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Westward Expansion
The United States Expanded
from the Atlantic to the Pacific
in 50 years
Hogs have made it to Alaska!
Mr. Kilbourn
Manifest Destiny
A belief shared by many
Americans in the mid
1800s that the United
States should expand
across the continent to the
Pacific Ocean.
President Polk believed it
was our manifest destiny,
or “obvious fate” to settle
land all the way to the
Pacific Ocean in order to
spread democracy.
“American Progress”
by John Gast, 1872
Westward the Course of Empire
Emmanuel Leutze, 1860
“Manifest Destiny”
the term
 First coined by newspaper editor, John O’Sullivan in 1845.
 ".... the right of our manifest destiny to over spread and to
possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given
us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and
federaltive development of self-government entrusted to us. It
is right such as that of the tree to the space of air and the earth
suitable for the full expansion of its principle and destiny of
growth."
 A myth of the West as a land of romance and adventure emerged.
Louisiana Purchase: 1803
Thomas Jefferson bought the
Louisiana Territory from France
for $15 million.
Jefferson wanted to make sure
the U.S. had control of the Port of
New Orleans and the
Mississippi River.
The Louisiana Purchase doubled
the size of the United States.
The U.S. stretched from the
Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky
Mountains.
Florida: 1819
The U.S. wanted to take Florida
from Spain because of attacks by
Seminole Indians and runaway
slaves in Georgia.
In 1819, President Monroe sent
General Andrew Jackson to
Florida to help protect the U.S.
border.
Jackson invaded Florida and
overthrew the governor of Florida.
He had no direct orders from
President Monroe.
Spain gave Florida to the U.S.
in exchange for $5 million and
control of Texas.
Texas: 1830s
In 1821, Texas was a part of Mexico.
Stephen Austin was an empresario =
agent to bring settlers to Texas.
Stephen Austin brought the first 300 families
to Texas - known as the Old Three
Hundred.
By 1830, 25,000 Americans were living in
Texas. They were required to become
Mexican citizens and become Catholic.
The Americans had to follow Mexican law.
When Americans complained, Mexico
closed Texas to further American
immigration.
Stephen Austin
Texas Revolution: 1835-36
After Mexico closed Texas to Americans, Stephen
Austin went to negotiate with the Mexican leader,
Antonio López de Santa Anna.
Austin was jailed, and the Texans revolted.
In February 23- March 6, 1836, Mexico attacked
the Texans at the Alamo. This 13-day siege
resulted in the killing of all the Americans including
Davy Crockett (except some women, children and
slaves).
In April, the Mexican army massacred the Texan
rebels at Goliad.
After the Alamo and Goliad, Sam Houston surprise
attacked Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto.
“Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!”
Texas won its independence.
Antonio Lopez
de Santa Anna
Texas Statehood: 1845
Santa Anna was captured and forced to
sign a treaty giving Texas its
independence.
Texas became an independent nation in
1836 called the Lone Star Republic.
Sam Houston became President.
Annexation of Texas was delayed:
Worry that adding Texas as a slave
state would upset the balance between
free and slave states
Fear that annexing Texas would lead to
war with Mexico
Texas joined the U.S. and became the 28th
state in 1845.
Sam Houston
Aroostook “War,” 1839
 The only war ever declared by a state.
 Between the Canadian region of New
Brunswick and the state of Maine.
 Cause: The expulsion of Canadian lumberjacks in
the disputed area of Aroostook by Maine officials.
 Congress called up 50,000 men and voted for
$10,000,000 to pay for the “war.”
 General Winfield Scott arranged a truce, and a
border commission was convened to resolve the issue.
Maine Boundary Settlement, 1842
Bear Flag Revolt: 1846
Small group of American settlers
seized the town of Sonoma.
Americans declared California an
independent nation and made a grizzly
bear flag.
John C. Fremont was leading a
mapping expedition in the Sierra
Nevadas. He joined the American
settlers in their revolt against the
Californios (of Castillian heritage).
Shortly after, U.S. naval forces came
ashore in California and raised the
stars and stripes. They claimed
California for the United States.
Oregon Country: 1846
In 1820, both the U.S. and Britain
claimed to own Oregon Country.
In the 1830s and 1840s, thousands of
American pioneers were going west to
settle in Oregon Country.
President Polk wanted all of Oregon to
the fifty-four fifty parallel. The
American people cried, “Fifty-four
forty or fight.”
Neither Polk nor Britain wanted war.
Britain and the U.S. compromised.
They split Oregon in half at the 49th
parallel. The U.S. got the southern
half.
The Oregon Trail – Albert
Bierstadt, 1869
The Oregon Dispute: 54’ 40º or Fight!
 By the mid-1840s,
“Oregon Fever” was
spurred on by the
promise of free
land.
 The joint British-U.
S. occupation
ended in 1846.
War with Mexico: 1846-48
President Polk wanted to expand the U.S. territory clear to the Pacific
Ocean.
He offered to buy California and New Mexico territories from Mexico
for $30 million. Mexico refused.
After the U.S. annexed Texas in 1845, Mexico and the U.S.
disagreed on the Texas border
The U.S. claimed the Rio Grande River.
Mexico claimed the Nueces River.
• The U.S. sent troops to patrol the
border.
• Conflict broke out and the Mexican army
killed U.S. troops on “disputed land.”
• Polk declared war, claiming Mexico
spilled American blood on American
land.
War with Mexico: 1846-48
The U.S. Army had better weapons and
equipment, but it had less than half as
many troops as the Mexican forces who
were very poorly prepared.
The U.S. took New Mexico territory
without a fight and claimed the territory.
Zachary Taylor defeats Santa Anna at
the Battle of Buena Vista.
U.S. troops under Winfred Scott (“old
fuss and feathers”) capture Mexico
City.
This led to the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo, which ended the war.
Battle of Buena Vista
General Scott Enters Mexico City
Mexican Cession: 1848
In the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, (which was forced upon
Mexico) Mexico gave the U.S. the territories of California, Nevada
and Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Colorado
and Wyoming.
The US also claimed Texas north of the Rio Grande
The U.S. paid $15 million for the territory
Today this is the American southwest.
Mexican Cession increased the size of the US by 25%
California Gold Rush: 1849
Gold was found in Sutter’s
Mill in 1848.
In 1849, about 80,000 gold
seekers, known as fortyniners, came to California
hoping to strike it rich.
Panning for gold was the
simplest method.
A miner fills a pan with
dirt. He then puts the pan
under water and shakes it
until any gold settles on
the bottom.
Sutter’s Mill
California Gold Rush: 1849
Mining camps sprung up whenever enough people gathered to look
for gold.
At the mining camps, many people prospected (searched for gold).
Others ran businesses that catered to the miners - laundry, food,
innkeepers, legal services, supplies
Famine and
economic hardship
in China brought
many Chinese to
California.
Impact of Gold Rush
The arrival of 49ers created a population boom
Immigration increased diversity of population
California became a state in 1 year
Growth of new businesses and industry transformed California’s
economy
Gold mining was important, but farming and ranching grew
Gadsden Purchase: 1853
After the war with Mexico,
Americans wanted to
guarantee that any
southern railroad to
California would be built
completely on American
soil.
US paid $10 million for
the southern parts of
Arizona and New Mexico.
The existing boundary
between the U.S. and
Mexico was fixed.
Two Views of San Francisco, Early 1850s
 By 1860, almost
300,000 people
had traveled the
Oregon &
California Trails to
The Pony Express
 Between April, 1860 and Nov., 1861.
 Delivered news and mail between St.
Louis, MO and San Francisco, CA.
 Took 10 days.
 Replaced by the completion of the
trans-continental telegraph line.
Territorial Growth to 1853