1. The United States Expanded from the Atlantic to the Pacific
Manifest Destiny
The United States Expanded from the Atlantic to the Pacific
in 50 years

2. Manifest Destiny
A belief shared by many Americans in the mid 1800s that the United States should expand across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
President Polk believed it was our manifest destiny, or “obvious fate” to settle land all the way to the Pacific Ocean in order to spread democracy.

3. Louisiana Purchase: 1803
Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million.
The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States.
The U.S. stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Rocky Mountains.

4. Florida: 1819
The U.S. wanted to take Florida from Spain because of constant attacks by Seminole Indians and runaway slaves in Georgia.
In 1819, President Monroe sent General Andrew Jackson to Florida to help protect the U.S. border.
Jackson invaded Florida and overthrew the governor of Florida..
Spain gave Florida to the U.S. in exchange for $5 million and control of Texas.

5. Texas: 1830s Stephen Austin In 1821, Texas was a part of Mexico.
Stephen Austin was an empresario = agent to bring settlers to Texas.
By 1830, 25,000 Americans were living in Texas. They were required to become Mexican citizens and become Catholic.
The Americans had to follow Mexican law.
When Americans complained, Mexico closed Texas to further American immigration.
Stephen Austin

6. Texas Revolution: 1835-36 Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
After Mexico closed Texas to Americans, Stephen Austin went to negotiate with the Mexican leader, Antonio López de Santa Anna.
Austin was jailed, and the Texans revolted.
In April, the Mexican army massacred the Texan rebels. U.S. sent troops to assist Texan settlers.
Texas won its independence.
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

7. Texas Statehood: 1845 Sam Houston
Texas was captured and forced to sign a treaty giving Texas its independence.
Texas became an independent nation in 1836 called the Lone Star Republic.
Sam Houston became President.
Making Texas a state was delayed:
People worried that adding Texas as a slave state would upset the balance between free and slave states
People feared that annexing Texas would lead to war with Mexico
Texas finally joined the U.S. and became the 28th state in 1845.
Sam Houston

8. Oregon Country: 1846
In 1820, both the U.S. and Britain claimed to own Oregon Country.
In the 1830s and 1840s, thousands of American pioneers were going west to settle in Oregon Country.
Neither the U.S. nor Britain wanted war.
Britain and the U.S. compromised. They split Oregon in half. The U.S. got the southern half.

9. War with Mexico:
President Polk wanted to expand the U.S. territory clear to the Pacific Ocean.
He offered to buy California and New Mexico territories from Mexico for $30 million. Mexico refused.
After the U.S. annexed Texas in 1845, Mexico and the U.S. disagreed on the Texas border
The U.S. claimed the Rio Grande River.
Mexico claimed the Nueces River.
The U.S. sent troops to patrol the border.
Conflict broke out and the Mexican army killed U.S. troops on “disputed land.”
Polk declared war, claiming Mexico spilled American blood on American land.

10. War with Mexico: 1846-48 Battle of Buena Vista
The U.S. Army had better weapons and equipment, Mexican forces despite having more numbers were poorly prepared.
The U.S. took New Mexico territory without a fight and claimed the territory.
U.S. troops quickly capture Mexico City.
This led to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war.
Battle of Buena Vista

11. Mexican Cession: 1848
In the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico gave the U.S. the territories of California, Nevada and Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
The US also claimed Texas north of the Rio Grande
The U.S. paid $15 million for the territory
Today this is the American southwest.
Mexican Cession increased the size of the US by 25%

12. Gadsden Purchase: 1853
After the war with Mexico, Americans wanted to guarantee that any southern railroad to California would be built completely on American soil.
US paid $10 million for the southern parts of Arizona and New Mexico.
The existing boundary between the U.S. and Mexico was fixed.

13. California Gold Rush: 1849 Sutter’s Mill Gold was found in 1848.
In 1849, about 80,000 gold seekers, known as forty-niners, came to California hoping to strike it rich.
Panning for gold was the simplest method.
A miner fills a pan with dirt. He then puts the pan under water and shakes it until any gold settles on the bottom.
Sutter’s Mill

14. California Gold Rush: 1849
Mining camps sprung up whenever enough people gathered to look for gold.
At the mining camps, many people prospected (searched for gold). Others ran businesses that catered to the miners - laundry, food, innkeepers, legal services, supplies
Famine and economic hardship in China brought many Chinese to California. However, they faced discrimination and a high tax on foreign miners.

15. Impact of Gold Rush The arrival of 49ers created a population boom
Immigration increased diversity of population
California became a state in 1 year
Growth of new businesses and industry transformed California’s economy
Gold mining was important, but farming and ranching grew
Discrimination of Californios and Native Americans