Arkansas

(1836)

Arkansas Video
Michigan
(1837)
Michigan Video
Florida
(1845)
Florida Song
Texas
(184
5)
Texas Song
Iowa
(1846)

Iowa Video
Wisconsin
(1848)

Why is Wisconsin Called

the Badger State?
California
(1850)

California Video
• Manifest Manifest Destiny Explai
ned in 5 Minutes

Destiny Sound Smart – Mani

fest Destiny

was the John O’Sullivan’s Mani

fest Destiny

belief that
the United
States had
a divine
mission to
1823 - Mexico
won its
independence
from Spain
Stephen Austin
American
Stephen Austin
recruited
families to
Texas (a
northern
Mexican
province) by
Founding of Texas
In order to settle in
Texas, American settlers
had to:
1. become Mexican
citizens
2. join the Catholic
• By 1830 Americans (and
their slaves) outnumbered
Mexicans in Texas 3 to 1
• Friction between
Americans and Mexicans
grew especially when
Mexico outlawed slavery
• Many Texans discussed the
• 1834 - General General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

Antonio Lopez
de Santa Anna
made himself
dictator of
Mexico and
tightened
control over
Santa Anna
Texas
 Sam Houston
• 1836 – a
group of
Texans led by
Sam Houston
declared
Texas
Sam Houston
independent
VOA News – Sam Houston
IMPORTANT BATTLES:
ALAMO
• ALAMO (Feb. - March
1836)- Led by William
Travis and Jim
Bowie,188 men
including Davy Crockett
Bio of Davy Crockett Story of Us: Alamo Alamo Deconstructed
IMPORTANT
BATTLES: GOLIAD
• GOLIAD (March
1836) – Texas
volunteers
under Captain
Fannin
surrendered to
the Mexican
army, 350 Captain Fannin
Texans wereAlamo and Goliad
IMPORTANT BATTLES: SAN
JACINTO
• (April 1836) Using the cry,
“Remember the Alamo!
Remember Goliad!” Texan
forces under the command
of General Houston
surprised and defeated
• In exchange for his
freedom, Santa Anna
signed a treaty granting
Texas its independence
• Mexico will later dissolve
the treaty, but made no
Battle of San Jacinto River

attempt to regain Texas

• 1836 - Sam Houston
was elected President
of Texas
• Between 1836-1845,
Texas was an
independent nation
Crash Course (first 4:00)
• The issue of Texas
statehood was complicated
because the United States
did not want to go to war
with Mexico and the
entrance of Texas as a
slave state would upset the
delicate balance of slave
Democrat
Martin Van Buren

Well known general who

was victorious at the Battle
of Tippecanoe
Whig
William
Henry
Harrison
Election of 1836 Explained
 The Panic of
1837 sparked a
financial crisis
that lasted
through 1844
America’s First Depression President Van Buren Panic of 1837
TRAIL OF TEARS (1838) -
the Cherokee are the
last of the 5 Civilized
Tribes forced to move
The Removal of the 5 Tribes

west to a reservation
Story of Us – Trail of Tears Clip
The Cherokee and the United States
 Democrat
Martin Van Buren

Whig
William
Called Martin “Van Ruin” Henry
by critics Harrison
Election of 1840 Explained
William Henry Harrison
died of pneumonia after
serving only 1 month as
president

William Henry Harrison

• Harrison’s Vice John Tyler
President, John
Tyler, became
president and
served his term
• Tyler and Congress
did not get along
and he was kicked
out of the Whig
John Tyler
party
Tyler’s Gran
• During his last dsons
days as president,
 Democrats
James K. Polk had difficulty
choosing a
candidate, but
finally chose James K.
Polk
• Polk favored the
annexation of Texas,
reoccupation of all of
Oregon (“54’40” or
fight!”), and the
The Whig party
chose Henry
Clay who was
first for, then
against
annexation of
Texas
Democrat
James K. Polk

Whig
Henry Clay
Election of 184
4 Explained
• 1845 - Texas was
annexed by the United
States becoming the
nation’s 28th state and
15th slave state
• The annexation of Texas
led to problems with
James K. Polk Song (They Might Be Giants) James K. Polk
Polk sent John
John Slidell
Slidell to Mexico
to:
1. Persuade
Mexico to sell
California and New
Mexico territories
• Mexico
refused
2. Settle dispute John Slidell

concerning the
Mexico/Texas border
• Mexico said the
border was the
Nueces River
while the U.S.
said the border
was the Rio
Grande, dispute
APRIL 1846
• President Polk ordered General
Zachary Taylor and the U.S. Army
to move into the disputed
territory between the Nueces and
Rio Grande Rivers
• In reaction to the move by the
U.S., the Mexican Army crossed
the Rio Grande, captured a U.S.
Army patrol killing 11 American
First Shots of Mexican-Ameri
can War
• Polk asked Congress to
declare war on Mexico
because American blood was
spilled on American soil
• Whigs in Congress voted
against the war, but lost the
vote
• Congress declared war on
IMPORTANT BATTLES:
1. CALIFORNIA
• U.S. Lt. Col. John C. Frémont
and his troops helped the
BEAR FLAG REBELLION
overthrow Mexican rule in
Bear Flag Revolt
California Santa Anna and Mexica
• the Bear Flag Republic was
n-American War
Stephen Kearny
IMPORTANT
BATTLES: 2. NEW
MEXICO
• U.S. General
Stephen Kearny
and his troops
easily took
control over
Santa Fe and
 Zachary Taylor
IMPORTANT
BATTLES: 3.
BUENA VISTA
• In February 1847,
U.S. General
Zachary Taylor led
troops to victory
at BUENABattle
VISTAof Buena Vista
IMPORTANT Winfield Scott

BATTLES:
4. VERA CRUZ
• U.S. General
Winfield Scott led
troops to victory
at VERA CRUZ
(Veracruz) in
March The
1847 and
Sad Saga of Santa Anna’s Leg
• Ended the Mexican-American
War
• Mexico recognized the Rio
Grande as the southern border
of Texas
• MEXICAN CESSION - Mexico
ceded California and New
Mexico to United States
• U.S. paid $15 million
Reflectingto Mexico
on the Mexican American War
Crash Course - Mexican-America
n War (4:00 – 6:00)
(1854) - Mexico sold the U.S. land
needed for a southern
transcontinental railroad for
Gadsden$10
Purchase

million
• acquisition of more
western land renewed the
sectional debate over
slavery
• many northerners viewed
the war with Mexico as a
southern plot to extend
• 1846 - Pennsylvania
Congressman David Wilmot
proposed that slavery be
forbidden in any new
territories acquired from
Mexico
• the bill passed in House,
but failed in the Senate
• 1846 - President Polk backed
down from the idea of “54’40”
or fight” and settled for half of
the Oregon territory (the
northern boundary of Oregon
was drawn at the 49th parallel)
• The Senate agreed to the
compromise because they did
not want to have to fight54’ 40” or Fight!
• People flocked to the new
territories in search of a better
life
• Travelers packed wagons full of
their belongings and supplies
• They walked west in groups
called wagon trains along
westward trails like the Oregon,
California, Santa Fe, andPush Mormon
and Pull Factors

trails that began

Elbow Room:in
SchoolSt. Joseph
House Rocks Wagon Trains
or
• The trails followed river valleys
through the Great Plains and the
foothills of the Rocky Mountains or
through the southwest desert and
the mountain passes of the Sierra
Nevada or Cascades
• Moved about 15 miles per day,
disease and depression killed more
than attacks by Native Americans
• Moving west along these trails was
expensive so it was
Story ofmostly
Us: Oregon Trail aThemiddle
American West
 Democrat
Lewis Cass

Free Soil
Martin Van Buren

Whig
Zachary Taylor
Election of
1848 Expla
ined
Zachary Millard Fillmore

Taylor died in
1850 and his
vice
president,
Millard
Fillmore,
Taylor’s Presidency
becameMillard Fillmore’s Presidency
Exhumation of Zachary Taylor
• 1848 - gold was discovered in
California
• The discovery resulted in the
California Gold Rush (1849) as
49ners flocked to California to
strike it rich
• California’s population
skyrocketed from 14,000 to
California Gold Rush
380,000 by North
1860 (1/3
Carolina Gold Rush Startare
Story of Us: Gold Rush
of the California Gold Rush
• California’s rush was
followed by silver and gold
rushes in Nevada,
Boom and Bust
Colorado, and
Comstock Lode Ghosts of South
a Ghost Town Gold Mining Ghost Town

Dakota
• Railroads connected
western cities almost
instantly because of the
gold and silver rushes

Vanderbilt and Rise of Railroads

Changing Times – Railroads and Canals