Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny (def) God given right to all land from sea to sea.

Spain claimed most western land 100 years before Jamestown.

Mexico sent:

Don Gaspar de Portola and Father Serra to:

1.  Protect Mexico from Russia

2.  Convert Indians

Mission System

Run by Friars - Self Contained - Self Sufficient

Indians traded labor for food and shelter

1821 Mexican Independence

Mission System worked well until 1833

1833 Secularization Act - Indians not Protected

Impact:

Mexicans took land and used Indians

Established:  Ranchero System

  (Political, Social, Economic)

1833-1848 20% enslaved Indians died

2 times Southern mortality rate

Disinvestment?

Spain also controlled:

1. New Mexico and Arizona

2. Texas

3. Oregon Territory - claimed by:

   U.S., Spain, Russia, and Great Britain

Oregon and the Fur Trade

Mountain Men - Fur Traders - Pathfinders

James Beckworth - Chief of the Crows

1818-1832  Competition depleted beaver population.

American Fur Company

Rocky Mountain Fur Company

However it established the Oregon Trail (2000 miles)

Oregon Trail - Independence, Missouri - Up the Missouri River and Platte Rivers - Across the Rockies at South Pass - Down the Columbia River to the Willamette Valley

By 1818 only Great Britain and the U.S. continued to claim Oregon. 

Americans overpopulated and passed:  

First Organic Law - 1842 - much like the Mayflower

     Compact (majority rule).

Statehood of Texas

By 1828 - 20,000 Americans in Texas

Differences between Mexicans and Americans:

Mexican     Americans

1.  LanguageSpanish    English

2.  Religion  Catholic          Protestant

3.  Political   Dictator   Democracy

4.  Judicial System    Non-Jury Jury

5.  Slavery Issue Opposed  In Favor

1826-29  America tried to buy Texas

1834  Santa Anna becomes Dictator of Mexico

   Americans feared DISENFRANCHISEMENT

William B. Travis attacked Mexico and Texas declared independence.

Sam Houston was Appointed Commander and Chief

AMERICA REMAINED NEUTRAL

Alamo - Davy Crockett

Jim Bowie

William Travis

200 men held off 4,000 Mexicans long enough for Houston to put together a ARMY.

Remember the Alamo

Texas became Independent Nation and wanted to become a state, BUT

America Fearing War with Mexico...

...denied Texas statehood

England and France saw Texas as back door  to America.

_______________________________________________________

1836 Martin Van Buren becomes President

  Problems with domestic affairs

1840  William Henry Harrison elected President

   based on popularity as Indian Fighter

Tippecanoe and Tyler Too

Harrison died 4 weeks into Presidency

Tyler replaced Harrison -- Annexed Texas while in Lame Duck in 1845

1844  Polk elected President

1. Sent John Slidell to Mexico to:

buy California for 25 million

buy New Mexico for 5 million

Mexico refused to even see him.

2.  Sent General. Zachary Taylor to Texas

3.  Mexico fired on Taylor - Remember the Alamo

4.  Winfield Scott took Mexico Sept 4, 1847

5.  1848 - Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

est. Rio Grande as Southern Border

paid Mexico 15 million

1853  America paid Mexico another 10 million for the

area known as the Gadsden Purchase

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