Manifest
Destiny
I.
Manifest Destiny
A.
The idea that we
should own all the land from coast to coast
B.
The term was not
used until the 1840s
C.
Issues
1.
Expansion- do we
have the right?
2.
Slavery in the
new land
3.
Do we have the
right to make laws for territories, and are the people there citizens?
4.
States’ Rights
II.
Oregon
A.
Both the US and
Great Britain claimed the Oregon territory
B.
It was settled,
and the US got up to the 49 line
III.
Texas
A.
Mexico belonged
to Spain, and Texas belonged to Mexico. Mexico
revolted against Spain, and Texas became an independent republic belonging to
Mexico
B.
The US tried to
buy Texas from Mexico, but Mexico refused.
But, Mexico invited Americans to settle in Texas
1.
Land that’s not
used is useless, so they wanted people to occupy and cultivate the land
2.
Hopeful that at
some point they would become part of the US
3.
Americans were
willing to settle there because they were allowed to bring their slaves, could
grow cotton there, and got cheap land grants
4.
By 1835, there
were more Americans than Mexicans in Texas, and Mexico wanted the Americans
gone
a)
Mexico banned
slavery in Texas
b)
Mexico increased
taxes
c)
Restricted
immigration
d)
1836- short war
and Texas gained its independence from Mexico and asked to be admitted to the
US, but Jackson was president at the time and he said no, and later Van Buren
refused as well
(1)
Wanted to
maintain good relations with their neighbor, Mexico
(2)
Afraid that
Texas would break up into several slave states
C.
New Mexico was
having similar problems, and Americans were beginning to migrate to California
(these territories were part of Mexico)
IV.
Tyler Presidency
A.
When Harrison
became president, he relied on Henry Clay.
There was a push for Whig legislation, but Harrison died a month into
his presidency and Tyler became president
1.
Tyler was not
originally a Whig- he was a states’ rights southern Democrat but ran as a Whig
to balance the ticket
2.
When Tyler
became president after Harrison’s death, he went back to his southern Democrat
roots
a)
All of his
cabinet members resigned, except Webster
b)
He was thrown
out of the Whig party (he was no longer a Whig) and the Democratic party (they
didn’t trust him)
B.
Preemption Act
1.
Allowed
squatters on unsurveyed land to have first chance to buy at a low price once
the land went on the market
C.
Webster-Ashburton
Treaty
1.
A new treaty
with Britain
2.
Reestablished
boundaries
3.
After Webster
got this passed he resigned
D.
Tyler is a
president with great ambition but without a party. To resurrect his political career, he needed
an issue to work on, and the issue he chose was Texas
1.
Texas was making
noise, trying to become part of Great Britain
2.
Calhoun
(Secretary of State) tried to negotiate an annexation deal with Texas, but
Congress rejected it because it was too pro-Southern
3.
Nevertheless,
the issue of Texas was still at the forefront
E.
Election of 1844
1.
It looked like
the Democrats were going to nominate Van Buren and the Whigs would nominate
Henry Clay
a)
Van Buren and
Clay made a secret agreement that neither one of them would discuss Texas
during the campaign
b)
Both of them did
not want to take a stand on the issue (pro-Texas people were branded as
supporters of the South and slavery, and anti-Texas people were branded as
northern supporters and anti-slavery)
2.
Democrats
decided not to nominate Van Buren, but nominated Polk instead (so the agreement
was gone)
3.
Third Party-
Anti Slavery Liberty Party- took away support from Clay
4.
Polk was
elected, Tyler was now a lame duck and managed to get Texas admitted to the
union during his lame duck period
V.
Polk Presidency
A.
Dark Horse- was
an unknown when he came into office
B.
Settled Oregon
at 49 (earlier in notes) even though he campaigned for 54
C.
Mormons
1.
When they
settled in Utah, it was not part of the US
2.
When Utah became
part of the US in the 1850s, there was an outrage about polygamy (Mormon War)
3.
If they stopped
practicing polygamy, the government would not prosecute the Mormons for treason
D.
Texas
1.
We disputed with
Mexico over the boundaries of Texas
2.
Polk sent troops
into the disputed lands to make it like they were staying there and not
antagonize the enemy
a)
Eventually the
Mexicans attacked, which gave us an excuse to go to war
b)
When the war was
over, by 1848, the US purchased the Mexican Cession, part of New Mexico that
was in dispute, and the bottom edge of Texas that was in dispute
3.
Although our
territory increased by 1/3, other problems were created
a)
Americans were
divided about the war
(1)
Pro- we were
only defending ourselves, manifest destiny
(2)
Con (Whigs)-
accused Polk of provoking the conflict, and Northern abolitionists saw it as a
conspiracy to increase slave territory
VI.
