Manifest Destiny

Belief that God wanted the US to have all the land to the shore of the

Pacific

Reasons for going west:

1. Great optimism in the US

2. New land was cheap

3. Desire for wealth

4. Search for adventure and a new start

5. Desire to spread the gospel

TEXAS

• Texas was owned by Mexico

• Stephen F Austin tried to work it out with Mexico

• Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was president of Mexico

• Mexico sent forces to Texas• Sam Houston was commander of the army for

Texas

The Alamo

• William Travis was commander of Alamo

• Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie were volunteers

• 183 men• 4000 Mexicans

attacked• Only survivor was

Susannah Dickinson, her daughter and one slave

San Jacinto

• Lasted only 20 minutes• Texans either killed or captured the entire

Mexican army• Houston kept Santa Anna alive to get Texas to

be independent

Lone Star State

• Sam Houston was president• Tried to get into the US, but Mexico

threatened war if the US allowed us in• Were their own country for 9 years• Admitted as slave state to Oregon’s free state

CALIFORNIA

• Owned by Mexico• California Gold Rush

is started by the discovery by John Sutter

• 80,000 men came to California in 1849• US tried to buy land from Mexico, but they

refused.

MEXICAN WAR

• Originally fighting over southern border of Texas

• Later fighting over New Mexico and California

Zachary Taylor was commander of the Americans

• Zachary Taylor was commander of the Americans

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

• Ended the Mexican War• Rio Grande became southern border of the US• Mexico gave up California, Nevada, Utah and

parts of other states• US paid Mexico $20 million

Zachary Taylor was commander of the Americans

Gadsden Purchase

• $10 million• James Gadsden arranges it for the US• Narrow strip of land on the border of New

Mexico and Arizona• Thought it could be used for the railroad

Slavery Issue:

• Compromise of 1850– California could be free state– Popular sovereignty was used in Utah and New

Mexico– Strict fugitive slave law was passed

• President Taylor vetoed the bill• He died and his vice-president, Millard

Fillmore passed it.