I. Accession of John Tyler
A. Election of 1840 -- Harrison
(Whig) d. Van Buren (Democrat)
1. Slogan: "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" (Harrison & Tyler for President)
2. Prominent Whigs (Webster and Clay) sought to control Harrison
3. Harrison died of pneumonia after 4 weeks in office
4. Vice president Tyler became president; foiled plans of Webster &
Clay
B. Tyler’s politics
1. Jacksonian Democrat but hated Jackson’s dictatorial tactics (e.g. nullification
crisis)
2. At odds with majority of Whig party position: Clay’s American System
3. Would eventually veto more legislation than any single-term president
in U.S. history.
II. Tyler and Congress
A. Whig Congress outlined financial reform
1. End of Independent
treasury system (Van Buren’s "Divorce Bill"); Tyler signed bill
2. Tyler vetoed bill for
creation of a 3rd national bank (despite Clay’s support for
it)
B. Tyler formally expelled from his party by
congressional caucus of Whigs
C. Serious attempt to impeach him led to resignation
of entire cabinet
D. 1842, Tyler signed bill to raise tariffs to moderately
protecive 32%.
III. Conflict with England
A. Most Americans still had hatred for British after
fighting the two wars.
-- Jacksonians were anti-aristocracy
and anti-British
B. U.S. a major debtor to England’s banks; several
states didn’t pay back loans due to 1837
Panic.
C. Canadian insurrection in 1837 inspired hundreds
of Americans to help
1. Furnished military supplies
or volunteered for armed service.
2. U.S. gov’t tried unsuccessfully
to uphold its neutrality regulations (as in TX in 1836)
D. Caroline Incident (1837 -- during
Van Buren’s presidency)
1. U.S ship set on fire
on NY shore and sunk by British; one American dead
2. Washington launched vigorous
but ineffective protests
3. 1840, a Canadian man
arrested for alleged role in the attack.
-- British stated his execution would mean war as man was part of a military
force
4. U.S. released the Canadian
prisoner and tensions subsided
E. Creole incident: 1841 -- British
in Bahamas offered asylum to 130 Virginia slaves who had
rebelled and captured the
U.S. ship Creole
-- U.S.-Br. relations once
again tense as infuriated American southerners demanded
recourse
F. Maine boundary dispute
1. British desired to build
a road connecting Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Quebec
-- Road ran through disputed territory
2. "Aroostook War"
(1838)
a. Canadian lumberjacks entered Aroostook River Valley to claim land and
jurisdiction
and were confronted by Maine Militia; conflict was bloodless.
b. Conflict threatened to widen into full-scale shooting war.
3. British diplomat, Lord
Ashburton negotiated with secretary of state Daniel Webster.
4. Webster-Ashburton
Treaty (1842)
a. U.S. retained over half of the territory while British got Halifax-Quebec
route
b. British expressed regret for destruction of Caroline
c. British promised to avoid interference in freeing slaves (as in Creole
incident)
d. Both agreed to cooperate vis-à-vis patrol of African coast to
prevent smuggling
e. U.S. gained land in boundary adjustment in Minnesota (later iron ore
discovered)
f. Significance: treaty helped create compromise and improved U.S.-British
relations.
IV. Manifest Destiny
A. Emotional upsurge whereby millions of Americans
in 1840s & 50s believed that God
had "manifestly" destined
Americans for control of the Western Hemisphere.
1. Felt mission was to spread
democratic institutions from "sea to shining sea."
2. Land greed and ideals
joined into a potent mix for expansion
3. Thomas Hart Benton
-- leading proponent of expansionism, free land, and internal
improvements. Anti-extension of slavery; Jacksonite.
4. "Manifest destiny" phrase
coined in 1844 by John L. Sullivan
5. Movement really began
in 1830s with Jackson and Van Buren’s removal of Indians
B. Election of 1844 an expression of Manifest Destiny
1. Expansionist Democrats
supported "Young Hickory" James K. Polk
a. Polk a Jacksonian (historians often extend Jacksonian democracy through
Polk)
b. Called for "Reannexation of TX" & "Reoccupation of Oregon" to 54-40
2. Clay appealed to the
South with pro-annexation and appealed to North with
postponement of annexation.
-- Clay’s attempt to straddle the Texas issue cost him the presidency
3. Liberty Party
-- 1st party created for the anti-extension of slavery
a. Candidate: James G. Birney, founder of Kentucky Anti-Slavery Society
b. Party ran in both 1840 and 1844 elections.
4. Polk d. Clay 170-105
(Clay lost NY by 5K votes; that was the difference)
5. Democrats claimed
mandate for annexation; moot with Tyler’s annexation of Texas
C. Polk’s 4-point program (achieved in less
than four years)
1. Lowered tariff of 1842
from 32% to 25% (Walker Tariff of 1846)
-- Proved to be excellent revenue producer as it was followed by boom times.
2. Restoration of the Independent
Treasury System (1846)
3. Acquisition of California
4. Settlement of the Oregon
dispute
V. Oregon Treaty (1846)
A. Vast area had been disputed in certain sections
by Spain, Russia, Britain, & U.S.
1. John Jacob Astor
-- Developed the American Fur Company into a huge enterprise
organizing the fur trade from the Great Lakes to Oregon, to eventually
the Far East.
-- When Astor died in 1848, he was the richest man in America
2. Spain gave away claims
to Oregon in Florida Purchase Treaty, 1819
3. Conflict with Russia
a. Fort Ross had been established in 1812 just north of San Francisco
b. Monroe Doctrine intended by J. Q. Adams partly to reject Russian claims.
c. Russians retreated to 54-40’ line due to 1824 & 1825 treaties with
U.S. & Br.
-- U.S. & Br. became sole possessors.
B. American migration into Oregon region (south
of Columbia region -- mod. day Oregon)
1. 1830’s -- Marcus and
Narcissa Whitman, missionaries, led a sprinkling of U.S.
settlers
in Willamette River Valley
2. Oregon Trail: 1840’s:
flood of pioneers with came to Oregon on a trail blazed initially
by Jedediah Smith.
a. 2,000 mile trail; 17 deaths a mile for men, women, and children
-- Trail began at Independence, Missouri or Council Bluffs, Iowa
b. By 1846, 5,000 settlers south of Columbia River; British only 700 north
of river
C. British eager to negotiate in face of U.S. migration
into region
1. Disputed area between
Columbia River and 49th parallel.
-- Proposed compromise of 49th parallel initially refused by Britain
2. Polk abandoned campaign
pledge of a 54-40 boundary; "54-40 or fight!"
a. Didn't want to ruin fragile north-south political balance with new
additional northern states.
b. Southerners in face of Texas annexation & election accepted the
49th parallel
3. Early in 1846, Britain
came around and proposed 49th parallel
D. Senate ratified 49th parallel offer by Britain;
U.S. received Oregeon territory south of 49th parallel
1. War with Mexico influenced
many Senators to seek a quick end to dispute
2. Northwestern states angered
that Southerners got all of TX but not all of
Oregon was acquired.
E. Santa Fe Trail also significant for westward expansion
VI. The Independent Republic of Texas
A. Mexico refused to recognize Texas independence
since 1836.
1. Threatened war if U.S.
should try annexation
2. Vastly outnumbered Texans
feared Mexico
B. Texas concluded treaties England, France, &
Holland for protection in 1839-1840.
1. British interested in
TX as a buffer zone against further U.S. expansion southward.
-- Area could be used for European challenge to Monroe Doctrine
2. France also hoped to
fragment and militarize North America.
VII. Texas joins the Union
A. Leading issue in 1844 campaign (Polk v.
Clay)
1. Opponents feared expansion
of slavery into new region.
2. Southerners strongly
supported annexation
B. Tyler pushed for joint resolution in Congress
for annexation (required only majority)-1845
1. Tyler did not push for
a treaty since req. 2/3 vote in Senate; many Whigs opposed.
2. Lame-duck Tyler interpreted
(narrow) election as mandate for annexation.
C. Mexico charged U.S. had unjustly taken Texas;
refused to recognize annexation
D. Acquisition of TX helped remove the Europeans
from U.S. southern border
VIII. Mexican War
A. Polk sought to buy California from Mexico
but tensions prevented such a purchase
1. California was seen as
gateway to the Pacific
2. Texas’ annexation issue
caused Mexico to sever diplomatic relations with U.S.
3. Boundary dispute: Original
boundary was the northerly Nueces River; Texans
claimed southerly Rio Grande
a. Polk felt compelled to honor Texas’ boundary
b. Mexicans less concerned over boundary, wanted Texas back
4. U.S. claimed against
Mexico $3 million in damages to U.S. citizens & property
-- Mexico had formally agreed to assume this debt but defaulted
5. Polk sent John
Slidell to Mexico City in late 1845 to buy California for $25 mil
-- Mexico refused to allow Slidell to present his proposition
B. Congress declares war on Mexico
1. Jan. 1846 -- Polk orders
Gen. Zachary Taylor to march from Nueces River to Rio
Grande, and orders naval forces in the Gulf of Mexico and California coast
to get ready.
-- Polk was prepared to force a showdown but none occurred
2. April 25 -- Mexican troops
crossed the Rio Grande and attacked Taylor; 16 casualties
a. Polk sent war message to Congress
b. Congress overwhelmingly voted for declaration of war.
-- Even antislavery Whigs joined in; later condemned war as "Mr. Polk’s
War"
c. A majority of Whigs opposed the war in principle.
i. Some Whigs, however, questioned if blood was spilled on U.S. territory
-- Spot Resolutions: Rep. Abraham Lincoln sought the exact spot;
"spotty Lincoln"
ii. Many Whigs believed U.S. had no legal right to territory south of the
Nueces River.
iii.Ralph Waldo Emerson feared slavery issue in new conquered territories
would lead to a
severe sectional crisis: "Mexico will poison us!"
d. Southern expansionists eager to take more Mexican territory.
4. Mexico hoped U.S. involvement
with Britain over Oregon would erupt into war
-- Wanted to humiliate U.S. for Texas issue
C. U.S. initiated 3-pronged attack; Polk sought
a limited war
1. California by land
a. Captain John C. Fremont intervened after Bear Flag Revolt; captured
California
b. 1846 -- Gen. Stephen W. Kearny captured Santa Fe and moved into California
2. California by sea
-- Commodore John D. Sloat seized Monterey & San Francisco.
3. Gen. Zachary Taylor
victorious at Monterey and later at Buena Vista
-- Taylor an overnight hero (became pres. in 1848)
4. Gen. Winfield Scott
pushed inland from Vera Cruz and captured Mexico City.
-- Mexico still refused to negotiate and instead carried on guerrilla warfare.
D. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (Feb.2, 1848)
1. State Dept. clerk Nicholas
Trist, negotiated treaty with Mexico despite being recalled by
Polk for bungling a deal (bribe) with Santa Anna who took the money and
ran
2. Provisions:
a. U.S. gained California, and modern-day NM, AZ, UT and NV
-- ½ of Mexican territory
b. U.S. to pay $15 million and assumed claims of U.S. citizens against
Mexico of
$3,250,000
3. Treaty approved by Senate
38-14 despite bitter debate
a. "Mexican Whigs" disapproved of war & even threatened to cut off
supplies to U.S. forces in Mexico;
b. Expansionists in South clamored for all of Mexico
c. Calhoun pushed for treaty immediately before significant opposition
mounted.
C. Results of war
1. 13,000 Americans dead,
mostly by disease.
2. U.S. territory increased
by 1/3 (including Texas) -- Bigger than Louisiana Purchase
3. Sentiment for Manifest
Destiny increased in U.S.
4. Ugly turning point in
U.S. relations with Latin America; "Colossus of the North"
5. U.S. forces experienced
in war; will effect scope of Civil War
6. Most significantly, slavery
issue aroused; Slavery or not in new territories?
a. In a broad sense, Mexican war resulted in Civil War
b. Abolitionists assailed Mexican conflict as conspiracy of "slavocracy."
c. Wilmot Proviso:
i. Slavery should never exist in any of territory gained from Mexico
ii. Twice passed House but not Senate; endorsed by all but 1 free state
iii. Southerners resented Northern attempts to prevent expansion of slavery
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