Westward Movement & Manifest Destiny

Vocabulary Cede – to give up Manifest destiny –(literally means obvious, meant to be) The belief that it is our right and duty to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

Manifest Destiny Mexico ruled the southwest territory. This included California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and parts of Colorado. More Americans began to move west and settle in California. Americans wanted California and the rest of the southwest territory. Many Americans saw their nation and its democratic government as the best in the world. The believed that we had the right and the duty to spread their culture across the continent all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This belief was called Manifest destiny.

California Missions California was explored in 1542, long before the Jamestown was established. The Spanish established missions there, beginning in 1769. Missions were self-sufficient, which means they provided for themselves. That makes sense, since there is no Walmart at that time.

What about the Oregon Country? Oregon was still being shared by the US and Britain, and now many Americans were heading westward. America did not want to share any longer, but they also didn’t want to get into a war with England. The US and England came to a compromise. Britain got all lands north of latitude 49 degrees, and America got everything south of latitude 49.

Well then what about Texas? Texas would prove a little trickier. Texas again applied for statehood, but were denied because America was worried that it would start a war with Mexico. So Sam Houston, the president of Texas, did something very tricky. He told the US that if they weren’t interested in Texas, then maybe England was. The trick worked, and in 1845, Texas was admitted to the union.

Estos son mis ojos enojados!!! Mexico was so angry at the United States for annexing Texas that a war broke out. This is known as the Mexican War. The war lasted from 1846 to 1847. The first shots of the war were fired in Texas in disputed territory that both the US and Mexico claimed. When an American soldier was shot, President Polk told Congress “American blood had been shed on American soil” and we should declare war.

“American Blood Has Been Shed on American Soil”

Battles of the Mexican War General Zachary Taylor faced Santa Anna’s forced in the Battle of Buena Vista. Santa Anna had more soldiers but the Americans had better weapons so the Mexican army was forced to retreat. General Kearny led American forced into California where Americans living in the area had already begun a revolt that resulted in California creating the Bear Flag Republic. The Battle of Chapultepec is the last battle, where six Mexican boys died defending their town. “Los ninos heroes” are honored as heroes in Mexico today.

Both sides fought bravely, but in the end, the US military was too strong for Mexico. The United States eventually captured Mexico City and Mexico was ready to make peace agreements. In the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico had to cede (give up) most of California and New Mexico. In return we paid them 15 million, and promised to allow those Mexicans already living in those places to stay. A few years later, the US bought a strip of land in Arizona and New Mexico that completed the United States as we know it today. This completed Manifest Destiny.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Mexico would cede California and New Mexico to the US in the Mexican Cession. US would pay Mexico $15 million US later paid $10 million in the Gadsden Purchase to gain part of Arizona and New Mexico.