XVIII.

Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy, 1841 – 1848

A. The Accession of “Tyler Too”
1. President William Henry Harrison gave long inaugural address,
caught pneumonia and died a month later
2. John Tyler became president, very strong principles, Democratic,
supported states-rights rather than Whig ‘dictatorial tactics’
B. John Tyler: A President without a Party
1. Agreed to Clay’s ‘financial reform’ to end independent treasury, but
would not agree to est. a Fiscal Bank (new B of US)
2. Tyler attacked verbally and threatened, cabinet resigned, except
for Webster, also vetoed new tariff
3. Signed reduced 1842 tariff
C. A War of Words with England
1. B looked down on A customs, war of words, foreign authors had no
copyright in A
2. Panic of 1837, some states defaulted B loans
3. 1837, some Canadians stirred up border, Caroline steamer
attacked by B, tensions btwn A and B, B officials offered
asylum to VA slaves who had captured A ship Creole
D. Manipulating the Maine Maps
1. Aroostook War btwn Maine and Canadian lumberjacks (ME
disputed territory), B wanted to build road from Halifax to
Quebec
2. 1842, London Foreign Office sent Lord Ashburton, with rich A wife,
to Washington, became friends with Webster
3. Compromise: A got larger amount of land, but B got land for the
road, B ceded some territory in Minnesota, later found to
contain iron ore
E. The Lone Star of Texas Shines Alone
1. TX threatened by M, M threatened war w/ A if helped TX, so TX
got protection from F, Holland, Belgium; B wanted foothold,
wanted to get around US tariffs, split up US (slave states), be
independent from cotton
F. The Belated TX Nuptials
1. Democrats for expansion, Whigs (S) for disunion, 1844 presidential
campaign, D won
2. Tyler annexed TX in 1845, M in no position to stop them
G. Oregon Fever Populates Oregon
1. OR: from Rockies to AL, A and B rivals for territory
2. B had strong claims, already trading with NA, A claimed
exploration (Lewis and Clark), A discovered Columbia river,
missionaries settled
3. Oregon fever caught, B wanted to settle peacefully, using
Columbia river as border, A wanted to used 49th parallel
H. A Mandate (?) for Manifest Destiny
1. Democrats nominated James K. Polk, vs. Whig Henry Clay, Polk
 largely unknown
2. Manifest Destiny: God had decreed that A had duty to spread
ideas of democracy across whole continent, maybe SA too
3. Clay wanted to annex TX, but would postpone it, lost to Polk
(close)
I. Polk the Purposeful
1. Very determined, 4point program completely accomplished in less
than 4 yrs
2. Lowered tariff, Sec. Of Treasury Robert J. Walker reduced Tariff of
1842 from 32 to 25%, Walker Tariff of 1846 was successful
3. Restored independent treasury 1846
4. Settle OR dispute: offered 49? line, B refused at first, but
reconsidered (Hudson’s Bay Co. monopoly, beaver pop.
exhausted), accepted 1846
5. 4 goal to acquire CA
th

J. Misunderstandings with Mexico

1. Polk wanted to buy CA from M, but relations strained (M owed
$3mil, sore over TX, w/drew minister), TX was claiming Rio
Grande as border
2. Sent John Slidell to M to offer max of $25 mil for CA, but offer
refused
K. American Blood on American (?) Soil
1. Polk sent troops into disputed area S of Nueces River, A blood
shed
2. Congress declared war 1846, Polk later criticized by war, esp. by
Lincoln
3. Both sides wanted war
L. The Mastering of Mexico
1. Exiled Santa Anna, in Cuba, made offer to A to sell out M if A
would send him back to M
2. A agreed, but Santa Anna turned traitor
3. 1846, Gen. Kearny led troops over Santa Fe trail into CA, Capt.
Frémont helped, overthrew M rule 1846, CA Bear Flag
Republic est.
4. Gen. Zachary Taylor fought in Mexico, reached Buena Vista with
less men than Santa Anna, ultimately won
5. Gen. Winfield Scott, famous from War of 1812, won capital, was
one of most brilliant generals from A
M. Fighting Mexico for Peace
1. Trist, clerk of State Dptmt, sent to M with Gen. Scott to negotiate
treaty
2. Signed armistice with Santa Anna for $10,000,
3. 1848 signed Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: A got title to TX,
everything west, incl. CA for $15 mill, and assumed the $3 mil
debt
4. Out of guilt (maybe), US also paid $18 mil for CA, even after
 winning war
N. Profit and Loss in Mexico
1. War was training ground for generals, leaders in Civil War
2. A military prowess ? in foreign eyes, M prowess also ?, US/SA
relations ?
3. Slavery issues revived, Wilmot Proviso to ban slavery in M met
with great resistance in Senate, started beginnings of Civil
War
O. Timeline p. 398 (1837, Canadian rebellion, Carolina – 1848, Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo)