Crash Course U.S. History: Texas and California

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

• Manifest Destiny: Term by journalist John O'Sullivan to justify American expansion from Atlantic to Pacific Oceans.
  • Emphasized economic motivations and Jefferson's "empire of liberty."
• Economic Expansion: Driven by opportunities in the west, despite existing inhabitants like Native Americans and Mexicans.
• Slavery: A significant issue tied to expansion, postponed for later discussion.

Oregon Trail and Settlements

• Oregon Trail: Nearly 300,000 people traveled to the western U.S. by 1860.
• Oregon: Jointly controlled by the U.S. and Britain.
• Northern Mexico: Included present-day Texas, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, and California.
  • Only New Mexico and California had significant settlements.

Texas Independence and Annexation

• Mexican Land Grants: Mexico's government granted land to Moses Austin for economic development.
  • Stephen Austin sold parcels, leading to 7,000 Americans in Texas.
• Political Tensions: Mexico annulled land contracts and banned further American immigration.
• Texas Independence: Resulted from demands for autonomy and led to the Alamo and San Jacinto battles.
  • Texas became the Lone Star Republic.
• Annexation Issues: U.S. delayed annexation due to slavery concerns; annexed in 1845.

The Mexican-American War

• President James K. Polk: Sought to acquire California from Mexico.
• Border Disputes: Troops sent to disputed regions, leading to war.
• Public Opinion: Majority supported the war; critics included Thoreau and Lincoln.
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848): Mexico ceded Texas and California, U.S. paid $15 million.

California and the Gold Rush

• Post-Treaty California: Increase in Spanish-speaking Mexicans and Native Americans under U.S. jurisdiction.
  • Rising nativism and anti-immigrant sentiment.
• Gold Rush: Population boom in California due to gold discovery in 1848.
  • Chinese immigrants and women played roles in economic activities.

Statehood and the Compromise of 1850

• California Statehood: Admitted as a free state, sparking southern concerns.
• Compromise of 1850: Negotiated by Henry Clay to maintain the North-South balance.
  • Included California as a free state, banned slave trade in D.C., and enforced fugitive slave laws.

Social and Political Implications

• Nativism: Anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic sentiment affected politics.
  • The "Know-Nothings" party emerged.
• Civil Rights Discrimination: California constitution limited civil rights to whites.
• Impact of Expansion: Failure to extend liberties to minorities and uphold U.S. ideals fueled tensions.

Conclusion

• Inevitability of Civil War: Expansion and slavery set the stage for future conflicts.
• Governance Issues: U.S. struggled to govern by its own ideals, affecting minority groups.