LESSON TITLE  Manifest Destiny

 

 

OBJECTIVES:

 

  1. The students will explain the term Manifest Destiny.

  2. They will analyze American expansion.

  3.

 

 

LESSON SUMMARY:

      This lesson will cover the annexation of Texas and the peaceful settlement of the Oregon boundary issue.     

                       

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

 

  1. map work.  debate the ethics of expansion.

 

  2. recall worksheets

 

 

 

 

NOTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CREATED January 1994

REVISED

 

 

 

  I.  Manifest Destiny

 

          A.  Epitaph for the 1840s

 

          B.  Very popular belief

              1.  U.S. would dominate North America

              2.  control Canada, Cuba, Mexico

 

          C.  Often used by politicians

 

 II.  Annexation of Texas

 

          A.  Example of Manifest Destiny

 

          B.  1820s Mexico invited U.S. settlers to move to
              Texas

              1.  Stephen Austin

              2.  thousands moved there - good land

 

          C.  Dilemma for Mexico

              1.  Americans soon outnumbered them

              2.  wish to join Texas to the U.S.

              3.  Mexicans tried to stop migration

 

          D.  1836 Texans revolted

 

          E.  Santa Anna Mexican dictator

              1.  marched into Texas

              2.  won significant victor at the Alamo

                   a.  near San Antonio

                   b.  Davey Crockett

              3.  defeated by Sam Houston

                   a.  San Jacinto

                   b.  Alamo bought Houston time

 

          F.  Texas declared independence

              1.  Lone Star Republic

              2.  not recognized by Mexico

              3.  desired to join U.S.

 

III. Election of 1844

 

          A.  Henry Clay won Whig nomination

 

          B.  Martin Van Buren counted on Democratic
              nomination

 

          C.  Expansion main issue

              1.  Texas issue, clouded by slavery

              2.  both Clay and Van Buren wanted to avoid
                  it.

 

          D.  Van Buren dumped by Democrats

              1.  Southerners wouldn't support him

                   a.  wanted Texas in the Union

              2.  nominated James K. Polk

 

          E.  Polk well known politician

              1.  ironically called a dark horse

              2.  Speaker of the House

                   a.  from Tennessee

              3.  favored expansion

              4.  follower of Andrew Jackson

 

          F.  Polk narrowly defeated Clay

              1.  slavery hadn't overshadowed expansion

              2.  John Tyler signed the annexation to Texas

                   a.  increases tensions with Mexico

LESSON TITLE  MANIFEST DESTINY

 

 

OBJECTIVES:

 

  1. Students will describe the dispute with Britain over
     Oregon.

  2. They will explain how it was resolved peacefully.

  3.

 

 

LESSON SUMMARY:

      This lesson will explore the peaceful division of the Oregon territory.          

                       

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

 

  1. Essays about conflict resolution.

 

  2. recall worksheet

 

 

 

 

NOTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CREATED January 1994

REVISED

 

 

 

  I.  Oregon Territory

 

          A.  Much larger than the present state

 

          B.  Rockies form its eastern border

 

          C.  All land between Nth California and Alaska

 

 II.  U.S. and British relations

 

          A.  Both had claims to the area

 

          B.  1818 U.S. & Britain agree to joint occupation

              1.  both would have access to the area

              2.  arrangement could be ended by either

              3.  Britain interested in fur trade

 

          C.  U.S. sent more settlers

              1.  missionaries publicized rich land

              2. 

 

          D.  1845 Polk ended joint occupation

              1.  began negotiations with Britain

                   a.  to divide the territory

              2.  Polk favored extending 49th parallel

 

          E.  Britain wanted 46th parallel

              1.  slow to negotiate

 

          F.  Polk hardened his position

              1.  asked for all of the territory

              2.  540 40' or fight slogan

              3.  bluffing the British

                   a.  couldn't afford international
                       problems with them

                   b.  war was likely with Mexico

 

          G.  Britain did not favor war either

              1.  quickly moderated their position

              2.  49th parallel was accepted June 1846


LESSON TITLE  MANIFEST DESTINY

 

OBJECTIVES:

 

  1. The students will study the events that led to war with
     Mexico.

  2. Judgements will be made about this war.

  3. They will relate the war to the slavery debate.

 

 

LESSON SUMMARY:

      Essentially this lesson will be about the war with Mexico and its aftermath.           

                       

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

 

  1. short answer essays.  recall worksheets

 

  2. research people and events

 

 

 

 

NOTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CREATED January 1994

REVISED

 

 

 

  I.  Outbreak of the Mexican War

 

          A.  Texas annexed by the U.S. in 1845

              1.  Mexico never recognized Texas independence
              2.  disputed borders also

 

          B.  Border dispute basic cause

              1.  Mexico placed it at Nueces

                   a.  north of the Rio Grande

              2.  U.S. claimed Rio Grande

 

          C.  Polk's actions

              1.  favored addition of Texas

              2.  also wanted California

              3.  frustrated with negotiations

              4.  ordered Zachary Taylor to the Rio Grande

                   a.  April 1846

 

          D.  Mexican Reaction

              1.  unstable government

              2.  viewed as an invasion

              3.  war was declared by them

              4.  Several advantages

                   a.  fighting closer to them

                   b.  larger army, well trained

 

          E.  American troops ambushed late April

              1.  several were killed

              2.  Polk asked Congress for war

 

          F.  War declared in May 1846

 

II.  Fighting the war

 

          A.  Mexican generals quickly frustrated

              1.  victories eluded them

 

          B.  One of U.S's most successful wars

              1.  California quickly captured

              2.  Polk eager to end war

                   a.  Santa Anna refused this

 

          C.  Polk ordered an invasion of Mexico

              1.  force the issue with Santa Anna

 

III.  Zachary Taylor

 

          A.  Career officer

              1.  from Louisiana

              2.  slave owner

 

          B.  Won several victories in northern Mexico

              1.  usually against larger forces

              2.  also made mistakes

                   a.  chances to hurt the enemy

              3.  hampered by supply problems

 

          C.  Buena Vista

              1.  most significant victory

                   a.  defensive battle for U.S.

                   b.  Jefferson Davis important role

              2.  attacked by Santa Anna

                   a.  larger force

              3.  inflicted damage on Mexican army

              4.  Santa Anna  withdrew to Mexico City

 

          D.  Taylor was war's first hero

              1.  got lots of popular press

              2.  rumors about presidential possibilities

                   a.  identified with the Whigs

              3.  Polk angered by all this

                   a.  politics in war

 

 IV.  Winfield Scott

 

          A.  Commander of the army

 

          B.  Landed at Vera Cruz March 1847

              1.  army of 12,000

              2.  plan to march on Mexico City

                   a.  over 200 miles

                   b.  mountainous terrain

 

          C.  Cerro Gordo

              1.  narrow mountain pass

              2.  Santa Anna set up strong defenses

                   a.  good tactical move

               3.  outmaneuvered future civil war generals

                   a.  Lee       b.  McClellan

                   c.  Beauregard

              4.  cleared way to Mexico City

 

          D.  Sept. 1847 Scott reached Mexico City

              1.  Chapultepec assaulted

                   a.  U.S. Grant saw action here

              2.  American troops occupied the city

              3.  Santa Anna resigned

              4.  officially ends fighting

 

  V.  Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848

 

          A.  Nicholas Trist

              1.  chief negotiator

              2.  had trouble finding officials willing to
                  negotiate

                   a.  sign a humiliating treaty

              3.  lack of tact angered Polk

              4.  Polk actually fired Trist

                   a.  Trist refused to leave Mexico City

                   b.  kept bargaining

 

          B.  Terms Trist eventually got

              1.  Mexican Cession

                   a.  gave up half of Mexico's land

                   b.  CA and the Southwest

                   c.  only Louisiana Purchase larger

              2.  border set at the Rio Grande

              3.  U.S. paid Mexico $15 million

 

          C.  Polk sent treaty to Senate

              1.  quickly approved

              2.  ironic what Trist achieved

 

 VI.  Unexpected results of the war

 

          A.  Biggest reopened slave debate

              1.  belief slavery morally wrong

              2.  opposition to new slave states

              3.  Henry David Thoreau

                   a.  civil disobedience

 

          B.  One of long term causes of the Civil War

 

          C.  Also enriched the U.S.

              1.  gold rush in California

LESSON TITLE  MANIFEST DESTINY

 

 

OBJECTIVES:

 

  1. The students will examine the reemergence of the
     slavery question after the Mexican War.

  2. They will make judgements about racial matters in the
     U.S.

  3.

 

 

LESSON SUMMARY:

      This lesson will deal with the complex problem of slavery in American history.  It will set up the way the issue was dealt with in the 1850s. 

                       

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

 

  1. essay writing. recall worksheets.

 

  2. small group research on racial topics.

 

 

 

 

NOTES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CREATED January 1994

REVISED

 

 

 

  I.  Both North and South deeply prejudiced

         

          A.  Northern states first to eliminate slavery

 

          B.  Blacks had second class status there

              1.  couldn't vote

              2.  little access to education

              3.  usually poorest members of society

 

          C.  Most white Americans practiced discrimination

 

 II.  Southern Society

 

          A.  Doctrine of White Supremacy

              1.  strongly supported most people

              2.  called for keeping races separate

              3.  identified blacks as inferior

                   a.  although not true

 

          B.  Planter Aristocracy

              1.  wealthy elites of Southern society

              2.  owned the large plantations

              3.  owned 100 or more slaves

              4.  controlled Southern society

                   a.  especially politics

                   b.  also the economy of the South

 

          C.  Yeoman Farmer

              1.  numerically largest class

              2.  small farmers

              3.  might own a few slaves

              4.  allied with the plantation owners

 

          D.  Poor Whites

              1.  white trash, crackers

              2.  usually most bigoted

                   a.  barely step above slaves

 

III.  Slavery in America

 

          A.  1619 first Blacks arrive

              1.  first indentured servants

              2.  work the tobacco fields

              3.  soon importing slaves

 

          B.  Mid 1700s slavery on decline

              1.  tobacco cultivation shrinking

                   a.  hard on the land

              2.  hope slavery die natural death

                   a.  states would slowly abolish it

                   b.  happened in the Northeast

 

          C.  1793 cotton gin changes everything

              1.  invented by Eli Whitney

              2.  cotton acreage increased dramatically

              3.  fueled demand for slaves

              4.  invention changed history

 

          D.  Early 1800s new demand for slaves

              1.  increased imports from Africa

                   a.  illegal after 1808

              2.  domestic breeding programs

              3.  smuggling after 1808

 

          E.  South's defense of slavery

              1.  called it a positive good

                    a.  source of money - cotton

              2.  racism towards blacks

              3.  called Northern workers wage slaves

                   a.  criticized Northern slums