APUSH Chapter 17

James K. Polk

-Called dark horse (nominated at a convention but not formally running) -Won election of 1844 -Slogan: Fifty-four forty or fight

Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842

-Fixed northern boundary of Maine -US got half of disputed territory, including adjustments of northern boundary of Vermont and New York -British got land route between New Brunswick and Quebec -British unofficially apologized for Caroline affair -Webster resigned as Sec of State because of policy disagreements with Tyler

Election of 1844

-Henry Clay was hypocrite because he tried to appease North adn South -Van Buren denounced annexation and countered Manifest Destiny of Democratic party

The Whig Tarriff

-Two bills came out of Whig controlled Congress to delay tariff reductions -Revenue from Western land sales would be distributed among all states

Oregon Treaty of 1846

Between US and Great Britain -Dividing line between US portion of Oregon and Canada's

Aroostook War

Boundary dispute between the US and Canada. Canadian lumberjacks were sent to work near the Aroostook River and Maine's Americans tried to eject them. Canada wanted to send an army but General Scott prevented this. Resolved by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842.

Relations with Great Britain

British authors and magazines wrote about lack of social graces of Americans and insulted American lifestyle -British experienced economic boom as US suffered from depression

Creole

British offered asylum to 130 slaves who rebelled and captured American ship Creole

The Caroline Incident

Canadian revolt in 1837 against GB aroused sympathy for Canadians by Americans who hoped to annex Canada. -Americans provided supplies to Canadians in Caroline and British troops captured it and killed one American -Van Buren said US couldn't protect Americans if they were captured fighting in Canada

John Slidell

Congressman who spoke Spanish to negotiate with mexicans

Zachary Taylor

General who advanced 4,000 troops from the Nueces River to Rio grande

How did John Tyler become president?

Harrison was a doofus and gave an inaugural speech 2 hours long on a rainy day. He caught pneumonia and died

John Tyler

Harrison's running mate, a Virginian anti-Jackson Whig -Virginian aristocrat -Broke with Jackson on issue of nullification -Opposed Clay's American System -Became unpopular with Whigs

Why did Tyler's entire cabinet resign?

He was formally expelled in Congress from the Whig party after he vetoed a Bank

General Winfield Scott

Landed on Veracruz and captured Mexico city with loss of only 20 Americans

Election of 1840

Martin Van Buren -Democrat William Henry Harrison-Whig, big hero of Battle of Tippecanoe

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

Mexico gave Mexican Cession for 15 million dollars -Anti slavery Whigs opposed the war and treaty -Henry Thoreau displayed protest by refusing to pay taxes and living on Walden Pond

Why did Polk advocate for annexation of Oregon and Texas?

Oregon entering as free state would allow balance with Texas as a slave state

Why did British want Texas to be independent?

Prevent US southern expansion, lower tariffs on cotton in Texas, spread abolition to free slaves in the South

Restoration of Independent Treasury

Promoted by Van Buren to stabilize economy by preventing state banks from printing unsecured paper currency or independent treasury based on specie -Gov removed deposits from state banks and deposited in independent treasury of federal government

John C. Gremon

Revolted against Mexico's weak rule in Bear Flag Revolt

Commander John D. Sloat

Seized Monterey and declared CA to be part of the US

Oregon Fever

Spread throughout US as expression of Manifest Destiny

What did the Whigs think of Tyler as president?

Thought he would be a figurehead controlled by Daniel Webster and Henry Clay

Why was annexation of Texas delayed?

Wanted to be a slave state and could cause war between Mexico and the U.S.

Civil Disobedience

Written by Thoreau while in jail

Commodore Robert Stockton

joined Kearny's troops and defeated Mexicans at Battle of San Gabriel

Walker Tariff

reduced tariff rates from 32% to 25%

John L. O'Sullivan

said the quote about Manifest Destiny

Colonel Kearny

secured NewMexico

How did Polk bypass Whigs in resolution to annex Texas?

used a joint resolution which only requires a simple majority