Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny ( )

Transcription

1 Westward Expasio ad Maifest Destiy ( ) Jacksoia Democracy Jacksoia Democracy refers to the period of time (perhaps ) domiated by the cotroversial presidecy of Adrew Jackso ( ), ad characterized by expadig democratizatio, the rise of the commo ma, ad icreased white male suffrage. Adrew Jackso, a westerer ad the hero of the Battle of New Orleas (1815), ra for the presidecy i Iitially, five cadidates attempted to attai the presidecy: Joh C. Calhou, William Crawford, Hery Clay, Adrew Jackso, ad Joh Quicy Adams. All were 's'. Calhou dropped out ad istead ra for Vice Presidet, which he wo. Crawford might have wo had he ot suffered a paralyzig stroke. However, eve with a majority of the popular vote, Adrew Jackso did ot die to secure eough electoral votes to become presidet. This is a table from the Wikipedia article o the electio: 42

2 Electio results Presidetial Cadidate Party State Popular Vote: Electora l Vote: Joh Adams Quicy Massac husetts 108, Adrew Jackso Teess ee 153, William Crawford Harris Georgia 46, Hery Clay Ketuc ky 47, Vice Presidetial Cadidate Party State Popular Vote: Electora l Vote: Joh Calhou Caldwell South Caroli a Ukow 182 Natha Saford New York Ukow 30 Nathaiel Maco North Caroli a Ukow 24 Adrew Jackso Teess ee Ukow 13 Marti Va Bure New York Ukow 9 Hery Clay Ketuc ky Ukow 2 If a sigle cadidate fails to gather a majority of the electoral vote, the presidet is determied by the House of Represetatives. Hery Clay, Speaker of the House, tossed his support to Adams thus givig him the presidecy; Adams retured the favor by amig Clay his Secretary 43

3 of State. For the ext four years, the Jacksoia press referred to the electio as a 'corrupt bargai' which helped to cripple Adams's presidecy. Joh Quicy Adams's presidecy ca be geerally characterized as a failure. However oble his belief that partisia politics were evil, the ed result was a sigle term. The electio of 1828 proved to be a mud-sligig festival betwee Jackso ad Adams, with Adams beig labeled as a aristocrat ad Jackso's wife a adulteress. I the ed, Jackso was elected by a large electoral margi. Idia Removal The Uited States, as it expaded to the west, displaced may Native Americas from their lads as it igored the treaties ad Idia rights which both parties had agreed upo. I this way, the cocers of white ladowers were cosidered above the iterests of the Idias. I Georgia, for istace, the goveror ordered the Cherokee to vacate their lads so the territory would be able to be redistributed to poor Georgias. The Cherokee refused, as they coteded that a treaty with the Uited States that had bee siged earlier guarateed their right to the lad. Through a fried of the tribe, they brought their case all the way to the Supreme Court. I 1832, whe Adrew Jackso was Presidet, the Supreme Court ruled that Georgia had acted ucostitutioally. However, Jackso refused to eforce the Court's rulig. Meawhile, Cogress had passed the Idia Removal Act, which grated refuge to Native Americas who relocated to territory west of the Mississippi. The Cherokee were forced out of Georgia ad had to edure a brutal ad deadly trip to the area comprisig preset-day Oklahoma, a jourey which they called the "Trail of Tears." Betwee 2,000 ad 4,000 of the 16,000 migratig Cherokees died durig the jourey. The Nullificatio Crisis I 1828, Cogress decided to raise a already high tariff o imports from Europe. It was meat to help the idustrialized North compete with Europe, but the agricultural South detested it, as it traded heavily with Europe. The South called it the "Tariff of Abomiatios." Sice 1798 whe the cocept of ullificatio first appeared i the Virgiia ad Ketucky Resolutios, some states coteded that they should have the right to ullify federal laws if they ifriged o states. Vice Presidet Joh C. Calhou agreed with this otio of states' rights ad ecouraged South Carolia to take a stad o the tariff issue. Up util that poit, o oe was sure where Jackso stood o the issue of states' rights. The, i April, 1830, he aouced that he opposed states rights i this istace. I 1832, Cogress, with the help of the Great Compromiser, Hery Clay, passed a lower but still fairly high tariff. The South would ot compromise o this lower tax, ad South Carolia passed the Nullificatio Act which proclaimed that the state would o loger pay the "illegal" tariffs. South Carolia threateed to secede from the Uio if the federal govermet tried to iterfere. 44

4 To combat South Carolia's ultimatum, Jackso persuaded Cogress to pass the Force Bill i 1833, which allowed the Presidet to use the army to eforce the law. I the face of this threat, South Carolia quickly agreed to the lower compromise tariff ad abolished the Nullificatio Act. The Natioal Bak ad the Paic of 1837 Adrew Jackso hated the Natioal Bak for a variety of reasos. Proud of beig a self-made "commo" ma, he argued that the bak favored the wealthy. A Westerer, he feared the expasio of Easter busiess iterests ad the draiig of specie from the West, so he portrayed the bak as a "hydra-headed" moster. A atioalist, he distrusted foreig members of the bak board ad argued the bak could ot be trusted i time of war. Two Seators, Hery Clay ad Daiel Webster, disliked Jackso ad wished to see him lose the presidetial electio of They coviced Nicholas Biddle, the presidet of the Bak, to apply early for a ew charter for the bak, eve though the charter would ot expire util Believig may Americas supported the bak, they iteded to force Jackso to veto the reewal of the charter which might cause him to lose the electio. This did ot work. Jackso vetoed the charter, but public opiio did ot drop eough for him to lose the electio. Jackso decided to kill the Natioal Bak early. He ordered the Secretary of the Treasure to take the moey out of the atioal bak ad put it i "pet baks," state baks that were frieds of Jackso. These pet baks let out moey to poor farmers, who could ot pay the moey back. The result of this whole process was the Paic of 1837, a severe ecomoic depressio. Busiess took a osedive ad uemploymet soared. Prices of commodities rose so high that families could ot afford may basic ecessities. The depressio lasted six years, as Marti Va Bure, the Presidet elected after Jackso, did almost othig to ease the impact of it. Because of this, the first ad oly Whig Presidet, William Hery Harriso, was elected. The Whigs were all the Natioal s alog with the Democrats who disliked Jackso. Harriso died of peumoia four weeks after his iaugural address, ad Joh Tyler, his Vice Presidet, became Presidet. Joh Tyler Presidecy Tyler had oce bee a Democrat, but he disliked Jackso, ad he became a Whig. He was a strog supporter of states' rights, so whe may of the Whig bills came to him, they were vetoed. It tured out that Tyler would veto the etire Whig cogressioal ageda. The Whigs saw this as the party leader turig o his ow party. He was officially expelled from the Whig party i Much of the public did ot take Tyler's presidecy seriously. They saw his lack of appeal i Cogress ad the embarrassig resigatios of all of but oe of Harriso's cabiet appoitees i a sigle moth. Tyler did, though, help polarize the two parties i the US. Whe he (a o- Whig) appoited Joh C. Calhou, a stauch pro-slavery Democrat, as his Secretary of State, 45

5 he essetially cofirmed a growig feelig that Democrats were the party of the South ad Whigs the party of the North. The Tyler presidecy threw the Whig party ito disarray. Because of divisios betwee past groups which joied the party, the Whigs could ot agree o oe goal. I the electio of 1844, Whigs voted by sectioal ties, ad because of these weakeig divisios withi the party, the Democratic cadidate, James Polk, wo. After oe term, the Whigs were out of power. Maifest Destiy Istead of opposig the ati-native America policies, several Americas supported them. Americas were led to believe that America was destied to take over the cotiet of North America. Some felt that such was America's destiy due to the appeal of freedom ad democracy. Others attributed the destiy to the hard work of Americas. The etire cocept that the Americas were destied to rule was termed "maifest destiy" by a jouralist i Texas ad Mexico Mexico had gaied its idepedece from Spai i Weakeed by more tha a decade of struggle, the ew Republic of Mexico attempted to attract settlers from America to the thesparsely populated Mexica state of Coahuila y Texas. The first America settlers were 200 families led by Stephe F. Austi as a part of a busiess veture started by Austi's father. Despite omial attempts to esure that immigrats would adopt Mexica cultural values -- by requirig, for example, acceptace of Catholicism ad a ba o slaveholdig -- Mexico's expasive immigratio policy led to the Americas, rather tha Mexicas, becomig the demographic majority i Texas by the 1830's, their ati-authoritaria values itact. Due to past US actios i regards to Texas, Mexico feared that America immigrats would covice the Uited States to "take" Texas from Mexico. I April 1830, Mexico issued a decree that Americas could o loger immigrate to Texas. Mexico also would start to collect custom duties or a tax o America trade. I October 1835, America coloists i Texas revolted agaist Mexico by attackig a Mexica fort at Goliad, defeatig the Mexica garriso. At about the same time, the Mexica presidet, Atoio López de Sata Aa, provoked a costitutioal crisis that was amog the causes of the revolt i Texas, as well as a rebellio i the souther Mexica provice of Yucutá. A official declaratio of Texas idepedece was siged at Goliad that December. The ext March, the declaratio was officially eacted at the Texia capital of Washigto-o-the-Brazos, creatig the Republic of Texas. A few days before the eactmet of the declaratio, a Mexica force led by Geeral Atoio López de Sata Aa laid siege to the Alamo, a missio i preset day Sa Atoio. Vastly outumbered, fewer tha 200 Texias i the Alamo heroically held out for 12 days, util the fial attack at daw o March 6, Sata Aa, as he had promised durig the siege, ruthlessly killed the few prisoers take i the capture. Though the Alamo had bee garrisoed i cotravetio of orders from Sam Housto, who had bee placed i charge of Texia armed forces, the delay their defese forced o the Mexica army allowed the Texia govermet some crucial time to orgaize. 46

6 The ext moth saw the battle of Sa Jacito, the fial battle of the Texas Revolutio. A force of 800 led by Sam Housto, empowered by their rallyig war cry of "Remember the Alamo!", defeated Sata Aa's force of 1600 as they camped beside the sluggish creek for which the 20- miute-log battle is amed. Sata Aa himself was captured ad the ext day was forced to sig the Treaties of Velasco, which eded Mexico-Texas hostilities. After the fightig had eded, Texas asked to be admitted to the Uio, but Texas's request forced Cogress to a impasse. Oe of the most sigificat problems with the aexatio of Texas was slavery. Despite Mexica attempts to exclude the practice, a umber of Texas held slaves, ad the ew Republic of Texas recogized the practice as legitimate. I the Uited States, The Missouri Compromise of 1818 provided for a equality i the umbers of slave ad o-slave states i the US, ad to allow Texas to joi would upset that power balace. For about te years, the issue was uresolved, util Presidet James Polk agreed to support the aexatio of Texas. I 1845, Texas formally voted to joi the US. The Mexicas, however, who had ever formally recogized Texas's idepedece, reseted this decisio. The souther boudary with Texas had ever officially bee settled ad whe the Uited States moved federal troops ito this disputed territory, war broke out (assisted by raids carried out across the border by both sides). I the Mexica-America War, as this was called, the US quickly defeated the Mexica Army by The peace settlemet, called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ceded oe-third of Mexico's territory to the Uited States. I additio to Texas, with the border fixed at the Rio Grade River, the Uited States acquired lad that would become the preset-day states of New Mexico, Califoria, Arizoa, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, ad parts of Colorado ad Wyomig; the US paid Mexico $15 millio. However, the ew territories posed eve more problems relatig to slavery: the balace betwee slave ad oslave states seemed threateed agai. Orego I 1824 ad 1825 Russia gave up its claim to Orego. Both the U.S. ad Caada made a agreemet for joit occupatio. However disputes surfaced over the orthwester boudary of the US ad the southwester boudary of Caada. The US claimed that it owed lad south of Alaska, while the British claimed that the boudary was draw at preset-day Orego. Presidet Polk, who iitiated the dispute, also settled it. Britai was give a ultimatum - egotiate or go to war. Britai decided to keep Vacouver Islad as well as avigatios rights to the Columbia River, ad o Jue 15, 1846 Britai agreed to give up the lad south of the 49th parallel. However, by comparig this to Polk's greater aggressiveess i Mexico, several idividuals cocluded that Polk favored the South over the North. Califoria Whe war broke out betwee the Uited States ad Mexico i 1845, a few America settlers i the Sacrameto Valley i Califoria siezed the opportuity to advace America busiess iterests by declarig idepedece from Mexico. The sparsely populated Bear Flag Republic, as the ew atio was called, quickly asked the US for protectio from Mexico, allowig US 47

7 military opperatios i the Republic's territory. A few skirmishes occured i souther Califoria. Whe the war eded, the territory of Califoria ad a large surroudig territory was ceeded by Mexico to the US i exchage for $15 millio. The territory icluded what would become preset day Califoria, Nevada, Utah, most of New Mexico, Arizoa, ad Colorado, ad a small part of Wyomig. The cotietal US was early complete. The fial piece would come i 1853, whe souther Arizoa ad New Mexico were bought from Mexico for $10 millio. The lad from the purchase, kow as the Gadsde Purchase, was flat, strategic for buildig a souther trascotietal railroad. Califoria remaied largely upopulated util 1848, whe gold was foud at the mill of Joh Sutter, who lived i the foothills of the Sierra Nevada moutai rage, 40 miles east of Sacrameto. Word spread of the gold o the America River (the river o which Sutter's mill was located o), ad hordes of people rushed ito Califoria to mie gold. The rush peaked i 1849, ad those who came durig that year were kow as "forty-iers." The populatio of the orther Califoria city of Sa Fracisco exploded as a result of the immigratio to the regio. Aside from beig gaied by a hadful of very lucky prospectors, a great deal of the wealth geerated by the Gold Rush beloged to those who owed busiesses that were relevat to gold miig. For example, Levi Strauss, a Germa Jew, iveted deim pats for prospectors whe he observed that ormal pats could't withstad the streuous activities of miig. Strauss evetually became a millioaire, ad the Levi's brad is still recogized today. The Califoria Gold Rush kick-started the ecoomy of the area, but it also got politics of the regio i gear. Because of the dramatically icreased populatio of the area, Califoria became a politically sigificat regio for the first time i its history. Problems would arise whe its citizes demaded statehood. 48