Have you ever played Oregon Trail? Any good stories from the trail?

Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny The idea that God has given the entire continent to the USA and it is our destiny to settle it 1800->387,000 settled west of Appalachians 1820-> 2.4 million settled west of Appalachia

Inventions Make it Possible John Deere’s steel plow improves farming in Midwest Sheds sticky soil Doubles productivity Cyrus McCormick’s wheat reaper improves wheat harvesting abilities 3 acres a day to 15 Makes farming in Midwest more profitable

Jackson and the West 1830 signs Preemption Act Can buy up to 160 acres Squatters rights to land sales First come first serve Can buy up to 160 acres $1.25 per acre Interest in settlement increases

Moving further West Fur traders/mountain men carve rout west Befriend local Indians Develop first trails through the West Oregon Trail is most common rout Covered wagons pulled by ox Looking for better life

Photo analysis

Still A Long Haul

Sioux Indians

Plains Indians Sioux and Black Foot Indians Nomadic buffalo hunters Great Plains Indian tribes Nomadic buffalo hunters 362 Americans killed 426 Indians Killed

Pre-Civil War Statehood California 1850 Oregon 1859

Leading to the Mexican American War US will grow immensely

Mexican Independence 1821 Mexico wins independence from Spain Capital in Mexico City has little control of far lying territories Texas and New Mexico attacked by Comanche and Apache Mission settlements set up in far reaches Lack of funding puts missions in decline Anarchy on frontier

Mexico in 1821

American Migration Prior to independence Americans had been moving into border areas such as TX and CA Increased following independence 1821 American traders replace Spanish traders Manufactured goods Texas receives a flood of Americans 1836 Texas becomes independent

Would Texas be better off as its own country?

Americans in Texas Spain and Mexico allowed foreign settlement of Texas (Very cheap land) Americans accept Mexican citizenship Alienated by Catholicism and Mexican culture Haden Edwards leads rebellion in TX Mexico cuts off American immigration 1830 Creates tariff and bans slave importation American settlers get angsty

War Stephen Austin worked to get Santa Anna to lift some of the new restrictions Jan. 1834, Austin was jailed for treason bc of a letter calling for the formation of a state Govt. April 1834, Santa Anna declared himself dictator of Mexico. July of 1835, Austin was released and quickly began forming a Texan Army-

Independence March 2, 1836, Texas declared independence from Mexico Sam Houston became the commander of the Texas Army-

Alamo Feb. 1836, 180 Texans were in a San Antonio mission called the Alamo. William Travis was the commander of the Texans in the mission. The Texans held off the Mexican Army for 13 days March 6, 1836 the Alamo fell to the Mexicans-

Goliad James Fannin and his men surrendered hoping they would be kicked out of Texas. The order from Santa Anna was to execute the 300 surrendered men.-

San Jacinto April 21, 1836 both armies were camped along the San Jacinto River Mexican army took an afternoon nap and the Texans launched an attack Mexicans-Hundreds killed, over 700 captured including Santa Anna Texans-9 killed and 34 wounded Ending the war-

Annexation? Sam Houston was the first president of Texas Texans wanted to become part of the US Northerners were not in favor of gaining Texas bc of the possible expansion of slavery.-

Section 4

Election of 1844 Largely decided on the issues of Texas annexation Bringing the state into the country James Polk (pro annexation) wins election Texas will join Union in 1845

Oregon 54 40 or fight Will settle for 49th Settled peacefully while US and UK are busy with other conflicts

Santa Anna’s Leg Captured by the 4th Illinois Infantry

Land Gains