American History: Lewis and Clark Expedition

Lewis & Clark Expedition

• Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led a sponsored expedition in 1804.
• The expedition aimed to find the Northwest Passage and document the West.
• Lewis, 28, was a private secretary commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson.
• Clark, 32, was Lewis' friend and co-leader.
• The expedition included sailors, gunsmiths, carpenters, scouts, and a cook.
• They traveled from St. Louis up the Mississippi River.
• The expedition lasted 18 months from 1804 to 1806, covering 4,000 miles to the Pacific Ocean.
• They encountered Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman, who aided them.
• Sacagawea assisted with negotiations for horses, plant identification, and other necessities.
• Sacagawea's French husband was an interpreter on the expedition.
• Collected data on people, plants, animals, and geography of the West.

Manifest Destiny

• A rhetorical concept, introduced by John O’Sullivan in 1845.
• Encapsulated the belief that the United States was destined to expand westward to the Pacific.
• It was a political doctrine emphasizing American exceptionalism and expansion.
• Justified expansion, cultural influence, and perceived superiority.

Louisiana Purchase

• A 1803 land deal increasing US territory.
• The land deal was made from France by $15 million.
• French leader Napoleon Bonaparte sold the land.
• Napoleon sold the land due to loss of Saint-Domingue and being unable to fund war with Britain.
• U.S. representatives Robert Livingston and James Monroe negotiated the deal.
• Jefferson deemed the purchase constitutional.
• Expanded USA’s size. Increased economic growth via Mississippi River trade route.

Homestead Act

• Passed in 1862, encouraging settlement on the Great Plains.
• Family heads received 160 acres of land in exchange for a small fee and residency for 5 years.
• Encouraged settlers from the East.
• Allowed widows and single women to claim land, with a notable number of women settling in Colorado and Wyoming.
• African Americans also took advantage of free land opportunities, escaping the difficulties of Reconstruction-era segregation and violence.

Land Act of 1800

• Passed to promote Westward settlement, and made land more accessible in the Northwest Territory.
• Allowed for installment payments of land.
• Required a minimum 320 acres at $2 per acre. Buyers paid half upon purchase ans the rest over 4 years.

Seneca Falls Convention

• The first women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848.
• Organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott.
• Debate over the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions. This document demanded basic rights.
• Resolutions called for an end to discriminatory laws impacting women.
• Demanded women's access in trades, professions, and businesses.
• Advocated for woman suffrage (the right to vote).
• Modeled after the Declaration of Independence.

President Polk's Goals & Achievements (Mexico)

• Polk aimed to obtain California and New Mexico from Mexico.
• Wanted the Rio Grande to be the border between the U.S and Mexico, but Mexico refused the deal.
• Polk sent John Slidell to negotiate, but the deal was rejected.
• Polk instigated war by sending troops to the Rio Grande, which caused Mexico to attack.
• Goal was to defeat Mexican forces in Texas. This was achieved by capturing towns on the Texas-Mexican border under Zachary Taylor.
• Seizing New Mexico and California. General Stephen Kearny was successful in capturing New Mexico and later California.
• Advance into Mexico and capture Mexico City. General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City concluding the war.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

• Signed in 1848, ending the Mexican-American War.
• The U.S. paid Mexico for the territory and debts.
• Mexico ceded 500,000 sq miles of territory to the USA (California, Nevada, etc).

Rio Grande River (Importance)

• Served as a contested border between U.S. and Mexico.
• The U.S. claimed the Rio Grande as the border.
• Established in the border after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
• A significant area for military conflict.

Ranchos & Native Americans

• Ranchos (large cattle and sheep ranches) were established in California after Mexico gained independence.
• Native Americans were forced to work on the ranchos.

Spanish Influence on Mexico

• Spain influenced Mexican culture, especially in California.
• This involved missions, farming methods, and ranching.
• Explorers and missionaries established missions across the region.

Texas & the Battle of San Jacinto

• Texans declared independence from Mexico in 1836.
• Sam Houston led Texan forces at the Battle of San Jacinto.
• Texans ambushed Santa Anna’s forces killing and capturing many.
• Santa Anna signed a treaty recognizing Texan independence.

Santa Anna

• Became Mexican President in 1833.
• Led Mexican forces in conflicts against Texan resistance.
• He was captured at the Battle of San Jacinto.

The Alamo

• A mission building in present-day San Antonio.
• Site of a pivotal battle between Texan and Mexican forces.
• Texan forces were vastly outnumbered, and ultimately defeated.
• The battle inspired Texans to fight for independence.

Florida (Details)

• Florida transferred from Spain to the U.S. in 1821.
• Florida gradually became a territory with governmental structures.
• Population grew as news of fertile land spread.
• Planters from the Southeast moved there for new land and plantations.
• Achieved statehood in 1845 as a slave state.

Pensacola

• An early European settlement and a significant location in Florida.
• Strategic place in the War of 1812.

William Henry Harrison

• Whig presidential candidate in 1836 and 1840.
• War hero from the War of 1812.
• Campaign slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too."
• Short presidency due to illness after taking office.

The Whigs

• A new political party that emerged in 1836.
• Opposed Andrew Jackson and his policies.
• Nominated multiple candidates in 1836, but failed.
• Won the presidency in 1840 but faced a short term due to Harrison's death.
• Internal divisions over slavery led to their decline.

Van Buren & Laissez-faire

• Andrew Jackson's successor as president (1837-1841).
• Believed in laissez-faire economics, which limited government intervention.
• Faced a financial crisis during his presidency, but implemented some measures for stability.
• Lost the 1840 election due to unpopularity.

Andrew Jackson

• The 7th president of the United States.
• War hero from the War of 1812.
• Won the presidency in 1828.
• Created the Democratic Party.
• Refused a charter for the Second Bank of the United States.
• Supported removal of Native Americans to the west.

Second Bank of the United States

• A privately owned federal bank; existed from 1816 to 1836.
• Controlled national money supply, leading to political controversies.
• Jackson vetoed its recharter, causing a financial crisis.

Nicholas Biddle

• President of the Second Bank of the United States.
• Opposed by Andrew Jackson.

Dade Massacre

• A significant loss for the U.S. Army during the Seminole Wars.
• Occurred in 1835.

Five Civilized Tribes

• Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Chickasaw, and Choctaw.
• Called "civilized" for coexisting with Americans, but were forcibly removed.
• Subject of the Indian Removal Act.

The Seminole

• Native American group in Florida that resisted removal.
• Successfully resisted removal for a long time.

Worcester v. Georgia

• Supreme Court case in 1832 that ruled against state interference with Native American lands.
• President Jackson ignored the ruling.

Indian Removal Act

• Passed in 1830, authorizing the removal of Native Americans.
• Led to the Trail of Tears and other removals.

Voting Rights (1824)

• Only white men who owned property could vote.

Favorite Son

• Candidates in the 1824 election who represented specific regional interests.

Mudslinging

• Political tactic used in the 1828 election to damage the reputation of opponents.

Nominating Convention vs. Caucus

• Nominating conventions replaced the caucus system.
• Allowed for greater participation in candidate selection.

Trail of Tears

• The forced removal of the Cherokee tribe in the 1830s.
• A deadly journey to the West.