James Polk
What is Manifest Destiny
This trail led travelers from Independence, Missouri to Ft. Vancouver in its namesake's Country in the Northwest.
What is the Oregon Trail?
This mission in San Antonio was under siege for 13 days by the Mexican army and resulted in the deaths of all 180 Texan soldiers and around 600 Mexican soldiers.
What was the Battle of the Alamo?
This general and eventual president of the United States got into a skirmish with the Mexican army in Texas igniting the firestorm of the Mexican-American War, and would eventually fight General Santa Anna.
Who is Zachary Taylor?
People who immigrated to California, mostly consisting of Americans, but also Europeans, Australians, and Chinese.
Who are forty-niners?
This was the campaign slogan that James K. Polk ran on, showing his support for American expansionism.
What is "Fifty four forty or fight!"?
This magazine editor coined the term "manifest destiny" in an editorial urging Americans to annex Texas as a state.
Who is John O'Sullivan?
This is the name of the Texan providence during its time under Mexican rule
What is Tejas?
This treaty ended the Mexican-American War in which Mexico would give up its northernmost territories in exchange for $15 million from the U.S.
What is the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo?
These were towns, and sometimes mining camps, that grew into cities overnight.
What are boomtowns?
James K Polk, and its founders Martin Van Buren and Andrew Jackson, were a part of this political party.
What is the Democratic Party?
Adventurous individuals who were fur trappers and explorers such as Jedediah Smith, Jim Beckwourth, and Kit Carson.
Who were mountain men?
The winning commander of the Battle of San Jacinto and a man who had many accomplishments, including being the first Texan president before its annexation as a U.S. state.
Who is Sam Houston?
The Mexican-American War started because President Polk insisted that the Texan border was at this river instead of the Nueces.
What is the Rio Grande River?
A Swiss immigrant who received several land grants from the Mexican government, and who's namesake mill was where the Gold Rush fever started.
Who is John Sutter?
James K. Polk ran against this longtime politician in his first presidential election run, who was also known as "The Great Compromiser" for the many compromises he orchestrated.
Who is Henry Clay?
Brigham Young took the torch from this man, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and led an exodus after this man's killing by an angry mob.
Who was Joseph Smith?
The Mexican general and president during the War for Texan Independence & the Mexican-American War who would typically fight for his own self-interests.
Who is Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna?
American settlers took over this Californian town where they would declare their independence from Mexico.
What is Sonoma?
This is an ancient Greek saying, meaning, "I have found it!"
What is Eureka?
James Polk was the successor of this vice-president turned president, who took the job from William Henry Harrison after his untimely death.
Who is John Tyler?
This massacre was the result of a cow wandering away from a pioneer and getting killed by a Native American, resulting in the Native's chief and 29 American soldiers from Fort Laramie perishing.
What was the Grattan Massacre of 1854?
Settlers of Spanish or Mexican decent in the Texan province of Mexico.
Who are Tejanos?
General Winfield Scott landed at this town and captured it after a three week siege, before heading to Mexico City in which they would capture it as well, ending the Mexican-American War.
What is Veracruz?
The native peoples who had Mexican and Spanish ancestry, who lived in California before the immigration boom.
Who are Californios?