The 1840s: Manifest Destiny

in Antebellum America
Aroostook War, 1839
The only war ever declared by a state.
Between the Canadian region of New
Brunswick and the state of Maine.
Cause: The expulsion of Canadian lumberjacks in
the disputed area of Aroostook by Maine officials.
Congress called up 50,000 men and voted for
$10,000,000 to pay for the war.
General Winfield Scott arranged a truce, and a
border commission was convened to resolve the
issue.

President William Henry Harrison
(1841) (Whig) (VA)
President for 32 Days

William Henry Harrison
Campaign slogan Tippecanoe and Tyler Too. Whig referred to Martin
Van Buren as Martin Van Ruin. As they blamed him for the nations
economic problems.
William Henry Harrison was not the best politician in the Whig party, rather
he was the one man who they knew could defeat Van Buren. His exploits at
the battles of Tippecanoe and the Battle of Thames made him a national
hero and he was not a sectionalist. No one really knew Harrisons stance on
political issues of the day, but that didnt really matter anyway. Once a
Democratic editor insulted him in a newspaper by saying that he was an
impoverished old farmer who should be content with a military pension, a
log cabin and some hard cider, the gladly endorsed the analogy of being the
representative of the poor farming class. Whigs became the champions of
the poor men and the party of Jackson, once championed by the poor, was
now seen as the old Conservative Party. By the 1840s, aristocracy was
tainted and democracy was respectable. The common man was at last
moving to the center of the national political stage. In actuality, Harrison
lived in a sixteen room mansion with 3,000 acres of land.
1841: Gave the longest inaugural speech in US history in a snow storm
without a hat, coat or gloves died of a cold.
President John Tyler (1841 1845)
(Whig) (VA)


Tyler as president
Was called his accidentcy because his
presidency was an accident. He was
Harrisons vice president.
1841: Cabin quit on him, his presidency
was a mess. Only Henry Clay stood by
him. Of course Clay was hoping to run
and win the next election.
Manifest Destiny
1844: Manifest Destiny An article
written in The Democratic Review by
John OSullivan which said that
American was chosen by God to rule all
of the land between the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans. Many Americans believe
this because they see so much progress
in so little time.
The Election of 1844
President James K. Polk
(1845 1849) (Dem.) (Tenn.)

The Dark Horse
Not one of our most famous Presidents,
but one of the two who doubled the size of
the United States in one administration.
Campaign slogan was All of Oregon or
none, (54 40 or fight, was added latter)
meaning the US wanted Oregon or would
fight.
A Deal With England
1846: In the Oregon Territory, The US,
Spain, England and Russia all claimed
the land. After we made it known that we
were willing to fight for it, Spain and
Russia gave up claims, but England
claimed that they would fight for it. Polk
picked a war with Mexico too, and rather
than fight two wars at once, he agreed to
split the territory of Oregon with England.
The Oregon Trail
The Western Trails
Another view of trails
The Political Deal which
avoided war with England
June 1845:
John C. Fremont and the
Bear Flag Revolt in California
The Donner Party
Of the 83 members of the Donner
Party, only 45 survived to get to
California!
Those that survived resorted to cannibalism.
The John Slidell Mission: Nov., 1845
Mexican recognition of the
Rio Grande River as the TX-
US border.
US would forgive American
citizensclaims against the
Mexican govt.
US would purchase the New
Mexico area for $5,000,000.
US would buy California at
any price.
Final offer was to buy the
entire country of Mexico.

Santa Anna
Section Conflict Revised:
The Wilmot Proviso
1846 Wilmot Proviso: The controversy over
slavery broke out again in 1846 when the US
was preparing to go to war with Mexico. David
Wilmot (Penn) urged Congress to pass a law
which would prohibit slavery in all the land
gained in a war with Mexico. The bill never
became a law because Southerners believed
that the dividing line from the Missouri
Compromise should be extended westward.
It passed the House of Representatives, but
deadlocked in the Senate.
The Mexican War

Polk was not afraid of war with Mexico. Whereas
Jackson, Van Buren, Harrison and Tyler (until his last
few days of his administration) refused to annex
Texas. Tyler signed the paper work to annex Texas,
but it was Polks election that gave the mandate.
Mexico kept their promise and declared war on the US
for annexing Texas. Due to a border dispute which
was never solve during the Texas War, Americans and
Mexicans each invaded the other country. Americans
thought the boundary was the Rio Grande River, the
Mexicans thought it to be the Nieces River.
Fighting the war
After a short war (about two years),
Americans captured Mexico City and
demanded Mexican surrender. The
Mexicans also were forced (Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo) to give up the
Mexican Cession, US modern Colorado,
Wyoming, Utah, Texas, California, New
Mexico and Arizona.

The Mexican War
General Zachary Taylor
Old Rough and Ready
takes Palo Alto
American Bombardment
of Vera Cruz
General Winfield Scott Old Fuss
and Feathers Enters Mexico City
1848 - Nicholas Trist:
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
The Mexican Cession
Results of the
Mexican-American War
New territories were brought into the Union which
forced the explosive issue of SLAVERY to the center
of national politics.
* Brought in 1 million sq. mi. of land (incl. TX)
These new territories would upset the balance of
power between North and South.
Created two popular Whig generals who ran for
President.
Manifest Destiny was partially realized.
The 17-month war cost $100,000,000 and 13,000+
American lives (mostly of disease).

President Zachary Taylor
(1849 1850) (Whig) (VA)

A career army officer who never cast a single
vote for president, not even for himself.
1849: California gold rush took place during his
presidency
Underground Railroad becomes a serious
problem to planters. Anyone caught being
involved with the organization can be jailed or
hung. Harriet Tubman becomes most prominent
conductor. A series of safe houses to Canada.


Territorial Growth to 1853:
The Gadsden Purchase - $10 Million
Expansionist Young America in the 1850s
The Pony Express
Between April, 1860 and
Nov., 1861.
Delivered news and mail
between St. Louis, MO
and San Francisco, CA.
Took 10 days.
Replaced by the
completion of the trans-
continental telegraph line.