Manifest Destiny Objectives: Summarize the reasons settlers headed West. Describe Texas settlement, struggle for independence, and annexation. Explain the causes and consequences of the War with Mexico. Analyze the California gold rush.

Settling the Frontier Americans Pursue Manifest Destiny In the 1840’s, expansion fever gripped the country Manifest Destiny – Belief that the US was ordained by God to expand to the Pacific Ocean and into Mexican and Native American territory Most Americans had practical reasons for moving West Abundance of land Trails West Settlers traveled west along old Native American trails as well as new ones Santa Fe Trail – Stretched 780 miles from Missouri to New Mexico Settlers traveled in groups for protection Covered wagons Oregon Trail – Stretched from Missouri to Oregon The Mormon Migration Mormons – Religious group that moved west to escape persecution Led by Joseph Smith When Smith was murdered by an anti-Mormon mob, a leader named Brigham Young urged Mormons to move further west into what is now Utah Salt Lake City

Texas Independence Mexican Independence and Texan Land Grants After Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821 it began to offer land to American settlers Many Americans rushed to buy the inexpensive land in Texas The number of English-speaking settlers soon surpassed the numbers of Mexican settlers The Texas Revolution Differences over cultural issues intensified between Anglos and the Mexican government Many American settlers had brought slaves with them Mexico had abolished slavery As conflicts between American settlers and the Mexican government intensified, Mexican politics became unstable Mexican president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna suspended local powers in Texas and other Mexican states Texas Revolution

Texan Independence Remember the Alamo Texas Moves Toward the Union The commander of the Anglo troops, Colonel William Travis, moved his troops into the Alamo, a mission and fort in the center of San Antonio On February 23, 1836, Santa Anna attacked All 187 US defenders were killed Davy Crockett Jim Bowie The defeat at the Alamo whipped Texans into a fury In April of 1836, the rebels, under the command of Sam Houston, defeated Santa Anna and his army near the San Jacinto River “Remember the Alamo” Treat of Velasco – Granted Texan independence Texas Moves Toward the Union Most Texans hoped that the US would annex Texas US opinion was divided upon sectional lines Southerners wanted Texas in order to extend slavery Northerners feared that annexation of more slave territory would tip the uneasy balance in the Senate in favor of slave states - and prompt war with Mexico Election of 1844 President James K. Polk Slaveholder who firmly favored the annexation of Texas

The War with Mexico Polk Urges War The War Begins In 1845 Texas joined the US Angry over this, Mexico ceased all diplomatic relations with the US Realizing a war might bring New Mexico and California into the union, Polk backed Texan claims that their border extended south to the Rio Grande When the Mexican government refused to receive US diplomats to discuss the border dispute, Polk ordered troops into the contested area The War Begins In 1845, an American military exploration party ventured into California, violating Mexico’s territorial rights In response, Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande and engaged in a skirmish with American troops As a result, the US declared war on Mexico

The War with Mexico The Republic of California In California, a group of American settlers seized the town of Sonoma These rebels declared their independence from Mexico and proclaimed the nation the Republic of California America Wins the War In Mexico, American troops scored one military victory after another After about a year of fighting, Mexico conceded defeat Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) – Mexico agreed to the Rio Grande as the border between Texas and Mexico and ceded the New Mexico and California territories to the US

The California Gold Rush The Forty-Niners In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in the California Sierra Nevada mountains News of the discovery spread quickly Prospectors flooded the region seeking their fortune Included many different groups The Golden Economy The discovery of gold revolutionized California’s economy Gold financed the development of farming, manufacturing, shipping, and banking “Go West, Young Man” In the spirit of manifest destiny, countless settlers traveled west