Manifest Destiny A Soladejo Production Manifest Destiny Manifest

“Manifest Destiny” A Soladejo Production

Manifest Destiny • Manifest Destiny was America’s belief that it has the God-given right to expand westward • They believe they were destined to move westward • Manifest means obvious • It was their “obvious” destiny to move west and claim the land from coast to coast • Nineteenth century (1800 s) • Helped create western settlement, Native American removal, and war with Mexico

Manifest Destiny • Term first used by John L. O’Sullivan in an article on the annexation of Texas • Believed that their English descent made it their right to spread across the land • Not just to increase territory, but to increase freedom and economic opportunities as well (give me a break) • Phrase and idea really taken to heart by people who wanted to claim more land such as: Oregon Territory, California, Mexican land in the southwest, and, in the 1850 s, Cuba

Oregon Trail & Territory • From Elm Grove, Missouri • First major wagon train to northwest • Path created by fur traders who already lived there • 2, 000 mile journey • Fur traders and missionaries who lived there whooped it up with big agricultural hype • Caused farmers in Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee who didn’t like their circumstances to come on down to luscious Oregon • Of course this incited a depression

Oregon Trail & Territory •

Mormon Trail • Across five states • 1846 -1869 • Nauvoo, Illinois (most common settlement of Latter Day Saints) to Salt Lake City, Utah (settled by Brigham Young, 1847) • 1, 300 miles • 70, 000 Mormons traveled to escape religious prosecution • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints • Among them were handcart companies two of which departed late and met disastrous snowstorms in Wyoming

Mormon Trail • Used for more than 20 years • Until completion of first transcontinental railroad in 1869 • Young led them to Salt Lake Valley in spring of 1847 • Had people stop along trail to establish settlements and plant and harvest crops for future emigrants • Very similar route to Oregon Trail and California Trail • Oldest on trail was 94 year old woman • Believed that only 1, 800 out of more than 60, 000 died on trail

The Annexation of Texas • Annexed in 1845 • After Texas had gained independence • President Martin van Buren wouldn’t annex it because Mexico threatened war • President John Tyler restarted negotiations with the Republic of Texas in 1844 • Created Treaty of Annexation • Caused Mexico to end diplomatic relations with U. S.

The Annexation of Texas • Treaty didn’t get enough votes in senate and lost badly even • Tried again before leaving office • Had both houses of congress on his side this time • Along with running candidate and future president, James K. Polk’s, support • Got it passed on March 1, 1845 • Texas was admitted into the United States December 29 th of that year

U. S. -Mexican War • 1846 -1848 • First U. S. armed conflict fought mostly on foreign soil • America had annexed Texas and though Mexico swore they’d resort to war if that happened, they didn’t…we did • James K. Polk and other land-crazed hoo-has decided we should try for the whole barrel • Arguing about the border at the Rio Grande led to fighting which started off the actual war • Mexico was politically divided and militarily unprepared • So, being the kind, cool-headed Americans we were…

U. S. -Mexican War • We invaded their capital • Held Mexico City against all attacks from the people who actually lived in that country • Eventually had to wait for a new government solid enough to negotiate with • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848 • Established Rio Grande, not Nueces, as border • Gave America California and any Mexican territory above Rio Grande (for only like 15 million)

Gadsden Purchase • Mexico and America still at odd terms • Both thought they owned Mesilla Valley • America wanted to build a southern transcontinental railroad, but it would have to cross Mexican land • Tensions rose even further over America not helping at all with Indian attacks as promised plus they wanted more land (naturally) • Arranged for James Gadsden (new U. S. Minister to Mexico) to have Santa Anna agree to another treaty

Gadsden Purchase • One to change the border (again) to give them room for southern transcontinental railroad • Would allow Americans to fully stop (though they never started) protecting Mexico against Native American attacks • And settle monetary issues from the Garay Project • Santa Anna signed it, so of course, we changed it again • New treaty involved less payment for less land because of fracases between North and South states • Santa Anna signed that on my birthday in the year of 1854

California Gold Rush • 1848 -1855 • Jan. 24, 1848 James Wilson Marshall from New Jersey(!) found flakes of gold in American River at base of Sierra Nevada Mountains near Coloma, CA • Tried to keep it quiet but by mid-March at least one newspaper was whooping it up about the gold at Sutter’s Mill • By mid-June almost ¾ of males in San Francisco were headed to the mines and by August the number had reached 4, 000 miners • Pres. Polk officially announced there was much gold, ja!

California Gold Rush • People swarmed in like flies leaving all their families and belongings behind • Mainly during 1849, so they were called ’ 49 ers • Towns grew larger to accommodate the new company and to make a quick buck from tourist traps • Being overcrowded led to thievery, violence, and other things in certain buildings that were not shops or saloons • Gold died down, people needed work • Industrialized mining came in 1850 s and offered jobs but basically destroyed the landscape

Essential Question To me, Manifest Destiny played more than a simple “role” in the play of westward expansion. It was westward expansion. “Manifest Destiny” was the full idea that we should take over all the land on earth capable of holding the weight of a civilization. I guess the west just happened to fit that description.