Chapter 17 – Manifest Destiny and its legacy 1841-1848
ELECTION OF 1840
Harrison: “Tippecanoe and Tyler too” – Whig
Daniel Webster – Secretary of State, and Henry Clay, Senator aka “The Great Compromiser” planned to govern while Harrison remained a figurehead.
VP Tyler took office when Harrison died 1 month after inauguration
å Blocked programs of Webster, Clay
å “President without a Party”
å Opposed Clay’s “American System”
å Passed bill for 2nd National Bank
å Vetoed bill for a 3rd National Bank
Whigs expelled Tyler from party and tried to impeach him
Tyler’s cabinet resigned (except Webster)
1842- Tyler signed bill to raise tariff 32%
FOREIGN POLICY: TROUBLE WITH GREAT BRITAIN
A. 1837 – Caroline Incident [Van Buren’s presidency]
1840 Canadian arrested for role in Caroline incident
Britain threatened war if man were executed
B. 1841 – Creole incident – Brits offered asylum to US slaves who had seized the Creole and fled to the Bahamas
C. Maine boundary dispute – Brits wanted to build road through disputed ME territory, from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Quebec
1838 – “Aroostook War” – Canadian lumberjacks fought ME militia (little violence)
1842 – Webster-Ashburton Treaty (U.S., GB)
Settled ME boundary dispute
Britain would avoid interfering with U.S. slaves (e.g. Creole incident)
U.S. got some territory in Minnesota that later turned out to have iron deposits
Both would cooperate to control pirates off of Africa.
Significance: improved U.S.-GB relations
TEXAS
1. 1836 became independent from Mexico
2. Military threat from Mexico forced Texas form alliances with European nations
a. Britain,
b. 1839-1840Treaties with : France Holland Belgium
3. Britain and France hoped an independent TX would help divide America
4. Britain interests in TX
a. abolition,
b. free-trade in TX
c. TX cotton for their textile mills
5. Independent TX a danger to US: foreign threats
6. After election of 1844 became 28th state in 1845 (see below)
OREGON: Americans angled for Oregon Country
1. Huge – Rockies to Pacific, n. of CA to 54º40”
2. Claimed by Spain, Russia, Britain, USA
a. 1819 Spain relinquished claim, 1825 & 1825 Russia
3. British claims via settlement and Hudson’s Bay Co. strong north of Columbia River
4. Americans claims strong via Robert Gray (1792) and Lewis and Clark (1804-1806) explorations, and settlement south of Columbia R. 1830s
5. Treaty of 1818- US & Great Britain- joint occupation of Oregon Country
6. By 1846 5000 Americans had come to Wilamette Valley over the Oregon Trail (“Oregon fever”)
7. US wanted 49th parallel as boundary, Britain wanted Columbia R.
8. Oregon Settlement of 1846 set 49th parallel as boundary (see below)
ELECTION OF 1844 – Polk (Democrats, “Young Hickory”) v. Clay (Whig, “Great Compromiser”)
1. Clay popular, Polk a “dark horse” w/ southern support
2. Issues
a. Dems believed in Expansionism –Manifest Destiny
i. Texas a major issue-
1. Dems, esp. southerners supported annexation of TX as slave state
2. Whigs tried to straddle TX issue - annex but not right away
ii. Oregon – occupy to 54º40’
b. Other issues – bank, slavery, tariff, internal improvements
3. Close election, Polk won
4. Outgoing President Tyler led annexation of TX by joint resolution of Congress (1845) TX – 28th state
POLK ADMINISTRATION – 4-point program:
1. Lower Tariff: Walker Tariff of 1846 lowered tariff to 25%, produced revenue
2. Restore independent Treasury 1846
a. (Background: Bank v. Treasury; Hamilton’s Bank of US was privately owned but acted like a branch of Govt. – issued paper money – had been dropped by Jackson in 1836. In Van Buren’s “Divorce Bill” An independent Treasury owned by Govt. replaced it 1840-1841)
b. (Definition: Independent treasury – govt funds stored in vaults, not loaned out like bank funds)
3. Obtain Oregon: Oregon Settlement of 1846 (US, Britain) set boundary at 49th parallel
4. Obtain California from Mexico – Mexico rejected Slidell’s offer of $25 million
TROUBLE WITH MEXICO
1. Mexico owed US citizens $3 million
2. Mexico offended by annexation of TX 1845
3. Mexico & US disputed TX border
4. 1846 – after Slidell mission to Mexico failed (Mexico refused to sell CA to U.S.), Polk ordered Gen. Zachary Taylor to march to disputed territory from Nueces R. to Rio Grande; in April Mexicans attacked and US declared war
MEXICAN WAR 1846-1848
å Whigs opposed war – Abraham Lincoln sought the exact “spot” where American blood was shed on American soil
å Some Whigs believed U.S. had no right to land south of the Nueces River.
å Polk’s real objective – get California before British did
U.S. attack:
California- land 1846 –
å Gen. Stephen Kearny captured Santa Fe NM intending to march to CA
å Capt. John C. Fremont captured California after a short period as the California Bear Flag Republic (26 days)
California- sea – Commodore John Sloat captured Monterrey and San Francisco
Mexico:
å Gen. Zachary Taylor (“Old Rough and Ready) victorious at Monterey and in 1847 at Buena Vista, Mexico – fought General Santa Anna
å Gen. Winfield Scott (“Old Fuss and Feathers”) landed at Vera Cruz, Mexico, marched inland and captured Mexico City 1847
TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO - 1848
å Polk sent Nicholas Trist to negotiate; Gen. Santa Anna took money and reneged.
å Polk recalled Trist, who refused to obey and negotiated treaty with Mexico anyway.
å Provisions:
1. U.S. gained half of Mexican Territory: California, and large region which is today NM, AZ, UT, and NV (these gains are known as the Mexican Cession)
2. U.S. right to TX was confirmed
3. U.S. to pay $15 million and pay claims of U.S. citizens agianst Mexico (the $3 million)
Treaty approved by Senate despite bitter debate –
So-called “Mexican Whigs” disapproved of war
Expansionists (mostly southern) wanted to capture all of Mexico
Some like Calhoun advocated wise course of signing treaty immediately
Results of Mexican War: “Mexico will poison us.”
å America’s size increased by one-third (counting TX)
å American army, navy and Marines won battle experience that they would later use on both sides of Civil War
å American military reputation grew internationally
å Permanent damage to relations between U.S. and Mexico and US. and Latin America (“Colossus of the North”)
å MOST IMPORTANT: Slavery Issue re-opened – bitterly divisive. Should new territories be slave or free?
å Mexican War eventually resulted in the Civil War
å Abolitionists thought war was plot by Southern slave owners
å Wilmot Proviso of 1848
-Slavery should never exist in any territory gained from Mexico
-Bitter fighting in Congress - rejected 1846, 1847
-Southerners resented Northern attempts to prevent spread of slavery.
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