Unit 5 PAPUSH Notes- Jacksonian Reform PDF

Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ The First Industrial Revolution ○​ Takes place late 18th early 19th centuries ○​ Called The Market Revolution ○​ Is going to accelerate the transformation of the U.S. economy into a global powerhouse...

Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ The First Industrial Revolution ○​ Takes place late 18th early 19th centuries ○​ Called The Market Revolution ○​ Is going to accelerate the transformation of the U.S. economy into a global powerhouse ○​ Farmers are going to engage in commercial farming rather than subsistence agriculture ​ Means they will not use farming just for themselves and instead will use it to sell for money ○​ Farming was still a very precarious vocation ​ Means it was unsteady and unassured ​ What makes it precarious? ​ Weather ​ Tools ​ Insects ​ Groundhogs ○​ But the standard of living did improve for farmers ​ King Cotton begins in 1792 ​ Developed by Eli Whitney and is part of the reason why slavery dies ​ Separates the seeds from the cotton and can do it much faster than a slave could 50x ​ Eli Whitney then creates interchangeable parts to make it more resourceful and financially easier ○​ The South is going to supply the North with raw materials and markets ​ Since the North is primarily doing manufacturing and needs the materials and places to sell ​ Therefore, cotton becomes crucial element for the economy, for both the North and the South ○​ In 1807, Jethro Wood creates the Cast-Iron Plow ​ In 1837, John Deere improves it and creates the Steel Plow, since steel is tougher than iron ○​ In 1831, Cyrus Hall Mccomrick creates the Grim Reaper ​ Instead of using a scythe to cut down wheat, you can now use this machine for efficiency and speed ○​ 1820- The River Steamboat and the Canal Barge ​ Made it easier and cheaper to transport goods than wagons on the national road ​ The first successful commercial steamboat company was run by Robert and ​ New Orleans at this time is the most important port that leads all the others  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ In 1817, the Erie Canal drew east trade that had once went down to the Gulf of Mexico to New Orleans ​ Draws together the West and the East and further isolates the South ​ Was the longest Canal in the world at the time ​ In 1845, the first clipper ship is launched ​ Built for speed ​ Carried tea from China so it could be fresher ○​ Railroads ​ Railroads are new, and very risky if traveled ​ They see how this could be a versatile form of transportation, and wont take on until after the Civil War ○​ 1829- The Pony Express ​ Will make the horses run very fast ​ Cannot make the horses run 150 miles, so you mount different horses in relay stations ​ Advances transportation ○​ In 1830, Joe Henry creates the electric motor ​ Samuel Morse then uses it to invent the telegraph (Morse code) ​ The telegraph is slow to catch on, but by the 1850s telegraph companies start opening and operating ○​ 1844, Charles Goodyear patents a process for vulcanizing rubber ​ Makes rubber stronger and more elastic ​ Is eventually used for tires ○​ 1846- Elias Howe invents the first sewing machine ​ Is soon approved upon by Isaac Merit Singer ○​ Technology will alter the economic landscape with the rise of the factory system ​ The factory system is going to replace the putting out system ​ In 1705, the British invent the steam engine ​ The steam engine will be improved upon in 1765 by James Watt ​ In 1789, Samuel Slater arrives in the United States (got out of Great Britain) and had a plan in his head to create a water powered spinning machine ​ U.S manufacturing isn’t a huge thing and textile mills are slow to develop until the 1807 Embargo Act ​ Factory systems have to be by water, and New England has a lot of rivers ​ So by 1815, textile mills number in the hundreds ​ The Lowell System ​ Created by Francis Cabot Lowell in Massachusetts, 1813 ​ This is the first time you have everything under one roof, from the production of raw materials, to the finished cloth ​ Is basically an Industrial Village, and they recruit young single women to work in these factories  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ○​ Are required to go to church on Sundays ○​ They worked in the factories 13 hours per day, 6 days a week ○​ Can be called the family system, the Rhode Island system, or the river system ​ People moved there and worked 6 days a week as well ​ In 1830s, prices and wages dropped quite significantly for the people who worked in these factory systems ○​ In 1834, women were unhappy with the wage drops, so they unsuccessfully turned out against the mill (they struck against), but were forced to go back ​ In 1791, the first time in the NY stock exchange, factory systems will be seen ​ All of this will spur the growth of cities ​ New York becomes the most important city ​ Philadelphia is number 2 ​ Baltimore is number 3 ​ Boston is number 4 ​ New Orleans is number 5 ​ There is more recreation as well, and people have more leisure time ​ They went to see bare-knuckle prize fighting ​ They go to theaters ​ Operas ​ Plays ​ Aporas ​ Pageants ​ The Blackface Minstrel Shows ○​ Created by Stephen Foster ○​ Is a unique form of American created entertainment ○​ Immigration ​ Immigration was encouraged by the Industrial Revolution because they needed labor workers and there was a lot of cheap land in the U.S. ​ From the Revolution to the War of 1812, immigration had slowed to a trickle because of the wars ​ After 1815, it will rise steadily ​ Some groups that come over ​ The Irish (1845)- The Potato Famine ○​ Most of the Irish people that came over were single ○​ We do not like the Irish, and there will be a lot of signs in business saying Irish cannot apply ○​ One of the major reasons we hate the Irish is because they were catholic and that they have alcohol problems  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ○​ Irish and African Americans were basically equal within the tiers of society ○​ The Irish make a powerful voting block ​ In the 1828 election, Jackson won the election and had a little bit of Irish in him ​ The Chinese (1850s) ○​ Used for building railroads because if they died there was no big deal ○​ We also hated them ○​ They come to California because it attracts them ○​ Will be called coolies by the Americans ​ Natives ○​ Nativism will sweep the land ○​ The Nativists are particularly suspicious of the Irish and German catholics that are coming over ○​ They see them as a threat to their religious and political liberties ○​ In 1837, they form the Native American association ○​ In 1849, they form a group known as the order of the star spangled banner and become known as the Know-Nothings ​ Group formed in NYC ​ Their group becomes a formidable third party ​ The party can be called the American Party ○​ They are called the Know-Nothings because when they were asked about their group, they would say “I know nothing,” hence the name ○​ They pledged to never vote for a foreign born or catholic candidate ○​ The Know-Nothings group will subside in the 1850s when slavery becomes an issue ○​ Early Labor Unions ​ Labor Unions were prosecuted as an unlawful conspiracy ​ The courts would break up any type of Unions until a Massachusetts Supreme Court Case in 1842 ​ The Case of Commonwealth vs Hunt in 1842 ​ In 1834, they form the national trades union known as the National Trades Union ​ Molly Maguires ​ Irish and are used to go down to the gold mines since it was very dangerous ​ In the 1860s and 1870s, these are the coal miners formed in Pennsylvania and are a secret union ​ They are quite violent and would cause assaults  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ Andrew Jackson ○​ 1828 ​ There are 24 states and 13 million people in the U.S. ​ The U.S. population is growing at a phenomenal rate, in fact the population is doubling every 23 years ​ There is a surge in foreign demand for cotton and other goods ​ The British investments in U.S. will help fuel the economic and transportation boom ​ Jackson is the first President to not come from a prominent family ​ At 15, he was orphaned and was a self-made soldier, politician, and land speculator ​ His nickname is Old Hickory, which meant that a man had a right to be young and tough ​ He is going to be in a duel with the best shot in tennessee (before he is president) ​ He lets the other guy fire first, and Jackson will receive a bullet next to his heart for the rest of his life ​ Jackson ends up killing his foe ○​ Power and Privilege ​ Power and Privilege remained in the hands of the elite in the U.S., despite the fact that everyone was supposed to be equal ○​ Jackson believes in the Spoils System, which remains a very big part of the United States for decades ​ The Spoils System comes from William L. Marcy ​ Back when the U.S. first begins, it was based off of the Spoils System which meant that people got jobs on whichever party won (that they sided with) as a gift ○​ Jackson wanted everyone to have an equal chance to compete within the U.S. political arena ○​ By the time that everyone is voting for Jackson in the 1830s, all white males could vote ○​ Jackson also believed that you should serve a term in government and then return to become a citizen, because if you stayed too long you’d grow corrupt ​ Jackson did not take his advice, and did not serve 1 term ○​ His administration will be divided between his secretary of state (Martin Van Buren) and his vice president (John C. Calhoun) ​ Part of the reason for this divide is what is known as the eaton or petticoat affair which helped Van Buren become closer to Jackson ○​ It all started with Margaret ​ She was married prior to marrying John Eaton, and she had an affair while she was married to her first husband ​ Rumored her first husband hung himself ​ Sounds a lot like Rachel ​ In this era, divorce would not happen, so it was a very bad look  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ Floride Calhoun (John C Calhoun’s wife) and all the other cabinet members snub Margaret Eaton because she had an affair and they don’t invite her to things ​ Jackson is going to be angry at this because it reminded him of Rachel and by the time he hit the presidency, she died of a stroke ​ Jackson gets closer to Van Buren during the petticoat affair because they both were widowers ​ Van Buren was also nice to Margaret Eaton ○​ 1830 Maysville Road ​ The bill passes congress and goes to Congress ​ But Jackson vetoed it because the entire road was inside of one state (Kentucky) ​ The United States was not fond of giving money to internal improvements ​ Jackson did support the national road, and supported road building and territories, as well as river and cargo drills ○​ Nullification ​ John C Calhoun was from South Carolina ​ He blamed the South Carolina agricultural depression on the Tariff of Abominations (1828 Tariff) ​ The reason for this was because there was a rise in prices of manufactured goods after this tariff ​ This reduced the British and the French ability to buy Southern cotton, and therefore it hurt the South by raising prices on imported goods ​ Compounding Calhoun’s anger, was Northern criticism of slavery, especially after the 1822 Denmark Vessey revolt (was a slave who starts a rebellion) ​ In response to the passage of the Tariff of Abominations, John C Calhoun wrote the South Carolina Exposition in protest in which he believed that the states had the power of nullification ​ In other words, state can nullify federal law ​ There is a constitutional issue with states nullifying federal law because of the Supremacy Clause ○​ 1830 Webster-Hayne Debate ​ The Webster-Hayne Debate is going to sharpen the line between states rights and those who believe in the union ​ Going to take place b/c Senator Foot of Connecticut proposes what's known as the Foot Resolution ​ The Foot Resolution stated that the federal government should restrict land sells in the west ​ The reason why the north wanted this done was b/c they wanted to keep their supply of cheap factory labor going  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ Robert Hayne of South Carolina (the senator) saw this as a chance to strengthen his alliance with the west and the southern ​ The South will support cheap western land and the West will support a low tariff ​ Hayne is going to defend the South Carolina Exposition and rebuts saying the North didn’t like what was happening and threatened secession in the Hartford Convention ​ He argues that the federal government is an agent of the states, therefore could not be a judge of its own powers ​ Then Webster, the Massachusetts senator is going to defend the North ​ He says the United States is a united nation and true sovereignty resides in the people ​ Hayne actually made the better argument in the debate, but the eloquence which Webster had won the debate as he was an excellent speaker ​ But despite all of that, the Foot Resolution was defeated ○​ April 13, 1830 ​ Jackson announces his belief in perpetual union which is going to be powered by a future president as well ​ Jackson proclaims his opposition to nullification ​ But things are going to get worse in the Jackson cabinet when he sees a letter John C Calhoun wrote when he was secretary of war to Monroe ​ They were unhappy with Jackson when took over Spanish Florida so he proposed discipling him ​ By the summer of 1831, Jackson removed all of Calhoun’s supporters from his cabinet ​ This however, will dash any of Calhoun’s hopes for the presidency ​ Calhoun is then going to lead the South Carolina’s nullificationists ​ Jackson then cuts some tariffs ​ The Tariff of 1832 will cut rates again, but tariffs on cloth and iron will remain ​ South Carolina fears the federal government will use the tariff to get rid of slavery ​ South Carolina holds a state convention in which they adopt an ordinance of nullification ○​ They say they will repudiate the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 ​ The legislature then chose Senator Hayne as governor, so Hayne needs to step down ○​ Calhoun is now going to replace Hayne as the senator, therefore he is going to have to resign as vice president ​ In 1832, Jackson announces his intention to enforce the tariff, but he encourages Congress to lower it ​ In December of 1832, Jackson issues the nullification proclamation, which characterizes nullification as an “impractical absurdity”  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ Jackson is then going to send federal soldiers and ships to South Carolina ​ The nullificationists are going to organize a militia ​ There is also unionists in South Carolina in which they also organize a militia ​ In 1833, Jackson requests and gets the Force bill pass, which authorizes him to use the army to compel compliance with federal law ​ He is willing to go to war with South Carolina ​ But at the same time as he is requesting the bill, there is another bill in Congress to lower the tariff ​ The passage of this new bill depends on the great compromiser, Henry Clay ​ On March 1, 1833, Congress will pass this new tariff bill which will reduce the tariff gradually until 1842 ​ They also pass the Force bill and Jackson signs them both ​ South Carolina will resin its nullification of the tariff, but they will nullify the Force bill ○​ Native Americans ​ Jackson’s attitude about Native Americans is that they are barbarians and kill them all, or at the very least move them to the deserts in which Americans will never live ​ In 1830, Congress approved the Indian Removal Act, in which the US was going to give American Indians land west of the Mississippi in areas that were very crappy for their lands east in the south ​ By 1835, this move was mostly complete with about 46000 Native Americans being removed with remarkably little resistance ​ In the South though, the Siminals and the Cherokees put up the most resistance ​ By 1842, the Seminals are gone, which only leaves the Cherokees ○​ The Cherokees were on land that were guaranteed to them in a 1791 treaty ​ Back in 1827, the Cherokees had adopted their own Constitution ​ But in 1828, Georgia declared their law would extend to the Cherokees ○​ This was not constitutional ​ In 1829, gold was discovered in their lands which makes whites want it even more ​ Cherokee Nation v Georgia (1831) ​ The supreme court said they did not have jurisdiction to decide this case because the Cherokee nation was their own independent nation ​ But, Marshall does add that the Cherokees had an unquestionable right to the land  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ In 1830, Georgia then required any whites to going in to the Cherokee nation had to get a license in order to go in to the nation ​ 2 missionaries refused to get this license and they are sentenced to 4 years of hard labor ​ Worcester v. Georgia (1832) ​ Marshall will say that the Georgia had no force and that the Cherokee nation is their own community ​ In response to this case, Jackson disagrees and says “John Marshall has made his decision: now let him enforce it!” ​ In 1835, there is nothing left for the Cherokees to do but move ​ They move west and go to what will later be Oklahoma ​ They get 5 million dollars from the government ​ In 1838, 17000 are going to move and this will be called the Trail of Tears ​ It is an 800 mile journey marked by cruelty ​ 8000 survived, 9000 died along the journey ​ 1832- Black Hawk War ​ Takes place in Illinois and Wisconsin territory ​ Lincoln is involved in this war as does Jefferson Davis (the President of Confederacy) ​ The Native Americans were looking for a place to grow crops so they don’t starve ○​ The Illinois militia is going to slaughter children, women, and basically them all ​ This results in the Black Hawk War ○​ Bank Controversy ​ Jackson did not like the National Bank, so he is convinced the bank is unconstitutional, no matter what the supreme court said in the Mccullock decision ​ The Bank prosperous under Biddle ​ Created a stable & uniform currency ​ Deterred excessive lending ​ Required state banks to keep enough specie in vaults to back paper money ​ Monitor & regulate state banks ​ Controlled the pace of growth ​ Became the most powerful US lending institution ​ But there were a combination of private and public issues that caused problems for the bank ​ Enemies of the National Bank ​ State & local banks had been forced to reduce volume of paper money ​ Debtors who suffered from reduction of paper money ​ Businessmen & speculators who wanted easier credit ​ States’ Righters questioned constitutionality  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ Financiers on Wall Street resented supremacy of Bank located in Philadelphia ​ Working men believed the bank controlled by the wealthy ​ In his 1829 First Annual Address to Congress, Jackson questions the constitutionality of the bank ​ Biddle put in men that backed Jackson onto the banks board ​ He suggests a compromise that the bank be completely own by the government and its operations will only be government deposits and its profits going to just the federal government ○​ Jackson never commented on Biddle’s compromise ​ The National Bank’s charter ran until 1836, but despite that, Biddle decides to make an election issue for the 1832 election because he believed that the bank had a majority in Congress ​ But what Biddle failed to grasp was the depth of public suspicion about the bank, and so he hands Jackson a very popular issue for the election ​ Both houses of Congress will pass a recharter of the bank by a comfortable margin ​ So once a bill is passed by both houses of congress, it goes to the president ​ Jackson will veto a recharter of the bank in july 10, 1832 ​ The Bank can get ⅔ of both houses to override the veto, but Congress did not get enough to overturn Jackson’s veto ​ The Bank charter still had 4 more years for it, but Jackson pulled out of the national bank ​ The Election of 1832 ​ Historic b/c it is the first time a third party enters ​ Also historic b/c the first time the parties hold national nominating conventions ○​ After these conventions, they decide who is going to be the candidate for their party ​ The democrats run ○​ Jackson ○​ Van Buren ​ The national republicans run ○​ Henry Clay ​ The third party (Anti-masonic party) ○​ Were a secret party ○​ Eventually grows out of hostility to the masons ​ Supposedly the masons kidnapped and murdered one of their members for revealing their secrets ○​ They run Wiliam Wirt ​ Jackson wins the election ​ The Removal of Government Deposits  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ Jackson feels with the election, he has a mandate to get rid of the bank ○​ He removes all deposits from the national bank ​ Prior to this removal of government deposits, the house does an investigation and sees that the government deposits are safe in the bank ○​ Jackson does not care and still resolved to remove all deposits ​ His secretary of treasury refuses to do so and opposes the removal ​ Will take a couple more tries until Jackson finds somebody who will remove deposits ○​ It is his Attorney General Taney who is going to comply and gets promoted to secretary of treasury ​ By the end of 1833, the government deposits are put into 23 “pet banks” ​ The senate unhappy with Jackson, votes to censure Jackson for abuse of power (he gets reprimanded officially) ​ Without Biddle and the national bank keeping the state banks in line, the state banks start printing money and loaning money with no guidelines whatsoever ○​ This is not a good thing, they go crazy and plunge heavily into debt ​ The great irony is that Jackson’s war on the bank will do what he most feared was going to happen ​ Things are going to get worse with the passage of two federal acts by the federal government ○​ They pass the Specie Circular, which stated that the federal government would accept only gold or silver for payment of land ​ Was purposed to stop fraud, stop the monopolizing of land, and to discourage of buying land with credit ​ The problem with the specie circular was that with this law passed, few settlers could afford to buy the land with gold and silver ○​ They then pass the Distribution Act, which was a project of Henry Clay’s, and the government had a huge extra amount of money ​ So Henry Clay purposes that they distribute the excess money to the states since the federal government had so much ​ But Jackson believed that the federal government could give money to the states so he compromises ​ But they will do it as loans  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ The problem was that the state banks had already loaned money to the people and couldn’t give back the loans ○​ Jackson does not deal with it because he was about to leave presidency ​ Van Buren ○​ 1834- The beginning of the second party system ​ Will last for 20 years ​ The party of Jackson is the democratic party ​ The opponents of Jackson who called King Andrew because they said he behaved like a king, were a very diverse group ​ The only thing that really unites them is their hatred of Jackson ​ So therefore they call themselves the Whigs (got it from England; the Whigs were the ones who opposed the king) ○​ The 1836 Election ​ Van Buren is the Democrat, and is known as the little magician ​ He is also the first Dutch ethnicity to run ​ The Democratic Party Included ​ John Quincy Adams ​ Henry Clay ​ Remnants of the Anti-masonic (run Van Buren) ​ The democratic party promotes national development ​ However, the Whigs run 3 candidates, and their hope is that they are going to get it thrown into the house ​ Dan Webster ​ Hugh Lawson White ​ William Henry Harrison ​ Their party trick does not work, and Van Buren wins ​ They all do break the electoral college though ○​ The Van Buren Administration ​ Van Buren’s administration will become the target of growing discontent ​ The Panic of 1837 ​ A tighter British economy is going to cause a decline in British investments, as well as British demand for cotton ​ All at the same time, there is going to be a rapid increase in the cotton supply, which the growing will spread westward ​ There is less demand for cotton, and we will have more than we need ​ There will be a brief recovery in 1838 because the British had a bad wheat harvest, so they come to the US for wheat ​ In 1839, there is going to be a bumper cotton crop, and tons of cotton will be produced and overloads the market, which sets off a depression ○​ Will be no recovery until the mid 1840s  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ Many of the state banks are going to then crash ○​ The banks were already ridiculously spending, so the federal government will lose 9 million dollars since the banks will succumb to the crash ​ Congress is then going to postpone the Distribution Act ​ All the problems Van Buren has is caused by the Jackson Administration, which will make him very unpopular ​ Van Buren believed that the government should stop risking their deposits in state banks ○​ He creates what is known as the Independent Treasury ​ This stated that the government would keep funds in their own vault and do business entirely in hard currency ○​ The Whigs and Conservative Democrats feared it would cause deflation ​ It is passed on July 4, 1840 though ​ Will be repealed by the Whigs in 1841 ​ Will then be restored again in 1846 ​ Other squarrels during the Van Buren administration is the abolition of slavery ​ The D.C. slave trade ○​ Many people though that the slave trade should not be happening within the capital ​ We are still having disagreements with where Canada starts (main boundary issues) ​ The 1840 Election is known as the law cider campaign ​ The Whigs run William Henry Harrison because when in doubt, run a war hero ○​ He is known for the Battle of Tippecanoe against the Native Americans and is the governor of Indiana Territory ​ He has no platform because he risked dividing the party, since they only had hatred for Jackson ​ This theme of cider and law cabin depicted him as a humble commoner ​ He also will welcome women into this campaign ○​ At the time, women were against Cherokee removal and were pro ambition (no alcohol) ​ His running mate will be John Tyler ​ The Democrats ○​ Run Van Buren ​ Will be a very huge campaign ​ William Henry Harrison wins because war heroes often win, and people are unhappy with Van Buren because of the economical issues  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ William Henry Harrison Administration ○​ Was expected to be a tool of Webster (secretary of state) and Henry Clay ○​ On March 4, 1841 a month after his inauguration, he dies from a cold he caught at the inauguration ​ John Tyler ○​ First Vice-President to succeed a President ○​ Was a governor and a congressman ○​ His opinion on important issues was forcefully stated and widely known ○​ Originally, Tyler was a democrat but he broke with his party ​ Jackson’s heavy handed use of his executive power led him to do this ​ Jackson also denied South Carolina’s nullification ○​ So therefore, he is officially a whig since he hates Jackson (in all technicality he would be a old republican) ○​ Is in favor of states rights and was a strict constructionist ○​ Opposed everything associated with Clay’s economic nationalism ○​ In 1841, Clay will introduce the following ​ Repealed the independent treasury act ​ Built to establish the third national bank ​ Distribution again and higher tariffs ○​ In 1842, Tyler repealed the independent treasury act and signed a higher tariff bill ​ But he vetoed the national bank ○​ Clay is furious ○​ All of the cabinet members resigned except for Dan Webster ​ He replaced all the cabinet members with Anti-Jackson democrats who had become whigs ○​ The congressional whigs then expelled Tyler from the party, and the democrats didn’t want him back ​ So Tyler was now a president with no party ​ U.S. foreign relations ○​ 1841 ​ The British were patrolling the coast of Africa ​ They threatened to search U.S. vessels to see if they had slaves ​ Things are further strained when the slaves on the ship mutiny sailed to the Bahamas, and the British then free them ○​ But, in 1842 the Webster-Ashburton Treaty the disputed name boundary is settled and they also agree to joint naval patrols off of Africa ​ It was not legal for the U.S. to import slaves from Africa ​ Manifest Destiny ○​ A term created by John L. O’Sullivan ○​ The belief that God wants the United States to expand ○​ Basically a flimsy rational for greed and imperial ambition on part of the United States ○​ 1851- Fort Laramie Treaty ​ Several tribes refused to accept this treaty  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ But for those that do, the United States will give them an annuity which means they will give them money every year ○​ And in exchange, Native Americans will stop harassing the wagon trains ○​ They will allow their government to build federal forts ○​ The Natives will also confine themselves to specified areas ​ Does not work, they will use the Oregon Trail from 1841-1867 ○​ 350,000 make the trek ​ In 1848, gold is found in California ​ Brought 30,000 people alone ​ Known as the gold rush ○​ This is where the 49ers get their name ​ Was the greatest mass migration ​ It will decimate California’s Native American and Mexican population when all the whites rush West ○​ Despite the fact that they do decimate, there is a lot of Native Amerians and Mexicans who live there, and the whites that come there don’t plan to stay ​ John C. Fremont ​ Known as the Pathfinder ​ Found paths in the west that mountmen showed him ​ Created a topographic map showing the paths in the woods and western regions ○​ He is part of West Point and is a topographical engineer ​ Annexing Texas (Harrison-Tyler Administration) ○​ In 1830, Mexicans welcomed the U.S. settlers because they thought it would stabilize the border ○​ Steven Austin promoted settlement ​ Will be known as the “Father of Texas” ○​ Mexico though, opposed slavery ​ They are alarmed by all these strangers because there is a huge group and the settlers are bringing slaves ○​ Mexico will forbid further immigration ○​ By 1835, there were already 30,000 Americans there which were 10 times the Mexican population ○​ 1832-1833 ​ They organized a convention to demand their own state ​ In the same time period, General Santa Ana seizes power in Mexico and becomes a dictator ○​ By the end of 1835, they will rebel against Santa Ana because they feared that Mexico was intending to free the slaves ​ The Americans living in Texas (Mexico) draft the Declaration of Causes ○​ He orders all Americans expelled and anyone living in this area to be disarmed ​ Also wanted all rebels arrested  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ○​ In February of 1836, the Mexican Army attacks a small group of Texans that were protecting themselves in an abandoned ambition known as the Alamo ​ This group heroically stands up to the Mexican Army ​ Inspires the rest of Americans to stage a resistance ○​ March 2, 1836 ​ Texas signs a declaration of independence ​ Drafts a Constitution ​ Establishes an interim government ○​ April 21, 1836 ​ Sam Houston, who is from Tennessee, therefore is friends with Jackson, surprises the Mexican Army and ends up capturing Santa Ana ​ Santa Ana signs a treaty recognizing the independence of Texas with real ground as the boundary ​ However, the Mexican Congress says no ○​ The Lone Star Republic ​ Drafts their own constitution that legalizes slavery and bans free blacks ​ Sam Houston is the first president of the Lone Star Republic ​ The Lone Star Republic is their own independent country ​ He desperately wanted Texas to join the US ○​ However, adding the Lone Star Republic as a slave state would threaten the sectional quarrel and might endanger the 1836 Van Buren election ○​ It could also bring war with Mexico ​ Jackson will delay official recognition of the Lone Star Republic until March 3, 1837 (his last official day in office) ​ Van Buren shied away from the Lone Star Republic issue his entire term ​ The Lone Star Republic says okay then, and talks about expanding their own nation to the pacific ocean therefore trying to rival the US ​ Things get serious when the British and the French officially recognize the Lone Star Republic and they develop trade relations with them ​ In 1843, secret negotiations with the US begins ​ Calhoun who is Tyler's secretary of state, completes the annexation ​ All treaties will have to be approved and reviewed by the senate, so it goes to the senate ​ In the meantime, a letter that Calhoun wrote that said that the annexation was more about the promotion of slavery and less about national interest was published ​ This goes horribly in the US, and increased sectionalism ​ It also increases a fear of war with Mexico ​ The senate overwhelmingly rejects the annexation of the Lone Star Republic ​ 1844 Election ○​ Henry Clay runs for the Whigs  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ○​ Van Buren would’ve been interested in running, but he is abandoned by the democratic party because of his opposition to the annexation of the Lone Star Republic ○​ James Polk runs for the democrats ​ Polk was a lawyer, planter, the former speaker of the house, the former governor of Tennessee, and was an ardent expansionist ​ His platform included the annexation of Oregon and the Lone Star Republic ​ This platform was so popular that Clay adopts it too as long as there is no war ​ Clay’s change in his stance will change anti-slavery votes to the new liberty party (anti-slavery party) ​ Polk is going to be the first president since John Quincy Adams to win without a majority of a popular vote ○​ Henry Clay will lose for the third and the last time ​ He thinks to himself, “How could I have lost to a third rate politician” ○​ Polk will work very hard, but his health will deteriorate because of contaminated water ​ He dies at the age of 54, 3 months after he left office ​ James K. Polk (Young Hickory) ○​ Has the principles of Jackson ​ But the democratic party is starting to reflect the growing influence of the slaves south ○​ Warned that abolition could destroy the union ○​ Was a racist but sought to avoid any public discussion of slavery ○​ Twice he will veto an internal improvements bill ​ Which satisfied the south but annoyed the north (who wanted higher tariffs) and the west (who wanted internal improvements) ○​ He has big goals ​ Wants to re establish the Van Buren independent treasury ​ Accomplishes it ​ Wants to acquire California ​ Does accomplish it as well ​ Wants to reduce tariffs (keeping with the democratic tradition) ​ Does with the walker tariff of 1846 ​ Wants to acquire Oregon ​ Expansionists insist that Polk abandon any efforts to settle at the 49th parallel (want him to do 54 40’ or fight)- democratic platform ​ Expansionists prepare for war with the British ​ However, Polk favored a compromise because it looked like the US was going to go to war with Mexico ○​ United States military was not prepared for war as well ​ The British had no enthusiasm for war over the remote wilderness and the cost of US trade relations  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ○​ June 18, 1846 ​ The Senate ratifies the treaty in which we get the land in the 49th parallel ​ The only opposition he got was from the expansionists ​ Tyler had asked Congress to annex Texas by a joint resolution, which would require a simple majority in each house instead of the ⅔ ○​ December 29, 1845 ​ Texas will formally enter the Union, but Mexico will be furious ​ They will dispatch troops to the Rio Grande border ○​ March 6, 1845 ​ Mexico breaks off relations to protest the annexation of Texas ○​ In 1846, last hope for peace dies when John Slidell (an American who was sent to negotiate with Mexico) gives up ○​ On May 9, 1846, Mexico attacks the United States ○​ May 13, Polk signs a declaration of war ​ The house authorizes 15,000 volunteers and 10 million dollars ​ But the US is incredibly reckless because the US is already risking war with the British and the French ​ They are also ill prepared for war, US troops were not disciplined ○​ The Whigs are anywhere from lukewarm to hostile (not on board with the war whatsoever) ​ Their assumption is that the democrats are doing this just to add more slave territory ​ They’re concerned it might fragment the union ○​ 1847- Abraham Lincoln ​ Makes a speech known as the Spot Resolutions ​ Says “President Polk name a spot where US blood was shed” ○​ Essentially saying why are we going to war? ○​ Windfield Scott ​ In charge of the military ​ Was a whig ​ Argues with Polk’s secretary of war ​ Polk then replaces him with Zachory Taylor because he thought he was a less political threat ○​ September of 1846 ​ The first major battle takes place in California and New Mexico today ​ This area was apart of Mexico ​ It is John C Freemount and his followers who proclaim the Republic of California ○​ 1846 ​ Santa Ana is back and is named President again ○​ March 9, 1847 ​ They begin their assault onto Mexico City when Windfield Scott lands on Vera Cruz  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ This is the first major amphibious assault (from the water) in American History ○​ March 27 ​ Mexicans surrender ○​ September 13, 1847 ​ US forces enter Mexico City ​ At the national palace in Mexico City, the marines raise the US flag and occupies the Halls of Montezuma (part of the marine tim) ○​ Treaty of Guadalupe- Hidalgo ​ Santa Ana resigns and leaves ​ The chief peace negotiator for the U.S. is Nicholas P. Trist ​ On January 2, 1848, formal talks begin ​ By February 2, the treaty is signed ​ March 10, Congress ratifies the treaty ​ Mexico, as part of the treaty, will give up planes to Texas above the Rio Grande ​ It would become parts of Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and significant parts of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Nevada ​ It represented more than half of the entire nation of Mexico ​ In return, the U.S. will pay Mexico 1.5 million dollars, and it will assume all the many claims of U.S. citizens against Mexico ​ As part of the treaty, it guaranteed that the 150,000 Native Americans and the 80,000 Mexicans living in the seated territories could keep their property, could receive U.S. citizenship, and retain their catholicism ​ About 90% chose to stay, but the U.S. government will find ways to cheat and kill them ○​ Legacies of the War ​ 17 months long, 1,733 killed, 4,152 wounded, 11,550 died disease ​ Remains the deadliest war in US history based on the percentage of combatants killed ​ Initially, surge of national pride, but then seen as a war of conquest by a President hell bent on expansion ​ US acquired over 1 million square miles ​ Acquisitions made US transcontinental nation (Greatly expanded scope of fed govt) ​ Polk naively assumed dramatic expansion would strengthen the Union!!! ​ 1849–Department of Interior created to ​ Supervise distribution of land and the creation of territories/states ​ “Protect” Native Americans and their land ​ Several important “firsts” ​ Successful offensive war ​ Occupation of enemy capital ​ Martial law declared on foreign soil  Jacksonian Reform Unit 5 ​ West Point grads played a major role ​ Reported by modern war correspondents ​ Significant combat experience for future Civil War generals (Lee, Grant, “Stonewall” Jackson, McClellan, Meade)