1. Westward
Expansion

3. CAUSES OF WESTWARD EXPANSION
Oregon had fertile land
Texas was ideal for raising cattle and growing cotton
Many Americans believed in “Manifest Destiny”
EFFECTS OF WESTWARD MOVEMENT
U.S. annexed Texas
Britain and the U.S. divided the Oregon Territory
U.S. gained southwestern territory after Mexican War
U.S. made The Gadsden Purchase
Gold was discovered in California
Mormons sought a safe home
The U.S. stretched “from sea to shining sea”
Cotton Kingdom spreads

4. By the time you are finished studying
this unit you should understand
the following ideas:
The period from 1790-1850 is defined by
growth of territory and federal power
There were significant changes ushered in
by the first presidential administrations
Not everyone benefited
from the nation's growth

5. Westward
Expansion AKA
“Manifest Destiny”

7. DEFINITIONS…
“Clear or obvious”
MANIFEST:
DESTINY:
“Something that is sure to happen”
MANIFEST DESTINY:
“Belief that the United States had the right to all
the land between the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans, and was destined to own it”

8. Many Americans saw the
culture and democratic government
of the U.S. as the best in the world
The U.S. had the right and duty to spread its rule
Many Americans believed that they were better
than the Native Americans and Mexicans
Racism and ethnocentrism justified taking over
lands belonging to the Natives and Mexicans

9. WHAT? MORE DEFINITIONS?
“Hatred or intolerance of another race”
RACISM:
ETHNOCENTRISM:
“Belief in the superiority of one’s
own ethnic group or culture”
“The tendency to view other groups or cultures
from the perspective of one's own”
“The idea that one's own race is
superior and has the right to rule others”

10. The
Louisiana
Purchase
(1803)

11. In
1795, Spain
signed a treaty with
Napoleon
Bonaparte
, the ruler of
France, giving the
Louisiana Territory
back to France

12. President Thomas Jefferson
feared that Napoleon might
attempt to build an empire
in North America
Jefferson wanted to be sure
that Americans would always
be able to ship their goods
through the port of
New Orleans

13. Jefferson offered Napoleon $2 million
for New Orleans and Western Florida and was
willing to offer as much as $10 million
Napoleon needed money to finance his wars in
Europe, so
offered ALL of the Louisiana Territory for $15 million
DOUBLING THE SIZE OF THE UNITED STATES!

14. Did the U.S. Constitution give Jefferson the
power to purchase this land from Napoleon?
CONSTITUTIONALITY?
Jefferson had a very strict interpretation of the Constitution
and believed strongly in a small Federal government

15. CONSTITUTIONALITY?
Jefferson reasoned that
he COULD purchase
the territory because the
Constitution specifically
allows the President
to make treaties

16. Lewis
and
Clark
Expedition

17. Few Americans knew anything about
the Louisiana Purchase Territory
Jefferson chose
Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark to explore the land
In May of
1804, Lewis
and Clark began their expedition
from St. Louis
Sacajawea, a Shoshone native
woman, offered to guide the
explorers across the mountains
and translate with other natives
On November
7, 1805, Lewis and Clark
reached the Pacific Ocean

20. The
War
of
1812

22. Britain was at war with France in Europe
The U.S. as a neutral power, had the right to trade with both
“War Hawks” in Congress wanted war with Britain:
Land hunger – Canada?
Britain was interfering with American trade
British Royal Navy was impressing American sailors
British were supporting hostile Natives in Spanish-owned Florida

23. MILITARY CAMPAIGNS
American three-pronged
attack on Canada:
Niagra, Detroit, Lake Champlain
Failed due to American incompetence
U.S. naval victories on
Lake Erie and Lake Champlain
prevented British
counter-attacks
British Royal Navy
overwhelmed the small
American navy and blockaded
the entire eastern coastline
Americans burn York
(now Toronto)

25. MILITARY CAMPAIGNS
4,000 British troops
attacked Washington, D.C.
and burned the
Capitol and White House
Americans held out at
Fort
McHenry, Baltimore, where
Francis Scott Key wrote
“The Star Spangled Banner”
during the British bombardment
of the fort

26. WAR’S CONCLUSION
Napoleon abdicated in
April 1814, leaving America
alone to fight the British
Treaty of Ghent
Ended the war in December, 1814
Returned all land to pre-war claims
Recognized pre-war
U.S / Canadian border
Nothing was settled

27. "A Hundred Years Peace"
The signature of the Treaty of Ghent between Great Britain
and the United States of America - 24 December 1814

28. BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS
Took place on January 8, 1815
and was the final major battle
of the War of 1812
American General Andrew Jackson
defeated invading British forces
attacking New Orleans
The battle took place after the
treaty of peace was signed because
the news did not reach New Orleans
until February, 1815

29. General Andrew Jackson oversees the defense of
New Orleans against British attack, January 8, 1815.
Jackson's resounding victory in the war's largest battle
propelled him all the way to the White House.

30. Adams-Onis
Treaty
(1821)

31. The U.S. was having
many conflicts with the
Seminole natives in
Spanish-owned Florida
President James Monroe purchased
Florida from Spain for $5 million
Spain needed the money to fight the
Mexican War of Independence
against the people of Mexico
Which Spain would lose later in 1821…
allowing the U.S. to later bully a
weak new Mexican government

33. The
Monroe
Doctrine

34. Stated that the U.S.
would not interfere in
the affairs of European
nations or European
colonies in the Americas
Warned European
nations not to interfere
with Latin America
Britain supported the
statement, and with its
strong navy, could
enforce the doctrine

36. anDrew Jackson’s
Presidency and the
Indian
Removal
Act

37. “Jacksonian Democracy”
• During the colonial
and federal period, the
power rested in a few,
Jackson tried to
change that.
• The Kitchen Cabinet:
– He paid little attention
to cabinet – politicians.
– He relied on friends
around the country who
were closer to the
people.
• Supported Rotation in
Office:
– Democracy would be
better if people served
only for a short period
of time.

38. • He pushed to
extended voting rights
to more “white
people”.
• He advocated
throwing out the
property requirements
within the states.
• Pushed to have
presidential electors
chosen by popular
vote rather then by
state legislatures.

39. The National Bank Veto
• Jackson opposed the National Bank. He argued
that it put way to much power into the hands of
a few people.
• The First National Bank, was up for renewal, in
1836.

40. Law signed by President
Andrew forced Native
Americans to sign treaties
agreeing to move west
of the Mississippi River
Most whites at the time
thought that land was only
a vast desert and
didn’t want it
In the 1830’s, some 100,000
natives were driven from
their homes and forced west
by the U.S. government

42. THE TRAIL OF TEARS
In 1838, the Cherokees and other tribes
were forced at gunpoint to move west
The Cherokees and others
trekked hundreds of miles west
Many suffered from
exposure, disease, and
starvation while heading west
and many died
4,000 of the 15,000 Cherokees forced west died
during this long, sorrowful journey that
became known as the “Trail of Tears”

44. Texas
Annexation

45. Hundreds of Americans began
moving into the Mexican province
of Texas led by Stephen Austin
Mexican Dictator
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
demanded that the Americans
obey Mexican laws:
No slavery
Convert to Roman Catholicism
Limits on American settlement

46. American settlers, led by Sam
Houston, revolted and declared Texas to
be an independent republic
(the Lone Star Republic) in March, 1836
Santa Anna led the Mexican army
against the Alamo in San
Antonio, killing every one of it’s
outnumbered Texan
defenders
Including
Jim Bowie
and
Davy Crockett

49. “The Fall of the Alamo” by Robert Jenkins, depicting Davy Crockett in a charge
at the Mexican troops who have breeched the walls of the Spanish mission

50. “You May Take Our Lives, But You Will Never Take Our Freedom”
by Kirk Stirnweis

51. Shouting, “Remember the Alamo,”
Sam Houston led a Texan counterattack at the
Battle of San Jacinto River on April 21, 1836
The Texans killed and captured hundreds of
Mexican soldiers, and defeated Santa Anna’s forces
in 18 minutes while only losing nine Texans

52. Santa Anna was captured and forced to sign a treaty
to recognize the independence of Texas
The U.S. Congress voted to annex Texas in 1845

56. Oregon
Country

57. President James Polk
negotiated a settlement
with Britain to divide the
Oregon Territory
at the 49th parallel
Over 5,000 Americans
caught “Oregon Fever”
and traveled 2,000 miles
over the Oregon Trail

58. The
Mormons

59. The Church of the
Latter-Day Saints
was founded by Joseph
Smith, and were unpopular
with non-Mormons
After Smith was killed by an
angry mob in
Nauvoo, Illinois, Brigham
Young led 15,000 Mormons to
Salt Lake City, Utah to seek a
safe home

61. The
Mexican
American
War
(1846 – 1848)

62. The Mexican-American War was an armed conflict
between the U.S. and Mexico from 1846 to 1848
in the wake of the U.S. annexation of Texas
Mexico claimed ownership of Texas
and refused to recognize the secession

63. American General Zachary
Taylor seized disputed
territory which was
claimed by Mexico
U.S. stated that the border
was the Rio Grande River
Mexico stated that the border
was the Nueces River 150
miles to the north
The U.S. declared war after a
border clash stating that
“American blood was
shed on American soil”

65. U.S. captured Mexico City in September, 1847

66. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war in 1848
Mexico recognized Rio Grande as the border of Texas
The U.S. took possession of California and New Mexico
(The Mexican Cession - 1/5 of Mexico’s land – 500,000 square miles)
The U.S. paid $15 million to Mexico for these territories

67. CASUALTIES:
Total Killed:
13,000
American Mexican
Total Killed:
25,000?
Died in Battle:
1,700 (1.5%)
Died in Battle:
5,000?
Died of Disease:
11,300 (10%)
Died of Disease:
?
Deserted / Defected:
9,000 (8.3%)
Wounded:
4,000 (12%)
Wounded:
?
Deserted / Defected:
?

68. The Battle of Chapultepec

69. The Battle of Monterrey

70. The Battle of Veracruz

71. The American Occupation of Mexico City

74. California
Gold
Rush
(1848-1849)

75. James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in the
new U.S. territory of California on January 24, 1848
In 1849, 80,000 people emigrated to
California in hopes of striking it rich

78. Gadsden
Purchase
(1853)

79. The Gadsden Purchase was
a 29,670 square-mile
region of what is today
southern Arizona
and southwestern New Mexico
The land was purchased in a treaty
signed by President Franklin
Pierce for $10 million in 1853
The purchase was named for
James
Gadsden, the
American ambassador to Mexico

80. The land was purchased since it was south of the
mountains and would be suitable for the construction
of the transcontinental railroad along a southern route

85. The
End