1. James K. Polk and American Expansion
Manifest Destiny
James K. Polk
and
American Expansion

2. Dark Horse- James Polk Election of 1844 Key Issues: Whig-Henry Clay
Democrat- James K Polk
Key Issues:
Should the United States add Texas?
This would upset the balance of slave/free states
Polk says yes
Clay says no
Further Expansion (Manifest Destiny)
Polk wants to continue expanded aggressively
Clay believes in a more cautious approach

3. Oregon Country
Mexican Cession
Texas Annexation
Gadsden Purchase

4. Texas Annexation

5. Texas Annexation Annexation of Texas occurred on February 28, 1845.
Annex means “add on.”
Approve the annexation of Texas (took 10 years)
Reason
1- Mexican dictator Antonio López de Santa Anna warned that annexation would be "equivalent to a declaration of war.”
2- Northerners opposed annexation over the slavery issue
Results
Mexican War

6. Mexican War

7. Mexican War Mexican War Timeline
January Zachary Taylor crosses the Nueces River into the disputed border between Mexico/United States.
April 1846 – Mexican troops cross the Rio Grande into the disputed border with Mexico/United States.
April 1846 – Mexican and United States troops skirmish with losses on both sides
April 1846 – U.S. declares war on Mexico

8. Taylor’s Forces
Bang
Nueces River
Mexican Forces
Rio Grande River

9. Mexican Cession Mexican War Continued…
May 1846 – January Fighting on many fronts
January 1848 – Mexico City is captured
Results:
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo ends the Mexican War
Mexico Cedes all of California and New Mexico to the United States.
Cede means “gives”
Created the New Mexico Territory and California
Do the winners of war pay the losers money for the land they gained? What does this tell you about the war

10. Oregon Country

11. Oregon Country Oregon Country originally shared by four powers
1. United States
2. Great Britain
3. Spain
4. Russia

12. Oregon Country Oregon Treaty of 1846
Divided Oregon at latitude 49 degrees North.
Great Britain got the land north of the line
United States got the land south of the line
The states of Oregon (1859), Washington (1889), and Idaho (1890) came out of our portion

13. Gadsden Purchase

14. Gadsden Purchase
In 1853, the United States paid Mexico $10 million dollars for a strip of land in Arizona and New Mexico
Purchased this land to complete the building of a railroad.

15. Native Americans

16. Native Americans
Three ways the U.S. dealt with the Native American “Problem”
1. War/Force
2. Assimilation
3. Segregation/Reservations

17. Segregation/Reservations
Explanation: Designate areas for the Native Americans to live
Example: The Reservation System
Reason: Native Americans needed to be moved off land wanted by the United States
Positives:
Control Native Americans
Don’t have to fight them again and again
Negatives:
Resources needed to provide for the Native Americans

18. War/Force Explanation: Fight the Native Americans for their land
Example: Battle of Wounded Knee
Reason: Native Americans wouldn’t move
Positives:
Don’t have to pay the Native Americans
Negatives:
U.S. soldiers killed
Native Americans killed (is this a disadvantage)
Native Americans may retreat and fight again

19. Assimilation
Explanation: Bring the Native Americans into “American” society and culture
Example: Carlisle Indian School
Reason: “Civilizing” the natives
Positives:
Native Americans could help the country
No loss of life for U.S. soldiers
Negatives:
Many Native Americans refused to give up their culture
Only a small portion of the Native American population was able to have schooling