Chapter 12 Manifest Destiny

Study Guide
SECTION 1- The Oregon Country

1. The Oregon Country was an area between the Rocky Mountain ‘s and the Pacific
Ocean. As many as _3_ nations(other than the U.S.) claimed the area. Those nations
were:

1.Spain --settled claim in 1819

2. Russia -- settled claim in 1824
3.Great Britain --settled claim in 1846

2. The man who was responsible for negotiating with these countries was __John
Quincy __ _Adams_. He was able to convince the British to joint occupation of the
Oregon Territory in 1818.

3. The first real group of people into the territory were called _mountain- men_ because
they spent a lot of time by themselves in the wilderness, alone trapping animals.
These men only met once a year at something known as a rendezvous.

List some famous mountain men below and their importance.

1._Jim Beckwourth_-African American explored Wyoming Green

River/found pass through Sierra Nevada’s (Beckwourth Pass)
2. Jedidiah Smith_--discovered South Pass_
3. Joe Meek_--_famous trapper and explorer
4. Kit Carson-__acted as guide – leading settlers west__

4. Soon families started to come into Oregon country by way of the Oregon Trail that
started in Independence, Missouri__ and ended in the Willamette River Valley. The
people who were their guides were the former mountain men. This journey would take as
long as _6_months and cover _2000_ miles.

5. The Whitman’s were Christian missionaries that went to Oregon country to spread
their faith. They were eventually murdered by Indians who believed they were
responsible for the death of their children due to an outbreak of disease among their tribe.

6. As American population grew their was a new feeling in the U.S. about our nation’s
purpose. Some believed that the U.S. was destined to reach the Pacific. This belief was
known as Manifest Destiny and the man who first said the words was JOHN
O’SULLIVAN_ ,a newspaper editor.
7. Oregon fever also became part of the 1844_ Presidential race. The Democratic side
invented a slogan that expressed the wishes of the Americans. The Democratic candidate
was _James Polk_ and the Whig candidate was Henry Clay_.
The slogan was 54 40 or _FIGHT. Which meant- Americans wanted the line of 54 40
degree of latitude and threatened to fight if we did not receive it.

SECTION 2 –INDEPENDENCE OF TEXAS

1. Davy Crockett was famous Congressmen from Tennessee who would win fame at the
_ALAMO in 1836.

2. Original settlers in present day Texas were Mexicans that were called __Tejanos_. In
the 1820’s there were about _3,000_ (#) living in Texas.
In 1821_(date) Moses Austin was given the first land grant to promote the settlement of
the “province”. The first group of settlers the Old Three Hundred were actually led by
_STEPHEN AUSTIN . They established a settlement along the __BRAZOS_River
&_COLORADO__River of Texas.

3. In the 1830’s the President of Mexico ANTONIO LOPEZ de SANTA ANNA___

angered Texas settlers by his actions. Stephen Austin encouraged Texan independence
and the first real fight in their war for independence came at the battle of GONZALES_.

The most famous fight occurred outside the town of SAN _ ANTONIO_ at a
mission(church) known as the Alamo. Here the defenders held of the Mexican army for
more then __12 days. Eventually all the defenders were killed which included these three
famous men

1. WILLIAM TRAVIS
2. DAVY CROCKETT
3. JIM BOWIE

After the battle the Mexican leader referred to its defenders fighting more like “devils”
then men. This battle was important because… it gave the rest of Texans much needed
time.

4. Eventual independence would come at the battle of SAN____JACINTO_____. At

this fight the Texans were led by SAM HOUSTON__ who was able to quickly crush or
capture much of the Mexican army. Santa Anna himself was taken prisoner at this fight
and forced to sign a treaty giving Texans their independence.

5. The issue of Texas being _ANNEXED_ or taken in by the U.S. was uncertain.
Presidents Jackson , Van Buren and Tyler were either unwilling or unsuccessful. Finally
President _JAMES K. POLK was able to have Texas join the Union on __December
29,1845
_________ __ ____.
SECTION 3- WAR WITH MEXICO

1. Americans began to enter into New Mexico territory in 1821_ from the efforts of
William Becknell who “blazed” the _SANTA__ FE ___TRAIL . This route ran from
Independence, Missouri into New Mexico “province” and was a way that goods and
people entered the area.

2. In California the Spanish had established mission system to both convert the Native
Indians and also get thousands of Indians to do hard manual labor that the Spanish were
either unwilling or unable to complete.

When Mexico won its independence in _1821__(date) they abolished this system. These
Californios, or Mexicans who lived in present day California bought up the land that was
once missions.

These large land properties were called __RANCHOS__ and the people who owned
them were known as _RANCHEROS_. Visitors to these properties compared them to
PLANTATIONS__ that they had seen back in the South because the people on them
were treated much like slaves.

3. The war with Mexico began over a disputed boundary between Mexico and the state
of _TEXAS_. The Mexicans believed the border was the _NUECES_ River. The
Americans contested that the actual border was the _RIO GRANDE__ River.

In 1846, President POLK_ sent Zachary Taylor into disputed territory and the war began.

4. There was opposition to the war. Two (soon to be famous) men spoke out against it.
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass , a spokesmen for the African American
community condemned this “disgraceful” and “cruel” war. As far as regions the
_SOUTH _(area of the country) supported while the _NORTH_(area of the country)
was opposed to it.

5. During the war the area of California came into American hands through the efforts of
two Americans, JOHN C FREMONT_ & _KIT CARSON_. They helped to create the
_BEAR FLAG REPUBLIC.

6. By the end of the war Mexico had to give up half of its territory in what is called the
_MEXICAN CESSION_. That area is present day _CALIFORNIA & _NEW_
_MEXICO_ and all the land in between.
America’s current borders (of the 48 states) was finalized by the GADSDEN_
PURCHASE_ which was done in 1853_. This completed the modern day southern
borders of the states of Arizona and New Mexico.

SECTION 4 – NEW SETTLERS IN CALIFORNIA AND UTAH

1. The Gold Rush created a group known as __49___ ers because they rushed out in that
year. But the actual discovery of gold happened in 18__48__ along the American River
near _SACREMENTO, California. The man credited with finding it was JAMES ___
_MARSHALL_ who was working for John Sutter building a sawmill.

2. This discovery would bring thousands of Americans west into the SIERRA__
_NEVADAS_ Mountains looking for gold. Eventually they would meet the
requirements for statehood and join the Union in 1850__.

3. Though many came west looking to “strike it rich” thousands failed. The most
successful group were those business people who sold items and provided services to the
miners. Men like LEVI __ STRAUSS_ who invented the necessary “miner pants” that
the men were looking for. He changed the world by giving us what we now call _____
_________.

4. There was a dark side to the gold rush days. Boomtowns sprang up so fast that those
communities did not have police or laws to enforce. So many times VIGILANTE__
groups would form and administer their own “street justice”. These groups played the
various roles of judge, JURY_ and EXECUTIONER_.

5. Many California towns grew rapidly. The best example of this would be SAN
FRANCISCO_.

6. The new religious group that enters the picture during this time are known as the
Mormons. This group is also referred to as the Church of JESUS_ _CHRIST_of
LATTER_ DAY_ Saints.

7. Their religion began in NEW YORK_ in 1830. Their founder was a man called
_JOSEPH SMITH__ who had to move his group of followers frequently because the
Mormon practiced , _POLYGAMY_ which other Christians were deeply opposed to.
Eventually the leader was murdered in ILLINOIS_(state) in 1844.

8. Leadership of the Mormons fell to Brigham Young. He decided it would be best to

move the Mormons out of _ILLINOIS(where they had been living) west to the desert
(the area of Utah –known as the Great Salt Lake) a place known that they called
_DESERET_, or modern day Salt Lake City.
9. Conflict would arise between the Mormons and the U.S. government when the U.S.
acquired the territory after _WAR WITH MEXICO_(event). Eventually the area of
Mormons would become the state of Utah in _1896__(year).

10. See question 6 in Section 3 .