click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Chapter 11 Westward
Westwards expansion - Oregon Trail, Mexican-American War, Gold Rush
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| James K. Polk | President who promised acquisition (gaining) of western lands |
| Mountain men | traveled on the Oregon Trail for furs |
| Brigham Young | led Mormons west to escape religious persecution |
| Oregon Trail | northern trail with fur trapping |
| Mormon Trail | trail to Salt Lake City for religious freedom |
| Salt Lake City | settlement of the Mormons in the West |
| Sante Fe Trail | southern trail that brought trade with the Mexicans |
| Manifest Destiny | belief that it was the fate of America to spread democracy to the Pacific Ocean |
| Annexation | adding an area, similar to acquisition |
| Texas | gained its independence from Mexico |
| Stephen Austin | established a colony of Americans in Mexican Texas |
| Sam Houston | general in the Texas fight for independence and first president of Texas |
| The Alamo | battle loss for Texans seeking independence; became chant for the next battle “Remember ……” |
| Battle of San Jacinto | victory that gave Texas independence |
| Oregon Territory | land south of 49th N. latitude that became part of US from Britain |
| Nueces River | the Mexicans believed this was the north border of Mexico |
| Rio Grande | the Americans believed this was the north border of Mexico |
| California | site of the start of the Mexican-American war |
| Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago | ended the Mexican-American war giving the US California and gave the US Arizona, New Mexico , Colorado and Wyoming |
| Gadsden Purchase | land bought from Mexico the set the southwest border of the US for $10 million and included parts of Arizona and New Mexico |
| Donner party | western travellers that tried to take a shortcut and got trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains |
| Acquistition | adding a country, similar to annexation |