Manifest DESTINY [APUSH Review Unit 5 Topic 2] Period 5: 1844-1877

Summary

The video script delves into the concept of Manifest Destiny, a driving force behind 19th-century American westward expansion. It traces the idea from its inception by newspaper editor John O'Sullivan, who coined the term, to its practical implications, such as the California Gold Rush and the Preemption Acts that opened vast lands for settlement. The script also explores the religious motivations behind westward movement, notably the migration of Mormons to Utah. Politically, Manifest Destiny influenced the election of James K. Polk, who sought to annex Texas and Oregon, leading to treaties with Mexico and Britain, respectively. The summary concludes with a teaser for the next video, which will cover the Mexican-American War, a direct consequence of the annexation of Texas.

Takeaways

• 📜 The time period covered in the video is from 1844 to 1877, focusing on Unit 5 of the AP U.S. History curriculum.
• 🌏 Westward expansion was a significant drive for Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries, leading to the concept of Manifest Destiny.
• 🎯 John O’Sullivan coined the term 'Manifest Destiny', suggesting that it was a God-given right for the U.S. to spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.
• 💰 Practical reasons for westward expansion included the need for access to mineral and natural resources, exemplified by the California Gold Rush in 1848.
• 🏡 The Preemption Acts of the 1830s and 1840s made land available for cheap, encouraging middle-class migration for homesteading opportunities.
• 🕊️ Religious refugees, such as the Mormons fleeing persecution, sought new settlements in the west, particularly in the Utah Territory.
• 🗳️ James K. Polk's election in 1844 was influenced by his belief in Manifest Destiny, with a focus on acquiring Texas and Oregon for the U.S.
• 🏛️ The annexation of Texas was a contentious issue due to its status as part of Mexico, leading to a rebellion and subsequent claim of independence by Texas.
• 🤝 The Oregon Territory dispute between the U.S. and Britain was resolved with the 49th parallel as the dividing line after a treaty was ratified by the Senate.
• 🚫 The Mexican government did not recognize Texas's independence, and the U.S. annexation of Texas threatened to lead to war with Mexico.
• 📈 The video emphasizes the importance of understanding Manifest Destiny and its implications for AP U.S. History students aiming for high grades and exam success.

Q & A

What is the time period covered in Unit 5 of the AP U.S. History curriculum?

The time period covered in Unit 5 of the AP U.S. History curriculum is from 1844 to 1877.

What was the term coined by John O’Sullivan to describe the American impulse to expand westward?

The term coined by John O’Sullivan to describe the American impulse to expand westward is 'Manifest Destiny'.

According to O’Sullivan, who gave Americans the destiny to possess the whole continent?

According to O’Sullivan, Providence, which is another way of saying God, gave Americans the destiny to possess the whole continent.

What was one of the practical reasons for westward expansion mentioned in the script?

One of the practical reasons for westward expansion mentioned in the script was the need for more access to mineral and natural resources, such as the discovery of gold in California in 1848.

What was the Preemption Acts' role in westward expansion?

The Preemption Acts, passed by Congress during the 1830s and 1840s, made vast tracts of land available for cheap to anyone who wanted to buy it, set up a homestead, and start farming.

Why did the Mormons migrate to the Utah Territory?

The Mormons migrated to the Utah Territory as a form of religious refuge due to persecution they faced in the midwest states, largely because of their practice of polygamy.

Which U.S. president was a strong believer in Manifest Destiny and had ambitions to annex Texas and Oregon?

James K. Polk was a strong believer in Manifest Destiny and had ambitions to annex Texas and Oregon.

What was the Mexican government's stance on slavery within its borders?

The Mexican government had outlawed slavery within its borders, which was intolerable to the American settlers in Texas.

What was the outcome of the Battle of San Jacinto between Texas and Mexico?

In the Battle of San Jacinto, the Texans, led by Sam Houston, captured the Mexican general and forced him to sign a treaty granting Texas independence.

How was the Oregon Territory dispute between the United States and Britain resolved?

The Oregon Territory dispute was resolved by an agreement that divided the territory at the 49th parallel after a treaty was ratified by the U.S. Senate.

What was the immediate consequence of the annexation of Texas for the United States?

The immediate consequence of the annexation of Texas for the United States was that it led the country into war with Mexico, as Mexico did not recognize Texas's independence.

What was the demographic of the majority of people who migrated west during the westward expansion?

The majority of people who migrated west during the westward expansion were largely middle class, as the journey required some financial means.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny

The first paragraph introduces the topic of Unit 5 of the AP U.S. History curriculum, focusing on the period from 1844 to 1877. It emphasizes the concept of Manifest Destiny, which was coined by John O'Sullivan in 1845. The idea suggests that Americans have a divine right to spread across the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. The paragraph also outlines the practical reasons for westward expansion, such as the need for mineral resources, exemplified by the California Gold Rush in 1848, economic opportunities through land acts like the Preemption Acts, and religious reasons, particularly the migration of Mormons to Utah. The paragraph concludes with the political implications of Manifest Destiny, highlighting the election of James K. Polk, who was a proponent of this idea and aimed to annex Texas and Oregon.

05:08

🏛️ Annexation of Texas and Oregon

The second paragraph delves into the complexities surrounding the annexation of Texas and the Oregon Territory. It discusses the historical context of Texas, which was initially part of Mexico but saw a significant influx of American settlers. These settlers, predominantly southern, Protestant, and slave-owning, resisted Mexican laws, leading to a revolt and the declaration of Texas as an independent republic. The paragraph also covers the strategic moves by U.S. presidents, including the refusal of annexation by Jackson and Van Buren to avoid war with Mexico, and the eventual annexation under John Tyler's presidency. The Oregon Territory is also discussed, with both British and American claims over the land. The paragraph concludes with the election of James K. Polk, who advocated for the annexation of both territories, leading to the Oregon Treaty that established the border at the 49th parallel. The annexation of Texas, however, is set to lead to conflict with Mexico, which is teased as the subject of the next video.

Keywords

💡Manifest Destiny

Manifest Destiny is a concept that suggests it was the inevitable destiny of the United States to expand its territory across the North American continent, from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. It was a widely held belief in the 19th century and is often invoked to justify the westward expansion of the U.S. In the script, John O’Sullivan is credited with giving this notion a name, and it is tied to the idea that Americans had a divine right to spread liberty and self-government.

💡Westward Expansion

Westward Expansion refers to the movement of settlers from the eastern part of the U.S. to the west, driven by various factors such as the availability of land, economic opportunities, and the search for mineral resources. The script discusses how westward expansion was a significant part of American identity in the 19th century, with the discovery of gold in California and the passing of the Preemption Acts being key factors that spurred this movement.

💡California Gold Rush

The California Gold Rush was a period of mass migration in the 19th century, during which hundreds of thousands of people rushed to California after the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848. The script mentions this event as a catalyst for westward movement, with people from the east coast moving to California in hopes of striking it rich.

💡Preemption Acts

The Preemption Acts were a series of U.S. laws passed in the 1830s and 1840s that allowed settlers to purchase land at a low cost before it was officially offered for sale. These acts played a role in the westward expansion by making land ownership more accessible to middle-class Americans, as highlighted in the script.

💡Religious Refuge

Religious Refuge refers to the migration of individuals or groups for the purpose of escaping religious persecution and finding a place where they can practice their faith freely. The script specifically mentions the Mormons, who fled the Midwest states due to persecution and settled in the Utah Territory, as an example of this phenomenon.

💡James K. Polk

James K. Polk was the 11th President of the United States, known for his strong belief in Manifest Destiny. The script discusses how his election in 1844 was influenced by his desire to annex territories such as Texas and Oregon, which he saw as part of America's destiny.

💡Texas Annexation

The Texas Annexation refers to the process by which the Republic of Texas was incorporated into the United States as the 28th state. The script outlines the historical context, including the initial settlement of Americans in Texas, the Texas Revolution, and the eventual annexation under President Tyler, which was a contentious issue due to the potential for conflict with Mexico.

💡Oregon Territory

The Oregon Territory was a disputed region on the Pacific coast of North America, with both the United States and Britain claiming ownership. The script explains how the territory was a point of contention, with American settlers moving in and the British having an established fur trade. The issue was eventually resolved with the Oregon Treaty of 1846, which established the 49th parallel as the border between the U.S. and British North America.

💡Mexican Government

The Mexican Government, as discussed in the script, played a significant role in the events leading up to the Texas Annexation. Initially, Mexico owned the territory where Americans had settled, and the government's attempts to enforce laws regarding religion and slavery led to the Texas Revolution. The Mexican Government's refusal to recognize the independence of Texas and its ongoing disputes with the U.S. over the annexation set the stage for the Mexican-American War.

💡Sam Houston

Sam Houston was a key figure in the Texas Revolution and is mentioned in the script as the leader of the Texan forces who declared Texas an independent republic. He is known for his role in the Battle of San Jacinto, where the Texan forces defeated the Mexican Army, leading to the capture of the Mexican general and the subsequent declaration of Texas independence.

💡Alamo

The Alamo refers to the Battle of the Alamo, a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. The script describes it as a stunning victory for Mexico where every American defender was killed. However, it also served as a catalyst for the Texan retaliation, leading to the Battle of San Jacinto and the eventual independence of Texas.

Highlights

Unit 5 of the AP U.S. History curriculum covers the time period from 1844 to 1877.

Westward expansion was a significant impulse in American history, driven by a belief in Manifest Destiny.

John O’Sullivan coined the term 'Manifest Destiny' in 1845, articulating the American belief in their right to possess the entire continent.

Manifest Destiny was seen as a divine right, with Providence (God) giving Americans the mission to spread liberty and self-government.

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 sparked the California Gold Rush, drawing people westward for economic opportunities.

The Preemption Acts of the 1830s and 1840s made land in the west available for cheap, encouraging homesteading and westward migration.

Religious groups, such as the Mormons, sought refuge in the west, leading to significant migrations to territories like Utah.

The election of James K. Polk in 1844 was influenced by his belief in Manifest Destiny, with a focus on acquiring Texas and Oregon.

Americans had been settling in Texas since the 1820s, leading to tensions with Mexico, which still claimed the territory.

The Mexican government's requirements for immigrants, including conversion to Catholicism and the outlawing of slavery, were ignored by American settlers.

Texas declared independence from Mexico in 1836 after a revolt led by Sam Houston, culminating in the Battle of San Jacinto.

The annexation of Texas was a contentious issue, with the first two presidents, Jackson and Van Buren, rejecting it to avoid war with Mexico.

The Oregon Territory was a point of dispute between the British and Americans, with both laying claims to the region.

James K. Polk's election was seen as a mandate to annex Oregon and Texas, leading to negotiations and treaties with both Britain and Mexico.

The Oregon Territory was eventually divided along the 49th parallel after a treaty was ratified by the Senate.

The annexation of Texas would lead to tensions with Mexico and set the stage for the Mexican-American War, a topic for the next video.

Heimler's History offers educational content to help students achieve high grades and exam scores in AP U.S. History.

Transcripts

Hey and welcome back to Heimler’s History,  and furthermore, welcome to the first video  

covering Unit 5 of the AP U.S. History  curriculum which is squarely nestled in  

the time period 1844-1877. And baby, in this  video we about to manifest some destiny,  

so if you’re ready to get them brain  cows milked, then let’s get to it.

SO: westward expansion. In the end of the 18th  century and the first half of the 19th century,  

there was hardly a notion that more stirred the  guts of Americans than westward expansion. At  

first it was expansion west of the Atlantic  Coast. Then it was expansion into the Ohio  

River Valley. Then came the Louisiana  Purchase and Americans expanded like  

mad into that territory. Like,  if you weren’t expanding west,  

were you even an American? Westward  expansion was just kind of our thing.

But in July of 1845, a newspaper editor by the  name of John O’Sullivan gave this most ancient  

of American impulses a name: Manifest Destiny.  He said: “And that claim is by the right of our  

manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the  whole of the continent which Providence has given  

us for the development of the great experiment of  liberty and federated self-government entrusted to  

us.” So in defining Manifest Destiny, O’Sullivan  gives us two pieces of information. First,  

what manifest destiny is: namely, to possess  the whole continent from sea to shining sea.  

And the second piece of information he gives is  to tell Americans WHO gave them that destiny,  

and his answer: Providence, which is another  way of saying, God. So the idea of Manifest  

Destiny is the notion that Americans  have a God-given right to have a nation  

that extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific  Oceans. And later, that impulse would include  

Islands in the Pacific and the Caribbean,  but that’ll have to wait for the next unit.

And this idea articulated what Americans  had always felt but so far hadn’t put into  

words. But there were also practical reasons  why westward expansion was needed. First,  

Americans needed more access to mineral  and natural resources. Most notably here  

was the discovery of gold in California  in 1848 which created the occasion for  

what became known as the California Gold  Rush. People from the east rushed like  

mad to California to stake their claim and  strike it rich. Subsequent gold and silver  

discoveries in Colorado, the Dakotas, and  Nevada induced even more migrations west.

Westward expansion also made sense to people  looking for new economic and homesteading  

opportunities. When Congress passed the Preemption  Acts during the 1830s and 1840s, it made vast  

tracts of land available for cheap to anyone who  wanted to buy it, set up a homestead and get to  

farming it. And because it did require some  boom boom to actually make the trip out west,  

this migration was largely made by  the middle class and not the poor.

The third reason people moved west was  for the purpose of religious refuge.  

If you remember back in the last unit  we talked about the Mormons who fled  

the midwest states because of persecution,  largely due to their practice of polygamy,  

and settled in the Utah Territory.  Groups of Mormons would continue to  

migrate to Utah for the next twenty-ish  years to the tune of about 70,000 folks.

Okay, so those are the main reasons Americans  pursued their Manifest Destiny and moved  

west. But the idea of Manifest Destiny also  made its way into the halls of power too:  

case in point: the election of James K.  Polk in 1844. Now Polk was a big believer  

in Manifest Destiny and as such he had his  eye on a couple of territories that he was  

frothing at the mouth to add to the union:  Texas and Oregon, and let’s look at both.

Regarding Texas, Americans had been settling in  that territory since the 1820s, but at that time  

Texas still belonged to Mexico. By 1830,  there were three times as many Americans  

than Mexicans living in this territory,  and all those Americans were, in general,  

southern, Protestant, and slave-owning, or at  least, sympathetic to the cause of slavery. Now  

this’ll be important to keep in mind because in  1829, the Mexican government made two requirements  

of the immigrants living within their borders.  First, it was decreed that they must convert to  

Roman Catholicism, and second, they outlawed  slavery. And these two requirements were,  

to put it mildly, intolerable to the Americans  who had settled there, and so they basically  

ignored the new laws and kept being Protestant  and bringing enslaved people into the territory.  

In response, Mexico went ahead and shut  the border down to any further immigration,  

to which the immigrating Americans  responded, PLEASE, and just kept on coming.

Now in 1834, there was a change in government  in Mexico, and the new dictator sought to clamp  

down on those insubordinate Texan immigrants  and enforce the laws on the books. Well,  

Texans be Texans and instead of submitting  to Mexican authority, they went ahead and  

revolted against it under the leadership of Sam  Houston and declared Texas to be an independent  

republic in 1836. Now, Mexico was like, nuh uh,  and so they sent forces north to put down this  

rebellion. The Mexicans won a stunning victory at  the Alamo and ended up killing every American who  

defended it. In retaliation, Houston and his army  engaged the Mexicans in the Battle of San Jacinto,  

and ended up capturing the Mexican general.  Upon doing so, they forced the general to sign  

a treaty granting Texas independence. And when  word of that got back to the Mexican government,  

they were like, do they understand that generals  can’t make official treaties? To which the  

Texans responded, Don’t mess with Texas.  To which the Mexican government responded,  

it’s not within his authority to… Don’t mess  with Texas! Are you just going to respond like  

that to everything we say? Well, are you messing  with Texas? Yeah. Then DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS!

At this point Texas claimed its  independence, but Mexico didn’t  

recognize that independence. And so when Texas  applied to the UNited States for statehood,  

that complicated things a little. The first two  presidents who could have done it, Jackson and  

Van Buren, both said no to annexation because  of the very real possibility of causing a war  

with Mexico. John Tyler worked to admit Texas, but  ultimately annexation was denied by the Senate. So  

let’s leave Texas lingering in independence for a  moment, but don’t worry, we’ll get back to them.

We also have to talk about the Oregon Territory.  So at this point in history, both the British and  

the Americans laid competing claims to this  territory. The British claimed it was theirs  

because they had established a profitable fur  trade there and had been settled there for much  

longer than the Americans. Americans  claimed it was theirs because, you know,  

WE WANT IT. Add to that, American missionaries  and farmers had been moving into the territory  

and settling there in far greater numbers than the  British. And so how would we solve this problem?

And that brings us back to the election  of James K. Polk in 1844. As a big  

believer in Manifest Destiny, he wanted  America to annex both Oregon and Texas.  

Should we throw California in too? Throw  California in there too—it’s our destiny!  

Now, since Polk had run on this annexation  platform, he interpreted his election to be a  

mandate from the people to bring those territories  into the Union. So his predecessor, John Tyler,  

went ahead and used the waning months of his  presidency to push through the annexation of  

Texas, and Polk’s people went ahead and made an  agreement with the British concerning Oregon,  

and after the Senate had ratified the treaty, the  Oregon Territory was divided at the 49th parallel.

Now the annexation of Texas is going to be no  bueno with the Mexican government, and that is  

going to lead the United States into war, but  alas, that will be the topic of the next video.

Okay, that’s what you need to know about Unit  5 topic 2 of the AP U.S. History curriculum.  

If you need help getting an A in your  class and a five on your exam in May,  

Manifest Destiny of Heimler’s History  to spread over the whole of Youtube,  

then subscribe and we shall claim  our destiny together. Heimler Out.