Westward Expansion
This term refers to the belief that the United States was destined to expand across North America.
Manifest destiny
This was the year the Mexican-American War began
1846
This president is most closely associated with the expansion of the U.S. during the 1840s, including the annexation of Texas.
James K. Polk
This law was passed shortly after the end of the Mexican American War to try and deal with the burning issue of slavery
Compromise of 1850
The increased migration of Americans to California following the 1848 discovery of this mineral
Gold
This 1823 document stated that European powers should not interfere with the Americas and asserted the U.S.'s sphere of influence over the Western Hemisphere
Monroe Doctrine
The Treaty that ended the War, resulting in Mexico ceding vast territories to the U.S.
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
This U.S. senator from Illinois argued that the expansion of slavery into new territories would violate the principles of liberty and equality, delivering a famous speech in 1846.
Abe Lincoln
This term allowed settlers of a territory to decide the issue of slavery themselves through a vote.
Popular sovereignty
This movement in the 19th century was a reaction to the expansion of slavery into new territories and aimed to end slavery.
Abolition movement
The phrase “Fifty-four Forty or Fight!” referred to the U.S. demand for this territory.
Oregon
Those who mostly opposed Polk's expansion and war were known as:
Conscious Whigs/anti-slavery forces
This senator from Kentucky advocated for compromise and negotiated the Compromise of 1850 to try to resolve conflicts over slavery and territorial expansion.
Henry Clay
This 1850 law was part of the Compromise of 1850 and required citizens to help capture runaway slaves, creating anger in the North.
Fugitive Slave Act
The group of settlers opposed to slavery on the basis of economic competition were known as
Free soilers (free soil party)
This territory acquired from the Mexican American War expanded U.S. territory by about 1/3rd
Mexican cession
President Polk's claim that “American blood [had been shed] on the American soil” referred to news of an armed clash between Mexican and American troops near which two areas
Neuces and Rio Grande
In this 1846 speech, this congressman from Pennsylvania criticized the Mexican-American War as an unjust effort to expand slavery.
David Wilmot
This 1846 proposal, although unsuccessful, attempted to restrict slavery in the new territories acquired from Mexico, intensifying sectional tensions.
Wilmot Proviso
As a result of increased settlement and the expansion west this economic sector experienced unprecedented growth, driving the establishment of new towns and cities across the western United States.
Railroad boom
The author of a famous cartoon depicts Columbia, personifying America moving westward and spreading civilization across the continent
John Gast, American Progress
The U.S. ambassador to Mexico in 1845, his actions were intended to ease tensions but instead helped ignite war
John Slidell
This 19th-century writer, who also became known for his work on civil disobedience, wrote about the moral consequences of the war and his opposition to it.
Henry David Thoreau (Transcendentalist)
This 1853 purchase from Mexico aimed to secure land for a southern transcontinental railroad route and was a final territorial acquisition in the West.
The U.S. acquisition of new territories, particularly California, brought about significant demographic shifts, with this ethnic group making up a large part of the labor force in the newly acquired territories
Chinese immigrants