American Progress 1872 (John Gast)

American Progress, John Gast (1872) Symbolizes the spirit of America’s westward expansion What does Gast’s use of light and darkness symbolize Themes America’s far reaching future Freedom of trade and business America’s high destiny and salvation for mankind

“Manifest Destiny” December 27, 1845 –John O’Sullivan in the New York Morning News “And that claim is by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government entrusted to us.”

Opposition to “Manifest Destiny” January 3, Whig Representative Robert Winthrop ridiculed the concept in Congress. "I suppose the right of a manifest destiny to spread will not be admitted to exist in any nation except the universal Yankee nation".

Map of U.S. Expansion to 1853 Canada Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean Gulf of Mexico Louisiana Purchase, 1803 Adams-Onis Treaty, 1821 Oregon Territory, 1846 Texas Annexation, 1845 Mexican Cession, 1848 Gadsden Purchase, 1853 America, 1783 Ceded by Britain, 1818

Louisiana Purchase 1803 Land purchase made by Thomas Jefferson that doubled the size of the United States. The land was purchased from France. Controversial decision by Jefferson in terms of executive power and the Constitution.

Adams-Onis Treaty 1821 An agreement with Spain that resulted in Spain selling all of Florida to the United States.

Texas Annexation After Texas declared independence from Mexico in 1836, they became The Lone Star Republic. In 1844, Texas was annexed by the United States due to settlement in this area. It became a state in 1845.

Map of U.S. Expansion to 1853 Canada Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean Gulf of Mexico Louisiana Purchase, 1803 Adams-Onis Treaty, 1821 Oregon Territory, 1846 Texas Annexation, 1845 Mexican Cession, 1848 Gadsden Purchase, 1853 America, 1783 Ceded by Britain, 1818

Oregon territory 1846 This area was first settled by mountain men seeking profits from fur trade. Eventually Britain and the United States decided to split this land at 49 degrees North latitude.

Mexican cession 1848 Land Mexico was forced to cede to the United States following the Mexican War. The United States paid for this land that resulted in the formation of new western states.

Gadsden Purchase 1853 This purchase from Mexico allowed for the completion of the transcontinental railroad.

Mormon Trail A trail that carried the Mormon religious migration to the Great Salt Lake region.

Oregon Trail A 2,000 mile trail that stretched across the Great Plains and brought millions of people to the west.

California trail A branch of the Oregon Trail that crossed the Sierra Nevada mountains and opened settlement in California (the Bear Flag Republic).

Santa Fe trail A major trade route leading south that started in Independence, MO. It appealed to profit- seeking traders.