The States of Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny Overview

Manifest Destiny was an idea first coined by newspaper editor John O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan believed that it was America's God-given right (he refers to it as "divine Providence") to expand from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

This idea spread throughout the country and increased support for more aggressive acquisitions of land from other groups through war, removal of Native tribes, and negotiations with other countries like Spain and Great Britain.

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​What is Manifest Destiny?

Multiple Choice

John O'Sullivan believed that, because of Manifest Destiny, America was able to expand from "sea to shining sea." According to O'Sullivan, who or what gave America this right?

• The Constitution

• God's will (Providence)

• Natural selection
• Capitalism

• Elected in 1844

• One of the biggest supporters of Manifest Destiny and expansion

• Annexed the Republic of Texas and California

• Signs Oregon Treaty to establish border between United States and Canada at the 49^o Latitude line.

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James K. Polk
11th President

Multiple Choice

Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the word "annex?"

• subtract
• return

• divide

• incorporate

Multiple Choice

True or False: James Polk could be accurately described as an "expansionist" President.

• True
• False

The Republic of Texas was once a part of Mexico. When Mexico declared independence from Spain, it gained all of the Spanish land in North America, which included much of the Southwestern United States.

Some Americans moved to Texas for opportunity, but were unhappy with how the Mexican government treated them (forced them to speak Spanish and convert to Catholicism, for example). Texas fought back and gained independence in 1836. The Republic of Texas was formed as its own country!

Before it was annexed, the Republic of Texas had attempted to join the United States in 1836, but it was not until it was annexed in 1845 that Texas was added as a state.


Why?

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Republic of Texas

TEXAS

Multiple Choice

Recall: What was the main purpose of the Missouri Compromise of 1820?

• Establish a new territory for freed slaves
• Abolish slavery in all states
• Maintain a balance between free and slave states
• Expand the United States to the Pacific Ocean

Open Ended

Why do you think that it took 9 years for Texas to be added as a state?

Recall: The Missouri Compromise of 1820 stated that any new states south of Missouri's southern border would be slave states, and any new states added north of the border would be free states.

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Slave/Free States

• ​The Missouri Compromise made it difficult for states like Texas and Florida to join as slave states, since there were not always free states available to balance out to number of slave and free states.

• An uneven number of free/slave states would have given one side too much power over the others

After Texas was annexed, there was a disagreement between Texas, the US, and Mexico about what the boundary of Texas would be.

The United States military entered the "claimed territory" that Mexico still considered part of their country and -- seeing this as an invasion -- declared war on the United States in 1846.

Leaders:

• James K Polk was still President of the United States

• Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was the newly elected President of Mexico
  

Mexican-American War

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was the primary reason why Mexico declared war on the United States?

• Cultural differences
• Border dispute between Texas and Mexico

• Alliance with Great Britain

• Trade disputes

OREGON

Multiple Choice

What was the purpose of the Adam-Onis Treaty?

• To resolve disputes over fishing rights in the Pacific Ocean
• To settle border disputes between the United States and Spain on the Pacific Coast

• To regulate trade agreements with Spain

• To establish a military alliance between the United States and Spain

Multiple Choice

What does it mean that the United States and Great Britain had "joint occupation" of the Oregon Territory?

• The Oregon Territory was divided equally between the United States and Great Britain
• The Oregon Territory was solely occupied by Great Britain
• Both countries had agreed to allow citizens from both countries to settle in the Oregon Territory

• The Oregon Territory was solely occupied by the United States

Multiple Choice

What is a prairie schooner?

• A type of boat used for fishing
• A type of bird found in the prairies
• A type of flower native to the prairies
• A covered wagon used by pioneers in the 19th century to travel westward.

Multiple Choice

What was the purpose of the Oregon Trail?

• To establish a trade route with Asia
• To connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
• To serve as a military supply route during the Mexican-American War

• To provide a route for settlers to travel from the Missouri River to the Oregon Territory.

Multiple Select

Why did Henry Clay lose the presidential election to James Polk? (Choose Two)

• Personal scandals
• Clay's weak opinion about the Oregon Territory boundary

• Polk's opposition to the Mexican-American War

• Clay's lack of support from his Whig party

Multiple Choice

What was the "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight" campaign about? What was their goal?

• Their goal was to annex the entire Texas territory
• The goal was to promote the abolition of slavery in the United States
• The campaign aimed to establish a new trade route with Asia
• The goal was to push for the U.S. to claim the entire Oregon Territory up to the 54°40′ parallel.

California

Multiple Choice

The discovery of this mineral inspired many to travel to California in search of it in 1849.

• silver
• platinum
• diamond
• gold

Multiple Choice

Many immigrants from this country flocked to California during the Gold Rush.

• China
• Japan
• Mexico
• Russia

Multiple Choice

What is the name given to a location that experiences a quick and intense influx of people and money in a short period of time? San Francisco was an example of this during the Gold Rush of 1849.

• boomtown
• rushville
• speedtown
• hastycity

Multiple Choice

How did people in boomtowns keep order?

• Cowboys

• Community laws

• Vigilante committees

• There was no order

Multiple Choice

Mormons belong to which religious movement?

• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Islam

• The Reformation

• Jehovah's Witness

Multiple Choice

In which present-day state did the Mormons originally settle?

• Nevada
• Utah
• Idaho
• Arizona

Multiple Choice

What was the Deseret?

• A type of dessert popular in the 19th century
• A famous ship that sailed during the Gold Rush
• The area of dry land in Utah where the Mormons settled

• A term used to describe a type of desert landscape

Open Ended

In what way are the statehoods of Texas, California, Oregon, and Utah all related?