Chapter XVII: Manifest Destiny and Its Legacy

REVISED

  1. How did John L. O'Sullivan define Manifest Destiny? Why was the concept popular with a wide variety of Americans?
  2. How come Bailey labeled John Tyler as a "President without a Party"? Why did Tyler's presidency particularly frustrate Henry Clay?
  3. What Kinds of grievance led to the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842? How did this "Solemn bamboozlement" gain ratification in the Senate and the Parliament?
  4. Why did Tyler decide to annex Texas in 1845? What technique did he use? Why was his technique a clever manipulation of the Senate and an insult to the Texans?
  5. Why was Oregon generally a more desirable target for immigrants that California for most of the 1840's? If Oregon was so much more desirable than California, Why did the United States go to war over California and not over the Oregon Country?
  6. According to Bailey, What cost Clay victory in the campaign of 1844?
  7. Why was Polk been rated highly by historians in the past?
  8. Who was Catesby Jones, and how did he make such a fool of himself in 1842?
  9. What circumstances led to the out break of fighting between Mexico and the United States in 1846?
  10. In which of the three theaters of operations (northern Mexico, central Mexico, California) did our military succeed best? Where did we have the greatest difficulty? Who was responsible for both our successes and failures?
  11. Why was President Polk furious at Nicholas Trist, and what did Trist do in order to redeem himself?
  12. Why didn't Stephen Kearny like John C. Fremont? Who got the better of their dispute? Why?
  13. What unexpected bonus did we get from the treaty of Guadaloupe-Hidalgo, which easily substantiated the coast of the treaty?
  14. Who were the Californios? How were they so grossly mistreated by the "gringos"? What do they have to do with you, persionally. (It's probably a lot more than you realize!)
  15. Identify:
    • Winfield Scott
    • Jefferson Davis
    • James Marshall
    • Mariano Vallejo
    • El Camino Real
    • Fandango
    • Fiesta
    • Buena Vista
    • Chapultapec
    • Bear Flag Revolt
    • Thomas Hart Benton
    • Jesse Benton Fremont
    • Nueces River
    • John Slidell
    • The "Battle of the Maps"
    • Aroostook Valley
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