Beyond the Mississippi

Beyond the Mississippi

1800-1860

The Coming of the Horse

• Horses brought to North America by the Spanish

• Natives previously relied on a convoy of dogs

• Horses are faster and stronger than dogs

Hispanic North America

Aquisition of new land from the Spanish Empire

New Mexico

• dangerous landscape

• close knit communities

• trade thrived on the Santa Fe Trail

Mexican Independence

• Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821

• California, New Mexico, and Texas were included in the independent Mexico

• Increase of trade with the United States

Santa Fe Trail

• Trade route from Independence, MO to Santa Fe

• Furs and hides from the Mexicans

• Finished goods from New England

Texans Seek Independence

• Americans flow into Texas

• The movement was lead by Stephen Austin

American Demands Grow

• Americans in Texas got cheap land, protection from the Mexican government and tax breaks

• more and more Americans were expecting the same thing

• A demand for slavery

Tension Erupts into War

• General Santa Anna declared himself dictator of Mexico

• Texans lost their rights

• Texans, led by Sam Houston, fought against the Mexican military

Sam Houston

• Lived amongst the Cherokee people

• fought under Andrew Jackson

• Successful Congressman

Texas War for Independence

The Lone Star Republic

Open Ended

Define martyrdom (you can google it) and explain how it occurred at the Alamo

Trails to the West

Open Ended

What is the farthest you have ever been from home?

The Oregon Country

• Divided amongst the Americans, British, Spanish, and Russians

• 1818 treaty sets US and UK as dominant colonizers

Missionaries and Mountain Men

• American settlers easily outnumbered the British by the 1830s

• Threatened by the British

• greatest navy in the world

Open Ended

What is the greatest fad or trend of your time?

Oregon Fever

• thousands moved across the country in the 1840s

• Willamette Valley

• Big families faced big danger

speaking of fads...

An Account of the Oregon Trail

Pleasant. We have just passed the Mormon graveyard. There is a great number of graves on it. The road is covered with wagons and cattle. Here we passed a train of wagons on their way back, the head man had drowned a few days before, in a river called Elkhorn, while getting some cattle across, and his wife was lying in the wagon quite sick, and children were mourning for a father gone. With sadness and pity I passed those who perhaps a few days before had been well and happy as ourselves. Came 20 miles today.

Open Ended

What is the general feeling or theme in the passage?

American Blood on American Soil

The Rise of the Mexican American War

Open Ended

How would you describe USA Mexico relations?

President James K. Polk

• not favored to win his party's nomination to the presidency

• expansionist views carried him to the White House

Annexation of Texas

• Texas goes from the Lone Star Republic to the Lone Star State

• Annexed in 1845 with controversey

Mexican Border Dispute

• America claimed the border was at the Rio Grande

• Mexico claimed the border was at the Nueces River

Multiple Choice

Where is the border marked today?

• Rio Grande

• Nueces River

• Some other landmark

Polk's Goal with Texas

• acquire the rich ports of California

• trade with China with San Francisco as a port city

• to get an edge on Great Britain

Open Ended

Do you think trade with China has turned out to be a good thing or a bad thing? Explain.

John Slidell's Offer to Mexico

• $30 million for:

• Rio Grande Border, New Mexico, and California

Send in the Troops!

• Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to cross the Nueces River with his command of 4,000 troops

• Taylor Advanced to the Rio Grande

Shots Fired

• May of 1846, the Mexican army fired on Taylor's soldiers

• Polk went to Congress and declared that Mexico had invaded the United States and had "SHED AMERICAN BLOOD ON AMERICAN SOIL!"

The Mexican American War

The Beginnings

• US Army numbered 8,000 but increased to 60,000 volunteers

• American Navy dominated the Gulf

• Morale and economy was vastly superior

Open Ended

How important is the people's support/approval in a war effort? Do the people who stay at home make a difference?

Fremont in California

• John Fremont led Californians to their independence

• Created the Bear Flag Republic

• secured American victory in California

Kearny in New Mexico

• led his troops into Santa Fe in August of 1846

• caused the governor of New Mexico to flee

• joined Fremont in California

Taylor in Mexico

• Crossed the Rio Grande

• successfully defeated General Santa Anna's army

• secured the Rio Grande Border

Winfield Scott in Mexico City

• Made the final attacks at Vera Cruz

• Closed in on Mexico City

• Time to negotiate

Treaty of Guadalupe- Hidalgo

• Mexico gave up its claim to Texas

• The US paid Mexico $15 Million

• New Mexico and California given to the US

• The United States agreed to pay claims made against Mexico

Open Ended

Was the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo fair to both sides?

California Gold Rush

Initial Discovery

• January 1848 James Marshall notices flecks in a stream

• Sutter's Mill

Boomtowns

• People flocked to California over the prospect of gold

• Over 80,000 "FORTY-NINERS" flocked to California

San Franciso 49ers

Open Ended

What types of things are making people rich quickly today?

Life in a Mining Town

• One main street

• The saloon was the center of town

Men and Women

• 95% of the population was Male

• 20% of women were prostitutes

Ghost Towns

• If a town ran out of gold or never had any it would be abandoned

• Some claim there are real ghosts today

Minority Miners

• Free Blacks tried to make a name for themselves

• Immigrants from Europe and Asia

Open Ended

Why would free blacks mine for gold?

Striking rich... in fashion!

• Levi Strauss was a tentmaker who used denim

• decided to make pants

Irish and Chinese Miners

• Built railroads

• mined for gold

• faced opression

Open Ended

Is it ever ok for someone to portray a character of another race?

Does changing the character's race to that of the actors prevent racism?