Manifest Destiny Overview

Manifest Destiny

• By the 1830s, America grew quickly through purchases and treaties.
• Treaty of Paris (1783): Territory to the Mississippi River.
• Louisiana Purchase (1803): From Mississippi River to Rocky Mountains.
• Convention of 1818: Disputed land along the Canadian border.
• Adams-Onis Treaty (1819): Florida and border territories with Spanish Mexico.

Manifest Destiny Definition

• Belief that it was America's destiny to spread its power and civilization across the entire North American continent.
• This idea gained popularity in the 1840s, around the acquisitions of Texas, Oregon, and California.

Events in Texas

• In 1823, Mexico invited Americans to settle in their northern province.
• Led by Stephen Austin, over 300 families settled, leading to increased American migration.
• Tensions grew between American settlers and the Mexican government over issues like abolishing slavery and requiring immigrants to convert to Catholicism.
• Mexico responded by closing Texas to further immigration.
• Texans (led by Sam Houston) revolted in 1836 and declared the Republic of Texas.
• Sam Houston was elected president of the republic and sought US annexation.
• The US annexation of Texas was delayed due to sectional issues, with Northerners opposing expanding slave territory.

Oregon

• Polk (Democrat) campaigned on support for Manifest Destiny and acquiring Oregon and California.
• Polk's campaign slogan: "Fifty-four forty or fight."
• Polk compromised on Oregon to achieve the presidency.

Mexican-American War (1846-1848)

• Issues:
  • Annexation of Texas creating problems between US and Mexico.
  • Disagreement over the southern border of Texas (Rio Grande vs. Nueces River).
  • Polk's attempt to buy California and New Mexico from Mexico.
• Polk sent troops to the Rio Grande, resulting in a Mexican attack and a war declaration by the US.
• Key Events:
  • U.S. victories in California and New Mexico.
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848): -Mexico ceded California and New Mexico to the U.S.
  • Established the Rio Grande as the border between Mexico and Texas.

Antebellum South

• Economic Power shift from Upper South to Lower South.
• "Cotton is King": Cotton production dominated the Southern economy, providing significant exports.
• Slow industrial development, rudimentary financial systems, and inadequate transportation.
• Plantations were the largest landowners.
• Yeoman farmers: Independent farmers who primarily owned smaller farms and didn't own slaves.
• The South was overwhelmingly agrarian.

The Abolitionist Movement

• Quakers were early advocates for abolishing slavery.
• William Lloyd Garrison, a publisher, began a radical antislavery newspaper.
• Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave, advocated for abolition.
• Harriet Tubman, a key figure in the Underground Railroad.

Political Tensions (1798–1850)

• States' Rights vs. Strong National Government: The debate over power distribution between federal and state governments
• Alien & Sedition Acts: These acts provoked controversy over the federal government's power. Debate regarding the states' rights to nullify federal laws viewed as unconstitutional.
• Tariff Crisis: Disputes over tariffs (import taxes) pitted the North, which wanted higher tariffs due to manufacturing interests, against the South, which favored low tariffs.
• Compromise of 1850 : Attempts to settle disputes over slavery in newly acquired territories by maintaining the balance between free and slave states.
• Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): The act allowed popular sovereignty in each territory determining the issue of slavery. This led to violent conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers.
• Bleeding Kansas : A period of violence and conflicts over slavery in Kansas
• Dred Scott Decision (1857): The Supreme Court ruled that slaves were not citizens and Congress couldn't prohibit slavery.
• Lincoln's Election (1860): The election of Abraham Lincoln, an opponent of expanding slavery, triggered the secession of several Southern states.

Secession

• Several Southern states seceded from the Union due to concerns over slavery and fearing that Lincoln's presidency would threaten their way of life.

Explore the key events and treaties that shaped America's belief in Manifest Destiny from the 1830s onwards. This quiz covers significant territorial acquisitions and the tensions between American settlers and the Mexican government. Test your knowledge about the origins and implications of this pivotal concept in American history.