Chapter 17 Flashcards
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Ended the war with Mexico. Mexico agreed to cede territory reaching northwest from Texas to Oregon in exchange for $18.25 million in cash and assumed debts.
Spot Resolution
Measures introduced by Illinois congressman Abraham Lincoln, questioning President James K. Polk’s justification for war with Mexico. Lincoln requested that Polk clarify precisely where Mexican forces had attacked American troops.
Wilmot Proviso
Amendment that sought to prohibit slavery from territories acquired from Mexico. Introduced by Pennsylvania congressman David Wilmot, the failed amendment ratcheted up tensions between North and South over the issue of slavery.
Election of 1840
Election of 1840 In this election, Van Buren (D) ran against William Henry Harrison (W). William appealed to the Wave of Democracy by presenting himself as a common man, and he was elected. However, he soon died of pneumonia and John Tyler became president instead.
William Henry Harrison
Governor of Indiana Territory 1800-12. Defeated Chief Tecumseh at Battle of Tippicanoe 1811. Brigadier general in War of 1812 defeated British and Indians in Battle of Thames 1813. House Representatives 1816-19. U.S. Senate 1825-28 from Ohio. Whig Presidential candidate 1936 lost. First Whig President 1840. gave longest inaurguration speech ever in the rain died of pneumonia a month later. Ninth President of the United States, and the first President to die in office. His death created a brief constitutional crisis, but ultimately resolved many questions about presidential succession left unanswered by the Constitution until passage of the 25th Amendment.
Daniel Webster
Leading American statesman during the Antebellum Period; leader of the Whig Party, opposed Jackson and the Democratic Party; spokesman for modernization, banking, and industry; served in the House of Representatives, Senate, and Secretary of State for 3 presidents; successful lawyer; member of the Great Triumvirate with Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun.
Henry Clay
American statesman who represented Kentucky in the Senate and the House of Representatives where he served as Speaker; served as Secretary of State from 1825-1829; leading war hawk and played a significant role in leading the nation in the War of 1812; invented the American System; opposed the annexation of Texas, Mexican American War, and Manifest Destiny; nicknamed The Great Compromiser; member of the Great Triumvirate along with Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun.
John Tyler
U.S. House of Representative, Governor of VA, U.S. Senator from VA as a Democrat. VP under Harrison who dies serving 1 month and becomes Tenth President of U.S. 1841-1845. Sometimes referred as his “Accidency” 1st President to succeed the death of a President. Webster-Ashburton Treaty 1842. Annexation of Texas 1845. Blocked Whigs’ domestic programs with veto and will not be renominated for President in 1844.
Panic of 1837
A U.S. financial crisis in which banks closed and the credit system collapsed, resulting in many bankruptcies and high unemployment.a series of financial failures that triggered a five-year depression in the United States.
Maine Boundary Dispute
Aroostook War It was over the Maine boundary dispute. The British wanted to build a road from Halifax to Quebec. It ran through land already claimed by Maine. Fights started on both sides and they both got their local militia. It could have been a war, but it never proceeded that far.
Lord Ashburton
the man sent by Britain in 1842 to mediate the “Aroostook War.”
Texas
unknown
Oregon Country
the area in the early 1800s that extended from the southern tip of present-day Alaska to the northern edge of California.
Election of 1844
o Issues were Texas and Expansion of America. • Oregon was the expansion part. • Annex Texas or what? • Democrats chose the dark horse candidate James K. Polk o No one really knew about him. o For expansion • Whigs chose Henry Clay o Against expansion o Northern Whigs and Southern Whigs • Northern Whigs changed themselves to the Liberty Party o Candidate for them was James Birney • Takes a lot of votes from Clay Loses the Presidency
James Polk
Wins election of 1844 A slave owning southerner dedicated to Democratic party. U.S. House of Representative from TN 1825-39 acting as the Speaker from 1835-39. Became Gov. of TN 1939-1841. In 1844, he was a “dark horse” candidate for president, and he won the election. A nationalist that campaigned on Manifest Destiny: Annex Texas, Occupy Oregon 54’ 40” or fight. Most territory added than any other President accept Jefferson. Oregon Treaty, reestablished an independent Treasury System, Walker Tariff, Mexican War, treaty of Guadalupe 1848. Official U.S. territory of Oregon 1848.He was a friend and follower of Andrew Jackson. He opposed Clay’s American System, instead advocating lower tariff, separation the treasury and the federal government from the banking system.
Manifest Destiny
The belief that Americans had the right and the duty to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean
49th parallel
Northern boundary of Oregon territory jointly occupied with Britain, advocated by Democratic party and others as the desired line of American expansion
John Slidell
A diplomat sent by Polk to buy California, New Mexico, and Texas from the Mexicans. Mexico rejected his offer and Polk sent Taylor’s army into Mexico
Santa Anna
Mexican general who tried to crush the Texas revolt and who lost battles to Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War (1795-1876)
Stephen W. Kearney
This Colonel, under the direction of Polk, led a small army that captured Santa Fe with no opposition. He then proceeded to California where he joined a conflict already in progress that was being staged jointly by American settlers
John C. Fremont
an American military officer, explorer, the first candidate of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States, and the first presidential candidate of a major party to run on a platform in opposition to slavery.
California Bear Republic
California Bear Flag Republic (1846) Short-lived California republic, established by local American settlers who revolted against Mexico. Once news of the war with Mexico reached the Americans, they abandoned the Republic in favor of joining the United States
Mexican War
Mexican-American War War between Mexico and the United States that started as the result of the annexation of Texas, a boundary dispute and the U.S’s desire to obtain Mexico’s northern territories.
Zachary Taylor
United States general during the Mexican-American war and future president of the United States.
Winfield Scott
United States army general. Unsuccessful presidential candidate for Whigs in 1852. “Old Fuss and Feathers” national hero after Mexican American war. Served as military governor of Mexico City. Lost to democrat Franklin Pierce.
Nicholas Trist
Chief clerk of the State Department, 1848; arranged armistice with Santa Anna; signed Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo; secured Texas and other land as American territories.
President Tyler cleverly secured the annexation of Texas by joint resolution of Congress rather than a treaty that
required a two thirds vote. True or False
True
Because of his strong commitment to Manifest Destiny in his successful presidential campaign of 1844, President Polk refused to compromise on the goal of acquiring all of Oregon territory for the United States. True or False
False
Other Latin American countries were glad to see the United States defeat Mexico and overthrow the aggressive dictator Santa Anna. True or False
False
Despite their disagreement on a federal bank, the Whig Party generally rallied to the support of President Tyler. True or False
False
The early American claims to Oregon rested largely on the Lewis and Clark expedition and a handful of
missionaries to the area. True or False
True
- All of the following caused tension between the United States and Britain EXCEPT
a. settlers swarming into the stilldisputed
Oregon Country.
b. British authors were granted rich royalties by American copyright law.
c. British travelers wrote acidly of American tobacco spitting, slave auctioneering, lynching, eye gouging, and other unsavory
features of the rustic Republic.
d. Britain’s abolition of slavery in its empire in 1834.
b. British authors were granted rich royalties by American copyright law.
The first underdog “darkhorse”
presidential candidate to succeed in winning the White House was
James K. Polk.
All of the following were true of Whigs’ gripes with John Tyler EXCEPT
a. Tyler’s hostility to a centralized bank was notorious.
b. he was impeached by the House of Representatives.
c. his entire cabinet resigned in a body, except Secretary of State Webster.
d. they condemned Tyler as “His Accidency” and as an “Executive Ass.”
b. he was impeached by the House of Representatives.
All of the following were true of the abortive Canadian Revolution of 1837 EXCEPT
a. it was supported by such a small minority of Canadians that it never had a real chance of success.
b. a Canadian steamer, the Caroline, carried supplies to the insurgents across the swift Niagara.
c. Washington’s regime tried arduously to uphold its weak neutrality regulations.
d. hundreds of hotblooded
Americans furnished military supplies or volunteered for armed service.
b. a Canadian steamer, the Caroline, carried supplies to the insurgents across the swift Niagara.
- The most immediate result of James Polk’s successful Manifest Destiny campaign was
the annexation of Texas to the United States.
The Manifest Destiny slogan “Fiftyfour
Forty or Fight” referred to
American demands for acquiring all of the Oregon territory from Britain.
The key underlying issue that precipitated the Mexican War was
President Polk’s determination to acquire California for the United States.
Besides antislavery forces, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was threatened in the United States Senate by
expansionist southerners who wanted the United States to annex all of Mexico.
All of the following were true of the Wilmot Proviso EXCEPT it
a. never became federal law.
b. supported the notion of extension of slavery to any new territories acquired from Mexico.
c. came to symbolize the burning issue of slavery in the territories.
d. was eventually endorsed by the legislatures of all but one of the free state.
b. supported the notion of extension of slavery to any new territories acquired from Mexico.
The antiMexican
War Congressman who demanded to know the exact spot where American blood had been shed
by Mexican forces was
Abraham Lincoln.
Perhaps the most negative international consequence of the Mexican War for the United States was the
increased hostility and antiAmericanism
throughout Latin America.
In the early nineteenth century, the British generally viewed Americans as
crude and halfcivilized
cheaters and violators of international law.
The Mexicans were forced to surrender to the United States when
the American army, under Winfield Scott, captured Mexico City.
The antislavery forces in Congress who opposed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the annexation of northern
Mexico were called
conscience Whigs.
The Mexican War demonstrated the usefulness and wisdom of establishing a
training academy for professional military officers at West Point.
Polk’s objectives in fighting the Mexican War included
obtaining California.
The boundary of the Oregon Country was ultimately settled on which parallel?
Forty nine
Henry Clay probably lost the presidency because
he attempted to straddle both sides of the issue of annexing Texas.
The Election of 1844 represented
not a mandate but a muddle.
All of the following were true of the Walker Tariff of 1846 EXCEPT it
a. reduced the average rates of the Tariff of 1842 from about 32 percent to 25 percent.
b. had the strong support of lowtariff
southerners.
c. resulted in loud complaints from the Clayites, especially in New England and the middle states.
d. proved to be a poor revenue producer.
d. proved to be a poor revenue producer.
