Manifest Destiny
in the Forties
Trends in Antebellum America:
1810-1860
1. New intellectual and religious movements.
2. Social reforms.
3. Beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in America.
4. Re-emergence of a second party system and more
political democratization.
5. Increase in federal power Marshall Ct. decisions.
6. Increase in American nationalism.
7. Further westward expansion.
William Henry Harrison
Election of 1840
Harrisondefeated
Van Buren
1841:
Inaugurated as
the 9th President
Clay& Webster figured
to control the president
April 4,
1841
President
Harrison
dies of
pneumonia
President John Tyler
Tyler was anti-Jackson but
strong states’-righter
Clay & Webster were pro-
bank, pro-tariff, pro-
internal improvements
Tyler’s Democratic beliefs
at odds with most Whigs
Whig Problems with Tyler:
Clay passes a Fiscal Bank
bill - does not compromise
with Tyler
Tyler vetoes Fiscal Bank &
subsequent Fiscal
Corporation Bill
Whigs burn Tyler in effigy
seek to impeach him
kick him out of the Whig
Party
His entire cabinet resigns
except Daniel Webster,
who as Sec of State is
negotiating with Britain
Tyler vetoes a tariff bill
that calls for distribution
of land sales revenues
signs 1842 tariff bill that
is mildly protective
Problems with England
War of words between
British & Americans
Americans defaulted on
British loans following
the Panic of 1837
Caroline Affair (1837)
Canadian rebellion increased
tensions
Canadian citizen indicted for
murder by US
Creole Incident (1841)
British officials offer asylum to
rebel slaves on American ship
Maine Border Dispute
Canada attempts to build a
road to Nova Scotia
“Aroostook War” (1838)
Canadian lumber jacks enter
disputed area in Maine
Bloodless conflict
Webster-Ashburton
Treaty (1842)
Split the difference of
land in dispute
British would avoid
interference in freeing
slaves
Improves relations
Maine Boundary Settlement, 1842
Manifest Destiny
Beliefthat God chose
Americans to control
Western Hemisphere
Spread democratic ideals
Began in 1830s with
Indian removal
Manifest
Destiny
“American Progress”
John Gast, 1872
How does the picture symbolically represent
Manifest Destiny? What was the effect of
Manifest Destiny On Native Americans?
“Manifest Destiny”
First coined by newspaper editor, John O’Sullivan in 1845.
".... the right of our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of the continent
which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and
federaltive development of self-government entrusted to us. It is right such as that of the tree
to the space of air and the earth suitable for the full expansion of its principle and destiny of
growth."
A myth of the West as a land of romance and adventure emerged.
Election of 1844
Lone Star Republic
President Lamar negotiated
with Britain & France for
protection from Mexico
British & French schemes
for Texas made Texas a
major issue in the election
Democrats support James
K. Polk over Van Buren
Andrew Jackson supported
Polk & Van Buren opposed
Texas
1st “Dark Horse” candidate
Clay also opposed Texas &
got Whig nomination
Democrats campaign for
Texas & “Fifty-four forty or
fight!” to gain all of Oregon
territory
Liberty Party also runs
(spoiler – makes Clay lose)
Texas (the beast): “Polk, I fear I cannot carry you into the
Presidential Chair.”
Polk: “Dear Texas, I knew you cannot—I wish I had rode
some other horse but it is too late to repent.”
Polkwon 170-105
Democrats claimed
mandate for annexation
1844 Election Results
“Texas Coming In”
James Polk
Henry Clay & the Whigs
Annexation of Texas
1845: Tyler proposed &
Congress passed
annexation resolution
Bypassed 2/3rds majority
needed for treaty
Zachary Taylor is
dispatched to the Rio
Grande to protect Texas
Mexico severed relations
with US
President James K. Polk
Four Point Program
(achieved it in 4 years)
Lower the tariff
Restore independent
treasury
Settle Oregon dispute
Acquire California
Policy = “Manifest Destiny”
Walker Tariff (1846)
Secretary of the Treasury
Robert Walker reduced
tariffs from 32 to 25
percent
Denounced by Whigs,
but boom times made it
successful
Independent Treasury
Polk got congress to restore
independent treasury that
Whigs dropped in 1841
Will remain in effect until the
creation of the Federal
Reserve System in 1912
Oregon Compromise
1840s “Oregon Fever”
Polk had no intention of
holding out for 54º 40’ line
Proposed the old
compromise line of 49º,
but Britain refused
Britain eventually
agreed to give in with
out a fight
Line set at 49º
The War with Mexico
Land south of the Nueces
River disputed by Texas &
Mexico
US accepted Texan claims
to the Rio Grande as the
southern border
Mexicobroke off
diplomatic relations
Slidell Mission
Polk sends John Slidell to
Mexico City offering to buy
California and New Mexico
for $25 million
Mexican government
refused to even hear the
“insulting” proposition
“Old Rough and Ready”
General Zachary Taylor &
4,000 troops move to the
Rio Grande valley near
Matamoros
8,000 Mexican troops
gathered south of the Rio
Grande
General
Zachary
Taylor
First Blood
April 25, 1846: 1,600
Mexican troops crossed the
river & attacked 60 US
cavalry
16American casualties
“American blood on
American soil”
May 8, 1846: Taylor
defeated the Mexican
force at Palo Alto
Congress declared war on
Mexico
Anti-slavery Northerners
declared the war was for
the expansion of slavery
General Zachary Taylor at Palo Alto
“Old Rough and Ready”
War News From Mexico
by
Richard Woodville
War Protests
Henry David Thoreau
Refused to pay his taxes
until the war was over
Wrote “Civil Disobedience”
to justify his actions
Under a
government
which imprisons
any unjustly, the
true place for a
just man is also
in a prison.
The Spot Resolutions
Whig Congressman Abe
Lincoln of Illinois
introduced a resolution
seeking to determine the
exact “spot” that
American blood had been
spilt on American soil
The War with Mexico
Fought on three
fronts:
California
New Mexico
Mexico
California (1846)
Captain John C. Fremont
with a few dozen well-
armed men overthrew
Mexican government
Declared the California
Bear Flag Republic
The Bear Flag Republic
New Mexico (1846)
General Stephen Kearney
led a force from Ft.
Leavenworth, Kansas to
Santa Fe
Continued on to California
Mexico
General Zachary Taylor
(“Old Rough & Ready”)
invaded from Texas
1847: Won close victory
against Santa Anna at Buena
Vista
General Winfield Scott
(“Old Fuss & Feathers”)
landed with 10,000 troops
at Veracruz, Mexico
Marched through the
mountains, lakes, &
swamps to reach Mexico
City
General Winfield Scott
“Old Fuss and Feathers”
Siege of Veracruz
Battle of Chapultepec
TheCapital fell in hand-to-
hand street fighting on
September 14, 1847
General Scott Enters Mexico City
13,000 Americans lost their
lives (11,000 by disease) &
over $100 million was spent
Many of the battlefield officers
went on to be generals in the
Civil War (Robert E. Lee, U.S.
Grant, “Stonewall” Jackson,
William Tecumseh Sherman)
Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo (February 2, 1848)
Formally ended the war
US gained California,
Nevada, Utah, New Mexico,
Arizona, Colorado &
Wyoming
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848
Nicholas Trist,
American Negotiator
Mexico gave up its claim
to Texas & received $15
million in compensation
War soured relations with
Latin America & brought
back the slavery issue
“Colossus of the North”
The Mexican Cession
“Westward the Course of the Empire”
Emmanuel Leutze, 1860
U.S. Territorial
Expansion
U.S. Territorial
Expansion
The Wilmot Proviso
Passed by House during
the Mexican War
Declared slavery outlawed
in all territory that might
be acquired during the war
Senate refused to pass
the measure but the
issue of slavery had
again been broached
James K. Polk
Now it is time to sing
along with They Might
Be Giants and their hit
song James K. Polk.
“JAMES K. POLK”
by They Might Be Giants
In 1844, the Democrats were split
The three nominees for the presidential
candidate
Were Martin Van Buren, a former president
and an abolitionist
James Buchanan, a moderate
Lewis Cass, a general and expansionist
From Nashville came a dark horse riding up
He was James K. Polk, Napoleon of the
Stump!
Austere, severe, he held few people dear
His oratory filled his foes with fear
The factions soon agreed
He's just the man we need
To bring about victory
Fulfill our Manifest Destiny
And annex the land the Mexicans command
And when the votes were cast the winner
was
Mister James K. Polk, Napoleon of the
Stump!
In four short years he met his every goal
He seized the whole southwest from Mexico
Made sure the tariffs fell
And made the English sell the Oregon
Territory
He built an independent treasury
Having done all this he sought no second
term
But precious few have mourned the passing
of
Mister James K. Polk, our eleventh president
“Young Hickory,” Napoleon of the Stump!