U.S. EXPANSION

MANIFEST DESTINY

• Americans believed that it was their destiny to occupy all of North America
• From Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean
• U.S. began rapid westward expansion
• Gained lands between Appalachian Mountains and Mississippi River from Britain
• Purchased the Louisiana Territory (lands from the Mississippi River to Rocky Mountains) from France

MANIFEST DESTINY

THE MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR

• 1845-1848
• Was a result from tension between U.S. and Mexico aroused by U.S. westward expansion
• The annexation of Texas after its independence from Mexico angered Mexico
• U.S. victory
• Settled with Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, where U.S. gained Texas, California, New Mexico

U.S. ECONOMY AND SOCIETY

• Westward expansion and Manifest Destiny gave more economic opportunities for people
• People moved in search for cheap land to cultivate and profit from
• New land contained great natural resources that benefited U.S. economy (California- Gold)
• Railroads promoted movement of settlers and immigrants (able to reach westward lands quicker)
• Benefited economy (able to expedite movement of goods and maintain economic ties between states)

U.S. MILITARY POWER

• Had powerful military weapons due to industrialization
• Rifles, revolvers, shotguns, canons, gatling guns
• Used towards U.S. advantage to further westward expansion, remove indigenous people, etc
• Overwhelming victory in the Mexican- American War against Mexico, Spanish-American War, Indian wars, etc

GATLING GUNS

NATIVE AMERICANS

• Native Americans resisted American efforts to take away their native lands
• As they expanded, Americans pushed Native Americans to marginal lands
• Cherokees, Sioux, Comanche, Pawnee, Apache
• Numerous states passed laws that limited Native American rights and sovereignty
• Indian Removal Act signed by Jackson forced Native Americans out of their lands

THE TRAIL OF TEARS