Manifest Destiny and the Expansion of the United States

John Green discusses the U.S. acquisition of Texas and California, highlighting the concept of Manifest Destiny. The video covers Texas' independence, the Mexican-American War, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It also explores California's statehood following the Gold Rush and the Compromise of 1850, which attempted to balance free and slave states. The episode concludes with a reflection on the U.S.'s failure to extend liberties to all its inhabitants.

What term did journalist John O'Sullivan coin to describe America's expansionist mission?

• Westward Ho

• American Dream

• Pioneer Spirit

• Manifest Destiny

Why was Texas initially not annexed by the United States after gaining independence?

• It wanted to be a slave state, disrupting the Senate balance

• It had unresolved border disputes

• It was not economically viable

• It was too far from Washington, D.C.

What was President Polk's strategy to acquire California from Mexico?

• He formed an alliance with Britain

• He negotiated a treaty

• He sent troops to provoke a conflict

• He offered to buy it

What was the outcome of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?

• The U.S. paid $50 million to Mexico

• Mexico gained control of Oregon

• The U.S. acquired California and other territories

• Mexico retained Texas

Who was a notable critic of the Mexican-American War, concerned about executive power?

• Ralph Waldo Emerson

• Abraham Lincoln

• John C. Calhoun

• Henry David Thoreau

What was a significant social impact of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?

• Increased rights for Native Americans

• Improved relations with Mexico

• Rise of anti-Catholic sentiment

• End of slavery in new territories

What was the political stance of the 'Know-nothings' party?

• Pro-expansion

• Pro-slavery

• Anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant

• Pro-immigration

What event led to a massive population increase in California in the late 1840s?

• The Gold Rush

• The discovery of oil

• The annexation of Texas

• The completion of the transcontinental railroad

What was the main goal of the Free Soil Party formed in 1848?

• To limit the expansion of slavery in the west

• To support the annexation of Canada

• To promote free trade

• To abolish slavery nationwide

What was one of the key components of the Compromise of 1850?

• Slavery would be abolished in all new territories

• California would be a slave state

• The slave trade would be banned in Washington D.C.

• Texas would be divided into two states