Chapter 13-14

• Martin Van Buren (Democrat) won the election


  1836
• Martin Van Buren


  • Dealt with the Panic of 1837 - removed funds from pet banks, set up an "Independent Treasury" separate from banks
• William Henry Harrison (Whig) defeated Van Buren


  1840
• William Henry Harrison


  Ran as the "log cabin" common-man candidate (wealthy?)
• "Tippecanoe and Tyler too!" - based on War of 1812 fame
• William Henry Harrison died of pneumonia 31 days into his presidency


  1841
• John Tyler


  • Southern states' rights supporter
  • Vetoed his own party's attempt at the American System
  • Was expelled from the Whig Party
• Opponents called him "His Accidency"
• John Tyler


  • Annexed Texas and signed a "Log Cabin" Bill that allowed the advance of 160 acres for $1.25 per acre for settlers
• Manifest Destiny


  The belief that the inevitable territorial expansion of the United States would span from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
• Supporters argued it was fulfilling a divine mission
• Westward settlement took place in

  • Oregon - Willamette Valley (U.S.-British disputed)
  • Utah, California, New Mexico, Texas (Mexico)
• By 1860, 300,000 had traveled to Oregon and California
• The Webster-Ashburton Treaty settled border disputes with British Canada in Maine and Minnesota


  1842
• In 1820, Mexico granted land to Americans for settlement in exchange for becoming Mexican citizens, speaking Spanish, and adopting Catholicism
• Stephen F. Austin


  • Led 300+ settlers and sold plots of land
  • Over 7,000 Americans had moved there and demanded more autonomy while Mexico feared loss of control
• Slavery was banned in Mexico, but American settlers brought their slaves with them
• Texas Revolution (1835-36)


  1. General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna led troops to impose Mexican authority in Texas

  2. A rebellion was organized with a provisional govt.

  3. Battle of The Alamo (Feb.-Mar. 1836) - a Catholic mission in San Antonio, TX with Americans and Tejanos inside was surrounded for 13 days by Gen. Santa Anna and Mexican troops

  4. Sam Houston led the rebel army and defeated Gen. Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto (Apr. 1836)
• The Republic of Texas was created with Houston as its 1st president
• Election of 1844


  1844
• James K. Polk


  Favored annexation vs. Henry Clay (Whig) opposed annexation
• Polk's Campaign: "Fifty-four forty or fight!" - wanting to "reoccupy" Oregon (at northern border of 54° 40') and "reannex" Texas against foreign disputes
• Polk defeated Clay in a very close election with James Birney (Liberty Party) receiving 16,000 votes
• Rep. Abraham Lincoln (Whig-IL)


  • Proposed the "Spot Resolutions" asking for the specific area in which a battle took place to determine if it was actually U.S. soil
• Henry David Thoreau refused to pay a $1 tax (in opposition to the war and slavery) - spent one night in jail and wrote Civil Disobedience
• John Quincy Adams described the war as a southern expedition to find "bigger pens to cram with slaves."
• Mexican-American War (1846-48)


  1. California - led by Captain John C. Fremont who encouraged and benefitted from the "Bear Flag Revolt" of Americans vs. Mexico

  2. New Mexico Territory - occupation of Santa Fe by Gen. Stephen Kearny

  3. Central Mexico - bulk of the fighting; Gen. Zachary Taylor defeated Santa Anna's army at Battle of Buena Vista

  4. Gen. Winfield Scott led inland march from Veracruz to Mexico City, forcing negotiations
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo formally ended the Mexican-American War


  1848
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo


  • Confirmed the annexation of Texas - set border at the Rio Grande
  • Mexican Cession: California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah to the U.S.
  • The U.S. paid Mexico $15 million
  • Mexicans in the territories were granted U.S. citizenship, Native Americans were not
• Wilmot Proviso


  Proposed prohibiting slavery from all territory acquired from Mexico
• Passed the House, but failed in the Senate
• Split within each party - Northerners agreed (Whigs and Democrats); Southerners opposed (Whigs and Democrats)
• Importance: Early division leading up to the Civil War
• Zachary Taylor


  • Wanted to keep the country together at all costs
• Lewis Cass


  • Left decision of slavery up to the territories (idea of "popular sovereignty")
• Martin Van Buren (Free Soil Party)


  • Opposed slavery's expansion
• The Northern vote was split between Cass and Van Buren, allowing Taylor to win a close election
• Gold was discovered in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California


  1848
• Newspaper reports and gold mania spread throughout the world - instant wealth!
• Diverse migration of people

  • Mexicans
  • South Americans
  • Irish
  • Germans
  • Italians
  • Australians
  • Chinese