1. “American Progress” Art Analysis by John Gast; c.1872
3. What does the main character, the Center character, represent?
4. What type of technology do you see? Find and list at least 5-6 words.
5. Does the use of the word “Progress” make sense for this painting? Why or why not?
1. How does the painting attempt to JUSTIFY America’s Western Expansion?
2. How does the Artist FEEL about Native American people and culture? Support with evidence.

3. Manifest Destiny
To learn what “Manifest Destiny” means, copy down the following notes on your note sheet.

4. 1. Manifest Destiny… What does that mean?
“Manifest Destiny” was the idea the United States had during the 1800’s that they had the right and duty to claim land and spread throughout the continent of North America.

5. Huh? Manifest Destiny... something that will surely happen!
“Manifest” is another word for “obvious” or “clear”.
“Destiny” is another word for “fate” or “events out of your control” So… “Manifest Destiny” = “Clear Fate”
Manifest Destiny... something that will surely happen!

6. 2. When did Manifest Destiny begin?
The Monroe Doctrine…
In 1823, the 5th president, James Monroe, issued the “Monroe Doctrine” A doctrine is something that is a policy or a rule.

7. What was the Monroe Doctrine?
The Monroe Doctrine stated that…
Europeans could not settle in the Western Hemisphere.
America would stay out of European issues.

8. 3.What were the steps in Manifest Destiny?
#1.Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. This nearly doubled the size of U.S.

9. #2. Lewis & Clark
From , the expedition of Lewis & Clark made a strong claim to the Northwest Territory by mapping and staying near the Columbia River.

10. #3. The Lone Star Republic The territory of Texas was a Mexican territory. The American settlers in Texas wanted to have independence from Mexico. In 1835, there was a battle at a place called The Alamo.

11. Even though they were defeated at the Alamo, the Americans declared independence from Mexico. Texas became an independent nation called The Lone Star Republic. Then, in 1845 the U.S. Congress annexed Texas, making it one of The United States of America.

12. #4. The Oregon Territory\
Oregon Territory was not a colony of any country. Both The United States and England had strong claims on the territory. However, in 1846, the two countries agreed that Oregon Territory would be part of the United States.

13. #5. Mexican Cession
The President of the United States, James Polk, believed strongly in the concept of Manifest Destiny. He believed that the United States should have all of the territory that was north of the Rio Grande River.

14. The War With Mexico
The Mexican government and the United States disagreed about this border of the Rio Grande. They ended up going to war…it was called The Mexican War. The war was from

15. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The treaty was signed in 1848, and it gave all of or parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming to the United States. This extended the United States to the Pacific.