Transcript Manifest Destiny - Adams State University

Contested Lands, Conflicted
Values
The United States, the “West”, and
Manifest Destiny, 1840-1848
John L. O’Sullivan—Apostle of
Manifest Destiny
The American people having derived their origin from many other
nations, and the Declaration of National Independence being entirely
based on the great principle of human equality, these facts demonstrate
at once our disconnected position as regards any other nation; that we
have, in reality, but little connection with the past history of any of
them, and still less with all antiquity, its glories, or its crimes. On the
contrary, our national birth was the beginning of a new history, the
formation and progress of an untried political system, which separates
us from the past and connects us with the future only; and so far as
regards the entire development of the natural rights of man, in moral,
political, and national life, we may confidently assume that our country
is destined to be the great nation of futurity.
John L. O’Sullivan—A Belief
with a Consequence
All this will be our future history, to establish on earth the moral
dignity and salvation of man -- the immutable truth and
beneficence of God. For this blessed mission to the nations of the
world, which are shut out from the life-giving light of truth, has
America been chosen; and her high example shall smite unto
death the tyranny of kings, hierarchs, and oligarchs, and carry the
glad tidings of peace and good will where myriads now endure an
existence scarcely more enviable than that of beasts of the field.
Who, then, can doubt that our country is destined to be the great
nation of futurity?
So What is the belief?
• God intended that the United States should
extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the
Pacific Ocean
• Other claimants to those lands were either
invisible or unworthy
• Theories of Land Stewardship
Political Process—Inadequate to
Address Issues Raised by
Manifest Destiny
• Tyler Administration
• Whig “Principles”
• In 1844, Issue of Manifest Destiny Stumped
Leading Candidates: Tyler stole thunder by
Annexing Texas through Joint Resolution of
Congress
John Tyler—1790-1862
“Reality” of the “West”
• Homeland to diverse peoples
• Oregon Trail and Gold In California cause
U. S. to modify Permanent Indian Frontier
via the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851
• Mythology of Native Peoples as Natural
Ecologists
Permanent Indian Frontier
Political Changes in the West
• Mexican Revolution—Mexico claimed
Texas, California, and “Southwest.”
• Need to populate frontier: “To Govern is to
populate.”
• Empressario Grants in Texas
• Opening of Santa Fe trail into Nuevo
Mexico
• Hide and Tallow Trade in California
Santa Fe Trail
The West in the Gringo
Imagination
• John C. Fremont
• 1842—mapped Oregon Trail
• 1843-1844—traveled through Oregon,
California, and part of his party went to
Santa Fe
• Business ties between Missouri and the
West: political influence of Sen. Thomas
Hart Benton
Texas Independence and
Annexation
• Part of Coahuilo-Texas
• Desire to have Constitutional government
and local rights
• Stephen F. Austin
• The Alamo
• Sam Houston—Treaty of San Jacinto
• Issue of slavery delayed U. S. acquisition
until 1845
Stephen Fuller Austin (17931836)
Expansion captured 1844
Presidential Election
• Frontrunners—Van Buren and Clay—won’t
commit to expansion
• Democratic Dark Horse—James K. Polk—
commits to expansion
• Polk won 170 to 105 in the electoral college
• “Reoccupation of Oregon, Reannexation of
Texas”
James K. Polk
Oregon Territory
• Instead of 54-40 or fight, accepted
Buchanan-Pakenham line of 49 degrees
north latitude
Mexican War
• Texas Boundary
dispute
• Larkin’s negotiations
in California
• A. Lincoln and “Spot
Resolution.”
• Wilmot Proviso
• Zachary Taylor –Battle
of Buena Vista
• Stephen Kearney at
Santa Fe
• Fremont in California
• Winfield Scott and
Mexico City
• Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo
Mexican War Map
Zachary Taylor, Winfield Scott
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
• Nicholas P. Trist
• Mexico ceded claims to Texas and yielded
California and the Southwest
• U. S. paid Mexico $15 million and assumed
claims by U. S. citizens against Mexico in
the amount $3.25 million.
• Land issue in the Southwest
West and Southwestern
Territories
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
ARTICLE VIII
Mexicans now established in territories previously belonging to Mexico, and which remain
for the future within the limits of the United States, as defined by the present treaty, shall be
free to continue where they now reside, or to remove at any time to the Mexican Republic,
retaining the property which they possess in the said territories, or disposing thereof, and
removing the proceeds wherever they please, without their being subjected, on this account,
to any contribution, tax, or charge whatever.
Those who shall prefer to remain in the said territories may either retain the title and rights
of Mexican citizens, or acquire those of citizens of the United States. But they shall be
under the obligation to make their election within one year from the date of the exchange of
ratifications of this treaty; and those who shall remain in the said territories after the
expiration of that year, without having declared their intention to retain the character of
Mexicans, shall be considered to have elected to become citizens of the United States.
In the said territories, property of every kind, now belonging to Mexicans not established
there, shall be inviolably respected. The present owners, the heirs of these, and all
Mexicans who may hereafter acquire said property by contract, shall enjoy with respect to it
guarantees equally ample as if the same belonged to citizens of the United States.
So what?
• One’s positions then and perspectives now
govern interpretation
• Beginning of incorporation of West and
Southwest into colonial economics
• What to do about slavery in the western
territories eventually caused second party
system to fail