1. We are the nation of human progress, and who will, what can, set limits to our onward march?” -John O’Sullivan The War with Mexico and westward Expansion

2. Vocabulary

3. MANIFEST DESTINY a.Conflict with Mexico started with Manifest Destiny – It was the nation’s destiny to spread all the way to the Pacific Ocean i.The nation needs room to expand. ii.Americans support President Polk’s goal of westward expansion b.Many Americans along with President James K. Polk wanted to add California and the New Mexico Territory to the United States in order to fulfill “Manifest Destiny.” c.Polk offered to buy the territories from Mexico i.Mexico refused ii.Polk then plotted to take them by force 1. Polk wanted to go to war with Mexico but make it look like Mexico started it. 2.Texas’ annexation had already strained relations between the two countries. a. Texas claimed the Rio Grande as the border. b. Mexico recognized the Nueces River as the border. c. Polk would use this conflict to spark a conflict.

4. The Conflict Begins i.In order to enforce the Rio Grande as the border, Polk sent Gen Zachary Taylor and the army to Corpus Christi ii.Taylor sent a force to the Rio Grande River who built a fort there. 1.April 24, 1846 2000 Mexican troops attacked a small American force killing several of them. 2.This became known as the Thornton Affair. 3.May 11, 1846 Polk told Congress that Mexico had “invaded our territory shed American blood upon the American soil.” iii. Attitude toward the war 1.Most Americans supported the war (mostly Democrats who supported Polk) 1.Some Americans – mainly the Whig Party opposed the war a.A Congressman from Illinois, Abraham Lincoln demanded to know the exact spot where the attack occurred b.Frederick Douglas a free black who supported the abolition movement feared new territories in the west would expand slavery also opposed the war.

5. California A group of Americans seized the town of Sonoma and declared an independent Republic of California They called the new country the Bear Flag Republic Californios were outraged at what they saw was an attempt by greedy Americans to seize land. The original Republic of California Flag – it was destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco Fire and Earthquake.

6. Naval Action 1.July 1846 Commodore John Sloat and the US Navy captured the ports of San Francisco and Monterey. a.The American flag replaced the Bear Republic Flag b.They sailed to San Diego capturing it as well.

7. Mexico City i.Mexico City Falls i.Gen Winfield Scott was given the task of capturing Mexico City 1.By Aug 1847 he had reached the outskirts of Mexico City 2.By Mid-September Mexico City had been captured and Mexico surrendered 3.Cost of the war The US lost only 1721 men due to battle but over 11,000 due to disease 4.Mexican casualties were well over 25,000 5.The war cost the US over $100 million (over $2 billion in today’s money)

8. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Signed in February 1848 Forced Mexico to give up all claims to Texas The “Mexican Cession” included California and New Mexico which included present day states of Utah, Colorado and Arizona, Nevada, as well as, California and New Mexico. The US paid Mexico $15 million About $350 million in today’s money The area of the Mexican cession equaled over 1/3 of the total territory held by Mexico.

9. California Mexicans living in California had been granted citizenship and equal rights by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The Land Law of 1851 forced Californios to prove they owned lands they claimed. Settlers could take them to court to prove they owned the land Many were able to produce documentation proving ownership Many more; however, lost their land Zachary Taylor (hero of the War with Mexico and current President) urged citizens of California to apply for statehood. California’s constitution banned slavery so when they applied for statehood in March of 1850 it presented a crisis for Congress It would take 6 months and another compromise with the South before California would become a state.

10. The Gold Rush Just a short time after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, gold was discovered in California. This would ignite what became known as the California Gold Rush Tens of thousands of people would flock to California to get in on the action. In 1849, up to 80,000 “Forty-niners” streamed into California. Most were from the United States 20% were foreigners from as far away as Australia. A group of 300 men came from China They were the beginnings of a large Chinese community that would take root in California. San Francisco is currently home to North America’s largest “Chinatown”

11. Typical Gold Mining Scene

12. Boomtowns Communities that sprang up overnight replaced uninhabited areas of California San Francisco grew from a tiny village to city of 20,000 in very short time. Crime was a big problem in the mining towns No police force existed to protect citizens and armed gangs posed a great threat Vigilantes often took the law into their hands acting as police, judge, jury, and sometimes executioner.

13. The Mormons and Utah The Mormons (a protestant group founded in 1830) were severely persecuted in their settlements to the east. Many Mormons were badly treated by other religious groups and the law as well. vigilante groups carried out violent acts against Mormons Buildings and possession were destroyed and many Mormons were murdered including their founder Joseph Smith who was killed by a mob while sitting in a jail cell. Their new leader Brigham Young decided to move the group out west to Utah near the Great Salt Lake Over 12,000 Mormons made the journey which became the largest migration in American history Mormons often had conflicts with federal officials – mainly because of disagreements over religious practices War almost broke out between them and the US Army Utah would not become a state until 1896

14. The Mormon Migration

15. Westward Expansion Poses Problems in Congress America's expansion westward created a troubling political issue – should these newly acquired territories permit or prohibit slavery? Closely associated with this was another important issue: representation in Congress. Southern states wanted to be sure that the number of slave states in Congress remained roughly equal to that of the free states. Southerners feared that if a new state were admitted to the Union from these western territories as a free state, it would upset the existing balance between free and slave states in Congress.

17. The Gadsden Purchase In 1853, the United States had fulfilled its “Manifest Destiny” Now it needed to somehow connect east to west. The Transcontinental Railroad was proposed. In order to complete the project the United States purchased a small strip of land south of what is present day Arizona and New Mexico. This became known as the Gadsden Purchase. The nearly 30,000 square mile tract of land was bought for $10 million. The US had paid Mexico only $15 million for the 915,000 square mile area of the Mexican Cession. This would complete the territorial expansion of the United States except for Alaska and Hawaii.

18. How the West was Really Won

19. HOTS Prompts Write and answer in your notebook page 64 The most significant impact of the war with Mexico was…. The most significant impact of the discovery of gold in California was…