1. Continental Expansion and “Manifest Destiny,” 1800-1860

2. Continental expansion
U.S. triples in size,
“Lower 48” borders established by 1853
No destiny in country’s shape
Contingent borders
Treaties, wars, negotiations, force
Decisions, choices, mistakes
Opportunism as well as planning
Other outcomes possible, even more likely

4. “Manifest Destiny” “Manifest” “Destiny”
Obvious, self-evident, made clear
Has become reality
“Destiny”
Fated, pre-ordained
Inevitable
“Manifest Destiny” phrase, 1840’s
U.S. is obviously supposed to expand
Evidence for this?
The U.S. has already expanded
Circular reasoning

5. John Gast, American Progress, 1872

6. John Gast, American Progress, 1872

7. “Manifest Destiny” Economics, population pressures
“Bottom-up” and “top-down”
Initiatives at multiple levels
Private citizens more aggressive than gov’t
High birth rate, immigration, land use patterns
Ambiguous, undefined, in flux
“Natural” borders?
How big, how far?
J.Q. Adams = stop at the Rocky Mountains?
Jefferson = U.S. should add Cuba, obviously

8. “Manifest Destiny” as Idea
Expansionism as ideology
Jefferson = frontier as outlet
Both major parties before the Civil War
Very popular with voters
J.Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson agree
1819 – worked on the same side to seize Florida
James K. Polk – most successful President ever?
Political debate about methods, not goals
Slavery question: expansion of slavery into new territory?

9. “Manifest Destiny” as Idea
Racist assumptions
North America as “empty continent”
White/European superiority over others
Anglo superiority over other Europeans
Anti-Spanish, anti-Mexican sentiment
Conquest as evidence of superiority
Science, Progress, and God all support expansion
Racism promoted AND limited expansion
Debates over Mexican territory
Racism cut in multiple directions

10. Forms of Expansion Not simply a “land grab”
Usually, high-level international treaty
Often peacefully negotiated
But, inhabitants never asked
Violence or threat of violence always there

11. Forms of Expansion Uninhabited land – Midway Island, 1867 Purchase
Louisiana ,1803
Gadsden Purchase, 1853
Alaska, 1867

12. Forms of Expansion Negotiation Support revolution, then annex Coercion
Oregon treaty, 1846
Support revolution, then annex
Texas – 1836, 1845
Hawai’i – 1893, 1898
Coercion
Florida,
“Indian Removal,” 1830’s-1890’s
All methods, violent and otherwise
21st century terms: ethnic cleansing, genocide

16. Western Trails,
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18. Columbia River and Tributaries

20. The Oregon Boundary, 1846
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23. Forms of Expansion War – Mexican-American War, 1846-8
Not a case of U.S. bullying Mexico
Two modern nation-states
Mutual conflict over boundary dispute
Mexico with the better claim
U.S. more aggressive
Both certain of victory, eager to fight
U.S. Army outnumbered in every battle
Boundary disputes across the Americas
Common legacy of colonialism

24. Still needs a good biographer (or a good screenwriter):
Antonio López de Santa Anna

26. Chapter Eight: Varieties of American Nationalism
The Missouri Compromise, 1820
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27. Chapter Thirteen: The Impending Crisis
Slave and Free Territories Under the Compromise of 1850
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