Unit 5: Topic 2 - Manifest Destiny Flashcards
What is Manifest Destiny?
Manifest Destiny is the idea that the United States was to possess the entire continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and that this right was given to them by God. John O’Sullivan was the first to coin this term describing westward expansion.
What were the reasons for Westward Expansion?
The main motives for westward expansion were to gain access to minerals and natural resources, new economic and homesteading opportunities, and religious refuge.
What was the California Gold Rush?
In 1848, the discovery of gold in California led to people migrating west in search of finding precious minerals to strike it rich. More discoveries of these minerals were later found in Colorado, Dakotas, and Nevada which led to even more migration west.
Who were the Mormons?
The Mormons were a religious group that originated from the Christian restorationist movement, and they fled the midwest states because they were persecuted for their beliefs, such as polygamy. They would continue migrating west to States such as Utah, seeking religious freedom.
What was the Oregon Trail?
The Oregon Trail was a 2,000 mile wagon trail from Missouri to Oregon, and was used by hundreds of thousands of Americans to migrate west in the mid 1850s. The possibility of free land in Oregon and for some, the desire to spread Christian beliefs to Native Americans, lured many to discover a better life.
Who was James Polk and how did he advocate for Western Expansion?
President James K. Polk was the 11th president of the United States (1845-1849) and was a huge believer in Manifest Destiny. Most importantly, he is known for adding Texas and Oregon to the United States.
What were the conflicts for expansion in Texas?
Since Americans had been settling into Texas since the 1820s, there were three times as many Americans than Mexicans by 1830, even though the territory still belonged to Mexico.
Most of those Americans were southern Protestant slave-owners, but the Mexican government outlawed slavery in their territory and said that immigrants must convert to Roman Catholicism in 1829. This resulted in Mexico shutting down the border when Americans wouldn’t conform, but Americans still kept coming. In 1834, when the Mexican government switched to a stricter dictatorship, it led to conflict.
Who was Henry David Thoreau?
Henry David Thoreau was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher known for being a leading transcendentalist. His most notable work, Civil Disobedience, encourages Americans to live their lives with individual power and meaning. He wrote Civil Disobedience after being jailed in protest of the Mexican-American War.
He believed that the west was the destiny of not only America but of humanity. His book Walden is also influential and encouraged Americans to find the meaning of life and to discover man’s role in the world.
Who was Sam Houston?
Instead of submitting to Mexican authority, Sam Houston led the revolt against Mexico and declared Texas to be an independent republic in 1836.
During the Battle of Alamo, Mexico had a huge victory against the Texians. In retaliation, Houston fought the Mexicans in the Battle of San Jacinto, capturing the Mexican general and forcing him to sign a treaty granting Texas independence.
The Mexican government’s response was that generals can’t sign official treaties, but Texas was left alone afterwards until the Mexican American War when President James K Polk recognized and annexed Texas in 1845.
What was the Oregon Treaty?
The treaty set the boundary between the U.S. and Canada at the 49th parallel and was signed with Great Britain during President James K. Polk’s presidency.
It settled disputed area between the British and Americans and ended joint occupancy of the Pacific Northwest, expanding US territory and influence.
What was the Pacific Railway Act?
With the rapid settlement in western territories, Congress decided that an efficient railroad transport to the Pacific coast would be beneficial and passed the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 during the Civil War to promote easier western transportation for the North.
What was the Homestead Act?
Following the Preemption Acts of the 1830s and 1840s which made vast areas of land cheap for anyone to purchase, the Homestead Act was passed in 1862 during the Civil War which stated that anyone who never borne arms against the U.S. government could claim 160 acres of government land, as long as they agreed to live on and improve that land for five years. This led to more landowners and westward expansion.
How did the U.S. improve its ties with Asia?
The U.S. developed a larger global trading economy with Asia with the development of technology and industry. In addition, during the California Gold Rush, many Chinese immigrants came to California in search of greater economic opportunities, and worked on searching for gold and building railroads.
How did America use Gunboat Diplomacy in Asia?
The United States opened Japan to western trade when Commodore Matthew Perry sailed to Japan flexing American warships, and the use of this gunboat diplomacy forced Japan to agree to trade with the U.S. in the Treaty of Kanagawa.
