America’s Manifest Destiny

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Do-Now

• What does the word Destiny mean?
• Do you think that as Americans today we have a
  sense of destiny for our country? Why or why
  not? Where are we headed as a nation?

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Intro To Manifest Destiny

• What is Manifest Destiny?
• What are some of the reasons why Americans went
  west?
• Who is James K. Polk?
• How did he lead the way toward Americas Manifest
  Destiny?
• What overall effects did Manifest Destiny have on
  Native Americans?
• What is the Black Hawk War?

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AMERICAS MANIFEST DESTINY
Expanding our borders from sea to shining sea
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A Period of Expansion

• Expansion Fever hits again in 1840s
• Americans were moving west, energized by a belief
  in the
• rightful expansion of the US from coast to coast

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Manifest Destiny
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Manifest Destiny
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Manifest Destiny
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Manifest Destiny

• Manifest Destiny-
• The 19th century belief that the US was destined
  to expand westward to the Pacific Ocean and into
  Mexican and Native American territory
• America should become a vast republic, spreading
  the blessings of democracy and civilization
  across the continent
• Many believed westward and southward expansion
  was destined and ordained by God
• This concept was used to justify settling
  westward lands

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Manifest Destiny

• The actual term came from the editor of the
  United States Magazine Democratic Review.
• He reported the Annexation of TX (1845) as
• the fulfillment of our manifest destiny over
  spread the continent allotted by Providence for
  the free development of our yearly multiplying
  millions.

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So, why go west?

• Americans hit the trails to
• Escape religious persecution
• Find new markets for commerce
• Claim land for farming, ranching, and mining
• Locate harbors on the Pacific for trade
• Seek employment and avoid creditors after the
  panic of 1837
• Spread the virtues of democracy
• Fulfill Americas Manifest Destiny

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Who is James K. Polk?

• November 2, 1795 - June 15, 1849

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Who is James K. Polk?

• 11th President (1845-1849) Democrat from NC
• Dark horse candidate
• Polk the purposeful
• Responsible for great territorial expansion
• Led the US into war with Mexico in 1846

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James K. Polk

• Born in NC, lived in TN
• Democrat, a friend and firm supporter of Andrew
  Jackson and his policies
• Aided Jacksons war on the National Bank
• The last Jacksonian
• last strong president before the Civil War

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James K. Polk How he led the way to our Manifest
Destiny

• Committed to geographic expansion
• Ignored Whig objections, worked for the largest
  territorial gains in the nation's history
• New lands exceeded the Louisiana Purchase
• He secured the Oregon Territory
• WA, OR, ID, MT, WY
• Purchased 1.2 million square miles in the Treaty
  of Guadalupe Hidalgo (the end of the
  Mexican-American War)
• NM, CA, AZ, NV, CO, UT
• Completed the acquisition of most of the current
  continental 48 states

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Polk Trivia

• Scholars have ranked him 8th to 12th on the list
  of greatest presidents for his ability to set an
  agenda and achieve all of it
• Oversaw the opening of the U.S. Naval Academy,
  the Smithsonian, the groundbreaking for the
  Washington Monument, and the first postage stamps
  in the US
• First President to be photographed frequently in
  office
• First president not to seek reelection after one
  term

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Manifest DestinyEFFECTS ON NATIVE AMERICANS

• Westward settlements conflicted with existing
  Native American communities
• Native Americans responded by
• Fighting
• Assimilating
• Ceding lands while clinging to their traditions
  elsewhere

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Manifest Destiny

• The Black Hawk War
• 1832, Old Northwest Territory
• The Sauk and Fox tribes take a stand

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Manifest Destiny

• The Black Hawk War
• Rebellion motivated by
• a prophecy
• increasing pressure by white settlers

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Manifest DestinyEFFECTS ON NATIVE AMERICANS

• The Black Hawk War
• resulted in devastation for the Native Americans
• August 1832, Illinois militia members slaughtered
  more than 200 Sauk Fox people
• Tribes were forced to relocate west of the
  Mississippi
• Eventually confined to reservations

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Manifest Destiny EFFECTS ON NATIVE AMERICANS

• American pioneers / settlers became fearful
• US government responds with a conference near
  Laramie, WY
• Goal To maintain good faith and friendship in
  all their mutual intercourse, and to make an
  effective and lasting peace.
• Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851)
• Provided various Native American nations control
  of the Central Plains
• In return they promised peaceful interaction with
  settlers
• US government also promised to honor boundaries
  and to make annual payments to the Native
  Americans
• Terms of the treaty were repeatedly violated
• Native hunting grounds were destroyed
• more treaties ensue, resigning Native Americans
  to reservations

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Intro To Manifest Destiny

• What is Manifest Destiny?
• What are some of the reasons why Americans went
  west?
• Who is James K. Polk?
• How did he lead the way toward Americas Manifest
  Destiny?
• What overall effects did Manifest Destiny have on
  Native Americans?
• What is the Black Hawk War?