The listings in the box above reflect the contributions to the cultural development of the United States by A Irish settlers. B African slaves. C Native Americans. D German immigrants.

Arkansas (AR) – June 15, 1836 Capital and largest city: Little Rock Home to the only public area where you can dig for (and find) diamonds In the 1950s, Little Rock was the center of school integration resistance at Central High School—The Little Rock 9

The Missouri Compromise and Manifest Destiny

Missouri Threatens the Balance By 1819, states were already dividing between Free and Slave. A balanced number of states existed as Free and Slave. Missouri threatened the balance of Free and Slave States when it applied to be a state Territories had to have Congress approve a law to make them into a state

The Compromise The Compromise Responses Henry Clay swooped in with a compromise to end the arguments. The Missouri Compromise made Missouri a slave state and brought Maine into the union as a free state. Congress also agreed upon the latitude of 36⁰30’ to divide the free North and slave South in the Louisiana Territory While the compromise maintained the Union, no one was happy about it. Northerners turned on those who allowed Missouri to be a slave state. Southerners hated that slavery was banned in parts of the Louisiana territory.

USA after the Missouri Compromise

Question 1 Why do you think that Congress agreed to the Missouri Compromise, even though both Southerners and Northerners didn’t like it?

Westward! Missouri was the first state added entirely west of the Mississippi River People began to move further and further west Became known as the Oregon Trail Independence, MO became a center for wagon trains leaving west End goal was Oregon Territory, but people often stopped at any given point on the trail

Manifest Destiny Americans began to believe it was their divine right to spread the USA from the Atlantic to the Pacific A newspaper called this “Manifest Destiny” Thousands of people, especially young men, moved further west to try to “make it” Began to settle the land of the Louisiana Purchase

Question 2 What are some potential reasons you can think of for people to want to move West? Remember that it was a long, often painful, and potentially deadly journey.

Texas Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821 With so much territory, Mexico’s government invited Americans to come live in Texas Mexico wanted a higher population for more taxes Americans saw an opportunity to get wealthy East Texas has good cotton growing climate

Texas Many southerners headed West to Texas Discovered that Mexico had banned slavery No slaves meant cotton was not profitable Americans living in Texas decided to rebel against the Mexican government This was led by Sam Houston Former Governor of Tennessee, moved to Texas after being put on trial for assaulting a Congressman

Question 3 Why do you think Texans decided to rebel?

Texas Revolution Texans lost two early conflicts The Alamo was a small mission (church village) in southern Texas Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna laid siege to the Alamo Eventually broke through and killed all the men inside Allowed women and children to go free—they warned Houston’s troops about Santa Anna’s tactics At Goliad, a Texan general surrendered 400 troops Santa Anna had them all executed the next day

Texas Revolution Houston’s troops traveled through hard rain and mud across Texas to San Jacinto Poorly supplied, they prepared for a final stand Santa Anna’s army caught the Texans on April 21, 1836 Houston launched a surprise attack on the Mexican army during an afternoon break The Texans win quickly, forcing a surrender Yelled the cry “Remember the Alamo!” to rally their troops

Texas Independence Santa Anna is forced to agree to Texan independence Sam Houston is later elected President of the Texan Republic The Texan Republic tries to join the US Turned down by both President Jackson and President Van Buren

Question 4 What reasons do you think Presidents Jackson and Van Buren might have had for denying Texas’s request to join the US as a state?