Immigration

Most immigrants came from northern Europe

Americans began to resent immigrants taking jobs

Immigrants faced discrimination

Nativism

Nativists opposed immigration in order to protect the interests of native born American citizens

Know-Nothing Party

Called the American Party and started by Protestants

Opposed the immigration of Catholics Felt that too many Catholics would allow

the Pope to have influence over the government

Manifest Destiny

The 19th century belief that the U.S. would inevitably expand westward to the Pacific Ocean

Adams-Onis Treaty

Spain ceded Florida to the U.S. Spain also gave up claims in Oregon

Territory

Missouri Compromise

Southerners wanted Missouri admitted as a slave state in order to maintain balance of power

Regional hostilities grew over the expansion of slavery

Missouri Compromise

Henry Clay proposed Missouri be a slave state and Maine admitted as a free state

Dividing line set at 36-30 North latitude

North of line, free territories South of line, slave territories

Indian Removal Act of 1830

Jackson believed that Native Americans could not be absorbed into white culture

Native American lands were valuable and protecting them with troops would be too costly

Jackson decided to force Native Americans to leave their land and move west

Worchester v. Georgia

John Marshall rules that Cherokee could not be forcibly removed from their land

Sequoya

Developed the Cherokee alphabet in order to preserve their culture

The Trail of Tears

Cherokee were rounded up and forced to march 800 miles to Oklahoma

Over one-quarter of the Cherokee died along the way

Stephen Austin

Established the first American colony in Texas and fought for Texas independence

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

Mexican general who fought against Texan’s quest for independence

The Alamo

A mission fort in San Antonio, Texas where Mexican forces massacred rebellious Texans in 1836

Sam Houston

Defeated Santa to gain Texas Independence and became the first President of the Republic of Texas

Problems with Texas Annexation Annexation of Texas was not

easy Many feared adding another

slave state to the union

“54-40 or Fight”

James K. Polk’s campaign slogan in the 1844 election

Called for the U.S. to annex all of the Oregon Territory

Mexican War

President Polk wanted territories held by Mexico (New Mexico and California)

Polk and general Zachary Taylor provoked a war with Mexico

U.S. defeated Mexico and gained lands in the Southwestern U.S.

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

1848 treaty that ended the war with Mexico and ceded California and New Mexico to the U.S.

49er’s

Gold is discovered in California in 1848

1849 saw an increase in California’s population

People were moving to mine for gold

Wilmot Proviso

Proposed that none of the territories gained by the U.S. war with Mexico be open to slavery