1-Explain the causes and effects of westward expansion from 1844 to 1877.
Desire for natural resources and hopes of economic opportunity led to an increase in migration and selement ● Fur trading, mining (gold, silver), farming, cale ranches, etc ● Due to population growth and overcrowding in the cities, a lot of people especially in the middle class migrate west ● Technology like railroads allows for this migration to occur along with linking the country through trade and communication
Many argued it was America’s “manifest destiny” to expand its borders from coast to coast
Congress encouraged migration through legislation supporting transportation and land selement. (Pacific Railway and Homestead) ● Railroads connect country, federal land grants around rails
Desires to expand trade with Asia led to increased interest in California. (Mahew Perry opens trade with Japan) ● Chinese immigrants come to the west coast and get involved with mining ● At one point, ⅓ minors was of Chinese origin ● Pacific ocean connection in terms of trade
Conflict and displacement of Native Americans ● Displaced due to huge flood of white selers coming to get resources
2-Explain the causes and effects of the Mexican– American War.
US added large territories in the West through victory in the Mexican-American War and diplomatic negotiations ● President Polk was aggressive expansionist ○ Sent army to conquer Texas and Mexico City ● Diplomatic relations such as the British and Americans negotiating diplomatic agreements over the Oregon territory through peaceful treaty ● Seled disputes in vain regarding the Canadian border controlled by Britain ● Annex. of Texas, California, New Mexico, Oregon (49th parallel) ● Many Americans opposed to war (saw it through lense of slavery) ● Phases where Americans were living in Texas while it was still Mexican territory ○ Mexico allowed Americans to sele as immigrants in order to promote development in the North of Mexico ● Americans started to disregard Mexican law and that’s when tensions started building up ● Sam Houston claimed Texas as an independent country and asked the US to annex it
● Independent American expansionists defeat Mexicans and create California as an independent republic ● Treaty of Gudalupe Hidalgo ends war.. (⅓ of Mexico taken) ○ At the end of the war, the US conquered all the way to Mexico City ○ Mexican government was not in a good position to bargain so they give up the land north of the Rio Grande ○ New Mexico and California were annexed in the same treaty
Raised questions about the status of slavery, American Indians, and Mexicans in the newly acquired lands. (Now under U law)
Government interaction and conflict with Mexican Americans and American Indians increased, altering these group’s economic self-sufficiency and cultures
3- Explain the similarities and differences in how regional aitudes affected federal policy in the period aer the Mexican–American War.
Increased Sectionalism: The Mexican Cession led to heated controversies over whether to allow slavery in the newly acquired territories. (Parties = Southern Dems vs Northern Whigs) ● Democrats were split between North and South ● Southern Dems saw expansionist policies as a way to expand slavery ○ Some Southern Dems wanted to take all of Mexico, buy Cuba, and conquer all the way to Central America in order to create a large slave empire
Wilmot Proviso: called for banning slavery in any territory gained from Mexico. (Passed House but defeated in Senate)
Gadsden Purchase: land purchase from Mexico for NewMexico and Arizona (route for southern railroad)
HIPP ANALYSIS - CHOOSE ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER AND COMPLETE A HIPP ANALYSIS
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
INTENDED AUDIENCE
PURPOSE
