APUSH Ch. 13

Edwin L. Drake (1st American Oil Well)

(1819-1880) He drilled the first commercial oil well in the United States, drawing oil prospectors to the West.

Battle of San Jacinto

(1836) Final battle of the Texas Revolution; resulted in the defeat of the Mexican army and independence for Texas

Webster-Ashburton Treaty

1842 between the US and the Brits, settled boundry disputes in the North West, fixed most borders between US and Canada, talked about slavery and excredition.

John Deere (Steel Plow)

American blacksmith that was responsible for inventing the steel plow. This new plow was much stronger than the old iron version; therefore, it made plowing farmland in the west easier, making expansion faster.

George M. Pullman (Pullman Passenger Car)

Built a factory for manufacturing sleepers and other railroad cars on the prairie miles from the center of Chicago. He built a town nearby for his employees.

James K. Polk

Democratic president from 1845 to 1849; nicknamed "Young Hickory" because of his close political and personal ties to Andrew Jackson, he pursued an aggressive foreign policy that led to the Mexican War, settlement of the Oregon issue, and the acquisition of the Mexican Cession.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

February 2 1848. The agreement between President Polk and the new Mexican government for Mexico to cede California and New Mexico to the US and acknowledge the Rio Grand as the boundary of Texas. In return, the US promised to assume any financial claims its new citizens had against Mexico and to pay the Mexicans $15 million.

Joseph Smith

Founded Mormonism in New York in 1830 with the guidance of an angel. 1843, Smith's announcement that God sanctioned polygamy split the Mormons and let to an uprising against Mormons in 1844; translated the Book of Mormon and died a martyr.

Charles Goodyear (Vulcanization of Rubber)

In 1839, this New England hardware merchant, discovered a method of vulcanizing rubber (treating it to give it greater strength and elasticity); by 1860, his process had found over 500 uses and helped create a major American rubber industry.

Santa Anna

Mexican general who tried to crush the Texas revolt and who lost battles to Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor in the Mexican War (1795-1876)

Rancheros

Owners of huge estates which were given by the Mexican government.

Mexican-American War

The Mexican-American War was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas. Mexico claimed ownership of Texas as a breakaway province and refused to recognize the secession and subsequent military victory by Texas in 1836.

Brigham Young

The successor to the Mormons after the death of Joseph Smith. He was responsible for the survival of the sect and its establishment in Utah, thereby populating the would-be state.

Elias Howe (Sewing Machine)

United States inventor who built early sewing machines and won suits for patent infringement against other manufacturers (including Isaac M. Singer) (1819-1867)

Sam Houston

United States politician and military leader who fought to gain independence for Texas from Mexico and to make it a part of the United States (1793-1863)

Manifest Destiny

a belief shared by many Americans in the mid-1800s that the United States should expand across the continent to the Pacific Ocean

Oregon Trail

a route from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon, used by pioneers traveling to the Oregon Territory.

Elisha G. Otis (Passenger Elevator)

built first safety elevator; elevators were for freight; made skyscrapers possible

Mormons

church founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 with headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, religious group that emphasized moderation, saving, hard work, and risk-taking; moved from IL to UT

John Tyler

elected Vice President and became the 10th President of the United States when Harrison died 1841-1845, President responsible for annexation of Mexico after receiving mandate from Polk, opposed many parts of the Whig program for economic recovery

Peter Cooper (Railroad Locomotive)

in 1830, he built a small but powerful locomotive called the Tom Thumb and raced it against a horse drawn rail car, but lost

Stephen F. Austin

known as the Father of Texas, led the second and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States

Samuel F. B. Morse (Telegrapher)

the American developer of the telegraph who in 1844 sent a message from Washington to Baltimore, a distance of 40 miles.

Alamo

the mission in San Antonio where in 1836 Mexican forces under Santa Anna besieged and massacred American rebels who were fighting to make Texas independent of Mexico

John O'Sullivan

was an American columnist and editor who used the term "Manifest Destiny" in 1845 to promote the annexation of Texas and the Oregon Country to the United States.