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Motives for Expansion
and Western Settlement
Chapter 6
Section 2
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In the 1800s many Americans came to
believe that their country was destined
to expand westward.
They spoke of Manifest Destiny.
(The American Claim) is by the right of
our manifest destiny to overspread and
to possess the whole of the continent
which Providence has given us for the
development of the great experiment of
liberty...
-John O’Sullivan, Democratic Review
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Congress passed a number of laws to
encourage settlement of the West.
By aiding both East and West, Congress
hoped to tie the nation together as one
economic unit.
The American System was an ambitious
plan for linking the economic fortunes of
the East and West in a scheme to build
roads and canals.
Congress voted for a high tariff on
European imports that would encourage
westerners to buy their supplies from
eastern manufacturers.
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Texas, Oregon, California,
Southern Arizona and New
Mexico were four western
territories were added to the
United States between 1845
and 1853.
Texas was the first new
territory added to the United
States in the 1840s.
Annexation of Texas
In the 1820s Texas was settled by only
a few thousand Mexicans.
 As a result, the Mexican government
did not object when the open land
attracted pioneer families from the
United States.
 Most were from the South and many
owned slaves.
 By the mid-1830s, however, there were
more American settlers in Texas than
Mexicans.
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The Americans often defied Mexico’s
laws, including its ban against
holding slaves.
 When Mexico tried to stop further
American immigration, the American
settlers revolted and declared Texas
an independent nation (1836).
 Determined to put down the revolt,
Mexican president Antonio Lopez de
Santa Anna led troops into Texas.
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His forces overwhelmed and
killed the Texan defenders
who were occupying the
Alamo, a church mission
turned into a fort.
 Soon afterward, however,
during a battle on the San
Jacinto River, the Texans
captured Santa Anna, who was
forced to grant their demand
for independence.
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Texas was a completely a
separate and independent
nation: The Lone Star Republic
for Nine years.
The proposed annexation of
Texas failed to receive
favorable votes in Congress and
the chief obstacle was slavery.
Was the reason for why it took
so long for Texas to be admitted
into the Union as a state.
Mexican American War
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The annexation of Texas worsened
U.S. relations with Mexico.
President Polk’s dream of expansion
and America’s notion of Manifest
Destiny.
There was also a dispute over the
boundary between Texas and
Mexico.
These two issues caused the War
with Mexico.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,
1848
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Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott were the two
generals led the invasion into Mexico
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848 ended
the Mexican War.
The terms of the treaty were the United States
paid the token sum of $15 million to Mexico for
the huge territory extending from Texas’s
western border all the way to the California
coast.
In addition, the United States agreed to relieve
Mexico of the responsibility for paying the $3.2
million in debts to U.S. citizens.
The Rio Grande was established as the U.S.
Mexican border.
Gold Rush in California
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Soon after the war, an American settler
discovered gold on his land.
News of the discovery touched off
excitement in the East and throughout the
world.
Fortune hunters poured into California in
search of gold nuggets.
“California or bust” was the slogan of
thousands of people who joined the great
1849 gold rush.
Most met with disappointment but
even so, California’s population grew
so rapidly that it soon qualified to
apply to Congress for statehood.
 Because California proposed to be a
nonslave, or free state, the South
strongly opposed its admission.
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Gadsden Purchase
The last section of land acquired
from Mexico was won without
violence.
 This land the Gadsden Purchase
was bought from Mexico in 1853
for $10 million.
 James Gadsden was the American
diplomat who arranged the
transfer.
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Dispute Over Oregon
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The United States and Great Britain
were at conflict over the Oregon
territory.
The reasons why both nations did not
want a war with each other over the
Oregon Territory were that Great
Britain wanted to preserve its good
trade relations with the United States.
The United States, at war with Mexico
in 1846, had no desire to see Great
Britain go to Mexico’s aid.
In 1844 many Americans wanted
control of the entire Oregon
Territory and would no longer
accept a joint occupation.
 They heartily approved of the
Democratic campaign slogan:
“Fifty-four forty or fight!” which
meant: make Great Britain give
up all of Oregon to the 54 40’
line.
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Settlement
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Diplomats on both sides managed to work
out a compromise.
A British American Treaty of 1846 divided
the Oregon Country into two roughly equal
halves.
The northern half went to Great Britain.
The southern half (below the 49th parallel of
latitude) went to the United States.
Two long term results of the treaty were
that the border between Canada and the
United States was extended to the Pacific
Ocean and relations between Great Britain
and the United States were much improved.
Impact of Western Expansion
Upon Mexicans
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Mexico lost land, natural resources,
thousands Mexican citizens became
citizens of the United States, many
former Mexican landowners took low
paying jobs as farm workers or as
laborers in mines or the railroad.
This resulted in prejudices and
discrimination towards Mexicans
from Americans.
Impact of Western Expansion
Upon Native Americans
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Spreading of diseases in which Native
Americans had no immunity which
caused Native American populations to
be severely reduced.
Destruction of wildlife like the buffalo
and settlers increasingly taking Native
American s’ lands, resulted in a series
of wars as Native Americans fought to
defend their territory.
Eventually they were forced to give up
their lands and move to reservations.