1. The listings in the box above reflect the contributions to the cultural development of the United States by
A Irish settlers.
B African slaves.
C Native Americans.
D German immigrants.

2. Arkansas (AR) – June 15, 1836 Capital and largest city: Little Rock
Home to the only public area where you can dig for (and find) diamonds
In the 1950s, Little Rock was the center of school integration resistance at Central High School—The Little Rock 9

3. The Missouri Compromise and Manifest Destiny

4. Missouri Threatens the Balance
By 1819, states were already dividing between Free and Slave.
A balanced number of states existed as Free and Slave.
Missouri threatened the balance of Free and Slave States when it applied to be a state
Territories had to have Congress approve a law to make them into a state

5. The Compromise The Compromise Responses
Henry Clay swooped in with a compromise to end the arguments.
The Missouri Compromise made Missouri a slave state and brought Maine into the union as a free state.
Congress also agreed upon the latitude of 36⁰30’ to divide the free North and slave South in the Louisiana Territory
While the compromise maintained the Union, no one was happy about it.
Northerners turned on those who allowed Missouri to be a slave state.
Southerners hated that slavery was banned in parts of the Louisiana territory.

6. USA after the Missouri Compromise

7. Question 1
Why do you think that Congress agreed to the Missouri Compromise, even though both Southerners and Northerners didn’t like it?

8. Westward!
Missouri was the first state added entirely west of the Mississippi River
People began to move further and further west
Became known as the Oregon Trail
Independence, MO became a center for wagon trains leaving west
End goal was Oregon Territory, but people often stopped at any given point on the trail

9. Manifest Destiny
Americans began to believe it was their divine right to spread the USA from the Atlantic to the Pacific
A newspaper called this “Manifest Destiny”
Thousands of people, especially young men, moved further west to try to “make it”
Began to settle the land of the Louisiana Purchase

11. Question 2
What are some potential reasons you can think of for people to want to move West? Remember that it was a long, often painful, and potentially deadly journey.

12. Texas Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821
With so much territory, Mexico’s government invited Americans to come live in Texas
Mexico wanted a higher population for more taxes
Americans saw an opportunity to get wealthy
East Texas has good cotton growing climate

13. Texas Many southerners headed West to Texas
Discovered that Mexico had banned slavery
No slaves meant cotton was not profitable
Americans living in Texas decided to rebel against the Mexican government
This was led by Sam Houston
Former Governor of Tennessee, moved to Texas after being put on trial for assaulting a Congressman

14. Question 3
Why do you think Texans decided to rebel?

15. Texas Revolution Texans lost two early conflicts
The Alamo was a small mission (church village) in southern Texas
Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna laid siege to the Alamo
Eventually broke through and killed all the men inside
Allowed women and children to go free—they warned Houston’s troops about Santa Anna’s tactics
At Goliad, a Texan general surrendered 400 troops
Santa Anna had them all executed the next day

16. Texas Revolution
Houston’s troops traveled through hard rain and mud across Texas to San Jacinto
Poorly supplied, they prepared for a final stand
Santa Anna’s army caught the Texans on April 21, 1836
Houston launched a surprise attack on the Mexican army during an afternoon break
The Texans win quickly, forcing a surrender
Yelled the cry “Remember the Alamo!” to rally their troops

17. Texas Independence Santa Anna is forced to agree to Texan independence
Sam Houston is later elected President of the Texan Republic
The Texan Republic tries to join the US
Turned down by both President Jackson and President Van Buren

18. Question 4
What reasons do you think Presidents Jackson and Van Buren might have had for denying Texas’s request to join the US as a state?