WESTWARD EXPANSION

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WESTWARD EXPANSION

• CHAPTER 11 (300-323)

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TYLERS TROUBLES

• John Tyler became president after Harrison died
• He was stubborn and proud, and worshipped
  consistency
• He was not aggressive, believing the president
  should defer to congress
• He was a states rights Southerner
• He was a Whig and did not get along with Henry
  Clay when Tyler vetoed Clays bank bill, the
  whole cabinet resigned except for Webster
• Tyler attempted to create his own party but was
  unsuccessful and political squabbling was the
  norm during his term in office

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THE TEXAS QUESTION

• The Transcontinental Treaty of 1819 excluded
  Texas from US domain but in 1821, Stephen F.
  Austin began settling Americans in the area
• At the same time, Mexico became an independent
  nation
• John Q Adams had offered 1 million to Mexico,
  Jackson had offered 5 million but Mexico would
  not sell
• By the late 1820s, American settlers were in
  trouble they were not Catholics, they cheated
  the prohibition against slavery, and generally
  felt no loyalty to Mexico, especially to the New
  Santa Anna government as soon as the Mexican
  government cracked down, the Americans sought
  independence

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THE TEXAS QUESTION

• Before too long, in 1835, the Alamo happened, 187
  men held out against Santa Annas 6000 troops
  long enough for Sam Houston to rally the Texas
  troops and eventually win victory at San Jacinto
  in 1836
• Houston was elected president of the Republic of
  Texas and soon they sought annexation by the US
• Jackson steered clear of it fearing a war with
  Mexico, but recognized the Republic Van Buren
  left it alone also Tyler attempted to use it to
  regain political relevance, but it ultimately
  became a slave issue and was rejected in 1844 by
  most western and northern senators

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MANIFEST DESTINY

• Americans had been expanding west for nearly 200
  years, slowly but surely with a few startling
  changed like the Louisiana Purchase along the way
• As gradually as this expansion occurred, a
  mindset developed that the whole country, from
  sea to sea, would be theirs in 1845, John L.
  OSullivan coined the term manifest destiny
  Americans came to believe that it was their right
  to own all the land from the Atlantic to the
  Pacific

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CALIFORNIA AND OREGON

• In the 1840s increasing numbers of Americans
  were moving to California (Mexican territory) and
  Oregon (also claimed by Britain)
• Thousands went west on the Oregon Trail, a
  five-month journey full of hard labor,
  discomfort, and uncertainty all for about 600
  dollars
• In 1835 Jackson attempted to buy San Francisco
  from Mexico all eastern merchants recognized
  the importance of it, as well as San Diego and
  the Puget Sound area that they were each owned
  by another country only heightened the Americans
  desire to have it

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THE ELECTION OF 1844

• Henry Clay won the Whig nomination and ignored
  the Texas issue
• Van Buren was expected to be the Democrat
  nominee, but Calhoun rallied many southerners
  with the idea of making Texas a slave state
  however, James K. Polk ended up as a compromise
  nominee
• Polk was a good Jacksonian and was called Young
  Hickory Democrats wanted re-annexation of
  Texas and reoccupation of Oregon
• Polk won election 170-105 and Tyler persuaded
  Congress to annex Texas which could create a
  many as four new states from its territory in
  1845 Texas became a state ( along with Florida)

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POLK AS PRESIDENT

• Polk was a hard worker with a strong will and a
  tough skin
• Polk was committed to expansion in addition to
  Texas he wanted to add Oregon and the Southwest
  which he succeeded in doing
• As for Oregon, Polk informed Britain that he
  intended to terminate joint occupation and asked
  for a compromise boundary at the 49th parallel
  the current border between the US and Canada east
  of the Rockies eventually it was accepted
  except that Vancouver Island was left to the
  British

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WAR WITH MEXICO

• Expansionist spirit, along with Mexican pride
  regarding the loss of Texas, and the fact that
  Mexico had defaulted on debts owed the US,
  brought them to war
• Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to defend the
  border of Texas against Mexico only the border
  was disputed Texas claimed to the Rio Grande,
  Mexico claimed up to the Nueces River, 150 miles
  north
• In the meantime, Polk had sent a secret envoy to
  Mexico John Slidell to attempt to negotiate
  the disputed territory and to attempt to purchase
  California and New Mexico for 30 million
  Mexico refused and their new leadership strongly
  claimed the disputed lands

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WAR WITH MEXICO

• Meanwhile Taylor had advanced to the Rio Grande
  near Matamoros and when a US patrol was attacked,
  Polk asked Congress to declare war Congress
  voted to raise and supply 50,000 troops
• Within a week the Mexicans had been driven back
  across the Rio Grande taking significant losses
  to the better equipped and better trained
  American army

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TO THE HALLS OF MONTEZUMA

• Polk was heavily involved in the war strategy and
  planning but he was afraid of Taylor and
  Winfield Scott (both Whigs) getting too much
  attention
• The plan was to occupy Texas, then take
  possession of California and New Mexico, then
  march on Mexico City
• Taylor swiftly overran Mexicos northern
  provinces
• In 1846, the Bear flag of the Republic of
  California was raised and Monterrey and San
  Francisco were captured in 1846
• By 1847, the US had control of most of Mexico
  north of the capital city

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TO THE HALLS OF MONTEZUMA

• Fearing Taylors popularity, Polk put Scott in
  charge of the Mexico City offensive
• Scott was politically motivated, from an old
  Virginia family, and a well respected officer who
  had been largely responsible for modernizing the
  army he had even been considered for president
  in 1840
• Scott obtained the surrender of Veracruz in less
  than three weeks with only 10,000 men and hardly
  any losses on Sep 14 Scott took Mexico City

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THE TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO

• Polk sent Nicholas Trist to negotiate with Mexico
  who was authorized to pay 30 million for New
  Mexico and Upper and Lower California
• Mexico accepted the Rio Grande boundary, and
  ceded New Mexico and Upper California to the US
  in return for 15 million and the assumption of
  about 3 million in debts
• The treaty was easily ratified 38-14

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SLAVERY STORM CLOUDS GATHER

• Once again expansion returned slavery to the
  spotlight Southerners who defended slavery were
  labeled heroes, northerners who opposed it were
  rewarded with votes
• The Wilmot Proviso new territory obtained from
  Mexico must be barred from allowing slavery
  passed the house but was defeated in the senate
  Calhoun countered with resolutions arguing that
  the government could not bar slavery from the
  territories which never made it out of the
  House
• These two viewpoints threatened the Union

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SLAVERY STORM CLOUDS GATHER

• Two compromises were offered
• 1. Extend the Missouri Compromise to the
  Pacific not supported by northerners
• 2. Allow each territorial legislature to
  determine the issue individually this became
  known as popular sovereignty this appeared to
  be democratic but it allowed Congress to pass
  off dealing with the issue

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THE ELECTION OF 1848

• Slavery was barred from Oregon in 1848
• However, the election was once again devoid of
  issues Zachary Taylor won the Whig nomination
  despite having no real ambition
• The Democrats nominated Lewis Cass (popular
  sovereignty) and Van Buren combined with the
  antislavery Liberty Party to form the Free Soil
  Party
• Taylor barely won the election

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THE GOLD RUSH

• In 1849 25,000 Americans rushed to California by
  ship, 55,000 overland, and thousands of Mexicans,
  South Americans, and Europeans joined in
• Armed with picks and shovels, these men worked
  long hours to find gold in every stream, cave,
  and hillside
• By 1860 nearly 200,000 people crossed into
  California almost overnight the Spanish
  American population was reduced to minority
  status blacks were treated poorly, and the
  Indian population was practically wiped out
• By 1849, California was ready with its
  constitution which outlawed slavery, to be
  admitted but this changed the balance of power
  in the Senate (no other territories were close to
  statehood) and would doom the South to wither
  away surrounded by hostile non-slave states

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THE COMPROMISE OF 1850

• Henry Clay, over 70 and in bad health came to the
  rescue He proposed several compromises which
  were naturally refuted by an equally old and
  feeble Calhoun but which ultimately carried and
  saved the Union for the time being
• California must be admitted as a free state
• The rest of the Southwest would become a
  territory
• The US would take over Texas pre-annexation
  debts
• The slave trade would be abolished in DC
• A more effective fugitive slave law would be
  enacted

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THE COMPROMISE OF 1850

• The results
• 1. The Mexican cession was divided into two
  territories New Mexico and Utah
• 2. California became the 31st state
• 3. Texas was given 10 million and accepted a
  narrower western boundary
• 4. The slave trade was abolished in DC
• 5. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 was amended
  and strengthened slaves were to be returned to
  the South without trial by the submission of an
  affidavit by the owner