1. The Building of America
Manifest Destiny
The Building of America

2. Introduction to Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny means “obvious fate.” Meaning it was obvious that the US should and could expand westward.
It was argued that Americans had a divine right to settle the West and make it their own.
John O’Sullivan, a newspaper writer, first used the phrase in He said “manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent.”
The U.S viewed westward expansion as justifiable because they were spreading liberty, technology and civilization to an uncivilized and wild West.

3. The Louisiana Territory (1803)
The US wanted the Louisiana Territory to control the Mississippi River and the City of New Orleans. Control here would protect trade routes that farmers used to get their products to market.
France had wanted to use the territory for French farmers to grow crops to send to their slaves on their sugar plantations in Haiti.
The US, led by President Thomas Jefferson originally tried to purchase the City of New Orleans for $7 Million from France to protect trade routes of American farmers.
Napoleon, who ruled France, instead sold all of the Louisiana Territory for $15 Million, about 2 to 3 cents an acre.

4. The Louisiana Territory (1803)
Haiti had just rebelled against France and won it’s independence. France no longer needed to farm food in Louisiana to send to Haiti. The Haitian Revolution was the only successful slave rebellion in history.
The deal, which was known as the Louisiana Purchase was considered the “greatest land deal in history.
There was some opposition to the purchase; some believed it was too expensive, some believed it was too much land to govern and others believed that President Thomas Jefferson did not have authority under the Constitution to make the purchase.

5. Florida (1819)
Many Americans in the Southeast, especially in Georgia, were upset over the situation in Spanish Florida.
Spain had little control over Florida. The Seminole Nation, who lived in Florida, often raided plantations in the Southeast. Escaped slaves also found refuge in Florida.
In 1818, President James Monroe ordered General Andrew Jackson to Georgia. He was ordered to end the raids but not to invade Florida.

6. Florida (1819)
Jackson, against orders, invaded Florida with 1,700 troops.
Jackson attacked Seminole villages, Spanish military posts and even arrested and executed two British men as spies. Jackson also replaced the Spanish governor with an American.
Spain demanded that Jackson be punished for his invasion and apologize to Spain.
President Monroe, convinced by his Secretary of State John Q. Adams and tired of Seminole raids into Georgia had a stern response to Spain: Govern Florida properly or get out.

7. Florida (1819)
Spain did not want a war, so they signed a treaty with the US.
Spain gave Florida to the US, in exchange the US agreed to pay off $5 Million in claims against Spain made by Americans. The US also agreed to accept Spain’s claim to Texas.
There was some opposition to the treaty. Some believed Texas was “worth ten Floridas.”

8. Texas (1845)
America has long wanted Texas because it was well suited to growing cotton, a valuable Southern cash crop.
American settlers, led by Moses Austin, had be granted land by Spain, who ruled Texas, in 1821.
Mexico won it’s independence from Spain later that year.
Stephen F. Austin was able to keep the same deal for American settlers in Texas that his father has made with the Spanish. Mexican officials imposed certain conditions: The settlers had to be moral and hardworking, promise to become Mexican citizens and convert to the Catholic Church.
By 1827, 297 families, known as the “Old Three Hundred” were settled in Texas.

9. Texas (1845)
By 1830, 9 years after American settlers started arriving in Texas, there were 25,000 Americans and 4,000 Tejanos (Texans of Mexican descent.) Tension began to rise between these two groups.
American’s complaint’s included a resentment of taking orders from Mexican officials, having official documents in Spanish, and were upset about Mexico outlawing slavery in 1829.
The Tejano’s also had complaints, these included the amount of Americans arriving without Mexican permission, a lack of American respect for Mexican culture and the fact that most Americans were not becoming Mexican citizens.

10. Texas (1845) Santa Anna marched into Texas with 6,000 soldiers.
The Mexican Army met the Texans at the Alamo, a fort outside San Antonio. The Alamo was defended by just 180 Texans (including 8 Tejanos.)
For 12 days, the Mexicans besieged the Alamo, all while flying the black flag, which showed that the defenders should not expect mercy.
Finally, on March 6th, Santa Anna ordered an assault. The battle lasted for 90 minutes, and at the end, all 180 Texans were dead. They were all killed during the battle or executed after.

11. Texas (1845)
Mexico, having issue with the actions of the Americans in Mexico, closed Texas to further US immigration.
In 1833, Stephen F. Austin travelled to meet with the leader of Mexico, dictator General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna to discuss forming a separate Mexican state of Texas. Instead of meeting with Austin, Santa Anna had him thrown in jail.
In 1835, Austin was released, and the Texans rose up in rebellion. The Texas War of Independence was started.

12. Texas (1845)
Texans were outraged at the decision by Santa Anna to kill all the defenders of the Alamo, it became a rallying cry.
Yelling, “Remember the Alamo” the Texans won a victory over Mexico in 1835 in a surprise attack at the Battle of San Jacinto. Santa Anna himself was captured.
In exchange for his freedom, Santa Anna agreed to withdraw all Mexican soldiers from Texas.
Texas was an independent nation, the Lone Star Republic, until 1845, when Texas was annexed by the United States as the 28th state.

13. Oregon Country (1845)
In 1819, Oregon was claimed by Russia, Spain, the US and Great Britain.
Spain dropped out later that year, and in 1825 Russia agreed to limit it’s claim to land that was north of parallel of latitude. This is now the border of Alaska.
After Russia and Spain withdrew their claims, the US and Great Britain agreed to a “joint occupation” of Oregon.
Oregon has been explored by the expedition of Lewis & Clark. However it was difficult to get to.
In 1824, a new pass, called the South Pass, was discovered, making it easier for settlers to get to Oregon.
Oregon was described by the first American settlers, missionaries, as a land with fertile soil, towering forests, good weather and no disease.
It was called a “Pioneer’s Paradise.”

14. Oregon Country (1846)
In 1843, 1,000 settlers started their journey to Oregon. The next year saw the amount of settlers double. “Oregon Fever” was “now raging.”
In 1844, James K. Polk was running for President, and promised “Fifty-four forty or fight.” This meant that he intended the US to control all of Oregon, up to the border of Russian Alaska (which was the parallel.)
Polk, although elected, did not get the border he wanted or a fight.
The United States and Great Britain signed a treaty in 1846, establishing the border at the 49th parallel, with the US controlling Oregon south of the border.

15. The Mexican Cession (1848)
President Polk wanted to continue to expand the US. He turned his attention to California and New Mexico.
Both California and New Mexico were thinly settled, and were largely neglected by the Mexican government. President Polk believed, for these reasons, that Mexico would sell the territory to the US. They refused.
When the US annexed Texas in 1845, Mexico considered it an act of war. There was a major argument on the border. The US believed the border to be the Rio Grande, while Mexico believed the border to be the Nueces River.
On April 25th, 1846 Mexican troops opened fire on an American patrol on the Rio Grande, killing or wounding 16 American soldiers.

16. Mexican Cession (1848)
President Polk had his justification for war. He declared that Mexico “has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil.” Two days later, Congress declared war.
The US Army took New Mexico without firing a shot, as Mexican forces retreated without fighting.
At the same time, Mexican forces were overthrown in a rebellion, the rebels declared California the Bear Flag Republic and linked up with American forces.

17. Mexican Cession (1848)
The invasion of Mexico was a lot more difficult than the conquest of New Mexico and California.
American Generals Zachory Taylor and Winfield Scott led two invasion armies, winning battles at Monterrey, Veracruz and Chapultepec.
By September of 1847, General Scott captured Mexico City, the capital of Mexico.
In 1848, the US and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadaluope Hidalgo.

18. Mexican Cession (1848)
In the treaty, Mexico gave up California and New Mexico, in exchange the US gave Mexico $15 million and agreed to protect the 80,000 to 100,000 Mexicans living in the new American territory.
The new territory that the US received was known as the Mexican Cession. The area included what is now California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona, as well as parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
Some Americans did not like the treaty, or war. They felt the US was bullying it’s weaker neighbor, and that the land should be returned.

19. The Gadsden Purchase (1853)
In 1853, James Gadsden arranged for the purchase, from Mexico of a strip of land south of the Mexican Cession for $10 Million.
The reason behind the purchase was to build a railroad to reach the coast. The area of the Gadsden Purchase is flat and would be easier to build a railroad through than the Rocky Mountains to the north.

20. To wrap up….
The Louisiana Purchase was made to secure trade routes for American farmers. It was purchased from France in 1803 for $15 Million.
Florida was invaded to prevent Seminole raids into Georgia and to stop slaves from escaping there. Spain signed a treaty in 1819 giving Florida to the US.
Texas was annexed in Texas won it’s independence from Mexico in Texas was desired by the US for its good farmland, especially good for cotton.
Oregon, a “Pioneer’s Paradise” had rich farmland, good weather, plentiful trees and did not have many diseases. It became part of the US in 1846 after a treaty with Great Britain.
The Mexican Cession became part of the US in 1848 at the end of the Mexican-American War. The US, President Polk in particular, wanted to expand the country as far as possible.
The Gadsden Purchase was made in 1853 from Mexico. The railroads wanted the land, which is much flatter than the Rocky Mountains to the north, to build a railroad to the coast.

21. Manifest Destiny

22. Manifest Destiny – Brain Pop Video
And Finally…
Manifest Destiny – Brain Pop Video
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