🏵Westward Expension 🏵 image
After Independance (04/07/1776)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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