Chapter 12 Flashcards
What states were included in the Oregon Country?
Oregon, Washington, Idaho, & parts of Montana and Wyoming
What countries had originally claimed the Oregon Country?
Russia, Spain, Britain, and the US
What was the Adam-OnisTreaty about?
Access to the Pacific Ocean
What country controlled the norther border of California?
Spain
What country controlled Alaska?
Russia
Who controlled the area between northern California and Alaska?
it was open territory
What happened to the area between northern California and Alaska in the Adam-Onis Treaty?
It was to be joint occupied
Who were the first Americans in Oregon?
fur traders (beaver trappers)
Why did people want to trap beavers?
the skins were in great demand in America and Europe
What were the beaver trappers and fur traders called?
Mountain Men
What was Jedediah Smith famous for discovering?
He was a young trapper and hunter who discovered the South Pass in Wyoming that allowed families to travel west
Where did Jedidah Smith travel that made him famous?
He was the first to travel across the Great Basin of Utah and Nevada and over the Sierra Mountains into California
When did Americans begin traveling to Oregon?
1830s
Why did Americans travel to Oregon?
- fertile lands, 2. economic troubles, 3. mission work
What did Marcus Whitman do that made him famous?
He brought measles to a mission that ended up killing many Native children
What did the Native Americans do as a result of the measles outbreak?
They attacked and killed everyone in the Whitman mission
What was the Great Migration?
the first large scale migration to Oregon
Why did the Great Migration occur?
tens of thousands of people moved to Oregon in the 1840s due to the Panic of 1837
How long did it take for people to get to Oregon during the Great Migration?
about 5 months…they traveled about 1-2 mph…about 100 miles/week
Who rode in the prairie schooner wagons?
only the old, young, sick or pregnant….everyone else walked
What happened if one of the wagons fell behind?
they needed to catch up or be left behind to die
What might a wagon do to move faster?
dump any unnecessary items
What part did Natives play during the Great Migration?
they were helpful and did not attack often
How did most of the emigrants die?
diseases and accidents
What was the “Manifest Destiny”?
It was to overspread and possess the entire continent which Providence had given to the US
Who wrote the “Manifest Destiny”?
John O’Sullivan
What did John O’Sullivan believe?
America was destined to extend its boundaries to the Pacific Ocean
Who won the election of 1844
James Polk
What political party elected Polk?
Democratic
What did Polk support in the election?
America has sole ownership of Oregon
Fifty-four Forty or Fight
Polk’s campaign slogan…the latititude/longitude of Oregon’s northern border
Who was running for President in the Election of 1844?
Polk vs. Henry Clay
What political party supported Henry Clay?
Whig
What was Clay’s opinion about Oregon?
he did not have a strong opinion
What helped Polk win the election of 1844?
The Liberty Party (anti-slavery)….took many NY votes from Clay
How was the Oregon issue settled?
There was a compromise with Britain in 1846….49 degree latitude border….(still current border between US and Canada)
Who was Davy Crockett?
a Congressman from Tennessee who wanted a new start
What area of the US was Crockett helping?
he wanted to help Texas win independence
What two countries claimed land in Texas?
American (due to Louisiana Purchase) and Spain
What resolved the conflict over Texas?
The Adams-Onis Treaty
What did the US agree to in the Adam-Onis Treaty regarding Texas?
US agreed to drop all claimed to Texas
Who lived in Texas at this time?
few people…1. Tejanos, 2. Native Americans
Tejanos
Mexicans who claimed Texas as their home
What did Spain do to try to promote growth in Texas?
they offered tracts of land to those who would settle there
empresarios
people who got grants from the government and recruited settlers
Who was Stephen F. Austin?
The first empresario who recruited 300 families to live in Texas
What were the 3 new laws in Texas between 1823-1825?
- learn Spanish, 2. convert to Catholicism, 3. obey Mexican law
What started to cause tension in Texas in 1830?
There were more Americans than Mexicans…they did not adopt the ways of Mexicans
What did Texas do to try to stop more Americans from moving there?
All immigration from the US was outlawed
What happened that discouraged trade between the US and Texas?
a tax was placed on imported goods
How did Texas feel about the trade tax?
They were angry because their prosperity (wealth) depended upon trade with the US
What was another idea that discouraged new settlers to Texas?
they were planning to end slavery there
Who was Mexico’s president in 1833?
General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Why did Stephen Austin go to see President Santa Anna?
He demanded 1. remove the ban on Americans 2. make Texas a separate state
How did Santa Anna respond to Austin’s demands?
- removed ban but did not 2. let Texas be a separate state
What caused Austin to be arrested?
He wrote a letter to Texas telling it to prepare for independence
Why was Santa Anna no longer President of Texas?
He declared himself Dictator of Texas
What did Santa Anna do to start a conflict?
He sent troops to Gonzales
What did the Mexican troops try to do when they got to Gonzales?
They tried to capture a canon, but the Texans resisted
Who won at the first battle of the Texas Revolution?
Texans drove the Mexicans out
How many troops did Santa Anna bring to San Antonio?
4,000
What happened at the Alamo when the Mexican troops arrived?
157 Texans (including Crockett) were barricaded inside the Alamo
Who led the Texans at the Alamo?
Jim Bowie and William Barrett Travis
What did Travis do then the Mexicans arrived in San Antonio?
He sent a letter asking for help
What kind of help did Travis get after sending his letter?
32 volunteers showed up to help….now 4,000 Mexicans vs. 189 Texans
How long did the siege last at the Alamo?
12 days
How did the Texans keep the Mexicans from getting in to the Alamo?
kept them away with rifle fire
What happened when Mexico attacked the Alamo?
there was a 90 minute battle where ALL of the Texans were killed
How did Mexico do at the Battle at Alamo?
over 600 died
What did the Texans do during the Alamo siege?
They wrote a constitution declaring their independence
Who was named Commander in chief of the Texas army?
Sam Houston
What was Houston known for in the past?
He had been the youngest governor in Tennessee history and only person to be governor in TWO states
What did Houston do AFTER Texas became a state?
He worked in the Senate and spread the Gospel in Washington
What happened at San Jacinto on April 21 in 1836?
900 Texans attacked 1300 Mexicans
What did the Texan soliders yell as they attacked?
Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!
What happened at the Battle at San Jacinto?
the 18 minute battle resulted in 600 Mexican deaths and 700 captured…including Santa Anna
What happened when Santa Anna tried to escape?
He dressed as an ordinary soldier and hid in a marsh. He was captured by a soldier who did not recognize him…identity was revealed in prison
What occurred as a result of the Battle at San Jacinto?
Santa Anna signed a treaty recognizing Texas’s independence
Who became the first president of the Republic of Texas?
Sam Houston
What happened when Houston asked for Texas to be annexed into the US?
Andrew Jackson refused
Why did Jackson refuse for Texas to be annexed into the US?
the slavery issue
What problems did Texas have when it became independent?
- political problems, 2. financial problems, 3. still fighting with Mexico, 4. debt
What happened when Texas asked President Van Buren for annexation?
Refused because of the slavery issue
What happened when Texas asked President Tyler for annexation?
He accepted but the Senate refused the annexation
Which presidential candidate in the Election of 1844 supported the annexation of Texas?
Polk did….”Manifest Destiny”
What state (number) did Texas become when it was annexed into the US?
it was the 28th state
Who was elected governor of Texas?
Sam Houston
In the 1800s, New Mexico was made up of which current states?
New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and Utah
What was the first colony in New Mexico?
the Spanish settlement of Santa Fe in 1610
What country owned New Mexico?
Mexico
Why did New Mexico govern itself?
It was too far from Mexico
How did Mexico feel about Americans settling in New Mexico?
It wanted them out because it thought they would want to take over
Why did Mexico change the policy on American settlers in New Mexico?
it welcomed American traders to help boost the economy of New Mexico
Who was the first American in New Mexico?
William Becknell
What was the Santa Fe Trail?
it was a trading route that Americans used
What did Americans trade with the people in New Mexico?
American brought cloth and firearms to trade for silver, fur, and mules
Who lived in California in the early 1800s?
Many Mexican missions
What did Mexico do about missions in 1833?
They abolished the missions
What did John C. Fremont write about California?
It was beautiful and filled with natural resources
What did President Polk want to do about California?
He tried to buy it from Mexico twice, but Mexico refused to sell it
What did America do since Mexico would not sell California?
they would take it by force
Why did Polk want to get both California and New Mexico from Mexico?
They would guarantee ownership of a passage to the Pacific Ocean and fulfill the Manifest Destiny...they rightfully belonged to the US
How did President Polk justify war with Mexico over California and New Mexico?
He provoked them into acting first
What was the Mexican reaction to Texas’s annexation to the US?
They did not recognize it because they did not recognize Texas’s independence….said annexation was illegal
What was the border that was disputed between the US and Mexico?
Mexico believed it was the Nueces River, US believed it was the Rio Grande
What was Polk’s deal that he proposed about the Mexican border?
He would give $30 million for New Mexico and California if Mexico recognized Rio Grande border and would pay Mexico’s debt to US citizens
What was Mexico’s reaction to Polk’s deal?
they refused
Who was sent by the US to build a fort between the disputed rivers?
Zachary Taylor
What happened to the fort built by Taylor?
Mexico attacked the fort…started the fighting “Hostilities may now be considered as commenced”
What was Polk’s reaction to the Mexican attack on the fort?
He called an emergency cabinet meeting and declared war on Mexico
What was the America reaction to the war against Mexico?
the country was divided
Who favored the war against Mexico?
- President Polk, 2. most democrats, 3. Most Southerners, 4. most newspapers, 5. most Texans
Who was against the war against Mexico?
- Abraham Lincoln, 2. Frederick Douglass, 3. most Whigs, 4. Most Northerners, 5. Abolistionists
How did the newspapers help in the war against Mexico?
they brought more volunteers to fight
What did the Whigs think about Polk declaring war against Mexico?
they called his actions aggressive and unjust
Why did the Northerners not support the war against Mexico?
they thought the Democrats were trying to spread slavery
What were the 3 parts of Polk’s war plan?
- drive Mexican forces out of border area and secure border, 2. seize NM and CA, 3. seize Mexico City
What was the GOAL of Polk’s war plan?
gain CA and NM for the US
What resulted due to Taylor’s efforts in the war?
- captured Monterrey and Buena Vista (lowered Mexican flag, 2. secured Texas border
How was Santa Fe captured?
1,500 troops went to New Mexican, Governor of Mexico fled….US won without firing a shot
What was the Republic of California?
the area of Sonoma which was seized by a small group of Americans..proclaimed independent
What was the symbol on the flag of the Independent Republic of California?
a bear
Who was Commodore John Sloat?
an American who captured Monterey and San Francisco and annexed California for the US…replaced Bear Flag with US flag
When did the US fully control California?
January 1847
Who lead the Trail of Tears and helped take Mexico City?
Winfield Scott
What happened when Mexico City was captured by the US?
Mexico surrendered
What was in the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hildago?
- Mexico gave up claims to Texas…agreed Rio Grande was border, 2. Mexico gave California and NM to the US, 3. US offered Mexico $15 million
How did the amount of money the US offered to pay Mexico change?
it went from $30 million to $15 million
What was the Gadsden Purchase?
a $10 million purchase that helped the US mainland reach its present size (parts of Arizona and New Mexico)
Where did the gold rush begin?
in 1848 in Sutter’s Mill near present-day Sacramento
Who first discovered gold and started the gold rush?
James Marshall
How much gold had been found by the end of 1848?
within one year, $6 million of gold was found
How many people traveled to California between 1848-1849 for the gold rush?
100,000
Forty-niners
the name given to the people who came to California in 1849 looking for gold
From where the the 49ers come?
about 1/2 from US, rest fro Mexico, South America, Europe, and Australia
Boomtowns
new communities created in California as people came for the gold rush
How did the size of San Francisco change from 1849 to 1853?
It went fro 321 to 50,000…about 2/3 were Americans
How did the population of California change from 1848 to 1852?
it increased by about 1000% (20,000 to 200,000)
How many 49ers became wealthy?
very few… most found little or no gold
What did most of the people who found gold do with their gold?
lost it through gambling or wild spending
Who got the richest from the gold rush?
merchants
How did merchants become so rich due to the gold rush?
no other stores to buy from…they could charge anything they wanted (1 dozen eggs then would have cost $10…about $211 today)
Who was Levi Strauss?
he invented blue jeans for the miners
What were blue jeans
durable pants with reinforced copper rivets
Who was elected president in 1848?
Zachary Taylor
What did Zachary Taylor want California to do?
become a state
When did California become a state?
1850
What did California’s constitution say about slavery?
it banned slavery
Why was the slavery issue a problem when California wanted to become a state?
The Southern states did not like the slavery ban and had to reach a compromise
Who proposed the Compromise of 1850?
Henry Clay
What did the Compromise of 1850 say about California becoming a state?
It said California could become a free state?
What did the Compromise of 1850 say about the border dispute between New Mexico and Texas?
The dispute was settled in favor of New Mexico
What did the Compromise of 1850 say about slavery in New Mexico?
there would be no restriction of slavery in New Mexico
What did the Compromise of 1850 say about slave trade in Washington DC?
it said the slave trade (but NOT slavery) would be abolished in DC
What did the Compromise of 1850 do about fugitive slaves?
a strong fugitive slave law was enacted
Who first settled Utah?
Mormons
Why did Mormons settle in Utah?
they settled there because of religious persecution
Who founded Mormonism?
Joseph Smith in New York in 1830
How did Joseph Smith die?
he was killed by an angry mob
Who was Joseph Smith’s replacement?
Brigham Young
What was Brigham Young best known for?
He was known for moving the Mormons to present-day Utah near Salt Lake City to escape religious persecution
What was the largest single migration in US history?
The Mormon migration to Utah…12,000 Mormons moved in 1846
