Expansion and Manifest Destiny
The following notes will help you prepare for questions about the expansion of the U.S. and Manifest Destiny on the AP U.S. History Exam.
The Alamo : site of rebellion by Americans living in San Antonio
Compromise of 1850 : permitted California to enter the Union as a free state, ended the slave trade in Washington, D.C., created a newer, stronger fugitive slave law to appease the southern states
Dorothea Dix : activist who worked on behalf of the mentally ill
Gadsen Purchase : the sale of portions of southern Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico to the U.S. to allow the U.S. to build a southern transcontinental railroad
Irish potato famine : diseased potato crops in Ireland sent a wave of immigrants into the U.S.
Know-Nothings : political party of the mid-19th century, noted for its anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant beliefs
nativism : a movement with hostility toward immigrants at its core
sectionalism : the division between the northern states and southern states, each concerned for what was in their own best interest
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo : Ended the Mexican-American War; Mexico ceded almost all of its land from Texas to California for $15 million
transcendentalism : philosophical movement that argued that political parties and organized religion were corrupting
Wilmot Proviso : failed bill introduced by Congressman David Wilmot that would have banned slavery in land acquired from Mexico
Whigs : political party that opposed annexation and acquiring new land because it created sectionalism; catered to immigrant voters
People :
John C. Fremont : American general and explorer; became the Republican Party's first presidential candidate
John O'Sullivan : Journalis who coined the phrase "manifest destiny"
James Polk : 11th president of the U.S.; many of his actions and policies favored expanding the U.S.
Henry David Thoreau : transcendentalist who advocated for non-violent civil disobedience
- In the years before the Civil War, the U.S. expanded significantly. Manifest Destiny, or the idea that it was the God-given right of white settlers to settle the West, was the driving force behind expansion. This expansion came at the cost of Native Americans, who were forced off their land and, eventually, onto reservations.
- The U.S. obtained a large portion of the Southwest after defeating Mexico in the Mexican-American War, which lasted from 1846 - 1848. The U.S. provoked an attack by sending troops into disputed territory south of the Rio Grande, under the orders of President James Polk.
- The U.S. also experienced an increase in immigration during this time, leading to a wave of nativism. Many of the immigrants were from Ireland as they were escaping a deadly famine that took hold of their country.
The Alamo : site of rebellion by Americans living in San Antonio
Compromise of 1850 : permitted California to enter the Union as a free state, ended the slave trade in Washington, D.C., created a newer, stronger fugitive slave law to appease the southern states
Dorothea Dix : activist who worked on behalf of the mentally ill
Gadsen Purchase : the sale of portions of southern Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico to the U.S. to allow the U.S. to build a southern transcontinental railroad
Irish potato famine : diseased potato crops in Ireland sent a wave of immigrants into the U.S.
Know-Nothings : political party of the mid-19th century, noted for its anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant beliefs
nativism : a movement with hostility toward immigrants at its core
sectionalism : the division between the northern states and southern states, each concerned for what was in their own best interest
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo : Ended the Mexican-American War; Mexico ceded almost all of its land from Texas to California for $15 million
transcendentalism : philosophical movement that argued that political parties and organized religion were corrupting
Wilmot Proviso : failed bill introduced by Congressman David Wilmot that would have banned slavery in land acquired from Mexico
Whigs : political party that opposed annexation and acquiring new land because it created sectionalism; catered to immigrant voters
People :
John C. Fremont : American general and explorer; became the Republican Party's first presidential candidate
John O'Sullivan : Journalis who coined the phrase "manifest destiny"
James Polk : 11th president of the U.S.; many of his actions and policies favored expanding the U.S.
Henry David Thoreau : transcendentalist who advocated for non-violent civil disobedience
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Related Links: Gilded Age Quiz AP US History Quizzes AP US History Notes Westward Expansion Facts Westward Expansion Timeline Exploration and Colonization Gilded Age |