH ENGLAND: How did America have conflict with Britain AGAIN? By 1842, America was in yet another argument with Britain this would require either a treaty or another war. What would fuel this argument politically? Most Americans still had a hatred for the British after fighting 2 wars! Jacksonians were anti-aristocracy and anti-british The U.S. was a major debtor to English banks several states had not repaid loans due to the Panic of 1837. What would fuel the argument socially? Literary descriptions that were less than kind to the American people: tobacco-spitting, slave auctioneering, lynching, eye-gouging, rustic Republic (WOW!) British magazines attacked the Americans touching off a Third War with England. This time only INK would be spilled on paper broadsides. Even Charles Dickens entered the argument upset by losing royalties because America did not have copyright laws at this time.

ARGUMENTATION PRACTICE: Given the quotation by Frances Trollope and the cartoon, The Land of Liberty, what conclusions can you draw about British opinions of Americans? What evidence from these sources would support your assertions? Frances Trollope (1780 1863), an English writer disillusioned by the failure of a Utopian community she had joined in Tennessee, wrote scathingly of the Americans in 1832. Other nations have been called thin-skinned, but the citizens of the Union have, apparently, no skins at all; they wince if a breeze blows over them unless it be tempered with adulation.

What other issues would increase tensions for Tyler? In 1837, an insurrection in Canada inspired hundreds of Americans to help despite Canada having NO chance of winning. Americans furnished military supplies and/or volunteered for armed service. The government tried to uphold its neutrality regulations like with Texas in 1836. What was the Caroline Incident (1837)? An American ship, carrying supplies to the insurgents across the Niagara River. The ship was attacked, set on fire, and sunk by the British short of Niagara Falls one American died. Because of the location of the attack, this presented a counter violation of neutrality by Britain. A Canadian who boasted in a tavern about his role in attacking the Caroline was arrested and tried for murder. Britain made it clear that the execution of this man would mean war the Canadian was part of a military force. The Canadian was freed and tensions eased. What further caused tensions? The Creole Incident (1841) British in the Bahamas offered asylum to 130 Virginia slaves who had rebelled and captured the U.S. ship Creole. U.S. and British relations became tense as American southerners demanded recourse.

MANIPULATING THE MAINE MAPS: The British desired to build a road connecting Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Quebec = this road ran through disputed territory. The Aroostook War (1838) Canadian lumberjacks entered the Aroostook River Valley to claim land and jurisdiction and were confronted by the Maine Militia the conflict was bloodless. This conflict threatened to widen into a full-scale shooting war. Lord Ashburton, a British diplomat, negotiated with Secretary of State Daniel Webster. What transpired is known as the Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842) The U.S. would retain over half of the territory while Britain gained the Halifax-Quebec route. The British expressed regret over the destruction of the Caroline. Britain promised to avoid interference in freeing slaves (as in the Creole incident). Both the U.S. and Britain agreed to cooperate vis-à-vis patrol of African coast to prevent smuggling. The U.S. gained land in boundary adjustment in Minnesota (later iron ore discovered). Significance: this treaty helped create compromise and improved U.S. British relations.

OREGON TERRITORY (1846): The vast area of Oregon had been disputed in certain sections by Spain, Russia, Britain, & the United States John Jacob Astor Developed the American Fur Company into a huge enterprise organizing the fur trade from the Great Lakes to Oregon, to eventually the Far East. When Astor died in 1848, he was the richest man in America. Spain gave away claims to Oregon in the Florida Purchase Treaty (Adams-Onis Treaty) of 1819. What about conflict with Russia? Fort Ross had been established in 1812 just north of San Francisco. The Monroe Doctrine, intended by John Quincy Adams to partly reject Russian claims. Russians retreated to the 54-40 line due to the 1824 & 1825 treaties with the U.S. and Britain. The U.S. and Britain will become the SOLE possessors of Oregon and the sole arguers!

American migration into the Oregon region (south of the Columbia River) began. In the 1830s, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman (missionaries) led a sprinkling of U.S. settlers into the Willamette River Valley. Oregon Trail: In the 1840s, a flood of pioneers came to Oregon on a trail blazed initially by Jedidiah Smith. 2,000 mile trail; 17 deaths a mile for men, women, and children. The Trail began at Independence, Missouri or Council Bluffs, Iowa. By 1846: 5,000 settlers south of the Columbia River; British only had 700 north of the river. The British were eager to negotiate in the face of U.S. migration into the region. The disputed area between the Columbia River and the 49 th Parallel. The proposed compromise of the 49 th parallel was initially refused by Britain. Polk abandoned the campaign pledge of a 54-40 boundary; 54-40 or fight! Polk did not want to ruin the fragile north-south political balance with new additional northern states. Southerners in the face of Texas annexation & the election accepted the 49 th parallel. Early in 1846, Britain agreed to the 49 th parallel proposal.

The Senate ratified the 49 th parallel offer by Britain; U.S. received Oregon territory south of the 49 th parallel. The coming war with Mexico also influenced many Senators to seek a quick end to this dispute. The northwestern states were angered that Southerners got all of Texas but not all of Oregon was acquired. The Santa Fe Trail also became a significant point for westward expansion.

THE INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC OF TEXAS: Mexico refused to recognize Texas independence since 1836. Mexico threatened war if the U.S. should try annexation. Vastly outnumbered, the Texans feared Mexico. Texas concluded treaties with England, France, and Holland for protection in 1839 1840. The British were interested in Texas as a buffer zone against further U.S. expansion southward. This area could be used for European challenges to the Monroe Doctrine. France also hoped to fragment and militarize North America.

TEXAS JOINS THE UNION: In 1844, America enters another presidential election: James K. Polk (Democrat) Polk won by a NARROW margin. Henry Clay (Whig) The leading issue in the 1844 campaign (Polk v. Clay) was the annexation of Texas. Opponents feared expansion of slavery into this new region. Southerners strongly supported annexation. In 1845: President Tyler pushed for a joint resolution in Congress to annex Texas (this required a majority vote). Tyler did not push for a treaty since it required a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate and most Whigs opposed him (remember they kicked him out of the party). During the Lame Duck period, Tyler interpreted the narrow election victory of Polk as a mandate for annexation. Mexico charged that the U.S. had unjustly taken Texas; refusing to recognize annexation. The acquisition of Texas helped remove the Europeans from the U.S. southern border.