🏵Westward Expension 🏵 image

After Independance (04/07/1776) image

13 British colonies = USA

Government had to organise the territories

💥Northwest Ordinance 💥 June 1787: organise the Northwest territories

When a territory had 6,000 free white males, it could have a territorial legislature.
When the population was 60,000 free inhabitants, a constitution could be drafted and the
territory could be admitted into the union as a state, with the consent of Congress

🍏Louisiana Purchase🍏 (1803) image

Before owned by Frensh

President Jefferson offered 2 million
dollars to France for the port of New Orleans

Napoleon needed found for war in Europe

so he decided to sell, not only New
Orleans, but also the whole territory, for 15 million dollars.

Louisiana mapped by Lewis and Clark (inform Indian tribes, studying plants, animals....)

fur trade 🐻

Trains for pionneers who settle to the West 🚂

(1811 Oregon Trail, 1821 Santa Fe Trail

Government encouraged pple to settle in that new territories

In the following decades it was carved into many states : Louisiana, Missouri, Arkhansas, Oklahoma....

Florida ✨ (1819) image

Former Spanish property

There were spaniards, runaways slaves, Indian tribes ...and already American settlers

Spanish didn't want to sell Florida to Americans

So, American Gov. reproached them to not manage well their territory....

They decided to military intervain 👮‍♂️

February 1819, the Adams-Onis Treaty was signed

Oregon🥚 (1846~1848) image

1818, that region was under the joint occupation of Britain and the United States

1846 A treaty was signed and Oregon became a territory in 1948

That area was interesting economically speakink : fur trade, timber and agriculture.

Texas🍬 (1837~ 1845) image

In the 1820’s it was part of Mexico

Mexican Gov allowed Americans to move to Texas🍉

Lands were cheaper then in the US

American Gov tried tu buy Texas several times but ❌

Then American settlers in Texas (who were numerous ) rebelled in 1936

They proclaim the Independance of the Republic of Texas, recognized by Jackson in 1837

The Rep of Texas asked to be annexed into the American Union❌ But fears in US because Texas would permit slavery : reinforcing power of the South...

Finally in 1845 it was admitted in the union as a slave state

Following this: severed relationship between Mexico and the US

THE WAR WITH MEXICO

When James Polk was president

Anexation of Texas was during James Polk

He was an expensionist and a Democrat

He offered a few million dollars💲 in order to by Mexico and California but it was rejected

So, he sent the General Taylor and his troups

April 1846: clash between Mexico and US 🤜

Polk was informed of the incident and declare war threw the Congress ("Blood had been shed")

But for the Whigs the area near the Rio Grande wasn't Amercan, however a great majority in the Congress voted for war

In August 1846 Taylor took New Mexico and California 👮‍♂️

But the Mexican did not surrender

In 1847 Mexica was finally ceized

1848📰Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo : Mexico accepted Rio Grande as a border + ceaded California

Justification for expension image

1845, Manifest of Destiny Jounalist John O' Sullivan

rapidly growing population --> God intended American Continent fore WHITE people 😒 !

Kind of Puritan' vision

Gad had "given" them America in order to create a perfect society

In that way, disapearance of Indian tribes = God will

Indians didn't really "subdue"/work the earth --< cf passage of the Genesis

Whigs were against Manifest Destiny, they thaught it was for covering up other motives

For them, war with Mexico wasn't for self-defense but a war for expansion

Conclusion 🔅

Expansionism : need, greed for land + assert USA powers over other nations (Spain, England...)

Imigration to the west encoraged by the Gow because economic crisis and cities overcrowded

People thaughts that Asia = Big market for American product so territories with coasts were important