1. US Foreign Policy:

2. The War of 1812 (-1815) Causes: Impressment
British providing weapons to Native Americans
Desire to spread into British territory

3. At first the United States’ main objective was to conquer Canada!
US had its first decisive victories as a sovereign nation
Baltimoreans fought off the British after they burned the capitol and the White House in DC…
At war…

5. Treaty of Ghent
Signed months before fighting stopped, but because negotiations were in Europe, news of peace took that long to arrive…
Famous Battle of New Orleans (at which Jackson was a victorious leader) occurred after peace was declared
The treaty simply restored pre-war boundaries

6. Results… The Star-Spangled Banner was written…
Increased United States’ prestige overseas
Generated a new sense of patriotism
…and not much else.

7. The Monroe Doctrine Spanish Florida annoyed slave-holding southerners
Border issues caused friction between US and Spain
Spain had lost most of its colonies by the early 1820s
Russia’s presence on the Pacific coast worried the American government
so…

8. The Doctrine Itself
James Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, stating that the American continents were “henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers.” Latin America was mentioned specifically.

9. Significance
Established Western hemisphere as one giant American protectorate
Hinted that U.S. might go to war “to protect independence of sovereign nations” OR
to protect territory that it didn’t want Russia to claim

10. The Mexican American War
Texas’ entry into the Union outraged the Mexican government
SW boundary of Texas disputed
Polk wanted California, and ordered troops into territory claimed by both countries
US soldiers provoked Mexican troops to fire the first shot to win national support for the war

11. At war…
June 1846: Californians declared independence from Mexico as the Bear Flag Republic…
After a 6-month campaign, U.S. captured Mexico City in 1847

12. Peace
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave U.S. more than 500,000 sq. mi. of Mexican territory
That territory became the states of: California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado & Wyoming
Rio Grande became southern boundary of Texas

13. Significance The dream of Manifest Destiny had been realized…
Now the U.S. just had to decide whether slavery would be allowed in the new territories..