Chapter+14+The+Territorial+Expansion+of+the+United+States,+1830s-1850s

Chapter 14: The Territorial Expansion of the United States, 1830's-1850's **__Topics:__** 1) __Fur Trade__ -The British Hudson's Bay Company flourished in America in the 1670's and rivaled with the Montreal's North West Comapny -Fur tading and trapping companies started to move westward past the Great Lakes in search of things like beavers -In the 1820's American companies were able to challenge those of the British -The "rendezvous" system helped trappers trade for things they were in need of and people of all nationalities to drink, trade, and gamble -Fur trading for Americans only lasted untill the 1840's where the beaver in western streams were almost gone 2) __Westward Expansion__ -Government sponsored exploration to the west and many people began exploring such a surveroys who mapped the West for settlement - With the expansoin of the Americans Indians were being moved from their homelands and being put on Indian Territories -Manifest Destiny led Americans to believe that they had the right to settle in the unsettled land so this encouraged more to move West -Trails were created so it made is somewhat eaiser for people to move Westward; these trails were very long, 2,000 miles, and very dangerous 3) __The Mexican-American War__ -Tensions started to build between the Mexicans and the Americans after Texas was granted statehood -James K. Polk sent men to protect the Texas-Mexico border but also to get land along the Pacific Ocean -Armed Americans, led by John C. Fermont, showed up in California and Mexican authorities told them to leave, Fermont when to Oregon for a short time then returned for the Bear Flag Revolt -Polk sent John Slidell, with an offer of $30 milliom or more, to Mexico to try and get more land by the Rio Grande border; the Mexicans did not even consider and Polk sent in men some were killed and Polk said this ment war because where they were fighting was American land (but to the Mexicans it was theirs) -General Scott took Mexico City and Mexican resistans ended -Nicholas Trist delivered Polk's terms of peace with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; Polk was not happy about the treaty because he wanted all of Mexico 4) __California and the Gold Rush__ -Russians started to move into Spanish California before the Americans did; Spanish officials in Mexico insisted on Californios to remain isolated, small illegal trade with American merchant ships still took place -At John Sutter's Mill gold flakes were found and soon all of the employees at the mill were panning for gold -Word got out about the gold findings and soon many men were minning; many left farms and jobs to move west and mine for gold; Chinese started arriving to mine as well -The life as a miner was hard; they did not really have real homes and not many had a lot of money; few got rich off gold - Violance was high in mining areas because of the lack of communities -Many towns boomed when they first began when people thought they were going to find a lot of gold but then people left and moved on leaving ghoast towns behind 5) __Politics of Manifest Destiny__ -Manifest Destiny was the main issue in national politics -Pride grew with the win over Mexico and the finding of gold in California creating the thought of American democracy was superior and would lead to the expansion of America -Perry opened trade with Japan during this time with a commercial treaty; he felt that this opened a "...boundless Pacific for a market in manifest destiny." -This expansion led to the contoversy of slavery in the aquired land from Mexico; Wilmont's Proviso was very contovercial because it reopened the debate about slavery in the future of the nation. __Rendezvous System__- A yearly trade fair, held deep in the Rocky Mountains, where men of all nationalities could go to trade their goods of furs for other things like food and beads to trade with Indians. “__Mountain Men”__- employed by American fur companies lived mainly alone with no contact with people other than Indians until the yearly “Rendezvous” they generally sought friendship with Indians. __Jedediah Smith__- the first American to create a path to the West into California over the Sierra Nevada mountains. __James K Polk__- 1844 won the presidency on a platform of expansion. __Fifty-Four Forty or fight__- A slogan suggesting that the U.S would go to war if it didn't get control of all the territory south of latitude 54-40. __Oregon's Donation Land Claim Act of 1850__- gave 320 acres to each white male age 18 or over and 640 acres to each married couple to settle in the area. This act excluded African Americans, Hawaiians, and American Indians. __Stephen F. Austin__- First American empersio(land agent)The Austin settlement was followed by others twenty six in all. __Wilmot Proviso__- Proposing to ban slavery in all the territories that might be gained in the Mexican American war, splits both parties southern whigs and the democrats support it. __The new free soil party__- runs northern democrat Martin Van Burren for president, gaining 10 percent of the vote from abolitionist. 1848 __Indian Removal Act__- Removed Indians from eastern states into the western territories. __Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna__- Mexican general and president and fought against the American and Tejano armies. __Alamo__- March 6, 1836- Santa Anna and his forces overwhelmed the 187 American men who were refusing to surrender. __General Sam Houston__- led an army of American and Tejano men against Santa Anna and his forces at the San Jacinto River and ordered his men to attack immediately and were able to defeat Santa Anna. __Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo__- signed 1848, Mexico ceded its northern provinces of California and new Mexico, which also included present day Arizona Utah and Nevada and part of Colorado. The Rio Grande was also accepted as the boundary of Texas. Mexico was also paid 15 million and assume about 2 million in individual claims against that nation. __Senator John C. Calhoun__- south Carolina senator lead the opposition warning to admittance of "of colored and mixed breed "Mexicans on an equality with people of the united states. __John C. Fremont__- Appeared in California with a band of armed men in 1845-46. Mexican Authorities became alarmed and ordered him to leave, Later returning to assist in the Bear Flag Revolt. __Bear Flag Revolt__- Americans band together in California declaring their independence from Mexico. The takeover was not confirmed until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. __Johann Augustus Sutter__- settled in California and became a Mexican citizen; he served as a focal point for American settlement __Sutter's Mill__- First flakes of gold in California were found at Sutters Mill by James Marshall. __Forty niners__- Miners who left farms and jobs to go to California in search for gold. __Levi Strauss__- Like many people in California, Strauss did not make his money from mining but from selling durable work pants to the miners. __Manifest Destiny__- Manifest Destiny was the belief that the nation had a destiny to expand. Many believed that one source of this belief was due to national pride. The victory in the Mexican American war and the discovery of gold in California confirmed that conviction. The Americans were proud of their rapid development, surge in population and the building of railroads and canals. __Commodore Matthew Perry__- Perry went to Japan in order to open trade. In 1854 in commercial treaty trade was opened. __The Liberty Party__- Founded by abolitionist took a stance against slavery. The parties platform called for "a divorce of the federal government from slavery." The party proposed to prohibit the admission of slave states to the union, end slavery in the District of Columbia, and abolish the interstate slave trade. __Free soil Party__- Free-soilers were willing to allow slavery to continue in the existing slave states because they supported the union, not because they approved of slavery.
 * __Terms:__**