APUSH Chapter 13 Vocab

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

(1848) this 1) declares the end of the Mexican War and the US gets the California Territory, 2) the Rio Grande becomes the border between America and Mexico, 3) Mexico receives $15 million (kind of as a participation award?!?!) from the US.

Gadsden Purchase

(1853) The US offers $10 million to purchase the bottom of New Mexico to Mexico who is smart enough to back down and not fight. They give the US New Mexico without any problems.

Benjamin Young

After Joseph Smith dies, this man leads the Mormon people further West ending up in present-day Utah (no one is there) which is not yet part of the US. This is where he establishes a mini "Mormon Utopia".

Mexican War causes

After Zachary Taylor is sent by the US into the disputed territory between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande, Mexico is forced to attack Taylor.(Which the US wanted (them) to so the US could fight them for California because they know Mexico isn't strong enough to win-New England US citizens refuse to take part in this). Mexico attacked the sovereignty of the US and Polk can truly say "Mexico started it" (but we provoked). Despite strong objections of Northerners (including Abraham Lincoln - free-soiler), the US declares War on Mexico, but Mexico started it!! This is the official start o the Mexican(-American) War.

Wilmot Proviso

David Wilmot (a Congressman) proposes an amendment to Polks bill to terms regarded in the Treaty of Guadelupe-Hidalgo. This amendment helped bring about the Republican Party in 1854 because it was designed to eliminate slavery within the (California) land acquired as a result of the Mexican(-American) War because he believed slavery to be wrong as did Abraham Lincoln and all other Northerners (especially North-East New Englanders).

California Gold Rush

Discovery of Gold in 1848 in California causes a massive population explosion and timeline acceleration and by 1849 California is already ready for statehood in the US!!! ***REMEMBER: EXPANSION CAUSES THE CIVIL WAR!!!!!

Oregon Treaty of 1846

In 1846, during the presidency of James K. Polk, between England and the US- signed in DC. Treaty brought an end to the Oregon boundary dispute by settling US and British claims to the Oregon country. Negotiated by Buchanan who at the time was secretary of state. This was in hopes of fulfilling Polk's 54 40' or fight platform but instead he could only negotiate a compromise. So the (new) line of latitude was set at the 49th parallel with the exception of/not including Vancouver Island. Later, the Washington territory formed from this latitude boundary (later) in 1853.

Mexican War effects (Results)

Mexico doesn't even try to fight in California. US takes over California. Treaty of Guadelupe-Hidalgo officially ends the war and says the US receives California in 1848.

John Slidell Mission

Polk sends John Slidell to try and buy California territory but Mexico refuses (which is clear since they just lost Texas to a war with "American" Texans).

Battle of San Jacinto

Sam Houston defeats Santa Anna at ______________________ River - this clinches Texas's independence. Texas is now an independent nation known as a "lone-star" republic. Texas applies for statehood to US in 1837 but US refuses because of slavery and Congress representatives would then be unequal. New England people in the North-East oppose annexation because it would be such a BIG slave state. Texas will be an independent-functioning nation for 10 years. They had negotiations with other countries because their "country" idea was "engrained" in the Texans' minds. in 1845 the US finally annexes Texas under President James K. Polk but only because Texas threatened alliance adoptions with European countries if not annexed "soon" so the US had no choice if they wanted Texas and didn't really want another nation "in their zone area". Thus, the US-Canada border was then changed to a 49 degree latitude as it still is today.

Mexican War

US takes California easily because no one was around to dispute it (and Mexico kind of knew they couldn't compete with the bigger US country if they couldn't even win against "little ol' Texas"!). This "war" is over pretty much before it even starts. This is a crushing Mexican defeat and more people will die of disease than in this "war". US praises to victory behind: Zachary Taylor, Scott, and Kearney. This is known as the "first (and (really) only) non-war war in history"!!

James K. Polk (Election of 1844)

Won the Election of 1844. He was a democrat and established his campaign off of his "54 degree 40' or fight" platform saying he was going to make the (new) line of latitude for the Oregon Territory 54 degree 40'. He was an expansionist who mainly wanted Oregon and Texas. He fulfills the belief and idea of "Manifest Destiny" in being a pro-expander of the country and pretty much succeeding his part of what he campaigned (he said he would get Oregon and Texas and did: he got Oregon first in 1846 and then Texas in 1848).

Manifest Destiny

a belief that is was America's God-given destiny to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from North to South (Mexico) /South (Mexico) to North. This provides a justification for expansion. Promoters include John O'Sullivan (newspaper), land-hungry farmers ("Hungry Hungry Hippos") including southerners who are very interested in and wanting to expand slavery (want of balance in Congress to remain), Eastern Merchants who want Pacific Ports to open up more trade markets and gain more money, and people who want to expand democracy, freedom, Christianity (so believe they must do God's Will-Manifest Destiny), and other American ideals. Opponents include: those already owned by other nations, those who believe the US will be too big to govern, and those who fear "Slave or Free" Issues, slave revolts, and a possible civil war if these issues and revolts arise because they believe the 36 degree 30' line in the Missouri Compromise will not work. And, thus actually, EXPANSION (OF SLAVERY) IS THE REAL CAUSE OF THE CIVIL WAR!!

mechanical reaper

a major development of the (early?!?!) industrial revolution created by the Mormons that resulted in harvesting crops quicker which ultimately allowed and led to a western push for farm-land to harvest crops quicker. This invention was where John Deer later got the idea of creating the steel plow which allowed for mass farming because of the quickness of harvesting crops - a thought first brought about by the Mormons' mechanical reaper industrial revolution invention.

Mormon Trek

a movement of Mormons across the US from upstate New York to Navu, Illinois and finally ending up and settling in present-day Utah to find the "right" place to settle their people without criticism. The Mormons finally settle in present-day Utah after leaving Illinois because barely anyone is there since it is a newly added US territory and not many people have moved west to present-day Utah yet (just mainly California because of the gold rush that happened there in 1848).

54 40' or fight

campaign platform of James K. Polk in the Election of 1844 for the Oregon Territory line of latitude which helped him secure the win for presidency that year (1844).

Alamo Battle

first battle of the Texan Revolution. 187 Texans fought the Mexican army and many died which required leader Sam Houston and the Texas Army to regroup. All defenders of Texas were killed and around 2000 Mexican troops and it takes the Mexican Army a week to capture this place. "Remember the ________________".

Oregon Trail

first western "interstate".

Joseph Smith

founder of the Mormon Church. Believed he was visited by the angel Moroni who told him and only him in the world throughout history about the "special golden plates". The Angel told him of the seer stone which can translate the golden tablets because they were written in a foreign language (that no person on earth could ever read and/or understand). He translates the plate message into the Book of Mormon which they believed Christ to be in North America during the 3 days he was dead. He starts the Mormon Church in upstate NY with a major belief in polygamy. He moves the Mormon people and stops in Navu, Illinois where he later dies.

Sam Houston

leader of "Texas Army" and fought in famous battles including the Alamo Battle and the Battle of San Jacinto where he defeated Santa Anna and won independence for Texas making it a "lone-star" republic/country.

Zachary Taylor

sent by US after John Slidell was declined by Mexico in purchasing California. US sends him into disputed territory between Nueces River and Rio Grande. Mexico is forced to attack him.

Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1847

signed August 9, 1842, was a treaty resolving several border issues between the United States and the British North American colonies, particularly a dispute over the location of the Maine-New Brunswick border. Also banned the slave trade (on the ocean). Signed by British diplomat Lord Ashburton and Daniel Webster during his first term of Secretary of State meeting in Washington at the head of a special mission to the United States (history.state.gov).

Mormons

their (two) major beliefs is in polygamy and that Christ visited North America during the 3 days he was dead (total opposite belief of Bible which said he never visited the West) and create the Mormon Trek to find a place to settle, which later becomes present-day Utah. There is almost a civil war between the US government and these people. Utah's main problem is its political status determination because the US outlawed polygamy and Utah wanted to become a state to the US but the US would not let them become a state until they outlawed polygamy which they weren't planning on doing at all. Thus, there was almost a "mini-civil war" over polygamy. These people created the mechanical reaper which allowed a (big) western push for farm-land because this invention allowed the harvesting of crops quicker.