Term
| Explain the role of mountain men in the exploration and expansion of the West. |
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Definition
| mountain men explored the great plains and the west trapping animals to sell furs. They blazed trails and provided Americans with knowledge about the far west, making it possible for thousands of pioneers to pass through |
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Term
| Identify reasons people went west |
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Definition
| -spread Christianity -buy land -take land away from the Natives -make money by selling items to farmers -find jobs -search for markets -escape people they owed money to |
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Term
| Describe the opening of the Santa Fe Trail |
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Definition
| -William Becknell opened the trail, which led from Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico -New Mexicans were eager for new merchandise -Becknell discovered a shortcut that went through the desert -hundreds of traders crossed the desert in order to sell goods in New Mexico |
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Term
| Describe the impact of "Oregon Fever" on westward expansion |
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Definition
| -stories told of how great Oregon was--plenty of food and land and money--convincing thousands of people to make the journey |
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Term
| Profile the Mormon's westward journey |
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Definition
| Mormons followed their leader Brigham Young to Utah, where they hoped their enemies would leave them alone |
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Term
| Profile Texas under Spanish rule |
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Definition
-desirable land, but had few Spanish settlers (Tejanos)
-Spanish government wanted more settelers to move to Texas to help defend it against Native Americans
-Still unable to attract Spanish settlers, government began to allow in American settlers |
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Term
| Explain the tension between Texans and Tejanos |
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Definition
| Tension grew because of culture differences. There were many more Texans than Tejanos and the Texans were upset all legal documents were in Spanish. Texans were mad Mexico outlawed slavery. Tejanos were mad at Texans for not adapting to their culture. The Mexican government noticed this tension and ordered in more troops |
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Term
| Summarize the war between Texas and Mexico |
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Definition
-Led by Steven Austin and Sam Houston, Americans moved into Texas hoping to turn it into an American colony
-Americans, with the help of Tejanos, overtook a Mexican church called the Alamo and turned it into a fortress
-Mexican President sent thousands of troops to take back the Alamo. Fighting lasted 13 days and the Mexicans won, killing almost all of the Americans
-Mexicans moved eastwards, massacaring hundereds of Texans at Goliad
-Enraged Texans snuck an attack at a Mexican camp, killing almost half the people. This led to a peace treaty and Texas became a country. |
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Term
| Explain how Texas became its own country |
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Definition
-After being defeated at the Alamo and massacred at Goliad, Texans surprised attacked a Mexican camp at San Jacinto, killing more than half the Mexican army stationed there
-Mexican President Santa Ana forced to sign a peace treaty, allowing Texas to become its own country called Lone Star Republic |
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Term
| explain the origin of manifest destiny |
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Definition
Mexico controlled the southwestern part of North American and Britain controlled the northwestern part, Americans believed it there destiny to overtake this land and expand USA from coast to coast
-President Polk fiercely encouraged this philosophy |
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Term
| Describe how the Mexican War began |
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Definition
-Mexicans would not recognize Texas as an American state
-Americans wanted Rio Grande to mark the border, Mexicans wanted the Nuceses River, would fight to obtain that land
-Gen Taylor brought troops to the disputed land, Mexicans believed this was an act of war and attacked
-bill passed that would ensure any obtained territory would be slave-free |
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Term
| Describe American actions in California, New Mexico and Mexico |
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Definition
California: Americans led by John C Fremont rebelled against Mexicans in Bear Flag Revolt
New Mexico: General Stephen Kearny persauded MExicans to leave. He was able to capture New Mexico without firing a shot
Mexico: Very bloody, Americans eventually won when Winfield Scott took over Mexico City |
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Term
| Detail the peace agreements with Mexico and territory gained by the United States |
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Definition
war officially ended with Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
-Texas officially part of US
-Mexico gave up California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico (Mexican Cession)
-Mexico lost almost half its land
-Mexicans living in this area were no a minority in a new country with new laws, language and culture |
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Term
| Describe California before the Gold Rush |
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Definition
-150,000 Native Americans and 6,0000 Californios populated the land
-Californios owned most of the land and would rarely sell land to foreigners |
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Term
| Summarize the activities occurring during the gold rush |
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Definition
News of James Marshall's gold discovery spread rapidly and rumors began to exaggerate the amount of available gold
-mostly young white men made the journey to California, either sailing around South America, pass through Panama or travel through North America |
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Term
| describe life in the mining camps |
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Definition
-often dangerous
-gold was very difficult to find
-white miners constantly conflicted with nonwhite miners, eventually taxing immigrants and forcing them to change careers |
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Term
| Analyze the impact of the gold rush on California |
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Definition
-250,000 people moved to California
-San Francisco became a banking hub
-49ers stole property from Californios
-49ers murdered thousands of Native Americans, believing Native Americans stood in the way of progress
-California became a non-slave state |
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Term
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Definition
-mountain man and loner who opened up trails to the west
-publicized the South Pass, a trail through Wyoming that was less steep and less snowy than other passages |
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Term
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Definition
| -fur trappers and explorers who blazed the trails into the far west, opening the way for thousands of pioneers |
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Term
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Definition
| former slave who discovered the Beckwourth Pass, a passage into Northern California |
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Term
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Definition
| people who bought huge areas of land, hoping it would increase in value |
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Term
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Definition
| passage discovered by William Becknell that went from Missouri to Santa Fe, where merchants could sell their goods |
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Term
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Definition
-trail from Independence, Missouri to the Oregon Territory
-first traveled by missionaries to convert Natives to Christianity |
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Term
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Definition
| a member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, founded by Joseph Smith |
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Term
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Definition
| leader of the Mormon church after Joseph Smith was murdered, moved his people from New York to Utah |
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Term
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Definition
| worked to make an American colony out of Spanish Texas |
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Term
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Definition
| the people of Spanish heritage who considered Texas their home |
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Term
| Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana |
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Definition
| president of Mexico who sent troops to Texas to fight at the Alamo |
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Term
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Definition
| commander of the Texas army |
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Term
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Definition
| Head of a group of volunteers at the Alamo, which included Davey Crockett |
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Term
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Definition
led a group of 25 Tejanos in support of the Texas revolt
-Tejano hero of the Texas Revolution |
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Term
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Definition
| Battle fought by Texans against the Mexican army over the independence of Texas . After 12 days of cannon and gunfire, the Mexicans had killed all but five of the Texans. |
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Term
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Definition
| the independent Texas nation formed after the Victory at San Jacinto, although manto y settlers wanted to join America |
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Term
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Definition
| the 11th President who promoted the idea of manifest destiny |
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Term
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Definition
| the idea that the American nation must stretch from Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast (sea to shiny sea) |
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Term
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Definition
| general of troops stationed at the Rio Grande, the river that separates America from Mexico. The Mexicans ambushed his troops. |
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Term
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Definition
| The revolt that declared California independent from Mexico |
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Term
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Definition
| general of the American army that oversaw the fall of Mexico City |
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Term
| Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo |
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Definition
| The treaty that marked the end of the Mexican-American war, which allowed Texas to become part of the United States and forced Mexico to give up much of their land |
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Term
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Definition
| the vast region that Mexico gave up after the war--includes parts of California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Wyoming |
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Term
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Definition
| a person who went to California to find gold, starting in 1849 |
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Term
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Definition
| Californian settlers of Spanish or Mexican heritage |
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Term
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Definition
| a Californio who owned over 250,000 acres of land |
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Term
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Definition
| a white settler who obtained 20,000 acres of Californian land from Mexico |
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Term
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Definition
| first person to spot gold in California |
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Term
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Definition
| thousands of mostly young men moved to California in hopes of striking gold. Could either sail around South America, through Panama or travel across America |
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