1. Manifest Destiny and the Antebellum Period
Dominating the Land and the Slaves

2. The West and Beyond The West
The area between the Appalachians and the Mississippi
Everything else was perceived as desolate country until the 1840s

3. The Far West Transcontinental Treaty of 1819
The U.S. gave up its claims to Texas west of the Sabine River
Treaty left Spain in control of most of the modern day West.
The U.S. is okay with this because most of this territory is seen as remote unreliable land.

4. Far Western Trade Trade between Bostonians and Mexicans in California
An exchange of spices and coffee for beef hides and tallow
Bostonians take more than 6 million hides of cattle out of California.
Cattle hides become a form of money.

5. Manifest Destiny Right to extend from sea to shining sea
Term created by John O’ Sullivan of New York
Provided ideology for conquering the West.

6. Annexation of Texas Texans win the Texas Revolution
Santa Anna defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto
Election of 1844
Henry Clay—Whig
Martin Van Buren
James Polk
James Birney
Joint Resolution to annex Texas signed in March 1845
Texas officially annexed December 1845

7. Moving to Texas Mexican Independence from Spain—1821
Desolate and dangerous frontier in Texas
Empresarios—promote American settlement in Texas
Uneasiness over slavery and immigration
Instability of the Mexican government
General Santa Anna the dictator

8. The Mexican War—Causes Examined
Annexation of Texas
Texas still considered part of Mexico
Polk and California
Polk was surely a Manifest Destiny President
Boundary dispute in Texas
Rio Grande or the Nueces?

9. Preparing for Battle
U.S. soldiers total 7,000 at beginning of war. Increases to 78,000 by end of war.
Mexican army has 32,000 soldiers
Mexican army lacked discipline and equipment
Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott
Political ambitions

10. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Mexico gave up all claims to Texas
The U.S. acquired New Mexico, Arizona, and California for $15 million.
This acquisition would lead to major arguments over slavery
Senate ratified treaty in 1848.

11. Slavery System
All of the important issues in the Civil War flow out of slavery and the slave system.
Four million slaves in U.S. in 1860
Slavery and slave system was essential to southern way of life.

12. Three Facts on the Origins of the Civil War
Dispute was over the expansion of slavery
Especially in the new territory
American political system could not settle the problem
Too big
Could not be resolved peacefully
South and North had distorted view of each other
South believed all northerners were abolitionists
North believed that all southerners were slave owners