5.2: Manifest Destiny Flashcards
1
Q
MANIFEST DESTINY
A
- 1845: coined by John O’Sullivan
- Americans = destined to possess entire continent = destiny granted to them by God
- Democrat support
- Goal = spreading democracy and Protestantism
- Desired becoming World Superpower
- Opposed by Whigs
- Should focus on current US
- Antislavery feared more land = more slavery
- Proslavery feared more free states
- Expansion violence = unethical
2
Q
REASONS
A
- Need for minerals and resources
- Economic and land opportunities
- Seeking religious refuge
3
Q
CALIFORNIA
A
- CALI
- Mexicans valued self-gov
- Natives tried to maintain sovereignty and culture
- Gold in Cali = Gold Rush = immigration
- Decline of natives via. disease and murder
- Chinese = discrimination victims
- Many miners
- Cali applied for statehood post Gold Rush [1862]
- Admitted as free state
- Balance upset
- Slavery banned but no black bote
- Californios disrespected
- Natives dwindled
4
Q
TEXAS
A
- 1844: Polk elected
- Wanted Texas: Mexican but had 3x more Americans
- Texan Americans = Protestant and slave-owning
- 1829: Mexican gov outlawed slavery and declared immigrants to convert to Roman Catholicism
- Mexico closed borders but Americans continued
- Texans revolted under Sam Houston
- 1836: declared Texas independent
- Mexico sent forces to quash
- Mexican victory at The Alamo
- US retaliation = Battle of San Jacinto
- Houston captured Mexican general and forced signing of Treaty granting Texan independence
- Mexico claimed generals couldn’t officiate treaties
- Texans ignored and applied for statehood
5
Q
OREGON
A
- Oregon “Fever”: romanticism of Western life [‘sun always shone’ and ‘wheat as tall as men’]
- Competing US and GBR claims
- US had many more missionaries and farmers there
- GBR had established fur trade and lengthy settlement period
- Agreement to divide at 49th parallel
6
Q
UTAH
A
- Mormons
7
Q
PRE-EMPTION ACTS
A
- Passed by Congress
- Vast, cheap land for homesteading and farming
- Mainly middle class migrated bc migration = money
