Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Reading 5.2
Manifest Destiny
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Manifest Destiny | Belief that the United States was obligated by God to spread its “empire of liberty” across North America and was used as a justification for mid-nineteenth century expansionism. |
| Texas | Territory that revolted against the Mexican government and was originally denied statehood in 1837, but was eventually annexed under President Polk, which helped spark the Mexican-American War. |
| Oregon Territory | Territory of the northern Pacific Coast that was jointly occupied by the British and the United States for twenty years and almost led to war, but was eventually split along the 49th parallel. |
| Stephen Austin | Led one of the first settlements of Americans in Texas and eventually became the commander of the settlers’ army against Mexico in the Texas Revolution. |
| Antonio López de Santa Anna | Military and political leader of Mexico who successfully attacked the Alamo, but was defeated by Sam Houston at San Jacinto and forced to sign a treaty granting Texas independence. |
| Sam Houston | Military leader of the Texas independence movement who defeated Santa Anna at San Jacinto and forced him to sign a treaty granting Texas independence. |
| Alamo | Former Spanish mission converted into a fort that was besieged by Mexican troops in 1836 for thirteen days, but the final battle killed all of the Texan defenders by the significantly larger Mexican force. |
| John Tyler | First vice president elevated to president due to the death of his predecessor, he drifted from Whig ideas and replaced his cabinet with Democrats, but did not change much from previous policies. |
| Webster-Ashburton Treaty | Treaty between the United States and Britain that settled border disputes with Canada, resolved the Caroline steamship issue and called for a final end to the transatlantic slave trade. |
| Jame K. Polk | Expansionist president who led the United States during the Mexican-American War, oversaw the acquisition of Texas and the Mexican Cession and encouraged the expansion of slavery. |
| Fifty-Four Forty or Fight! | Democratic campaign slogan used by James K. Polk that called for the United States to take all of the disputed Oregon Territory, but once in office he split the territory with Britain. |
| Great American Desert | Term applied to the land west of the Missouri River and east of the Rocky Mountains because the landscape had almost no trees, little rainfall and tough prairie sod. |
| Far West | Term applied to the land west of the Missouri River to the Pacific Coast that offered new opportunities such as mining and farming, but included hardships such as dangerous weather. |
| Overland Trails | Long and dangerous routes through the Great American Desert and Rocky Mountains that American settlers used to reach California and the Oregon Territory. |
| Mining Frontier | Discovery of gold in California in 1848 caused the first flood of newcomers to the West and was followed by more mineral strikes that kept a steady flow of young prospectors pushing into the West. |
| Gold Rush | Discovery of sources of a precious metal encouraged people to flock to the Far West in hopes of striking it rich, the most famous example occurring in California in 1848. |
| Silver Rush | Discovery of sources of a precious metal encouraged people to flock to the Far West in hopes of striking it rich, the most famous example occurring in Nevada. |
| Farming Frontier | Western land was settled and developed by pioneers who were willing to face the hardships of the West in order to gain land, grow crops or raise cattle and create a living for themselves. |
| Urban Frontier | Cities started to develop and grow in the Far West in places such as San Francisco and Denver as more settlers moved westward in search of opportunity. |
| Foreign Commerce | Trade between the United States and foreign countries that includes exports and imports. |
| Exports | Goods made in the United States and traded to foreign countries. |
| Imports | Goods made in foreign countries and traded into the United States. |
| Matthew C. Perry | American naval officer who led a military expedition to Japan and used American naval power to convince the Japanese to open up to trade with the United States under the Kanagawa Treaty. |
| Kanagawa Treaty | International agreement between the United States and Japan that opened up Japan to trade with the United States. |
Created by:
user-1961066
Popular U.S. History sets