Chapter 17: Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy (1841-1848) 

The Accession of "Tyler Too"

    John Tyler

• "Tippecanoe" Harrison died four weeks after his inaugural speech of pneumonia. He got pneumonia because his inaugural speech was so long, and he was withstanding the harsh cold climate.
• Vice President John "Tyler Too" Tyler took office in Harrison's place.
• Tyler was elected as a Whig, but was still a Democrat at heart.
• The Whig Congress hastened to pass a law ending the independent treasury system, which Tyler did not agree with but signed it.

Problems with Great Britain

Texas

• 1839-1840 - Texas concluded treaties with France, Holland, and Britain
• Britain wanted Texas because:
  1. Would check southward surge (expansion), could turn upon U.S. and get through Monroe Doctrine.
  2. Get rid of slavery.
  3. It was a free-trade area, cotton-producing (it would be an easy way for them to get cotton from America and it would be a lot cheaper for them). 
• Leading issue in presidential campaign of 1844

  *In 1845, Texas becomes part of the United States.

Oregon

• It was called an enormous wilderness.
• It spread from west of the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean and North of California to the line of 54° 40' which is the southern tip of Alaska.
• A good majority of the land was owned by four nations: Spain, Russia, Great Britain and the U.S.
• Had more Americans than any other ethnicity.
• Came down that Britain and America really wanted the territory.
• America got Oregon, but they did not get what all that they wanted, the northern border was only the 49° instead of 54°40'.

  Oregon Controversy, 1846

Election of 1844

• Henry Clay (Whigs) vs. James K. Polk (Democrats).
• James Polk may have been a "dark horse", but he was hardly an unknown or decrepit nag.
• Oregon and Texas were big issues in the election. 
• James Polk won 170 electoral votes with Henry Clay winning 105 electoral votes.
• 1,388,464 for Polk to 1,300,097 for Clay in the popular election.
• Polk won the election. 
• http://teachpol.tcnj.edu/amer_pol_hist/fi/00000096.jpg

 Polk  Clay

Polk the Purposeful

• Had a 4-step program (completed all in 1 term):
  1. Annex (gain) California 
  2. Settle Oregon dispute-(established the new boundary at the 49 line.)
  3. Re-establish the independent treasury (Whigs took away)
  4. Reduce Tariff rates from 32 percent to 25 percent (Walker Tariff of 1846) 
•  Polk wanted California but he didn't want war. He hoped to barely fight and then get out once he had gotten what he wanted.
•  He planned to offer $25 mil. before the war started for the land and after the war, ended up paying around $18 mil.

The Mexican War - 1846-1848

• Polk wants to declare war on Mexico, but Congress waits until we are attacked. 
• Polk sent troops to the disputed area between Texas and Mexico (between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande).
• Mexican troops attacked.
• Polk told congress that "American blood has been spilt on American soil".
• Congress declared war on Mexico.
• American troops dominated.
• 13,000 American lives were lost, mostly by disease.
•  Profits
  • U.S. land increased by one-third (California, New Mexico, Utah).
  • Priceless field experience for Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and other officers who would later be Civil War generals.
  • New-found respect for U.S. Army by Britain.
• Losses
  • Mexico now sees the U.S. as a bully because the U.S. took their land.
  • Aroused slavery issue.
  • Opening shots of the Civil War.
• Illinois Congressman and future President of U.S. Abraham Lincoln requested information as to where exactly the American blood was shed. Known as "Spot Resolutions".

  Mexican War Map

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo took place in 1848.

Terms of Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo:

• Confirmed that Texas was part of America.
• Gave the land stretching west to Oregon and out to the ocean and also embraced California.
• U.S. paid $15 million for the land and another $3.25 million for debts that Mexico owed America.

• The treaty was approved by the senate with votes of 38 to 14. (The people who didn't want the treaty either wanted all of Mexico or none of Mexico). 

Outcomes of Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo:

• Reignites the slavery issue - should California be free or slave?
• Officially ended war with Mexico.
• Started a new round of political warfare in America.