Manifest Destiny in 19th Century America

Manifest Destiny

• 19th-century Americans believed they were destined to expand across the continent from the Atlantic to Pacific.
• By 1820, the United States had more than doubled in area, becoming one of the largest nations in the world.

Western Expansion

• The desire for more land brought aspiring homesteaders to the western frontier, driven by the idea of Manifest Destiny.
• Fur traders and trappers developed the first trails to the west, including the Oregon Trail, California Trail, Mormon Trail, and Bozeman Trail.
• About 400,000 settlers, farmers, miners, ranchers, and business owners and their families used these trails before the first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869.

Slavery and the Republic of Texas

• Empresarios from the southern US spread slavery into Texas when it was part of Mexico.
• When Mexico refused to legalize slavery, the settlers seceded from Mexico, leading to the Battle of the Alamo and the Republic of Texas declaring independence in 1836.
• Texas was annexed and admitted to the Union as the 28th state in 1845.

Mexican-American War and Gold Rush

• The Mexican–American War began over border disputes, ending with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
• Gold was discovered in California in 1848, sparking the famous Gold Rush, which led to a rapid population increase.
• California joined the Union with the Compromise of 1850.

Sectionalism and Compromises

• Divisions grew between regions, primarily between the agricultural, slave-holding South and the industrial North.
• A series of compromises, including the Missouri Compromise in 1820, maintained a balance between regions.
• The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 increased national tensions over slavery, ultimately leading to the Civil War.