1. Manifest Destiny
Chapter 13

2. The Oregon Country Rivalry in the Northwest:
Location = North of California, between Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains.
Land Included (what is now) = Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.
Plus parts of Montana, Wyoming, and British Columbia
Countries that Claimed the region =
United States – Robert Gray’s discovery of the Columbia River in 1792 & Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Great Britain- explored the Columbia River
Spain- controlled California
Russia- had settlements south from Alaska into Oregon

3. Adams-Onis Treaty
Americans wanted control of Oregon in order to gain access to the Pacific Ocean.
1818- Joint Occupation with Great Britain.
Means both people from Great Britain and America could settle in Oregon country
1819- Secretary of State John Q. Adams got Spain to approve the Adams-Onis Treaty.
Spain agreed to set borders on their Territory.
Northern part of Spanish territory = what is now the Northern California border.
Give up all claims to Oregon
1824- Russia also gave up claim to the land south of Alaska

4. Mountain Men in Oregon
Fur Traders were the first Americans to take the challenge of living in the Oregon Country.
Trapped beaver, because beaver skins were in high demand in Europe
British established trading posts in the Oregon Region
Fur Merchants traded mostly with Native Americans at first.
The American Fur Company = leading fur company in America
Traded in the East Coast, Pacific Northwest, and China
Mountain Men
Spent most of time in Rocky Mountains
Lived in Buffalo-skin lodges, Dressed in buckskin pants, moccasin, and beads
Eventually settled on farms in Oregon
Overtime mountain men could no longer make a living by trapping.
Over-trapping limited amount of pelts available.
Changes in fashion reduced demand for pelts

5. Oregon & Manifest Destiny
Marcus & Narcissa Whitman (Whitman Massacre)
Doctor and his wife who created a mission help provide medical care and convert natives to Christianity.
Settlers unknowingly brought measles to the mission and caused an epidemic with the Native Americans. Measles outbreak killed most of the Cayuse (Native American tribe) children.
Along the Oregon Trail
Pioneers were drawn to Oregon by the reports of fertile land, and economic hardships in the East.
Journey = 2,000 miles long: crossed the Great Plains, followed the Platte River, and through South Pass of the Rocky Mountains, turned North along the Snake & Columbia Rivers.
Started in Independence, Missouri
Traveled in covered wagons called Prairie Schooners

6. America Seeks Manifest Destiny
America Seeks its Manifest Destiny:
Since colonial times, many Americans had believed their nation’s mission should be to serve as a model of freedom and democracy.
In the 1800s the vision changed:
Nations new mission was to spread freedom by settling the entire continent.
John Q. Adams expressed expansion to the Pacific was certain.
John O’Sullivan expressed the United States was destined to extend its boundaries all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

7. Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny = that it was the destiny of the U.S. to expand its territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Created by John O’ Sullivan in 1845 who wrote the Democratic Review
Thousands of individuals believed in the concept to move out west
People looked for a new life and opportunities
People looked for wealth
People moved for religious reasons

8. “Fifty-Four Forty or Fight”
During the 1844 election James K. Polk was a large believer in Manifest Destiny, and focused on acquiring Oregon.
“Fifty-Four Forty or Fight” was the campaign slogan used by the Democrats, which is the location many believed should be the nation’s northern border in Oregon.
Polk won the election of 1844 and focused on acquiring Oregon. Britain would not accept the border at 54’40” N latitude.
1846- Britain and the U.S. agreed on the border at the 49’ N latitude.

9. Statehood for Florida & Texas
Spain transferred Florida to the United States on July 17, 1821.
Florida became a new American Territory
Ordinance of 1787 allowed Florida to have:
Appointed Territorial Governor
Territorial Legislature
A nonvoting delegate to the United States Congress
Only 8,000 people (including enslaved) lived in Florida at the time.
News spread of fertile land & thousands of new settlers flooded Florida
Many from Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas established tobacco & cotton plantations.
Also small farms & cattle ranches were established

10. Florida
1837- Florida Territory officials organized a vote to determine if the territory should become a state.
Voters chose to become a state. The territory now had to draw up a state constitution and submit it to Congress.
Florida wanted to enter the Union as a slave state, due to Congress’s need to keep the balance of power between free and slave state representation in Congress it to 6 years.
Congress waited until another territory wanted to become a state.
Iowa finally emerged at a free state candidate.
Florida became the 27th State in the United States on March 3, 1845
Iowa became a state in 1846

11. Texas 1821- Mexico won it’s independence from Spain
Mexico controlled the land that is now Texas
Stephen F. Austin brought 300 American families to settle in Texas. He soon became a leader among the American settlers.
Before long, Americans outnumbered the Tejanos in Texas. Tensions with Mexico developed when Americans refused to follow Mexico’s rules.
Included learning Spanish & becoming Catholic
Many Americans had enslaved Africans, which Mexico threatened to ban
1830- Mexico issued a decree, closing the borders to further immigration
American settlers led by Stephen Austin & Sam Houston tried to make peace with Mexico.

12. Texas Peace talks with Mexico failed.
Texans- including Americans and Tejanos, began planning to break away from Mexico.
1835 the conflict grew violent.
The Alamo-
Texans had only 180 soldiers to take on Santa Anna’s army of several thousand.
13 days and several attacks, the defenders of the Alamo kept Santa Anna’s army at bay with rifle fire.
March 6, Mexican cannon fire smashed the Alamo’s walls
Forces were too big to stop, the Mexican army killed all the defenders.
Only a few women & children survived to tell the story
“Remember the Alamo” became a Texan battle cry.

13. Texas Declares Independence
March 2, Texas declares independence from Mexico
Establish the Republic of Texas
After a surprise attack on Santa Anna’s army near present day Houston, Santa Anna signed a treaty recognizing the independence of Texas.
Occurred on May 14, 1836
The Lone Star Republic
September Sam Houston is declared the President of the Republic of Texas
Houston asked the United States to annex Texas
Andrew Jackson refused the request, because adding another slave state to the union would upset the balance of power/ representation in Congress.
1844 Presidential Campaign focused on Manifest Destiny
James K. Polk supported the Southerners adding Texas into the Union & Northerners adding Oregon into the Union as a free state. (1845 Texas joined the Union)

14. Check for Understanding:
Why did Americans want to control the Oregon Country?
What did Americans gain from the Adams-Onis Treaty?
What is Manifest Destiny?
How did Florida become a state?
What caused the population of Florida to grow?
How did Texas become a state?
Why did it take a long time for the United States to annex Texas?

15. Check for Understanding:
Why did Americans want to control the Oregon Country?
To gain access to the Pacific Ocean
What did Americans gain from the Adams-Onis Treaty?
Spanish agreed to limit territory & border = California’s northern border. Gave up claims to Oregon.
What is Manifest Destiny?
The belief that the United States was destined by God to extend its boundaries to the Pacific Ocean
How did Florida become a state?
Voted on by residents, created gov. & constitution, congress waits to approve for 6 years.
What caused the population of Florida to grow?
News about fertile land
How did Texas become a state?
Texas declares independence, asks for annexation, and became a state when Oregon territory was added.
Why did it take a long time for the United States to annex Texas?
Due to the balance of power/ representation in congress

16. Check for Understanding:
Which of these is a reason that many Americans believed in Manifest Destiny?
They did not want to speak Spanish
They liked to wear clothes made from beaver skins
They believed it was God’s plan for the country
They did not like the British
Which of these people was the biggest supporter of Manifest Destiny?
John Quincy Adams
Henry Clay
John Tyler
James K. Polk

17. Check for Understanding:
What was the main problem that delayed the statehood of Texas and Florida?
Congress wanted to keep a balance of slave and free states in the Union
Neither one had a large enough population
They had no organized government
They were in continual conflict with neighboring territories.