Manifest Destiny: The Ugly Side

Last week we looked at the Oregon Trail, which a decidedly more positive element of Westward Expansion than this week's topic. Well...except for the growing hostilities between the emigrants and the native tribes.

This week we look at Mr. Polk's war: The War with Mexico. Since the earliest exploration days (remember Chapter 2, Cortes, etc?), Spain owned a MASSIVE amount of land in North America. Essentially everything from the southern tip of Central America all the way to Washington (the state, NOT D.C.) was known as Mexico. In 1821, Spain lost control of all this land. Soon, Americans were invited by the Mexican government to move into Texas to help cultivate the land. Well, the Americans quickly outnumbered the Mexicans which led to the Texan War For Independence (Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, The Alamo etc.)

Years later, James Polk promised to acquire the rest of the Mexican Territory and he accomplished this by going to war. This conflict is often overlooked in history classes, but it plays a key role in setting up the Civil War as well as expanding our border all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This war is also important because there was a large anti-war group in America who thought this was a totally unjust and immoral fight.  One such outspoken anti-war leader was a young Whig politician known as Abraham Lincoln.

For this week's blog, please visit this site and spend AT LEAST 30 minutes reading the various sections. There is a lot to digest, most of which won't be familiar to you, so soak it in. Don't rush through this. In the comment section, please list the 30 most important facts you learned about this conflict from this website. Conclude your comments with you analysis of the war: Was it justified? If Polk wanted this land so badly, could he have gotten it another way? Was war the only option?

Westward Ho!: The Oregon Trail

Our next chapter, Manifest Destiny, outlines the many reasons Americans expanded beyond the Mississippi River during the 1800s.  One of the most famous routes for westward travel was the Oregon Trail.  This land voyage was very difficult, but successfully traversed by countless pioneers hoping for a fresh start in the West.

For this week's blog, visit this website and read at least 10 of the articles you find. Familiarize yourself with the trail, who traveled on it, where it lead and what life was like for the migrants.  In the comment section, describe some of the more interesting findings you uncovered from your reading.

P.S. There is a section on this website where you can play the old Oregon Trail game (which was a mega hit when I was in 5th grade) online. It's kind of corny, but it does represent the decisions necessary for survival and highlights some of the historical places the pioneers would have traveled. It's fun, in a nostalgic sort of way, and you should take some time and play it!

John Q. Adams: His Father's Son

John Quincy Adams was an interesting guy. He is the only president to have married a lady who was not born in America. He was famous for skinny-dipping in the Potomac River in Washington D.C. He was the first son-of-a-former-president to become president himself. He's the only president to go back to the House of Representatives after he left the White House. He is also the second president to only serve one term.

If you remember, Monroe's presidency was named the "Era of Good Feelings" (even though beneath the surface there was quite a bit going on) and he won both terms with very little opposition. So, isn't it strange that someone with the rich heritage of JQA would only stay in office for only one term? Especially since he was definitely suited for the job and had a strong political career (he wrote the Monroe Doctrine) before he was elected president.

For this week's blog, search the internet for information about the presidency of John Q. Adams. Begin your search with the 1824 Election and continue on until the 1828 Election. For the comment section, discuss why you think JQA only served one term. What troubles did he face as president that cost him a chance at reelection?

The Missouri Compromise: A Devastating Solution

As America stretched further west, and new inventions made travel more efficient, a new problem arose: Would new territories have slaves or not?  Southerners of course wanted to expand slavery into new territories in order to spread their influence and maintain their economic system. Conversely, Northerners were beginning to abolish slavery (little by little) and they also did not rely on slave labor to progress their manufacturing economy (remember...they used girls and immigrant).  They feared more slave states would dominate the country, thus they would lose influence in Congress and national elections.

In 1819 America had 22 states: 11 free and 11 slave. When Missouri applied for statehood, the balance would have been thrown off making it 11 free and 12 slave. This would have given slave states more power in the Senate which scared the North. Northerners, who controlled the House of Representatives, wanted to block Missouri's admittance. So, thanks to Henry Clay the Missouri Compromise was reached.

Visit this website, this website and this website to learn more about this compromise. For the comment section consider the following questions: What were the pros and cons of this compromise? How did it lead to more conflict decades later? If you were in charge of settling this issue, what would you have done?

Necessity: The Mother of Invention

Let's take a step in a different direction.  The next set of chapters we'll be discussing deal with the growth and change of America.  After the War of 1812 we finally become recognized as a legitimate country.  Other world powers begin to notice we've defeated/stood up to the British Empire twice and survived.  Our population was growing and our land claims had doubled thanks to the Louisiana Purchase.  We had now entered into an exciting time of "What is America really going to be?" type questions.  One answer to that query is "Innovators".

Beginning around 1790, America slowly became one of the world leaders in new inventions and technological progress.  The early inventions may not seem very cool or exciting, but they greatly changed the lives of people who could afford them/who worked with them.

Notice the title of this week's blog: Necessity: The Mother of Invention.  I want you to watch this video and use the first 50 words of your comment to explain what that phrase means.

For the second half of your comments, do a web search and find an invention created in America between the years 1790-1865.  Describe the invention and how it changed lives.  Here's the catch-you cannot repeat an invention that someone in the class has already posted.  So it is to your benefit to be one of the first commenters this week!  It'd be cool if you posted a picture of your invention as your avatar this week.

Modern Marvels: The Erie Canal & The National Road

As we discussed in class today, the early 19th century was a time of major evolution in the lives of Americans.  Technology was rapidly bringing convenience and efficiency into the lives of everyday citizens.  Read these two articles, one on the Erie Canal and the other on the National Road, to get an eyewitness perspective on two major developments in America's transportation network.

As you read these stories, put yourself in the place of a "common citizen" who was watching these events unfold.  Would you be excited? Scared of the "new way of life"? Worried about government taking up more land for future projects?  Looking to get in on the ground floor of these new construction projects?  For the comment section, pretend to write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper.  Give your thoughts on either the canal or the road.  What do you think people would have said back then?  Is "progress" always a good thing?

The War of 1812: America's Second War For Independence

By now you probably realize the American victory over the British in the War for Independence did not really change America's situation that significantly.  Yes, we established the principle of self-government and wrote the now legendary Constitution, but other than that....

Britain (and France) were still major thorns in our side.  We got little respect on the world stage or in our own territories.  The natives were being supplied with weapons and encouraged to fight any and all western settlers and settlements.  We were in rough shape financially, and the Jefferson Embargo had hurt us even worse.  The natives, as the saying goes, were growing restless.  Something had to change.

So...let's fight! Madison asked Congress to declare war against England in the summer of 1812.  Unfortunately for him, the British Parliament had decided to stop impressing our ships and sailors (which was one of the major reasons we were declaring war) but by the time we got the news that England had changed her mind it was too late.

Please visit this website and read the nine essays (be sure to click the blue "continue" link so you get the whole story) to gain insight into what different groups of people were thinking about the war.  In the comments section, discuss which essay you thought was the most interesting and why.