Manifest Destiny and The Monroe Doctrine (the period of national expansion )

In 1803 the US purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. Thomas Jefferson was President and sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the new territory. In 1819 the US acquired Florida from Spain in the Treaty of Adams Onis.

The Monroe Doctrine issued in 1823 warned European Powers about future colonies in the Americas. The U.S. and Great Britain fought the War of 1812 from 1812 to 1814.The British burned Washington DC.

Andrew Jackson had defeated the British backed Creek Indians and led Americans forces at The Battle of New Orleans in 1814 which was a huge American victory. Neither side knew the Treaty of Ghent had already declared peace. In 1828 Andrew Jackson became President. He forced all remaining Creeks moved west to the Oklahoma Territory.

By the 1840s American believed in their Manifest Destiny or future of extending US boarders from Atlantic to Pacific coasts. Americans began to move into Texas which was Mexican Territory. In 1835 fighting broke out and in 1836 the Mexican Army moved north into Texas and killed about 250 Americans at The Alamo.

This army and it’s leader, General Santa Anna who was captured, were later defeated at the Battle of San Jacinta. Texas became independent and was annexed in War with Mexico broke out again from The US gained Texas (the remaining part), California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah.

General Zachery Taylor, who would later become President, led American forces south from Texas into Mexico while Gen. Winfeild Scott landed at Vera Cruz, Mexico City quickly feel and Mexico surrendered. The Treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo 1848 gave the US California and most of the western states. 5 years later the US bought southern Arizona and New Mexico with The Gadsden Purchase.

STATES RIGHTS and The Extension of Slavery As new territories entered the union southerners did not want the balance of power in Congress (The House and The Senate). They sought to extend slavery westward while the free states sought to stop it’s spread. From 1820 to 1850 new states were brought in together 1 slave/ 1 free. The Missouri Compromise (1820) made this arrangement law.

The Compromise of 1850 allowed Utah and New Mexico to enter the union without restriction on slavery, California was admitted as a free state. In 1854 The Kansas Nebraska Act struck down The Missouri Compromise creating 2 new territories north of the Missouri Compromise line that would determine by popular sovereignty whether to be slave or free.

BLEEDING KANSAS War broke out in Kansas in 1854 which elected both a pro-slavery and anti-slavery governor and state legislature. Citizens fought one another for and against slavery. The southern states saw slavery threatened and began to argue for States Rights, saying the union was formed by the states and that each state had the right to leave the union or nullify federal laws. Within 5 years The Civil War would begin.

Important Concept: This WILL be on a quiz soon NATIONALISM-is a belief that a people’s greatest loyalty should be to a nation of people who share a common culture, language, religion, ethnic or historical background. Nationalism can, at the same time, take the form of pride in your country.

Nationalism can be a force for unifying people but it can also have the opposite effect and cause disunity. As democratic ideals spread, nationalist feelings became the basis for modern states replacing loyalty to monarchies.

Nationalist movements lead to the formation of new nations during the mid and late 1800s.These new states built large armies and navies in order to compete for world empire eventually leading to World War I.