Westward Expasion/ Manifest Destiny

  • Manifest Destiny

    Manifest Destiny is the belief that God gave us the American soil and the right to expand Westward, plus to help our economy grow economically, politically, and socially. The Americans believed that God gave them the devine right to move Westward.
  • Original 13 Colonies

    The U.S. fought in the Revolutionary War to gain control of this land. The Declaration Of Independence is a statement of the Second Continental Congress that defined the colonists' rights, outlined their complaints against Great Britain, and Declared the colonies' independence. The American Revolution lasted 7 years and this made our economy weaker because we paid for weapons and supplies.
  • Northwest Territory

    The U.S. obtained the land in the Northwest Territory by Treaty. The Continental Congress passed the Northwest Ordinace of 1787. This created 5 states- Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. The requirements for becoming a state are:
    1. Must have at least 60,000 people living in that area.
    2. Must draft your own constitution.
    3. Must draft your own Bill Of Rights.
    4. Free public education.
    5. No slavery.
    6. Musst be approved by congress.
  • Louisiana Purchase

    We obtained the land by buying it from Napoleon Bonaparte, due to the deep war debt France was in. The Mississippi River and New Orleans were so important to us because it strengthened our economy with the trade being easy on the river. The U.S President credited with purchasing the land in the Louisiana Purchase is Thomas Jefferson. This purchase costed the U.S. $15 Million. This purchase nearly doubled the size of the U.S.
  • Adams-Onis Treaty

    The Southerners were angered, due to raids on U.S. towns made by Seminole indians from Florida. The Seminoles were also helping runaway slaves. President Monroe sent troops under the command of General Andrew Jackson to secure the Florida border. Jackson invaded Florida, and this was unconstitutional because he took over most of Spain's important military posts and over threw their government.
  • Texas Annexation (continued)

    Houston's soldiers had to retreat eat, and within 2 weeks they had written a constitution similar to the U.S. A Republic was where the people ruled, not like a Monarchy where the king or ruler ruled. Texas had many problems with its economy and with Mexico. These include:
    !. Small Population
    2. Slowly relied on Agriculture
    3. Mexico refused to honor them as their own country.
  • Texas Annexation (continued 2)

    The U.S. didn't allow Texas to enter as a state becasue if Texas became a Union state then there would be more slave states than free states. If that happened, then they could make slavery legal and slavery could expand westward.
  • Texas Annexation

    To Annex means to take control of something. Americans started moving to Texas becasue of the empresarios and because of Stephen. He promised. cheap or free land. Each man would recieve 640 acres, getting extra acreage for his wife and each kid. Other grants offered about 4,600 acres to married men. The Mexican Government was now taking away/ making illegal:
    1. No slaves.
    2. Catholicism.
    3. Mexican Laws.
    4. Mexican Citizens.
  • Oregon Territory

    Great Britain originally shared control of the Oregon Territory with the U.S. The U.S. was trying to avoid war with Great Britain so they signed the treaty with Brtiain, the Adams-Onis Treaty. The Current U.S. states made out of this territory are Oregon, Washington, Idaho, parts of Wyoming and Montana.
  • Mexican Cession

    The Mexican government kept rejecting the Texas and U.S. claim that Rio Grande marked the Southern border of Texas, arguing with the U.S. that the real southern border lay along the Nueces River further North. The treaty we signed with Mexico that ended the Mexican-American war was The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The U.S. states made by the Mexican Cession were California, Nevada, Utah, Parts of New Mexico, Parts of Colorado, and Wyoming. This made the size of the U.S. increase by 25%.
  • Gadsden Purchase

    The U.S. agreed to purchase land under the Gadsden Purchase becasue the Continental boundaries were finally fixed. We were trying to avoid war. The U.S. paid $10 Million for the land gained in the Gadsden Purchase and the Present day states New Mexico and Arizona were created. The Continental Boundaries were finally fized with the Gadsden Purchase and it helped the U.S. complete expanding, completing Manifest Destiny.