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